Celebrating Impact

On October 4, Washington Global Health Alliance celebrated some of the heroes of global health at our Global Health Impact Awards. It was an inspiring night dedicated to honoring the individuals and organizations making an impact in global health. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who attended the event, our sponsors, and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. 

Congratulations again to our winners!

• Rising Star: Kingsley Ndoh, Hurone AI

• Luminary Leader: Alice Emasu, TERREWODE and Terrewode Women’s Community Hospital

• Organizational Impact: Adara Group

If you were unable to attend in person, you can watch a full recording of the event. Photos will be available on our website soon!

A lifesaving commitment

At the Clinton Global Initiative 2023 Meeting, Adara Group made a Commitment to Action to invest a further US$10.6 million to scale their award-winning AdaraNewborn model across multiple health facilities in Uganda. With this funding, Adara intends to reach 500,000 mothers and babies and save close to 7,000 lives by providing newborns and their mothers with support across the entire continuum of care.

FLOTUS at Fred Hutch

Fred Hutch Cancer Center was visited by First Lady Jill Biden. The FLOTUS was there to discuss the Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative with Fred Hutch’s President and Director, Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., MD, and other scientists. During her visit, she praised the lifesaving work that Fred Hutch is doing and emphasized the need for urgency and innovation in cancer research to benefit patients and their families, acknowledging the 18 million cancer survivors in the United States.

Seasonal guidance

Fall is here, and flu season is returning. Additionally, COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, and new booster shots are available. WGHA members share important information on boosters, what you can do to fend off the flu, and tips for staying healthy this year. 

• The Washington State Department of Health reports what’s new with the flu this year and how you can prevent the flu and other respiratory viruses.

• Seattle Children’s shares some flu basics, prevention, and treatment, and the best way that you can keep your family healthy this season.

• Public Health – Seattle & King County has current COVID-19 information and guidance and can help you find the newest booster. 

Are you fighting off the flu already? The CDC has recommendations for what to do when you are sick and resources on how to protect yourself from COVID-19, the flu, and RSV.

A virtual shift

The latest episode of the CDC Foundation’s Contagious Conversations podcast examines the academic, social, and mental health impacts that students and teachers faced due to the shift to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the episode, Heather Martel-Balfour, social worker and school behavior interventionist, discusses mental health obstacles encountered by students and teachers, as well as how educators manage the pressures of their profession. The episode highlights the importance of addressing the mental health needs of teachers and students and providing necessary resources.

Xchanging ideas

The Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA) hosted the inaugural meeting of its Global Health Innovation Xchange (Xchange) Advisory Council. During the meeting, Elana Robertson, Director for the Xchange, announced the Xchange’s new co-chairs: Nwando Anyaoku, Chief Health Equity Officer at Swedish Health Services, and Rebecca Milner, Chief Advancement Officer at International Medical Corps. It is an honor to collaborate with these distinguished leaders. The Advisory Council, made up of Strategic and Global Health Partners of the Xchange, will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the initiative. We are truly excited about the collaborative spirit demonstrated by our partners, as well as their unwavering commitment to collectively drive substantial advancements in global health innovation.

Interested in joining our mission to reduce the global burden of disease through inclusive and equitable global health innovations? Learn more about the Xchange. 

Around the community

• Oct. 30: Register now for Fred Hutch Cancer Center's next virtual Global Oncology Lecture Series seminar with David Watkins, MD, MPH, who will present “Priority setting for cancer prevention and control in low- and middle-income countries.”

• Nov. 1: Register for North Carolina Global Health Alliance’s 10th Annual Conference, Resilience in the Global Health Ecosystem. Keynote speakers will be Angeli Achrekar, Deputy Executive Director for the Programme Branch at UNAIDS, and Congresswoman Deborah Ross, US Representative of North Carolina’s Second Congressional District. 

• Nov. 30 & Dec. 7: Don’t miss Global Washington’s 2023 Goalmakers Annual Conference. This virtual and in-person conference convenes “Goalmakers”—people whose work advances the Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s theme is Advancing Transformative Philanthropy.

• Dec. 7: Save the date for the next Women in Global Health Seattle’s quarterly gathering! Sign up to receive updates on their events and activities. More details to follow soon!