Nominations open
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are now available for this year’s Global Health Impact Awards! This in-person event will take place on October 4 at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle. Join us in celebrating the global health community and honoring the achievements of this year’s nominees!
There is still time to submit your nominations for this year’s awards! We are looking to honor the people and organizations who are making a significant impact in global health in the following categories:
Rising Star: Awarded to an individual age 40 or under (as of October 4, 2023) who is making an exceptional impact in the field of global health.
Luminary Leader: Awarded to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a relentless commitment to the global health community.
Organizational Impact: Awarded to an organization making an exceptional impact in improving global health equity.
Make sure to get your nominations in by May 31!
Reaching a milestone
Seattle Children’s has enrolled its 500th patient in its chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy clinical trials in 10 years. The milestone was achieved with support from over 24,000 donors across 50 states and 17 other countries and has raised more than $123 million to date to move this research forward. Seattle Children’s reflects on the inspiring journeys of their patients who’ve achieved long-term remission and provides an update on where they are today.
HPV vaccination coverage
According to PATH, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage, with only 15 percent of eligible girls reported to have received HPV vaccinations in 2021, compared with 20 percent in 2019. Widespread access to the vaccine is crucial as it can prevent most cases of cervical cancer, which is the fourth leading cancer among women globally. PATH shares the work they are doing to increase HPV vaccine access and coverage in low- and middle-income countries to reach the World Health Organization's 90 percent HPV vaccination coverage target as quickly as possible.
Long-term COVID-19 management
The World Health Organization has updated its plan for managing COVID-19 from an emergency response to a longer-term sustained response. Despite declining reported cases and deaths, millions are still being infected or re-infected and thousands are dying each week. WHO’s updated Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for 2023-2025 supports countries in transitioning their emergency response activities to longer-term sustained disease prevention, control, and management.
Climate crisis
According to World Vision, children in fragile countries are suffering the most from climate change despite contributing the least. World Vision explains that climate change is changing childhood, especially in fragile countries by causing malnutrition, lack of shelter, displacement, spread of diseases, and gender inequality, and shares how they are helping communities manage and reverse some of these impacts by partnering with families and other organizations.
Sponsored Content
Take action for accessible multi-cancer early detection screenings
Age is the single biggest risk factor for developing cancer, and cancer is the leading cause of death for Americans between the age of 65 and 84. For older adults, access to Medicare is associated with a significant increase in the detection of cancers, particularly for women and people of color.
Today, patients have available screening for just five of the hundreds of types of cancer. In fact, only 14 percent of cancers diagnosed today are found through screenings. Catching cancer earlier gives patients a four times greater chance of survival at half the cost burden of a later-stage diagnosis.
A new technology called multi-cancer early detection (MCED) represents a more equitable era in cancer screening. Rather than screening for one type of cancer at a time, MCED tests can detect dozens of cancers at once. Making MCED technologies widely available can ensure everyone has a meaningful pathway to lifesaving treatment in the earliest stages.
Congress worked very hard last year to pass the MCED Screening Coverage Act, which would allow for Medicare coverage of these tests once they are approved by the FDA. While gaining sweeping endorsements and co-sponsorship, from more than 400 stakeholder organizations across the country and 313 members of the House and Senate, the legislation did not reach the finish line before the end of the year. Luckily, the new Congress has recently reintroduced the MCED bill with H.R. 2407.
Around the community
May 18: Tune in to Seattle Children’s next Conversations About Autism series: Supporting Siblings Both On and Off the Spectrum. This series features experts and advocates who share their knowledge and perspectives on autism as well as helpful tips for supporting a child, adolescent, or young adult with autism.
May 22: Register now for Fred Hutch’s next virtual Global Oncology Lecture Series seminar with Jennifer Balkus, PhD, MPH, and Thesla Palanee-Phillips, PhD, who will present, “Partnering across continents: Experiences and lessons learned in developing equitable partnerships in clinical research.”
June 27: Register now to save your spot at our next Women in Global Health Seattle quarterly gathering! More details to come soon.
July 18: Join WGHA for a private reception at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center for Designing Motherhood: Things That Make and Break Our Births—an exhibition exploring the arc of human reproduction through the lens of art and design. Registration is free for this in-person event.