Fwd: African Nations Take Loans to Advance Towards Millennium Development Goals

Eight African nations announced that they are taking on $104 million in zero-interest loans to combat extreme poverty, improve public health and achieve more sustainable development. I've copied the release below for more information.

 

The loans will finance three major programs:

·         Scale-ups of existing Millennium Villages Project sites in Mali, Senegal and Uganda

·         A new, flagship Sustainable Villages Program  in Chad, Mozambique, and Sudan

·         Implementation of the Drylands Initiative, which builds resiliency to climate change, in Djibouti, Somalia and Uganda

 

The Earth Institute, led by its Millennium Development Goals Centers in East and West Africa, and Millennium Promise, will provide similar guidance to the nations involved in the new initiative; however, acceptance of this loan signifies a tremendous commitment on the part of African countries to take ownership over progress towards development and attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

 

 

 

ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK AND EARTH INSTITUTE PARTNER TO MEET MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN RURAL AFRICA

 

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA, August 13, 2013:  The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Earth Institute (Columbia University) formed a partnership in 2011 to work with African nations to support their efforts to end extreme poverty. The IsDB and the Earth Institute and its partner, Millennium Promise, are pleased to announce that the IsDB and its poverty reduction arm, the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), have now extended more than $100 million in financing to help eight African nations combat extreme poverty, improve public health and achieve more sustainable development.

 

In each of these projects, host governments will partner with the IsDB, the Earth Institute and Millennium Promise to carry out the projects. The Earth Institute, led by its Millennium Development Goals Centers in East and West Africa, and Millennium Promise, will provide technical, operational and scientific guidance to the nations involved in the new initiative.

 

"The Islamic Development Bank is showing great and innovative leadership in addressing poverty in its member states," said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute.  "In these new programs, the bank is applying cutting-edge methods to the fight against poverty, hunger and disease. It is a privilege and honor to be working along with the IsDB on this bold undertaking."

 

The combined $104 million will finance three major programs:

 

·   The ISFD's new flagship Sustainable Villages Program (SVP) in Chad, Mozambique, and Sudan ($40 million)

·   Scale-ups of the Millennium Villages Project in Mali, Senegal and Uganda ($29 million) 

·   Implementation of the Drylands Initiative in Djibouti, Somalia and Uganda ($35 million)

 

Spearheading the financing initiative is IsDB's president,  Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, who explained, "Alleviating poverty is part of the IsDB's Mission, and it will be better achieved if we cooperate with parties that have successful experience in the field. This is why IsDB, many member countries of which are among the least developed in the world, is partnering with the Earth Institute, which brings rich practical expertise that will help us ensure that our financing is effective."

 

The $104 million will be provided in the form of Islamic finance (long-term repayments at zero interest rates) to the recipient  countries, except in the case of a grant provided to Somalia. All of these countries are members of the bank.

 

"This new partnership between the Islamic Development Bank, Earth Institute, Millennium Promise, the MDG Centers and the eight Africa nations is a true measure of the steadfast commitment of all to achieve the Millennium Development Goals," said Amadou Niang, director of the MDG Centre for West Africa. "The countries have seen first-hand the impacts of the Millennium Villages project. The fact that they are now taking loans to bring lessons learned to scale across nations is tremendous testament to their ownership of the development program. We are very proud to work with these nations and the Islamic Development Bank to scale-up and help realize their vision and dedication to the MDGs."

 

The Islamic Development Bank's Sustainable Villages Project^[1] builds on the experience gained over the past seven years in the Millennium Village Project (MVP, www.millenniumvillages.org), as well as the bank's long-standing and extensive work throughout Africa in fighting poverty. Both the MVP and SVP include an integrated package of science-based services and technologies to help rural African communities to improve public health, agriculture, education and standard of living. 

 

For the SVP, the Millennium Villages Project team will provide technical and operational advice to the governments of Sudan, Chad and Mozambique in Africa, and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, where the Sustainable Villages Project will be carried out. The aims are to accelerate deployment and implementation of innovative technologies and ensure that lessons learned in the Millennium Villages inform the design of the new programs, and that the systems in health, education and agriculture are up to national and international standards.

 

In support of the request of the bank's member countries, the IsDB is also providing financing to Mali, Senegal and Uganda to scale-up the existing Millennium Village work with the help of the Millennium Villages Project.

 

In addition, the Islamic Development Bank will be financing dryland nations including Djibouti, Somalia and Uganda, all facing tremendous sustainable development challenges, to implement interventions aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals and increasing resilience to droughts and other climate shocks. The Millennium Villages project will provide both advice and technical development expertise to the nations.

 

"Millennium Village interventions can be adapted to improve lives in even the most challenging contexts," said Belay Begashaw, director of the MDG Centre for East Africa. "Our long-term solution to boosting resilience of communities to weather shocks and diminishing the reliance on emergency relief is now serving as an important model for many parts of Africa beyond the current MVP host countries. Best practices and cutting-edge technologies of the MVP will now support the regional effort to escape the scourges of extreme poverty and famine. We are proud to work with IsDB on this exciting effort."

 

###

 

Maternal care and provision in South Sudan

 

                               

 

 

Giving birth in South Sudan, a matter of life and death

 

Women in the community of Ikotos face treacherous journey into motherhood

 

Poor infrastructure and capacity to provide access to maternal care in South Sudan means that only 19- % of births are attended by a skilled medical worker, according to emerge poverty free, a charity committed to poverty alleviation. 

 

All Nations Christian Care (ANCC), a partner of emerge poverty free working in Ikotos, South Sudan, found that lack of access to basic medical services and poor preparation during pregnancy results in dangerous home deliveries, in a country with one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world.

 

Due to a limited number of health care centres, only 35% of women in Ikotos have access to maternity medical facilities.

Preparations during pregnancy are poor because would-be mothers need to continue agricultural work right up until they go into labour. A result of this is that many pregnant women are not attending regular clinical check-ups and, some mothers are caught unaware when going into labour.

 

The most urgently needed medical supplies for clinics are- birthing kits, hospital beds, antibiotics, and disinfectant. Other recommendations from ANCC include educating communities on proper nutrition, birth preparation, and personal hygiene, as well as the benefits of pregnant women knowing their HIV/ AIDS status.

 

In Ikotos, a town in the East of South Sudan, ANCC discovered that limited means of transport and poor infrastructure further complicate the provision of maternal care.

 

Poor data collection on birth rates, due to the civil war, a lack of resources, qualified personnel and resistance from the local community, causes yet more issues.  Commenting, ANCC said: "There is reluctance by the new mother's to balance trust between the rigid traditions and the modern health practices".

 

Commenting on the plight of pregnant women in Ikotos, Jeremy Horner, Director of emerge poverty free, said:

"For these women, the extent to which they can access basic medical services can potentially be the difference between life and death. Women in Ikotos, South Sudan, face poor access to even the most basic medical services, and are expected to carry out physically taxing work throughout their pregnancy".

 

emerge poverty free (Registered Charity no. 1045672) is a small yet highly effective charity based in the UK. We empower people across the world to overcome poverty.

 

ANCC have been working across Eastern Africa since the 1980s, supporting vulnerable social groups affected by war.

 

Mother and child, Ikotos village, South Sudan

 

Fwd: Global Data Collection is Hiding the Truth about the Health of Ethnic Minorities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

8^th August

 

Data Collection is Hiding the Truth about the Health of Ethnic Minorities

 

A new report calling for health data to be broken down by ethnicity has been published by international development organisation Health Poverty Action, ahead of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People this Friday.

 

Health Poverty Action is calling for the measurement of any new goals on health and wider development to be broken down by ethnicity in the run up to the UN high level meeting on the new framework for international development in September. In May the High Level Panel report, which will inform the UN's deliberations, called for a 'data revolution,' but it failed to make a clear call for data to be disaggregated by ethnicity.

 

Working in 13 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, Health Poverty Action works in partnership with marginalised communities struggling for health. These communities are often indigenous and ethnic minorities. They face many barriers to health care and experience significantly worse health outcomes than the majority of the population, but this is hidden in most countries because health data is not broken down by ethnicity. 

 

This report states that to improve global health we must disaggregate data by ethnicity and shine a light on the true health status of ethnic and cultural minority groups.

 

The report is part of the Mothers on the Margins campaign and has a focus on maternal health amongst ethnic and cultural minority groups.

 

The report covers:

 

•                    Why it is vital that major health surveys and governments disaggregate health data by ethnicity.

•                    An analysis of current practices in the collection of health data.

•                    Recommendations for overcoming the barriers to obtaining and using ethnically disaggregated data including analysis of proxy indicators such as language or geographical region.

•                    Examples from Ethiopia, Laos, Namibia and Guatemala that illustrate the vast differences in health outcomes experienced by ethnic minority groups and majority group populations.

 

 

Sarah Edwards, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Health Poverty Action, comments:

 

"Around the world there are marginalised communities that experience extreme poverty and poor health, and we must use every tool we have to end this, including disaggregating data by ethnicity. 

 

"When it comes to improving maternal health the world has achieved a lot but many ethnic minority communities have been left behind; in some countries, indigenous women can be twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than women from the majority population.

 

"If we continue to ignore this we are effectively turning our back on the most marginalised communities on our planet. We have the capacity to identify the different health statuses of minority groups. To improve health policies and ultimately, save lives, we must do it."

 

Read the full report here.

 

 

Ends

 

Health Poverty Action is a registered charity (no. 290535). We work to strengthen poor and marginalised people in their struggle for health. We currently work in 13 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

 

We work alongside local communities around the world for access to quality health services for all, as well as working on areas such as nutrition, water, sanitation, and income generation, tackling all the factors that impact on health.

 

www.healthpovertyaction.org

 

For further information please contact:

Rosa Ellis

0207 840 3744

07821 008 145

r.ellis@healthpovertyaction.org

Health Poverty Action, Ground Floor, 31-33 Bondway, London, SW8 1SJ 

Switchboard: 020 7840 3777  

 

Empowering Girls to Choose Their Future

As the international community marks World Population Day, UN Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner calls for increased attention on adolescent pregnancy

 

Washington, DC (July 11, 2013) –In recognition of World Population Day, the United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner released the following statement.  

"From the beginning, the UN Foundation has believed in the tremendous potential of investing in adolescent girls. Today, there are more than 500 million girls in developing countries, and these girls have the opportunity to shape our future, if we help give them the opportunities to shape their own lives. These girls face tremendous challenges – they are often taken out of school early, married at a very young age, vulnerable to violence, and with limited access to quality reproductive health care, often become pregnant before their bodies are ready. As a result, pregnancy is the leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 in developing countries.

"The consequences of adolescent pregnancy reverberate throughout a girl's life, not only impacting her, but her children and the generations that follow. But we can change this: access to reproductive health care (Millennium Development Goal 5), including comprehensive sexual education and voluntary family planning, is a cost-effective solution that empowers girls to choose their path in life. When girls are given the information, tools and services they need to plan their families, they are better able to stay in school and pursue employment, lifting themselves out of poverty. This leads to healthier and stronger families, more prosperous and sustainable communities, and more peaceful and secure nations. It's not only the right thing to do; it's a smart investment.

"This World Population Day, the UN Foundation, in support of the United Nations and our partners, is committed to helping every girl reach her full potential. To do so, the international community must redouble efforts to invest in girls' education, health and welfare, and ensure that every girl has the information and services she needs to plan her family and her future. Our future depends on it."

###

 

About The United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world's most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.

DNDi press release: Three Neglected-Disease Treatments Newly Added to the WHO Essential Medicines List for Paediatric Use

Three Neglected-Disease Treatments Newly Added to the WHO Essential Medicines List for Paediatric Use

 

Resulting from DNDi's paediatric R&D, the treatments will improve the management of deadly malaria, African sleeping sickness, and Chagas disease in children

 

 

[Geneva, Switzerland – 11 July 2013] – This week the World Health Organization (WHO) released its newly updated 4^th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc), in which three treatments developed by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and its partners have now been included. One treatment was also added to the 18^th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) for adults.

 

·        Artesunate-mefloquine fixed-dose combination (ASMQ FDC) was added to the EMLc for the treatment of malaria in children, and to the EML for adults, in line with current WHO treatment guidelines. ASMQ FDC was developed with Farmanguinhos/Fiocruz (Brazil) and launched first in Brazil in 2008. After a technology transfer to Cipla (India), ASMQ FDC was prequalified by WHO in 2012, and registered in India, Malaysia, and Myanmar in 2011-2013.

 

·        Nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) was added to the EMLc for the treatment of late-stage sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis) in children. Developed in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières, Epicentre, and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, NECT was launched and added to the EML for adult treatment in 2009. NECT is the first new treatment option in over 25 years for sleeping sickness. It has been implemented and distributed by WHO - supported by donations by Sanofi and Bayer - through national control programmes in the 12 sub-Saharan African countries where 98% of late-stage sleeping sickness cases occur, replacing an old, toxic, arsenic-based drug that was commonly used before.

 

·        Paediatric dosage form of benznidazole was added to the EMLc for the treatment of Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) in children. This child-adapted formulation of benznidazole - the main drug used to treat Chagas disease - was developed in partnership with Lafepe (Brazil) as an easily dispersible tablet for simple and accurate oral use in young children. The treatment was registered in Brazil in 2011.

 

'Children are often the first victims of parasitic diseases in developing countries, so we are very pleased that three life-saving, neglected-disease treatments for paediatric use, developed by DNDi and our partners, have been added to the WHO's Essential Medicines Lists,' said Dr Bernard Pécoul, Executive Director of DNDi. 'This will facilitate access, quick adoption, and use by endemic countries to ensure they benefit young patients most in need.'

 

Updated every two years, the WHO's EML and EMLc serve as critical guides for informing country-level essential medicine lists, procurement and supply of medicines, and clinical decision-making.

 

The inclusions of these new paediatric therapeutic options to the WHO EMLc attest to the urgent, specific treatment needs of children threatened by neglected diseases such as African sleeping sickness and Chagas disease, and highlight the leading public-goods product-development work of DNDi in the area of paediatric research and development (R&D) for neglected diseases and patients.

 

****

 

About WHO EML

Main webpage: http://www.who.int/medicines/publications/essentialmedicines/en/

Executive Summary, July 2013: http://www.who.int/selection_medicines/committees/expert/19/EC19_Executive_summary_Final_web_8Jul2013.pdf

 

About ASMQ FDC
The combination of artesunate (AS) and mefloquine (MQ), two well-established drugs for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria, has proven its efficacy after 20 years of clinical use. However, the non-fixed dose combination posed problems of patient compliance and potential development of drug resistance. In order to address this, ASMQ fixed-dose combination (FDC) was developed by the Fixed-Dose Artesunate-Based Combination Therapies (FACT) Consortium, created by DNDi and the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) in 2002. ASMQ FDC was developed through an innovative partnership with the Brazilian public pharmaceutical company Farmanguinhos/Fiocruz and was registered in Brazil in 2008, India in 2011, and Malaysia and Myanmar in 2012. ASMQ FDC is prequalified by WHO (meets standards of quality, safety, and efficacy). Through a technology transfer from Farmanguinhos to the Indian generic-drug manufacturer Cipla, ASMQ FDC is also produced and available in Asia. It is easy to use, with once daily administration of one or two tablets over three days for patients of all ages (from children aged 6 months through to adults) and has a two-year shelf-life in tropical conditions.
www.dndi.org/treatments/asmq.html

 

About NECT
Launched in 2009, nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) was the first new treatment in over 25 years for late-stage human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). It consists of co-administration of oral nifurtimox tablets (10 days) and intravenous (IV) infusions of eflornithine (14 infusions over 7 days). NECT was added to the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) in 2009 and is on the essential medicines list of 12 African countries that account for 98% of reported cases of sleeping sickness. Over 60% of all late-stage sleeping sickness patients in endemic countries (2011), and 96% in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC; 2012), the country with the most cases, were treated with NECT. NECT was the result of a six-year collaboration among DNDi, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Epicentre, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, and the sleeping sickness national control programmes of the DRC and Republic of Congo, with support from WHO. The drugs are donated by Sanofi and Bayer, and the treatment kits are prepared and distributed by MSF Logistique.
www.dndi.org/treatments/nect-c-treatments.html

 

About Paediatric Dosage Form of Benznidazole
The paediatric dosage form of benznidazole was launched in December 2011 for the treatment of Chagas disease in children. The age-adapted 12.5-mg dispersible tablet is easy to use, affordable, and non-patented, designed for use in infants and young children under 2 years of age (20 kg body weight). Treatment is designed to use one, two, or three tablets, depending on weight (recommended dosage, 5-10 mg/kg body weight/day). Since the paediatric tablet is easily disintegrated and requires no tablet fractionation (pill cutting), treatment of children is simplified, with improved dosing accuracy, safety, and adherence. The new treatment was the result of a collaboration between DNDi and LAFEPE (Pernambuco State Pharmaceutical Laboratory/Laboratório Farmacêutico do Estado de Pernambuco), the second largest public laboratory in Brazil. The paediatric dosage form was granted registration by Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), and available for procurement through the PAHO Strategic Fund and LAFEPE. Tools to facilitate implementation of and access to the new treatment include a Demand Forecasting Planning Tool, Procurement Guide, and Tool Box of training and educational materials for doctors and caregivers.
www.dndi.org/treatments/paediatricbenz.html

 

About DNDi
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for-profit research and development (R&D) organization working to deliver new treatments for the most neglected diseases, in particular sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis), Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, filaria, and paediatric HIV/AIDS. Since its inception in 2003, DNDi has delivered six new treatments: two fixed-dose antimalarials (ASAQ and ASMQ), nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) for late-stage sleeping sickness, sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin (SSG&PM) combination therapy for visceral leishmaniasis in Africa, a set of combination therapies for visceral leishmaniasis in Asia, and a paediatric dosage form of benznidazole for Chagas disease. DNDi was established by Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Indian Council of Medical Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Ministry of Health of Malaysia, and Institut Pasteur in France, with the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) as a permanent observer.
www.dndi.org 

 

 

--
Sent from Gmail Mobile

Fwd: Global Leaders Gather at the World Justice Forum IV to Advance the Rule of Law Worldwide

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 8, 2013

Contact: Ana Victoria Cruz

Phone: +1 (202) 407-9326

E-Mail: cruza@wjpnet.org

 

Global Leaders Gather at the World Justice Forum IV to Advance the Rule of Law Worldwide

 

Featured speakers include United States Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Deputy Speaker of the Tunisian National Assembly Mehrézia Labidi-Maïza; retired Director General of the Indian Police Service Kiran Bedi; lawyer, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and Founder & President of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran Dr. Shirin Ebadi; Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba; Advocate, Security Researcher & Developer of the TOR Project Jacob Appelbaum, Malian Singer & Executive Director of the Festival au Désert Manny Ansar; Writer, Activist, & Former Director General of the Egyptian Health Education Department Dr. Nawal El Saadawi; Founder & Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning Sakena Yakoobi; Founder & Chief Innovator, Grupo 42 Santiago Siri, and more.

 

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – The World Justice Project (WJP), an independent organization working to advance the rule of law worldwide, today opened the World Justice Forum IV – a global gathering designed to engage nearly 600 leaders, dignitaries, and innovators from more than 120 countries to address critical rule of law issues related to economic development, technology, supply chains, women's rights, freedom of expression, and more.

 

Over the course of three days, participants will engage in formal plenary and active breakout sessions, learn about innovative rule of law programs, meet with researchers and scholars during Index office hours, and work together to develop practical, on-the-ground programs to strengthen the rule of law. Examples of past programs include ensuring women's rights in Sierra Leone, helping marginalized communities in India obtain basic health care, promoting labor rights of indigenous workers in Mexico, combatting corruption in construction in Tunisia, protecting the rights of pollution victims in China, and increasing access to civil justice for the poor in the United States.

 

The Forum also provides a venue for discussion and debate about the findings of the WJP Rule of Law Index®, the most comprehensive assessment tool of its kind that measures how well countries adhere to the rule of law in practice, reflecting the actual conditions experienced by their citizens.

 

"We all benefit when communities near and far embrace the rule of law," said William H. Neukom, founder and CEO of The World Justice Project. "Over 120 countries and even more backgrounds are represented at this Forum, all of whom share our appreciation for the rule of law as a foundation for communities of opportunity and equity. In that spirit, the next three days are designed to spark the conversations, knowledge sharing, and practical planning needed to move this ideal forward."

 

At the Opening Plenary session of the World Justice Forum, thought leaders from diverse sectors and regions will bring to life the topic of rule of law and why it matters to daily life, including Anthony Kennedy, Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court; Peter Rees QC, Legal Director, Royal Dutch Shell plc; Sakena Yacoobi, Founder & Executive Director, Afghan Institute of Learning; Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town; Santiago Siri, Founder and Chief Innovator, Grupo 42; and Maria Livanos Cattaui, Former Secretary-General, International Chamber of Commerce.

 

Key sessions at the Forum include findings from the latest WJP Rule of Law Index and topical panels covering such diverse areas as ethical supply chains, sports and the rule of law, security and law enforcement, sustainable water solutions, access to technology, improving the legal framework for disaster relief, food justice, and more. Other highly anticipated sessions include an "Open Discussion with the UN on the Role of Rule of Law in Peace & Security, Development, and Human Rights" and a special panel on women leaders who have faced challenges in regard to the rule of law, featuring U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Iranian lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Dr. Shirin Ebadi; and Former Chief Justice of the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil, Ellen Gracie Northfleet.

 

On Thursday, July 11, the World Justice Project will announce the winner of its Rule of Law Award at the Forum.

 

The full agenda, speaker biographies, and multimedia are available at www.worldjusticeproject.org. Follow us on Twitter @TheWJP and on Facebook for meeting news and highlights. The event hashtag is #WJForum.

###

 

About the World Justice Project

The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, nonprofit organization working to advance the rule of law around the world. Establishing the rule of law is fundamental to achieving communities of opportunity and equity—communities that offer sustainable economic development, accountable government, and respect for fundamental rights. Our multi-national, multi-disciplinary efforts are dedicated to stimulating government reforms, developing practical programs at the community level, and increasing public awareness about the concept and practice of the rule of law. For more information about the World Justice Project, please visit www.worldjusticeproject.org.

 

The WJP Rule of Law Index

The WJP Rule of Law Index® is a quantitative assessment tool designed to provide a detailed picture of the extent to which countries adhere to the rule of law. It is the most comprehensive index of its kind, reflecting the actual conditions experienced by the population. The Index uses expert questionnaires and general population polls to assess issues of government accountability, security and fundamental rights, openness of government and the regulatory environment, and delivery of justice. To date, over 97,000 people have been interviewed in 97 countries. A new Index with expanded coverage will be released in late 2013. To learn more, please visit: www.worldjusticeproject.org/rule-of-law-index.

 

---

Fwd: AJWS: CONGRESS MISSES HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO REFORM INTERNATIONAL FOOD AID

Media Contact: Rebecca Kaplan, 212.792.2889 AJWS: CONGRESS MISSES HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY TO REFORM INTERNATIONAL FOOD AID WASHINGTON, DC — American Jewish World Service released the following statement today after the House of Representatives failed to pass the Royce-Engel Food Aid Reform Amendment. "Tragically, Congress missed an historic opportunity today to fix our international food aid program," said Timi Gerson, director of advocacy for AJWS. "The bipartisan Royce-Engel Food Aid Reform Amendment would have helped at least four million more hungry people get life-saving access to food aid. Unfortunately, today's vote leaves the status quo in place, which means we will continue to spend more food aid dollars to reach fewer hungry people around the world. The U.S. supplies approximately half of all food aid worldwide yet our Eisenhower-era program is outdated. There is an average delay of three to four months in delivery of food aid shipped from the U.S., a time lag that is a matter of life or death. Yet Congress did not take the steps necessary to streamline the program to make it more cost-effective and efficient. "Despite the outcome, today's vote was an historic one. For the first time ever, a floor vote was held on food aid reform and it brought together a broad range of support among members from across the political and geographic spectrum during a time when bipartisanship is rare. "While the self-interested supporters of the status quo have won this battle, but we will continue to work with members of Congress to enact meaningful food aid reform and to fight to reduce hunger and improve access to food worldwide. When almost one billion people around the world go hungry every day, making every food aid dollar count is not only a responsible use of taxpayer money, it is a moral imperative. We thank House Foreign Affairs committee Chairman Ed Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel for their courageous leadership in recognizing the critical need for food aid reform, and we appreciate the many Members who supported their amendment. Unfortunately the majority of their colleagues were not willing to stand up for policy that saves lives and taxpayer dollars," Gerson said. The Royce-Engel Food Aid Reform Amendment would have updated the Food for Peace program to provide greater flexibility and help more people with our overseas food assistance without spending any additional U.S. taxpayer dollars. Earlier this month, the Senate passed the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 (the Farm Bill), including an amendment that would create a permanent $300 million program to buy food from small-scale farmers in developing countries, boosting agricultural economies and securing long-term, local food sources. While the Senate bill made incremental steps toward reform, it did not achieve the type of comprehensive modernization of the program that was included in the Royce-Engel Food Aid Reform Amendment. For the almost two years, American Jewish World Service, along with a coalition of leading international development, humanitarian and advocacy groups, has worked with members of Congress to reverse global hunger by reforming the current Food for Peace program to make it more effective at reaching hungry people today while creating a hunger-free world tomorrow. About American Jewish World Service: American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is the leading Jewish organization working to promote human rights and end poverty in the developing world. We support more than 400 grassroots organizations in Africa, Asia and the Americas that promote the rights of women, girls and LGBT people; rebuild societies torn apart by war and natural disasters; and seek to secure access to food, land and water. In the United States, we mobilize our supporters to advocate for U.S. policies that help create a just and equitable world. We are inspired by Judaism's commitment to pursue justice and repair the world, and we believe that Jewish history teaches us to respect and fight for the rights of others.

Fwd: Press Release: MCC Board Approves Georgia Compact

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. MCC.gov | About Us | Press & Public Affairs For Immediate Release June 19, 2013 Contact: 202-521-3850 info@mcc.gov MCC Board Approves Georgia Compact Washington, D.C. — At its quarterly meeting today, the U.S. Government's Millennium Challenge Corporation Board of Directors approved a five-year, $140 million compact with Georgia to increase the quality of human capital by investing in science and technology education and workforce development.   "One of the key ingredients to economic growth is equipping citizens with the education and skills they need to succeed in a modernizing economy," MCC CEO Daniel W. Yohannes said. "This compact will strengthen teaching, learning, and educational intuitions in Georgia so that students can learn skills that are directly matched to industries driving growth. A better educated workforce will accelerate economic growth, stimulate job creation, reinforce democratic participation, and better position Georgia to be a strong trade partner of the United States."    MCC's Board selected Georgia as eligible to develop a second compact in January 2011; the country successfully completed a five-year, $395.3 million compact in March 2011. At today's meeting, the Board discussed the importance of Georgia maintaining its commitment to good governance throughout its partnership with MCC.   For its subsequent compact, the Government of Georgia conducted an analysis that identified the quality of human capital as a binding constraint to economic growth, particularly acute in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).    To improve the quality of education in these fields and increase earning potential, the proposed compact will make strategic investments from the start of a student's general education to graduation from technical training and advanced degree programs, including a focus on increasing women's participation in STEM professions.   The compact, expected to be signed during the summer of 2013, consists of three projects: The Improving General Education Quality Project seeks to improve the quality of general education through rehabilitation of deteriorating schools, training for educators and school managers and support for education assessments. The Industry-Led Skills and Workforce Development Project aims to improve the link between market-demanded skills and the supply of Georgians with those technical skills. The STEM Higher Education Project proposes to attract one or more American university partners to modernize science, technology, engineering, and math education by offering high-quality degree programs that boost productivity and growth and increase employment opportunities. The Board also received an update and discussed results, risks and lessons from MCC compacts closing out this year in Lesotho, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, and Tanzania. MCC expects more than 12 million people to benefit from these five completed compacts, which have invested more than $2.5 billion in 20 major agriculture, education, energy, health, property rights, private sector development, roads, and water and sanitation projects.   ### The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. Government agency designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world, is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom and investments in people that promote economic growth and elimination of extreme poverty.

AJWS OPPOSES VISIT TO U.S. BY SUDANESE WAR CRIMINAL

Media Contact: Rebecca Kaplan, 212.792.2889 AJWS OPPOSES VISIT TO U.S. BY SUDANESE WAR CRIMINAL Global Human Rights Group Demands that the U.S. Lead Serious Effort to Achieve Peace  NEW YORK, NY – Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), released the following statement today regarding the possible visit to the United States by Nafie Ali Nafie, a senior advisor to Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir.  President Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. "Nafie Ali Nafie is an admitted torturer, and he has served as a top lieutenant to Omar Al Bashir, an indicted war criminal responsible for committing heinous human rights violations, including the Darfur genocide. The crimes against the Sudanese people, which Nafie has abetted, are crimes against humanity, and he should not be welcome in the United States, especially by our government.  "If Nafie visits Washington, D.C. with our government's approval, it is incumbent upon the Obama administration to make a concerted effort to achieve peace in Sudan through a renewed and deepened diplomatic strategy by the U.S.  And since Nafie's visit would badly undermine the civil society and opposition groups working for a better future in Sudan, we call for a redoubled effort by the U.S. to support these Sudanese groups and ensure they play a meaningful role in shaping Sudan's future. "Our nation has failed to address the fundamental problems at the center of Sudan's many civil wars, ethnic, religious, and regional conflicts, including the concentration of resources and power with the country's ruling elite in Khartoum. Now is the time to change our fundamental approach to Sudan through a sustained high-level engagement. Since news of the genocide emerged in 2004, AJWS has been at the forefront of the campaign to bring the plight of Darfur and Sudan into the national and international political spotlight and make it a top priority of the American Jewish community. AJWS co-founded the Save Darfur Coalition and continues to lead Jewish and interfaith advocacy in collaboration with allied organizations working to bring an end to the bloodshed. About American Jewish World Service: American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is the leading Jewish organization working to promote human rights and end poverty in the developing world. We support more than 400 grassroots organizations in Africa, Asia and the Americas that promote the rights of women, girls and LGBT people; rebuild societies torn apart by war and natural disasters; and seek to secure access to food, land and water. In the United States, we mobilize our supporters to advocate for U.S. policies that help create a just and equitable world. We are inspired by Judaism's commitment to pursue justice and repair the world, and we believe that Jewish history teaches us to respect and fight for the rights of others.

CLAMP DOWN ON UK-LINKED TAX HAVENS KEY TO SUCCESS OF G8 - NEW REPORT

Embargo: 19:30 Friday June 14 2013

CLAMP DOWN ON UK-LINKED TAX HAVENS KEY TO SUCCESS OF G8

UK-linked tax havens are at the centre of a global financial system that encourages crime, corruption and aggressive tax avoidance in developing countries, reveals a new report from the Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign.

It highlights for the first time the huge scale of foreign investment routed through the UK's tax havens to poor countries – and the potential for abuse this causes.

The findings in Invested Interests: The UK's Overseas Territories' Hidden Role in Developing Countries underline the urgent need for the G8 to agree a tax deal that benefits poor countries.

Joseph Stead, IF spokesman and report author, said: "The UK as G8 chair has never been in a stronger position to end the grave injustices caused by tax havens – if the UK  succeeds in putting its own house in order first.

"The Prime Minister must do everything he can to get UK havens agreed on a tax deal before he arrives in Northern Ireland, so he can push the G8 to end the tax scandal.

"The G8 can start to put an end to tax haven secrecy by agreeing to public registers of the beneficial ownership of all companies and trusts, and making sure developing countries benefit from any tax information deal."

The report reveals that the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Gibraltar, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos - all British Overseas Territories - together with the Crown Dependencies of  the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey are now the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment in developing countries.

The amount totalled US$556bn by 2011, the most recent year for which we have figures, and accounted for one in every ten US dollars of foreign direct investment made there. This figure is concerning because investment is often structured through such jurisdictions specifically to enable tax dodging in poor countries. Other abuses they facilitate include the laundering of crime money, and 'round tripping', in which money originating in the developing country where it is to be invested is sent offshore and then returned disguised as foreign funds to qualify for major tax breaks.

"All countries need foreign investment, particularly those fighting hunger and acute poverty," added Mr Stead. "But this needs to be genuine and bring real benefits, not money disguised for tax purposes to enrich the already wealthy, illicit money laundered to bestow legitimacy on the corrupt, or investment designed to shift profits out of developing countries.

"We need to clamp down on tax havens and launch a convention on tax transparency to stop the flow of billions of pounds out of developing countries – money that could be used to end hunger."

The report finds that the British Virgin Islands alone was the fourth largest investor to developing countries in 2011, with the amount involved US$388bn. Globally it provides investment more than 860 times the size of its own GDP.

That same year it was revealed that 45 newly incorporated companies in the BVI had acquired mining assets in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a loss, it was claimed, to the DRC's economy of US$ 5.5bn. The identity of those behind the companies remains secret.

Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan warned recently that foreign investors making extensive use of tax havens 'facilitate tax evasion, and in some cases corruption.'

The IF campaign estimates that developing countries lose some US$160bn of tax revenues a year from multinationals shifting profits offshore before they can taxed.

Ends

For more information please contact: Andrew Hogg, Christian Aid Press Office. 0207 523 2058/07872 350534.

Notes to editors:

About Enough Food for Everyone IF:

• Enough Food for Everyone IF is a coalition of nearly 200 organisations which have joined together to campaign for action by the G8 on the issue of global hunger. The last time we worked together at this scale was for Make Poverty History. Now that the G8 group of world leaders are returning to the UK, we are demanding they take action on hunger. 2013 won't be the end of hunger, but it could be the beginning of the end. Join us at www.enoughfoodif.org or current Members of Enough Food for Everyone IF, visit www.bond.org.uk
• Joseph Stead is senior economic justice adviser at Christian Aid

 

 

 

--------- Enough Food For Everyone IF Join the call for a fairer food system that works for all. Visit www.christianaid.org.uk/if --------- Save paper, save trees and only print this email if you have to. --------- Christian Aid is a charity and company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales: 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL. UK registered charity no. 1105851. Company no. 5171525. Christian Aid also operates in Scotland: Registered Office: 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL. Charity no. SC039150 Christian Aid Ireland is a charity and company limited by guarantee registered in Northern Ireland: Unit 6 Linden House, Beechill Business Park, Belfast, BT8 7QN. Northern Ireland charity no: XR94639. Company no. NI059154. Christian Aid Ireland is a registered charity and registered company limited by guarantee: 17 Clanwilliam Terrace, Dublin 2. Republic of Ireland charity no. CHY 6998. Company no. 426928. Christian Aid Trading Limited is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales: 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL. Company no. 1001742.

Ten Years of Health Innovation in Africa: Progress Made But Sustained Engagement and Partnership Needed to Develop and Implement New, Adapted Treatments for Neglected Diseases

     

 

 

Ten Years of Health Innovation in Africa: Progress Made But Sustained Engagement and Partnership Needed

to Develop and Implement New, Adapted Treatments for Neglected Diseases

 

[Nairobi, Kenya - 5 June 2013] – Days after two landmark resolutions were adopted at the World Health Assembly – on neglected tropical diseases and on research and development (R&D), financing and coordination for the health needs of developing countries – over 400 scientists, representatives and ministers of health, ambassadors, national control programme representatives, African regulators, health workers, public health experts, and activists from 21 African countries and 10 others from around the world gather in Nairobi to take stock of health innovation for neglected diseases in Africa over the past decade. While progress has been made, and certain diseases are targeted for elimination, the need for strong leadership, coordination, and sustainable funding is as pressing as ever and is critical to achieving much-needed breakthroughs.

 

Participants in the event – 'A Decade of R&D for Neglected Diseases in Africa' – organized by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) on the occasion of its 10-year anniversary, with its African founding partner, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), will look at progress to date, gaps needing to be filled, and current and future development of new, field-adapted, affordable treatments, diagnostics, and vaccines for neglected diseases and patients throughout Africa.

 

'Neglected patient medical needs specific to Africa are many, and as scientists and policymakers in Africa, we need to share research and resources across borders to save time and money to help those most in need,' said Dr Monique Wasunna, Director of DNDi Africa, and Assistant Director of Research at KEMRI. 'By harmonizing efforts across Africa, we can strengthen our ability to turn research into concrete solutions for the health needs of the most neglected.'

 

As an example, ten years ago, patients with sleeping sickness were treated with a century-old regimen of painful injections of an arsenic-based drug, which itself killed one in 20 patients. Today, an improved treatment option developed in 2009, a combination therapy of an oral drug with intravenous injections, has become the treatment of choice in all endemic countries. This improved treatment resulted from years of R&D efforts in sub-Saharan African countries afflicted by the disease. Today a new oral-only treatment is being tested by DNDi in remote areas of Africa, in trials that are of international standards.

 

'As the African scientific community, we need to strive to build the scientific excellence to take ownership of research for health,' said the Honorable Mr James Macharia, Cabinet Secretary for Health of Kenya. 'I believe Africa is ready to take a step in this field, to develop and implement integrated strategies for neglected diseases. But even with such integrated strategies, and the political will required to propel them, in addition to the resources required from them, we must not forget that the right tools for elimination are necessary to really see the elimination of many of these diseases,' he added.

 

Despite increased attention and investments over the past decade in research for neglected diseases, a recent analysis in The Lancet reported that only 1% of all health R&D investments in 2010 were for neglected diseases.^[1] In a recent analysis, DNDi and MSF estimated that, while progress has been made over the past decade, still only 3.8% of newly approved drugs were for neglected diseases that accounted for 10.5% of the global disease burden.^[2]

 

The current reflection on the progress in R&D for neglected diseases and patients in Africa comes at a time when WHO member states have also reported unprecedented progress in the control of many of these diseases. Elimination goals up to 2020 for several neglected tropical diseases such as sleeping sickness, visceral leishmaniasis, or lymphatic filariasis were set out early last year in the WHO NTD Roadmap,[3] and new health tools are needed to support this strategy.

 

DNDi and a number of other new partnership initiatives set up during the last decade are bringing together the public and private sectors, in collaboration with WHO, TDR, and others to develop such new health tools.  While not the ultimate solution to R&D gaps, these new models contribute significantly to the fight against neglected diseases.

 

'DNDi has developed six new treatments for four neglected diseases in the past decade, but there are still other neglected diseases that continue to lack good treatment options. While this progress is a good start, the treatments delivered are far from optimal. We have not yet developed new modern drugs which could change the history of certain neglected diseases,' said Dr Bernard Pécoul, Executive Director of DNDi. 'To truly fight neglect, we must push for more innovation and access of new treatments together with adequate coordination with control programmes. Progress to date shows this can be done in and with countries in Africa.'

 

DNDi and partners in Africa have established two regional R&D disease networks: the Leishmaniasis East Africa Platform (LEAP), launched in 2003 in Khartoum, Sudan; and the Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) Platform, launched in 2005 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. LEAP was instrumental in the development of the combination drug SSG&PM (sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin) for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (kala azar) in East Africa, while the HAT Platform played a major role in the development of NECT (nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy) for the treatment of late-stage sleeping sickness.

 

'Around the world we are moving ahead in leaps and bounds, as ten years ago, good clinical practice was not the norm. Africa has moved very quickly in in this field and in the regulatory area and in ethics review. We need very strong clinical and regulatory practice to do good R&D,' said Dr Charles Mgone, Executive Director of the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). 'But we have not yet been able to support capacity building from within, and we must be able to. Working together is the key,' he added.

 

 

Press contacts

Samantha Bolton (Nairobi): sbolton@dndi.org +254 728 846 923

Renee Olende (Nairobi): rolende@dndi.org  +254 705 639 909

Violaine Dallenbach (Geneva): vdallenbach@dndi.org +41 22 906 92 47 / +41 79 424 14 74 (mobile)

 

 

About Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
DNDi is a not-for-profit research and development (R&D) organization working to deliver new treatments for the most neglected diseases, in particular sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis), Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, filarial (parasitic worm infections), and paediatric HIV.

 

Since its inception in 2003, DNDi has delivered six treatments: two fixed-dose antimalarials (ASAQ and ASMQ), nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) for late-stage sleeping sickness, sodium stibogluconate and paromomycin (SSG&PM) combination therapy for visceral leishmaniasis in Africa, a set of combination therapies for visceral leishmaniasis in Asia, and a paediatric dosage form of benznidazole for Chagas disease in Latin America.

 

DNDi was established in 2003 by MSF, the Indian Council of Medical Research, Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia, and the Institut Pasteur in France, with the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR) as a permanent observer.
www.dndi.org

 

 

About 'Connect to Fight Neglect'

As part of its 10th anniversary, DNDi has launched a special advocacy website to give voice and attention to neglected patients and those working to develop and deliver life-saving treatments for them. The 'Connect to Fight Neglect' website is a multimedia web portal where videos, photos, audio, testimonials, stories, and opinions can be shared about some of the world's most neglected diseases, the people whose lives are diminished and threatened by these conditions, and the research and care efforts under way around the world. Among the people featured are patients, doctors, researchers, public health officials, policymakers, funders, and activists.

www.connect2fightneglect.org

 

 

 

 

 

---

[1] Mapping of available health research and development data: What's there, what's missing, and what role is there for a global observatory? Rottingen J-A et al. The Lancet, Online Publication, 20 May 2013  - doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61046-6

[2] Medical innovations for neglected patients, DNDi-MSF, December 2012.

[3] Accelerating work to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases—A roadmap for implementation, WHO, January 2012.