KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report

In The News

Obama Announces Expanded U.S. Response To Ebola, Urges World Leaders To Act

News outlets report on President Barack Obama’s announcement of an increased U.S. response to Ebola, during which he stated the outbreak poses a global security threat and urged world leaders to respond more rapidly.

BBC News: Obama says Ebola outbreak a ‘global security threat’
“President Barack Obama has called the Ebola outbreak in West Africa ‘a threat to global security,’ as he announced a larger U.S. role in fighting the virus…” (9/17).

CNN: Obama: U.S. ready to take the lead in Ebola fight
“After an in-person briefing from the staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced a ‘major increase’ in the U.S. response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa…” (Christensen/Liptak, 9/16).

The Hill: Obama at CDC warns Ebola outbreak ‘spiraling out of control’
“President Obama on Tuesday warned that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa is ‘spiraling out of control’ and could see ‘hundreds of thousands of people infected’ if the world does not act…” (Sink, 9/16).

New York Times: Obama Presses Leaders to Speed Ebola Response
“President Obama on Tuesday challenged world powers to accelerate the global response to the Ebola outbreak that is ravaging West Africa, warning that unless health care workers, medical equipment, and treatment centers were swiftly deployed, the disease could take hundreds of thousands of lives…” (Cooper/Fink, 9/16).

Politico: Obama: Ebola outbreak demands global response
“President Barack Obama labeled the Ebola outbreak a ‘potential threat to global security’ on Tuesday and called on Congress to immediately appropriate $88 million in funds the administration has requested as part of an international response to the outbreak ravaging West Africa…” (Wheaton/Wright, 9/16).

Reuters: Citing security threat, Obama expands U.S. role fighting Ebola
“…The U.S. plan, a dramatic expansion of Washington’s initial response last week, won praise from the U.N. World Health Organization, aid workers, and officials in West Africa. Experts said it was still not enough to contain the epidemic, which is rapidly spreading and has caused already-weak local public health systems to buckle under the strain of fighting it…” (Mason/Giahyue, 9/16).

ScienceInsider: U.S. declares war on Ebola epidemic
“…The centerpiece of what Obama called ‘a major increase in our response’ indeed is the U.S. military, which in cooperation with the Liberian government will set up a command center in Monrovia led by U.S. Army Major General Darryl Williams. As Obama explained, the military will set up a command and control, logistics, and engineering to support civilian organizations working in the region…” (Cohen/Servick, 9/16).

Washington Post: Obama says world has responsibility to act; Ebola to “get worse before it gets better”
“President Obama said Tuesday that ‘the world has a responsibility to act’ to save the lives of West Africans threatened by a growing Ebola epidemic, and that the United States will devote significant new resources to curbing the spread of the disease…” (Eilperin/Sun, 9/16).

Washington Post: U.S. may spend up to $1 billion fighting Ebola, administration says
“The Obama administration notified lawmakers Tuesday night that the Pentagon would reprogram $500 million in unobligated funds to support an expanded effort to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, according to administration officials. Taken on top of last week’s Defense Department move to redirect $500 million to Iraq and the Ebola epidemic, the Pentagon may spend up to $1 billion on combating the deadly disease…” (Eilperin, 9/16).

WHO: WHO welcomes the extensive Ebola support from the United States of America
“WHO welcomes the contribution from the Government of the United States of America to significantly build upon their previous Ebola response in West Africa. The new commitment provides support to the United Nations and to other international partners to help the Governments of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Senegal in their work to contain this outbreak…” (9/16).

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U.S. Military Brings Unique Capabilities To Ebola Response, Expert Says

CBC News: Ebola outbreak: Why the U.S. is taking the lead
“…While the U.S. government will now take the lead in the Ebola battle, Obama asked the military to coordinate that effort. ‘The U.S. military is really the only organization, perhaps in the entire world, that could provide the support and the resources at the pace necessary to fully respond to the growing outbreak of Ebola,’ [Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation,] says. … He says, ‘This is a moment when the tables could be turned on Ebola.’ And not solely because of the U.S. effort. In the past week, Canada, China, Cuba, France, and the U.K. were among the countries announcing additional commitments to West Africa, as did foundations and charitable organizations, including $50 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, its largest donation to a single outbreak…” (Schwartz, 9/17).

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U.S. Leaders Hear Testimony On Ebola At Senate Hearing, Call For Action

News outlets report on a U.S. Senate hearing on Ebola, as well as comments made by members of Congress at a press conference.

ABC News: Ebola Experts Testify Before Senate Panel
ABC News presents a video report on recent announcements on Ebola, including the Senate hearing (Franzen/Travers, 9/16).

ABC News: Ebola Survivor Dr. Kent Brantly Urges Action From Congress
ABC News presents video of Brantly’s testimony to a Senate panel (Franzen, 9/16).

Associated Press: Ebola survivor: No time to waste as Obama ups aid
“An American doctor who survived Ebola said there’s no time to waste as President Barack Obama outlined his plan to ramp up the U.S. response to the epidemic in West Africa…” (Neergaard/Kuhnhenn, 9/17).

The Hill: Ebola survivor: Pleas for U.S. help fell ‘on deaf ears’
“One of the few American survivors of Ebola sharply criticized the U.S. government on Tuesday for what he called a delayed and inadequate response to the deadly outbreak ravaging West Africa…” (Ferris, 9/16).

The Hill: GOP senators: U.S. needs to contain Ebola epidemic
“Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said the threat of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. is just as dangerous as an attack by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)…” (Cox, 9/16).

The Hill: Official: Rogue state could weaponize Ebola
“A rogue state could turn Ebola into a weapon of mass destruction, a federal health official acknowledged Tuesday. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it would take a ‘state-type’ actor to successfully weaponize the disease, noting that the Soviet Union stockpiled similar hemorrhagic fevers during the Cold War…” (Viebeck, 9/16).

The Hill: Boehner surprised Obama hasn’t acted faster on Ebola
“Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) took a swipe at the Obama administration Tuesday, saying it’s dragged its feet in responding to the Ebola crisis in West Africa. ‘I think this Ebola outbreak in Africa is a serious problem and I’m a bit surprised the administration hasn’t acted more quickly to address what is a serious threat, not only to Africans but to others around the world,’ Boehner said at a news conference…” (Wong, 9/16).

The Hill: Congress worries Ebola could hit U.S.
“Lawmakers are increasingly concerned about the spread of Ebola and worry that it could jump to the United States and become more contagious. … But lawmakers worry the president’s efforts might not be enough to contain the outbreak…” (Bolton/Sink, 9/17).

Reuters: U.S. leaders call for ‘war’ on Ebola outbreak, pledge troops
“U.S. lawmakers called for a government-funded ‘war’ to contain West Africa’s deadly Ebola epidemic before it threatens more countries, building on an American pledge to send 3,000 military engineers and medical personnel to combat the virus…” (Mason, 9/16).

Reuters: Ebola vaccine trial finds ‘no red flags’: U.S. Senate testimony
“A key safety trial of an experimental Ebola vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline has injected 10 healthy volunteers since Sept. 2, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told a U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday, and so far ‘no red flags’ indicating serious adverse reactions have been found…” (Begley, 9/16).

Washington Post: An Ebola vaccine was given to 10 volunteers, and there are ‘no red flags’ yet
“The first human trial of an Ebola vaccine has so far produced no adverse effects, according to a National Institutes of Health official. The comments were made by Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH’s Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases when he testified before Congress on the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa on Tuesday…” (Philip, 9/16).

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U.N. Estimates $1B Needed To Fight Ebola

News outlets report on the U.N. announcement that an estimated $1 billion is needed to sufficiently address the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Agence France-Presse: Billion dollar Ebola fight seen as U.S. pledges 3,000 troops
“Nearly one billion dollars is needed to fight the Ebola outbreak raging in West Africa, the United Nations said Tuesday, while Washington pledged 3,000 troops to try to ‘turn the tide’ of the epidemic…” (Larson, 9/17).

BBC News: Ebola outbreak: U.N. calls for $1bn to fight virus
“More than $1 billion (£618 million) is needed to fight the West Africa Ebola outbreak, which is a health crisis ‘unparalleled in modern times,’ U.N. officials say…” (9/16).

The Hill: WHO warns Ebola response to cost $1B
“The World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday that it will cost a minimum of $1 billion to limit the Ebola epidemic to ‘tens of thousands’ of cases. The comment underscores the gravity of the growing outbreak, which officials called ‘unparalleled in modern times’…” (Viebeck, 9/16).

New York Times: Need for $1 Billion to Fight Ebola
“The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa risks ballooning into a humanitarian catastrophe without a major surge in international efforts to contain it, senior United Nations officials said Tuesday, estimating the cost of this effort at $1 billion…” (Cumming-Bruce, 9/16).

Reuters: Ebola cases may be kept within tens of thousands, WHO says
“The unprecedented Ebola outbreak in West Africa requires a $1 billion response to keep its spread within the ‘tens of thousands’ of cases, United Nations officials said on Tuesday…” (9/16).

U.N. News Centre: U.N.: nearly $1 billion needed to combat Ebola outbreak
“The United Nations announced today that it would need nearly $1 billion for an exceptional, international response to Ebola outbreak in West Africa, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declaring: ‘Every day we delay, the cost and the suffering will grow exponentially’…”(9/16).

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U.N. Security Council Expected To Adopt Resolution To Strengthen Global Ebola Response

News outlets report on the U.N. Security Council’s expected adoption of a resolution that would urge countries to expand their responses to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Agence France-Presse: U.N. Security Council to take action on Ebola
“Describing the Ebola outbreak as a threat to world peace, the U.N. Security Council is set to adopt a resolution urging countries to provide field hospitals and other urgent aid to West Africa…” (9/16).

Associated Press: Ban: U.N. ‘Taking Lead’ On Global Fight On Ebola
“The head of the United Nations said Tuesday that the world body is ‘taking the lead now’ on international efforts to fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that has killed some 2,400 people and could spread further…” (Daniel, 9/16).

Reuters: U.N. Security Council eyes action to heighten Ebola response
“The United Nations Security Council could adopt a resolution later this week to expand the global response to the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa by calling on countries to lift travel restrictions and provide urgent assistance, including field hospitals and staff…” (Nichols, 9/16).

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World Bank, Australia, Others Commit Resources To Curb Ebola Outbreak

Media sources highlight steps different nations and organizations are taking to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Agence France-Presse: World Bank okays $105 mn for Ebola fight in Africa
“The World Bank approved a $105 million grant Tuesday to bolster the fight to contain the deadly Ebola virus epidemic raging in West Africa. The funding is part of a $200-million World Bank pledge approved in early August to help Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea to contain the outbreak, which has killed more than 2,400 people in the region…” (9/16).

Associated Press: Australia promises $6.4 million to fight Ebola
“Australia announced on Wednesday it will immediately provide an additional seven million Australian dollars ($6.4 million) to help the international response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa…” (9/17).

European Commission: A Europe-wide response to the Ebola epidemic
“Statement by E.U. Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs, E.U. Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva, and E.U. Commissioner for Health Tonio Borg, following the High Level Event to coordinate the response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa: … The E.U. has increased its response on several occasions since the outbreak of the epidemic and has so far pledged almost €150 million to help the affected countries…” (9/15).

Reuters: World Bank approves $105 million Ebola grant for West Africa
“…The World Bank aid for Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone will fund hazard pay for health care workers in emergency treatment centers, death benefits for their families and in-country medical care for exposed health workers as part of an international effort to bolster the number of people handling the sick and dying…” (Dawson, 9/16).

Washington Post: What the world is doing to stop Ebola
“…America’s announcement [of increased support in West Africa] has largely won praise from international experts. But what is the rest of the world doing? Here’s some of the publicly announced plans from other nations…” (Taylor, 9/16).

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Ebola Outbreak Overwhelms Liberia's Health Facilities, Workers

News outlets report on Liberia’s efforts to treat Ebola patients, as health facilities and workers are overwhelmed by the number of infected people.

Deutsche Welle: Liberia’s forgotten diseases
“…Liberians are not only afraid of contracting Ebola, they are also scared of being wrongly diagnosed when they may in fact be suffering from more easily treatable illnesses, such as malaria or diarrhea. HIV-positive people say they are being denied the treatment they need…” (Kanubah, 9/16).

IRIN: Turning away the Ebola dying
“A U.S. announcement on 16 September to send 3,000 troops to help tackle the Ebola outbreak in Liberia was welcomed with relief by health workers, who are losing the battle to contain the disease…” (9/17).

Reuters: Liberia must wait weeks or months for new Ebola centers: WHO
“The Ebola response in Liberia, the country worst hit by the outbreak, will focus on community-level care units since new bed spaces are unlikely to be ready for weeks or months, World Health Organization Assistant Director-General Bruce Aylward said on Tuesday…” (Miles, 9/16).

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Human Rights 'Crucial Element' In Controlling Ebola, HRW Says

VOA News: HRW: Ebola Outbreak Tests Human Rights
“West African governments are being urged to ensure human rights are respected as they battle the ongoing Ebola outbreak. Human Rights Watch says the response to the crisis has been slowed by ignorance, fear, denial, and mistrust. Human Rights Watch says protecting rights is ‘a crucial element in controlling the unprecedented Ebola epidemic ravaging the region’…” (DeCapua, 9/15).

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Late Start On Ebola Therapies Means Outbreak Outpacing Drug, Vaccine Development

ScienceInsider: Ebola vaccine: Little and late
“…Administration officials have begun working with industry to speed manufacturing of experimental drugs and vaccines [for Ebola]. ‘We’re trying to do everything we can to scale up product,’ says Nicole Lurie, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). But the logistical obstacles are huge, and makers are getting a late start…” (Cohen, 9/16).

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Despite Declines In Child Mortality, 1M Children Die On First Day Of Life, UNICEF Reports

News outlets report on findings from new UNICEF data showing that although significant declines in child mortality have been achieved since 1990, more than six million children under age five die each year from preventable causes.

BBC News: Surviving childhood in Africa
“A ‘staggering’ number of children around the world are dying before the age of five, according to the United Nation’s child agency. UNICEF’s latest figures estimate every day 17,000 under-fives die — 6.3 million a year — from largely preventable causes…” (Walsh, 9/16).

The Guardian: Almost half of child deaths occur in first month of life, U.N. estimates
“More than six million children under five died last year, mostly from preventable causes and almost half in the first month of life, according to the latest U.N. estimates…” (Ford, 9/16).

New York Times: Despite Declines, Child Mortality and Hunger Persist in Developing Nations, U.N. Reports
“The United Nations on Tuesday reported significant declines in the rates of child mortality and hunger, but said those two scourges of the developing world stubbornly persist in parts of Africa and South Asia despite major health care advances and sharply higher global food production…” (Gladstone/Sangupta, 9/16).

NPR: More Birthdays For Kids Under 5 Around The World
“In 2013, 6.3 million children under the age of five died. That’s a tragic statistic — yet it represents a 49 percent drop from 1990, according to data released Tuesday by the United Nations…” (Klibanoff, 9/16).

U.N. News Centre: U.N. reports one million children die on first day of life from mostly preventable causes
“While child survival rates have increased dramatically since 1990, one million babies each year do not see their second day of life, many succumbing to complications during labor and delivery that could be easily prevented with simple, cost effective interventions, according to a report released today by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)…” (9/16).

UNICEF: Despite dramatic progress on child survival, 1 million children die during their first day of life from mostly preventable causes
“Child survival rates have increased dramatically since 1990, during which time the absolute number of under-five deaths has been slashed in half from 12.7 million to 6.3 million, according to a report released today by UNICEF…” (9/16).

WHO: New data show child mortality rates falling faster than ever
“New data released today by the United Nations show that under-five mortality rates have dropped by 49 percent between 1990 and 2013. The average annual reduction has accelerated — in some countries it has even tripled — but overall progress is still short of meeting the global target of a two-thirds decrease in under-five mortality by 2015…” (9/16).

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Number Of Hungry People Down Worldwide But Work Remains To Reach MDG, U.N. Report Says

News outlets continue coverage of a U.N. report released Tuesday showing the number of hungry people worldwide has dropped but many still face a threat of malnourishment.

The Guardian: More than 200 million people no longer extremely malnourished
“The number of chronically undernourished people in the world’s poorest countries has fallen by nearly 10 percent over the past two decades, but one in four sub-Saharan Africans still face food shortages. Agricultural investments and successful government policies mean more than 200 million people are no longer extremely malnourished. That, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has put ‘within reach’ the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to halve the proportion of hungry people…” (Anderson, 9/16).

Reuters: Hunger is falling, but climate and conflict threaten progress: report
“Land redistribution in Brazil, community gardens in Indonesia, and rising incomes across much of the developing world have helped end hunger for 100 million people in the last decade, new research shows. Globally, an estimated 209 million fewer people face chronic undernourishment today compared to 1990, according to the State of Food Security in the World 2014, a United Nations report released on Tuesday in Rome…” (Arsenault, 9/16).

U.N. News Centre: World hunger falls, but number of undernourished remains ‘unacceptably high’ — joint U.N. report
“More than 800 million people — or one in every nine on the planet — suffer from hunger, but a new joint U.N. agency report released [Tuesday] stated that the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of undernourished people by 2015 is still within reach…” (9/16).

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Improved, Healthier Cookstoves Fail To Sell In Rwanda

VOA News: Rwandans Balk at Price of Improved Cooking Stoves
“A campaign to persuade people in Rwanda to buy a new improved type of cooking stove — which uses less fuel and is less smoky — hasn’t succeeded, according to the stoves’ manufacturers. They say the public still doesn’t realize this type of stove could save them money and protect their health, as well as save trees…” (Long, 9/15).

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Kashmir Flood Waters Threaten Risk Of Disease, Health Experts Say

Associated Press/The Guardian: People of Kashmir face risk of serious disease in wake of devastating floods
“The floodwaters are finally receding in much of Kashmir, but health experts worry a crisis could be looming with countless bloated livestock floating across the waterlogged region and hundreds of thousands of people living in temporary shelters…” (9/16).

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Editorials and Opinions

Opinion Pieces, Editorials Discuss More Robust U.S. Ebola Response, DoD Involvement

The following opinion pieces and editorials discuss President Obama’s announcement of a more robust U.S. response to Ebola in West Africa, including the use of Department of Defense resources.

Wall Street Journal: Calling in the Military to Fight Ebola
Drew Altman, president and chief executive officer of the Kaiser Family Foundation

“…[T]he Department of Defense actually has a long history of engagement in global health activities, ranging from developing drugs and vaccines for diseases (including Ebola) to helping countries build their surveillance and health-care systems, and bolstering their ability to handle dangerous pathogens. … Our analysis found that the Pentagon’s global health engagement spans the whole of the department, including all military departments, the Office of Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the geographic Combatant Commands, and multiple other sub-agencies. … DOD spent more than $580 million on global health-related activities in 2012, an amount greater than outlays by either the [CDC] or the [NIH] for global health that year. … What is new with the president’s announcement is that the department is being tapped explicitly to address an international public health crisis — a first. … By involving the military in this way, President Obama has acknowledged that perhaps the DOD can quickly deploy the resources and the capabilities needed to help change the trajectory of the epidemic” (9/17).

Foreign Policy: Can the U.S. Army Degrade and Destroy Ebola?
Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations

“…The scale of the U.S. response to Ebola, primarily focused on Liberia’s staggering outbreak, dwarfs that of all other nations and to date is the only external support that will involve uniformed military engagement. Overall, the world’s newfound sense of immediacy in the Ebola fight is coming late, and the response will succeed — or fail — based on the pace of execution in getting these much-needed resources on the ground. … I feel that time is running out. Unless Obama’s announcement can somehow include immediate measures that lead to long-scale escalations in supplies, logistics support, air shipments, and personnel on the group in West Africa, I fear dire consequences by Christmas. The need for speed is true not only of the U.S. government’s efforts, but of those promised by the United Kingdom, China, Cuba, France, and every other nation that has announced some form of assistance. The virus is well ahead of the game…” (9/16).

Roll Call: On Ebola, Obama’s Bold Move Is Greeted on Hill With Eager Assent
David Hawkings, journalist and Roll Call columnist

“…[T]he threats to Americans from ISIS and Ebola are comparable. … The administration has expressed concern not only about the capabilities of ISIS for domestic terrorist attacks, but also about the potential for Ebola to spread worldwide and mutate into a more easily transmitted disease. There’s also the argument that Ebola’s accelerating spread in Africa is becoming a topflight national security threat, because the threat to the fragile governments and economies of the continent could open safe havens for incubating new terrorist groups. For all those reasons, there was widespread bipartisan support for Obama’s latest plan, and not a single audible call for the president to seek congressional permission before reprogramming the Pentagon’s ‘overseas contingency operations budget’ for the humanitarian deployment. A potential argument against the maneuver is that it will divert an already stretched-thin force from other important missions…” (9/16).

New York Times: An Urgent Campaign Against Ebola
Editorial Board

“President Obama’s announcement of a more aggressive campaign against the Ebola outbreak in West Africa on Tuesday shows the administration is starting to recognize the severity of the crisis in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The question now is whether ramped-up medical assistance from the United States and other countries will arrive fast enough to change the course of the rapidly expanding epidemic. … Some experts say 1,000 beds are needed in the next week to contain the disease, a goal that seems well out of reach. All donors will need to hasten their assistance if there’s to be any hope of containing an epidemic that is spiraling out of control…” (9/16).

Washington Post: The ramped-up U.S. effort against Ebola is late but welcome
Editorial Board

“…The fresh surge of support announced Tuesday represents a welcome change of course. … In February, the United States and 28 other countries, as well as the WHO, announced the Global Health Security Agenda, a smart mixture of plans and policies intended to stop the kind of public health catastrophe that has now occurred. … What happened? Why didn’t Mr. Obama and his team of seasoned public health officials follow their own agenda? … What we are witnessing underscores an essential truth often overlooked: National security threats come not only from malevolent countries or groups but also lie in zoonosis, the process of disease transmission from animals to humans. … The tardy response to Ebola ought to prompt deep soul-searching about how not to let it happen again” (9/16).

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Climate Change Must Be At Center Of Development Agenda

The following opinion pieces discuss the role of climate change in public health and global development.

Huffington Post: To End Poverty, Act on Climate
Kathy Calvin, president and CEO of the United Nations Foundation

“Climate change threatens to undermine the United Nations’ progress in both of its critical missions — peacekeeping and development: Hardship often leads to conflict, and the worsening impacts of climate change are causing hardship. That is what makes the U.N. Climate Summit on September 23 so important. … The Climate Summit and a new set of global goals for development and sustainability are two critical opportunities we can’t afford to waste. We can be the generation that ends poverty while protecting the planet, but to do it, we must come together and act decisively. We will all feel the impacts of what we do or do not do on climate change — but the lives and well-being of the world’s poorest will depend on it” (9/15).

Huffington Post: How Climate Change Can Rattle the Foundations of Public Health
Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization

“…For public health, climate change is the defining issue for the 21st century. Climate and weather variables affect the air people breathe, the food they eat, the water they drink, and the chances that they will get infected with a life-threatening infectious disease. … The evidence is there, and it is compelling. Here is my strong view: climate change, and all of its dire consequences for health, should be at center-stage, right now, whenever talk turns to the future of human civilizations. After all, that’s what’s at stake” (9/15).

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Addressing Gender Equality Essential To Building Resiliency In Sahel Region

Devex: Ebola, tsunamis, and droughts — how gender inequality undermines community resilience
Sahar Alnouri, senior gender adviser at Mercy Corps

“Up to three out of four people who contract the deadly Ebola virus are women. Nearly two out of three people who died in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami were female. And women in Mali are widely seen as bearing the greatest burden during times of hardship and crisis. … Knowing that shocks such as these affect gender groups differently, Mercy Corps conducted research between June 2013 and January 2014 to explore the relationship of gender dynamics and resilience building [in the Sahel region]. … A gender-integrated approach that empowers women and girls — while also engaging men and boys — will be crucial for achieving long-term, positive change and transforming deeply entrenched inequality in the Sahel. In short, by addressing gender inequality, the Sahel will become more resilient to the many hardships it faces” (9/16).

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From the Global Health Policy Community

Kaiser Family Foundation Updates Policy Tracker On U.S. Ebola Response

Kaiser Family Foundation: U.S. response to Ebola outbreak in West Africa — UPDATED
The Kaiser Family Foundation updated its Policy Tracker to include announcements, statements, and actions by the U.S. government to address the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The updated entry includes links to a White House fact sheet, HHS press release, CDC fact sheet, and DoD news article, among other resources (9/16).

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Ebola Outbreak Exposing Rifts In Global Health Funding, Leadership

South African Civil Society Information Service: Ebola and Global Health: Exposing Fault Lines and Searching for Vision
Ayesha Jacub, a medical doctor and student of global health policy at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, discusses how the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has exposed gaps in funding for and leadership in acute global health threats (9/16).

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Blog Post Recognizes Global Female Condom Day

USAID’s “IMPACTblog”: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Female Condoms
Clancy Broxton, the senior social marketing and commodities adviser for USAID’s Office of HIV/AIDS, and Rahel Beigel, a Global Health Fellows Program intern, write, “In honor of Global Female Condom Day, read and share these five facts about female condoms, and help ensure that we continue celebrating successes in advancing sexual and reproductive health for all…” (9/16).

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