Liberia Aims To Reach 3M With Yellow Fever Vaccine

Liberia’s Daily Observer reports on a yellow fever vaccination campaign to begin this week that will aim to inoculate 3 million Liberians. Supported by the country’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, UNICEF, USAID, and WHO, the initiative is in response to “the discovery of more cases across the country for nine consecutive years,” the Daily Observer reports. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and can be deadly without timely and proper treatment (Binda, 11/21).

IPS Examines Use Of Cells Phones For Developing World Health Initiatives

Inter Press Service News examines the growing use of cell phones in the developing world for health information, including family planning. The article looks at a Population Services International program in the Democratic Republic of Congo that provides family planning services to women and men. IPS writes, “Aside from providing family planning information, mobile phones are being used as patient monitoring devices. Mobile phones are also being used to collect community and clinical health data, for sending information to health workers, researchers and patients, and to monitor patients’ vital signs” (Anyangu, 11/19).

Global Fund Returns Funding To Myanmar

The Irrawaddy reports that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria round nine grants include more than $110 million for the three diseases in Myanmar. In 2005, the Global Fund withdrew from the country saying “the military regime had placed prohibitive restrictions on the implementation of its aid,” according to The Irrawaddy. Since 2006 the Three Diseases Fund “has pledged $120 million” to work in Myanmar over a five year period (Weng, 11/19). A statement from the Three Diseases Fund, which received money from Australia, the European Commission, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, says it is “looking forward to ensuring” that its work and that of the Global Fund “will be complementary to each other” (11/16).