Category: HIV/AIDS
2014: A pivotal year for the HIV response in Malawi
How we refined and refocused programs using a data-driven approach The appointment of Dr. Deborah Birx as the new Global AIDS Coordinator in May 2014 heralded an enormous change in the PEPFAR world: Within the span of a few weeks, the focus changed from the newly-cemented PEPFAR vocabulary around ‘sustainability’ and ‘country ownership’ to language Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsA Life Dedicated to Public Health Service
In January 2010, Diane Caves was on a 3-week assignment from CDC to improve HIV/AIDS programs in Haiti when the massive 7.0 earthquake struck, killing her and 230,000 others on the island. She was 31 years old and the only CDC employee to die in the tragedy. Diane’s reasons for going to Haiti were typical Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsFulfilling the Decade of Vaccines Vision
As 2014 draws to a close, one theme that has been continuously present is the importance of a strong public health infrastructure in a country to effectively protect against vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Universal access to immunization is the Decade of Vaccines vision, and in order to achieve this, more efforts are needed to build upon the Read More >
Posted on byWorld AIDS Day 2014: Closer to an AIDS-Free Generation
On December 1, people throughout the world observe World AIDS Day to raise awareness of the global impact of HIV/AIDS, to honor those affected by it, and—ever so importantly—to recommit to achieving more in the upcoming year. An estimated 35 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. The theme for World AIDS Day 2014 – Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentPublic Health Informatics in Action in Malawi: Making life easier for healthcare workers and patients while improving quality through an innovative national Electronic Medical Record System
Keeping track of even one patient undergoing treatment for HIV/AIDS can be complicated enough. Doing it for over 472,865 patients when you’re a low income country coping with high demand and a sputtering economy magnifies the complexity. Which is why Malawi’s story – and its solution – is attracting attention and praise. It’s a story Read More >
Posted on byPreventing Maternal Deaths in Africa
Maternal health has improved in most regions of the world, with far fewer women dying during pregnancy and childbirth than 20 years ago. Progress in sub-Saharan Africa, however, has been much slower. HIV and complications of childbirth are the leading causes of death among reproductive age women around the world, but above all in this Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentStrengthening Global Health Security Protects Americans
This blog was originally posted on CNN.com on February 13, 2014. The world is smaller and people are more mobile than at any time in history. This makes it easier than ever for what’s happening anywhere on the globe to harm Americans’ health. Here are five ways diseases in other countries pose a Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsCDC Collaborations with the Ministry of Health in Dominican Republic Result in Measurable Public Health Gains
For a relatively small country where CDC established a full-time country office only five years ago, the Dominican Republic is suddenly drawing attention. It’s easy to see why. The Dominican Republic is a popular vacation destination with 1.4 million Americans visiting each year. The country has a unique relationship with its neighbor, Haiti, the poorest Read More >
Posted on byReflections on the Fight Against HIV in Malawi
This year, my staff and I have had the opportunity to spend considerable time in health facilities that our HIV-funded partners support throughout this beautiful country. Some of these facilities are on back-country roads; others are on forest-covered hills, while others sit on the shores of Lake Malawi. For CDC-Malawi, making these trips every Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsCelebrating a Decade of Progress Fighting Global HIV/AIDS
This World AIDS Day, CDC and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) commemorate a decade of success in fighting global HIV/AIDS. Ten years ago, this modern-day plague was devastating the health and wellbeing of millions of individuals in communities across Africa and in other resource-poor countries around the world. Today, we celebrate the extraordinary Read More >
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