USAID is committed to leveraging digital tools to achieve better health outcomes. A new funding mechanism seeks to harness innovation and expertise to foster systemic change. Here is the vision moving forward.
Archives for 2016
Overcoming the Stigma of Gender-Based Violence
When Violence Is Not the Exception
In India, rape is the fastest growing crime. According to the country’s National Crime Records Bureau, every 29 minutes, a woman is raped; and every nine minutes, a case of cruelty at the hands of a husband or relative occurs. Gender-based violence (GBV) is widespread. It threatens the health, freedom and security of victims and yet remains largely hidden by a culture of silence. USAID, however, is working to change these statistics.
Raising Trans Visibility – On Paper, In Person, Online
Breaking Down Ethnic Divides in Macedonia
In observance of the International Day for Tolerance on November 16, Andrew Plitt, USAID Senior Development Advisor to the United States European Command (USEUCOM), reflects on how USAID and the Department of Defense are helping to build a more unified Macedonia after the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Through his eyes, the USAID-DOD partnership is providing a glimmer of hope for the future of Macedonia, especially among its youth.
Getting from A to B Gets Easier in Tanzania with New Mapping Open Data
To help the Tanzanian Government optimize its health supply chain transport system, the USAID | DELIVER PROJECT mapped the country. The data was uploaded by volunteers with Humanitarian Open Street Maps and Ramani Huria, and is now available to the world. For the people of Tanzania, including businesses, having a complete digital road map available means that businesses can better plan and operate, people can more efficiently plan their travel.
Executive Order Prioritizes Our Shared Global Health Security
President Obama signed an executive order to advance the ambitious Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and ensure that this multilateral and multisectoral effort to detect and respond to new infectious disease threats such as yellow fever or highly pathogenic avian influenza is sustained. USAID is actively working with our interagency partners in all 17 Phase I GHSA countries. We are actively supporting all 11 GHSA Action Packages with a special focus on zoonotic diseases, workforce development, disease surveillance, and antimicrobial resistance.
The unifying theme of our work is the so called ‘One Health’ approach, which brings together the sectors of animal health, human health, and the environment to address the burden of disease.
Harnessing the Power of Innovation to Save Mothers and Children
One year after the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were agreed upon, I am optimistic about the potential to reach many of the health targets, including the goal to end preventable deaths of mothers and children. My optimism is fueled by the commitment of country leaders around the world to “finish the job” and the many […]
Why Investing in Entrepreneurs Reaps Big Rewards
“The biggest challenge is access to funding—it’s that simple.” I have heard this refrain from entrepreneurs for years. This time, I was listening to Vava Angwenyi—an entrepreneur who started the Kenya-based social enterprise Vava Coffee seven years ago—speak about the most difficult obstacle in growing her business. USAID believes entrepreneurs are critical drivers of inclusive […]
Lighting the Career Path for Girls in the Energy Sector
Where does a girl dream about working as an engineer and running her country’s power facility? It certainly was not the first career choice for Queen Esther, a Nigerian schoolgirl who had always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. But after spending a day at her father’s workplace, Nigeria’s main electricity utility, EkoElectricity Distribution Co., […]
