On a sunny, mild day in January, I had the opportunity to accompany a group of international journalists on a visit to Viet Nam’s National Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynecology. This 700-bed facility in the heart of Hanoi is staffed by nearly 500 nurses and approximately 150 doctors. Each year, this team of health professionals oversees tens of thousands of deliveries, surgeries, and other complex medical procedures, earning it the reputation of being the top […]

A baby gets ready for her vaccinations. In September 2014, partners of the Measles & Rubella Initiative, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF, participated in a mass vaccination campaign in the Philippines to protect children against measles, rubella, and polio. Measles is still an ongoing threat to children in the Philippines, already claiming the lives of 100 children this year. The United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign has launched an urgent appeal to help vaccinate

(Photo credit: Stuart Ramson for UN Foundation) By Ambassador (Ret.) John E. Lange: Senior Fellow, Global Health Diplomacy, United Nations Foundation February 11 marked six months since the onset of the last confirmed case of wild poliovirus on the African continent. That is longer than at any time in recorded history. There is now a chance that we are on the verge of a historic achievement in global health: an Africa free of wild poliovirus. The devastating

Photo: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe At last week’s White House-sponsored summit on violent extremism, U.S. President Barack Obama and ministers from more than 60 countries discussed what drives people to join terrorist organizations, and how to put a stop to it. The United Nations was featured in the center of the discussion — and in the next steps. Of note, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized that military action cannot be not the sole response to extremism.

Editor’s Note: We’re re-sharing this post from December 2014 on where we are in the fight against malaria. This post was originally published on December 9, 2014.  This morning, the White House is hosting Nothing But Nets and other malaria partners and champions to celebrate historic progress in the fight against malaria and to launch the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) next six-year strategy to further reduce malaria deaths and decrease malaria morbidity toward the long-term goal

New friends were made this week in the fight against malaria. On Wednesday, Nothing But Nets Champion and NBA star Stephen Curry visited the White House and met with U.S. President Barack Obama (and his dogs Sunny and Bo) to discuss the importance of U.S. leadership in the fight against malaria. Thanks to programs such as the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and the work of Nothing But Nets supporters, the United Nations, and many others,

Editor’s Note: This post is part of a special series in honor of International Women’s Day. Over the coming days, the United Nations Foundation blog will feature posts on the world we picture for girls and women and the issues we need to address to advance women’s equality and empowerment. What kind of world do you picture for girls and women? It’s a simple question, but one we don’t ask enough. This month, the international

Photo credit: UNHCR/S. Hoibak Editor’s Note: This post is part of a special series in honor of International Women’s Day. Over the coming days, the United Nations Foundation blog will feature posts on the world we picture for girls and women in 2030 and the issues we need to address to advance women’s equality and empowerment. By 2030 a new generation of mothers will exist in many countries where malaria is currently transmitted. In these

Photo credit: Karin Schermbrucker After a difficult pregnancy with her daughter, Sharon, a mother who lives in South Africa, signed up to receive health information via messages on her cell phone when she became pregnant with her youngest son. Sharon is one of more than 2 million women and families who have benefited from the work of the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) to provide timely and targeted health information for pregnant and new