Guest Blog by Elizabeth Stuart, Research Fellow, Overseas Development Institute.(Photo credit: Arne Hoel, World Bank) “Leaving no one behind” has become a buzz phrase in New York, and around the world, as part of the post-2015 negotiating process to develop the next global agenda for 2016-2030. But what does the phrase “leave no one behind” mean, and why does it matter? At an event at the United Nations last week organized by the Dutch, Tanzanian, and […]

By Jordie Hannum, Executive Director of the Better World Campaign  Congressional budget season is well underway in Washington. Decisions made over the next several days could make all the difference in how the U.S. manages critical matters of international diplomacy, peace, and global health. In other words, our funding for the United Nations – not to mention relationships with all of our allies and investments in peace and global health – is very much on

Photo: Stuart Ramson for UN Foundation Sixty years ago, Jonas Salk’s inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) gave new hope to parents in the U.S. that they could protect their children from what was, at the time, one of the most terrifying diseases facing Americans. Today, the world is nearly polio free, with a reduction in polio cases by over 99%, thanks in large part to IPV together with Albert Sabin’s oral polio vaccine. Salk’s vaccine not

Great news coming out of Asia this week: Cambodia, Japan, and Brunei join a growing list of Western Pacific countries having achieved measles elimination as determined by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is a historic achievement for Cambodia. Since the early 2000s, Cambodia has placed a lot of focus and resources on conducting mass measles vaccination campaigns, and WHO attributes the country’s success to their intense focus on two dose delivery through routine immunization.

Thanks to our supporters and partners, the United Nations Foundation is able to help the UN empower girls and women, improve the health of women and children, expand access to sustainable energy solutions, and much more. Today we are kicking off a new “Supporter Spotlight” blog series to highlight the people who make our work possible. Our first featured supporter is Andrea Riley from Lincoln, Nebraska, who is a Champion Leader for our Shot@Life campaign,

“Ordinary Yemeni families are struggling for the very basics – water, food, fuel and medicines. Hundreds of civilians have been killed.  Hospitals and schools are shutting down – some of which are direct targets of the fighting.” – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a press briefing yesterday on the crisis in Yemen. Recent conflict in Yemen has killed hundreds and injured thousands, including children. Many families have been forced to flee their homes. Some

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on the What to Expect blog. It’s simple: Healthy babies begin with healthy mothers. And being a healthy mother begins with the ability to safely plan your family. This week, as we mark the International Day for Maternal Health and Rights, I am reflecting back on my own experience of becoming a mother. Almost a year ago today, I held my son for the first time. I remember being completely

Today the UN Foundation blog continues our series, “5 Days, 5 Facts, 5 Reasons to Act” with a focus on girls’ education. FEATURED FACT: If we want to drive progress in the world, we need to make sure girls are in the driver’s seat of their own lives. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has written, “There is no more valuable investment than in a girl’s education.” Here’s why: When girls are educated, they are more

Our blog series“5 Days, 5 Facts, 5 Reasons to Act” today highlights progress in the fight against malaria, a Millennium Development Goal priority. FEATURED FACT: Thanks to global efforts to fight malaria, such as distributing bednets that protect families from the mosquitoes that carry the disease, malaria mortality rates have decreased by 47% worldwide and by 54% in sub-Saharan Africa since 2000. However, despite major progress, malaria still remains a major global health threat. Every