Photo: Stuart Ramson for UN Foundation Good news: Rubella has been eliminated from the Americas! Last week the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) announced that an independent expert committee had declared the Americas region free of the endemic transmission of rubella. Rubella is a contagious disease that can cause severe birth defects and fetal death when contracted by pregnant women. Worldwide, more than 100,000 babies are born each year with congenital rubella syndrome. […]

Our “Supporter Spotlight” series continues with a discussion with Sarah Mayer, a student at the University of Iowa who works closely with the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign. Sarah, who will graduate this month, has worked closely with Shot@Life since the fall of 2014 to help protect children from preventable diseases by expanding access to life-saving vaccines. Question: What motivates you to work with Shot@Life? Sarah Mayer: I’ve always wanted to make an impact in the

By Jordie Hannum, Executive Director of the Better World Campaign  Yesterday, United Nations Foundation Vice President for Energy and Climate Strategy Reid Detchon testified before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations about the importance of the United Nations in advancing progress on global challenges, especially the threat of climate change. Here are key quotes from his testimony: On the Value of the UN: “The U.S. has played a central role in

This Mother’s Day, the United Nations Foundation is celebrating the power of moms to create positive change in their families and in their communities. We are fortunate to work with amazing mothers who are helping the United Nations expand access to vaccines and family planning, promote sustainable energy, protect refugee families from malaria, empower adolescent girls, use mobile technology to improve maternal health, create a thriving market for clean cookstoves, and much more. While our

Kevin Strickland, a high school junior in Virginia, bakes cookies, cupcakes, and other treats for a cause: helping provide families with insecticide-treated nets that protect them from malaria. Since 2012, he has been a supporter of the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, which raises awareness and funding to fight malaria, a leading cause of death among children in Africa. As part of our ongoing “Supporter Spotlight” series, Strickland gave us his thoughts on

We all want our communities to be healthy and people everywhere to live healthy, happy, and productive lives. While significant progress on global health has been made over the past few years, millions of women and children around the world still don’t have access to simple solutions like vaccines, adequate nutrition, and skilled midwives that protect our health. In 2013, an estimated 6.3 million children under the age of 5 died, and 289,000 women died

On Sunday, May 17, people around the world are taking a stand against homophobia and transphobia. Protecting the human rights of all people is a pillar of the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said: “Let me say this loud and clear: lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are entitled to the same rights as everyone else. They, too, are born free and equal. I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in their struggle for human

Around the world, 1.2 billion people do not have reliable access to electricity. That’s more than 1 in every 6 people on the planet without lighting for hospitals, refrigeration for food and medicine, and clean, safe sources of fuel for cooking and lighting. To end poverty, we need to expand access to modern energy services. At the same time, we have to tackle climate change. Sustainable energy, like solar and wind power, is a solution

Last Friday, innovators, digital leaders, policymakers, and advocates came together for Digital Beltway, a day-long discussion on how technology and digital communications are changing global policy and politics. The event, hosted by Mashable and the United Nations Foundation, spurred a conversation in Washington, D.C. and online about how organizations, governments, and global citizens can maximize the potential of technology to drive progress. It was a day of insightful discussions with representatives from the United Nations,