November 12th is World Pneumonia Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about this disease. Here are 7 reasons why you should care (and take action by tweeting the links below). 1. Pneumonia is the leading killer of children under age 5 worldwide (tweet this). In 2012, 1.1 million children didn’t make it to their fifth birthday because of pneumonia. 2. Pneumonia is responsible for almost 60,000 deaths in the U.S. annually.  3. According to a report from

This week, thousands of researchers, development experts, policymakers, and others are gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss one of the most important global issues: family planning. Around the world, more than 220 million women want, but don’t have access to, modern contraception – which means they aren’t able to decide the timing and spacing of their families. Denying them this basic human right has far-reaching effects for themselves, their families, their communities, and their

Last month, I spent 10 days zigzagging across India, stopping in six cities on an unforgettable journey to visit the sites of several projects that the mHealth Alliance supports through our Innovation Working Group catalytic grant program. Through this program, which is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, we provide funding and technical assistance for mobile health (mHealth) projects that aim to improve maternal and child health in low- and middle-income countries. This

Editor’s Note: Today we are highlighting inspiring people who work on issues we care about and have been nominated for CNN Hero of the Year. Voting for CNN Hero of the Year ends this Sunday and can be done here: heroes.cnn.com When the sun sets tonight around the world, more than 400 maternity clinics that long labored in darkness will have light. Reliable, robust, and easy to use “Solar Suitcases” will provide light and power

Editor’s Note: Today we are highlighting inspiring people who work on issues we care about and have been nominated for CNN Hero of the Year. Voting for CNN Hero of the Year ends this Sunday and can be done here: heroes.cnn.com This post originally appeared in Million Moms Challenge. At age five, Kakenya was engaged to a boy from her neighborhood, and she considered herself lucky. Her new fiancée was around her age, and most

John Kluge, Co-Founder of Toilet Hackers  Sometimes the things that bring the greatest benefits to our lives are also the most underappreciated. Example: toilets. Can you imagine your life without one? That’s the reality for almost 40 percent of the world. At least 2.5 billion people don’t have access to toilets that protect them and their community from contact with human waste. November 19, World Toilet Day, is a day to appreciate what we have

Kris Baylon, United Nations Foundation Intern Editor’s Note: Donate to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to help families affected by the recent typhoon and other disasters. On November 8, Typhoon Haiyan ripped through my home country of the Philippines. The scenes of devastation are heartbreaking: The latest report estimates that more than 4 million people have been displaced and 13 million have been affected. For those of us outside the Philippines, the most we

By Sarah Green Since the birth of the United Nations 68 years ago, its mandate has been to address the world’s most pressing issues in order to maintain international peace and security. To help solve these challenges, the UN is increasing its task force — but not in the way you might think. United Nations officials are encouraging, supporting, and partnering with young entrepreneurs who are helping to swiftly and efficiently create sustainable solutions to