Also in Global Health News: Vaccine Development, U.N. Looks for Individual Donations, Low-Tech Global Health Solutions, Church Fights Malaria in Sierra Leone
Emory Establishes New Drug Discovery Center
Emory University has established the new Emory Institute for Drug Discovery which "will focus on commercially neglected diseases, global health partnerships, mentored research, and multidisciplinary interactions both within and outside Emory. The institute, for now, will continue Emory projects already underway in tuberculosis, measles and malaria," Atlanta Business Chronicle reports. In addition, the Emory Vaccine Center and Australian Centre for Vaccine Development have announced a partnership to develop novel vaccines for a variety of diseases including hook worm, schistosomiasis, malaria, and HIV (Karkaria, Atlanta Business Chronicle, 5/19).
UN Seeking Donations from Individuals
U.N. Advisor Philippe Douste-Blazy told Reuters in an interview that world body will seek donations from individuals through the Internet, credit card use, and travel surcharges in an effort to supplement its aid programs that are getting less government money because of the economy. "We will also continue to fight to ensure that governments give the funds they should as official development aid," said Douste-Blazy. "This will not allow them to lower those contributions, but instead make an added difference" (McInnis, Reuters, 5/19).
United Methodist Church To Raise $75M To Fight Malaria in Sierra Leone
The United Methodist Church has pledged to raise $75 million to combat malaria in Sierra Leone, Concord Times/allAfrica.com reports. Over the next two months, church members have agreed to initiate a dedicated fundraising initiative aimed at assisting with a comprehensive malaria fight in the country (Conteh, Concord Times/allAfrica.com, 5/19). The church will partner with the U.N. Foundation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to participate in a nationwide insecticide-treated nets program. Gregory Plamer, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops said that the involvement of faith-based organizations is an important component in the fight against malaria (United Methodist Church release, 4/24).
PATH Event Highlights Low Tech Global Health Solutions
The organization PATH at its annual fund raising breakfast featured some of its low-tech projects aimed at improving global health, the Seattle Times reports. PATH created an "electro-chlorinator," which is a device that runs on salt, water and electricity from a car battery. The article includes information about PATH's other projects worldwide (Heim, Business of Giving/Seattle Times, 5/19).
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