| | International Women's Day | Secretary Clinton: "March 8th is International Women's Day-a day to reflect on the progress the world has made in advancing women's rights, and to recognize what work remains to be done. "This year marks an anniversary very close to my heart. Fifteen years ago, along with women and men from around the world I attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. The message from that conference rang loudly and clearly, and still echoes across cultures and continents: Human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights. "One hundred and eighty-nine countries represented at Beijing adopted a Platform for Action that pledged to increase women's access to education, healthcare, jobs, and credit, and to | | protect their right to live free from violence. We have made great progress, but there is a long way to go. Women are still the majority of the world's poor, unhealthy, underfed, and uneducated. They rarely cause violent conflicts but too often bear their consequences. Women are absent from negotiations about peace and security to end those conflicts. Their voices simply are not being heard." [Statement by Secretary Clinton | Statement by Ambassador Goosby] |
Ambassador Goosby Blog: U.S. Health Partners Play Key Role in Haiti Earthquake Response | 
For many years, the U.S. Government has been partnering with the people of Haiti in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In fiscal year 2009, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) provided more than $125 million to support comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care programs in Haiti. Following the tragic earthquake in Haiti, PEPFAR has been actively engaged in the response, working in support of larger U.S. Government efforts. PEPFAR is working particularly closely with several PEPFAR-supported partners who have been central to the response -- Partners in Health, GHESKIO, AIDSRelief/University of Maryland, and the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS). [More] |
Implementation of the Global Health Initiative: Consultation Document | 
Through the Global Health Initiative (GHI) the United States will invest $63 billion over six years to help partner countries improve health outcomes through strengthened health systems - with a particular focus on improving the health of women, newborns and children through programs including infectious disease, nutrition, maternal and child health, and safe water. The GHI aims to maximize the sustainable health impact the United States achieves for every dollar invested. The GHI will deliver on that commitment through a business model based on: implementing a woman- and girl-centered approach; increasing impact and efficiency through strategic coordination and integration; strengthening and leveraging key partnerships, multilateral organizations, and private contributions; encouraging country ownership and investing in country-led plans; improving metrics, monitoring and evaluation; and promoting research and innovation. Through this model the GHI will build on the Bush Administration's successful record in global health, and take these remarkable achievements to the next level by further accelerating progress and investing in sustainable health delivery systems for the future. [Consultation Document | Blog by Ambassador Goosby] |
In Nigeria, Farm Nourishes PLWHA Support Group | 
Through a four-hectare farm, the Otabo People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) Support Group is providing members with the nutritional support needed to effectively adhere to antiretroviral treatment. The farmland, donated three years ago by local Chief Ondoko Ocheibi, enables PLWHA to feed and care for themselves. Aaron Alechenu Ali-Abubakar, President of the 200-member support group, began antiretroviral therapy in 2006 with a CD4 count of 180. Today, as a result of treatment and care supported by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), as well as an adequate diet provided by the farm, his CD4 count has gone up to 650. [More] |
In Vietnam, PLWHA Provide Care and Support | 
Following his marriage and the birth of his first child, Nguyen Thanh Duong was enjoying the happiest time of his life. "This was my heaven on earth," he says, "I could not ask for more." But Duong and his wife were soon dealt a devastating blow. Not only did they both test positive for HIV, but their newborn died of AIDS-related complications. Duong himself was near death from untreated opportunistic infections. Wasting away, he knew it was time for his family to start preparing for his funeral. But the funeral plans were put on hold shortly after Duong began receiving antiretroviral treatment from a newly-opened clinic in northern Vietnam's Quang Ninh Province. The clinic, supported by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), offers free antiretroviral therapy, treatment of opportunistic infections, and support services to the poor and vulnerable. [More] |
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