Jennifer James's Blogs
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Journalists Travel to Ethiopia to Report on Newborn Health
It may seem a little quiet around SocialGoodMoms.com, but for good reason. I am co-leading a group of journalists throughout Ethiopia who are reporting on newborn health with the International Reporting Project. Putting together a robust itinerary for the journalists has been a capstone to all of the knowledge I have gained since learning about the importance of saving newborns. The timing of this trip is perfect in the midst of such important achievements for newborns including the adoption of the Every Newborn Action Plan and the Partners’ Forum that will take place at the beginning of July in Johannesburg. Thus far the journalists have seen Kangaroo Mother Care and the best NICU in the country at Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa’s largest hospital. They have seen how orphaned newborns are placed in homes with SOS Children...
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ONE Calls on African Countries to Commit to Increased Agriculture Funding
One of the things you will hear often when you travel throughout Africa and visit with government officials is the amount of money they have committed to lifesaving programs from HIV/AIDs national programs to malaria, maternal health, and agriculture programs. What is often hidden, however, is whether or not those governments actually come through with their financial commitments. Lip service only goes so far before those who are looking ask for hard numbers and transparency. This week during the African Union Summit the ONE Campaign released the Ripe for Change: The Promise of Africa’s Agricultural Transformation report calling on African countries to commit to at least 10% of their national budgets on agriculture. According to ONE, only eight African countries have stood up to their commitment to spend 10% of their budgets on agriculture since 2003. Spending this amount is only...
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The Face of Neglected Tropical Disease
When we think about diseases in Africa we think about the biggest of them – malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. We forget about the neglected tropical diseases that debilitate so many in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia from intestinal worms to elephantiasis. These diseases are real and they are easily prevented, but as their name suggests, these diseases are nearly neglected. In fact, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis G Sambo, called for increased funding last month to eradicate and control neglected tropical diseases by 2020 in Africa. There has been notable progress is controlling neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). For example, all sub-Saharan countries save for Chad, Mali, Sudan and Ethiopia, have eradicated guinea worm. However there is still much work to do in order to wipe out the seven most common neglected tropical diseases. The international...
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Tanzania Bound Tomorrow!
This morning I had a fantastic, fantastic, fantastic run! It was one of those runs that left me utterly feeling good about life and all it has to offer. Running tends to do that to me. It’s a shame I don’t run more often, but it is on my to-do list when I am in Tanzania. The treadmill will be my friend. When I was running home I happened to pass by the sheer majesty of nature. A huge bush was covered in tiny blue, turquoise, and purple berries. The sunlight was hitting it perfectly. It stopped me dead in my tracks and I just gazed at it and smiled. It was like I was in Wonderland. That was probably a runner’s high and endorphins kicking in, nevertheless the bush was so beautiful I had to bring...
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