Sub-Saharan Africa
Dec 13, 2023
Two young children await their doses of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in Rwanda. It is the hope that children under the age of five in Chad, Guinea, Somalia and South Sudan will soon get the opportunity to get their doses of the PCV as
Blog
Sep 20, 2023
A nurse administers a rotavirus vaccine in Kakamega County, Kenya. Photo: PATH/Anthony Karumba.
Nearly all African countries have introduced rotavirus vaccines or plan to do so within the next couple of years. The vaccines are safe, effective, and
Blog
Jun 29, 2023
Families collect water in a displacement camp outside Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they were forced to flee after a volcanic eruption. Photo: PATH/Ley Uwera.
US scientists have confirmed that a weather event known as El Niño
Blog
Jun 20, 2023
Emergency situations intensify the risk of severe diarrhea. Waterborne diseases like cholera spark
epidemics amid conflict, flooding, drought, or even displacement from volcanic eruption. Vaccines and education can save lives.
Les situations d’
Photo gallery
Jun 20, 2023
Emergency situations intensify the risk of severe diarrhea. Waterborne diseases like cholera spark
epidemics amid conflict, flooding, drought, or even displacement from volcanic eruption. Vaccines and education can save lives.
Augustin Mikizi is a
Photo gallery
Jun 20, 2023
Emergency situations intensify the risk of severe diarrhea. Waterborne diseases like cholera spark
epidemics amid conflict, flooding, drought, or even displacement from volcanic eruption. Vaccines and education can save lives.
Dr. Raphaël Senga is
Photo gallery
Mar 07, 2023
In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) approved for global use vaccines against rotavirus, the most lethal cause of severe childhood diarrhea. Dr. George Armah was among the researchers who made it possible, starting his career in on rotavirus
Blog
Jan 18, 2023
Researchers are working to advance a vaccine against Shigella. Here, one of the candidates is being prepped for use in a clinical study. Photo: PATH.
This post originally appeared on the PATH website.
Shigella remains an underappreciated child
Blog
Nov 10, 2022
The Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea outlines an integrated approach to simultaneously tackle these leading infectious killers of children.
Scores are steadily rising in Mali, and children are the clear
Blog
Aug 22, 2022
Baby Abdullahi being vaccinated with five drops of rotavirus vaccine during the official launch. Photo: CHAI/Dr. Belinda Uba.
Author: Omotayo A. Giwa, Program Manager-Vaccines, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)Countributors: Dr. Owens Wiwa,
Blog
May 25, 2022
The PATH Ghana team hosted a meeting in Accra on May 24, 2022 to share the results of the ROTAVAC switch costing study with interested stakeholders and partners. Photo: PATH/Patience Dapaah.
Editor's note: The manuscript for this study is now
Blog
Mar 21, 2022
Photo: People swim in a lake created during the rainy season in Matam, Senegal. PATH/Gabe Bienczycki.
This post originally appeared on the Take On Typhoid website.
The 9th World Water Forum, held in Dakar, Senegal from March 21-26, 2022, is
Blog
Nov 15, 2021
The African continent shoulders the largest share – 71% - of global childhood deaths due to rotavirus diarrhea. As a result, African scientists, advocates, and government decision-makers have led incredible progress in developing and delivering
Blog
Nov 04, 2021
As participants gather virtually this week for the 13th African Rotavirus Symposium, organized by the University of Nairobi, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the South African Medical Research Council, the Rotavirus Organization of Technical
Blog
Aug 24, 2021
In low-resource countries, diarrhea is one of the leading causes of death among children under age five. Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is a simple, low-cost, and highly effective treatment for diarrhea. Unfortunately, fewer than half of children
Blog
Jun 23, 2021
Human-caused climate change is predicted to significantly disrupt water and sanitation, increase waterborne diseases, and lead to crowding, urbanization, and displacement. All these impacts will disproportionately affect women and girls. Evidence
Blog
May 25, 2021
Across Uganda, the months of April and October arrive with a special focus on improving child health. Those two months are designated by the Ministry of Health each year as Integrated Child Health Days, when the health sector doubles down on
Blog
May 12, 2021
Rotavirus vaccines are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the best way to prevent rotavirus, the leading cause of severe and deadly diarrhea in young children worldwide. A new rotavirus vaccine from Bharat Biotech, India—ROTAVAC
Blog
May 05, 2021
Photo: A nurse speaks to a group of women and children at a vaccination event at Gulu Independent Hospital, Uganda. Uganda’s Integrated Child Health Days offer an opportunity to reach women and children with a wide array of lifesaving services. PATH
Blog
Mar 19, 2021
In today’s blog post, we’re featuring a fierce and passionate female WASH advocate from Nigeria. Tariah Adams, a Senior Communications and Advocacy Officer for White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria and campaign mobilizer, she has a personal interest in
Blog
Mar 01, 2021
View more resources about the link between gender equity and child health!
Video
Aug 26, 2020
Food hygiene is an integral cross-section between WASH and nutrition, especially for young children under five. Translated from Nyanja as, “Have you washed your hands with soap and water?”, this bib was given to participants in the Hygienic Family
Blog
Jul 08, 2020
Photo: A mother holds her child in Kurawarakura, Ghana. By switching to a new, more affordable rotavirus vaccine, decision-makers in Ghana aim to improve the sustainability of its vaccination program to continue protecting children from severe
Blog
Jun 24, 2020
Photo: A young baby is weighed at a routine visit to Kuje Primary Health Care Center in Kuje, Nigeria. If introduced in Nigeria, rotavirus vaccination would protect Nigerian children from the deadliest form of diarrhea. PATH/Evelyn Hockstein
Of
Blog
Jun 10, 2020
A boy in a clinic in Kenya sips oral rehydration solution to recover from dehydrating diarrhea. Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
Simon Berry, ColaLife and Robert Choy, PATH submitted this blog on behalf of the Diarrhea Innovations Group. This post
Blog
May 14, 2020
New IHME estimate show that countries such as Indonesia and Peru, pictured above, still experience substantial geographic disparities in diarrhea mortality. Source: IHME.
Diarrhea is the second leading infectious child killer in low- and middle
Blog
May 12, 2020
Although mortality rates for COVID-19 appear to be low in children and in women of reproductive age, these groups might be disproportionately affected by the disruption of routine health services, especially childbirth care and essential medicines,
Published research
May 06, 2020
IHME's estimates, published in The Lancet, show that while diarrhea mortality has declined from 2000-2017, uneven subnational burden remains an important factor for policymakers to consider as they target interventions.
Read the full article
Published research
May 05, 2020
Photo courtesy of © Water and Sanitation Collaborative Council.
This post also appears on the Take on Typhoid website.
There may be no other time when we have heard so many experts and leaders—online, on the radio, and on television—speaking
Blog
Apr 23, 2020
A happy family awaits their child’s receipt of rotavirus vaccine at Rwanda’s launch in 2012.
In public health, we often say that prevention is better than cure. As the whole world pines for the swift arrival of an effective vaccine against
Blog
Apr 02, 2020
Preliminary findings from a new study by Food for the Hungry provide insight into the connection between maternal depression and the impact on the uptake of commonly promoted household-level health and nutrition behaviors in children. Photo: Jeff
Blog
Feb 25, 2020
Early Childhood Development Coordinater, Gino Regina (left), and Matthew Frey (center) spend time with community members in Nampula, Mozambique.
When I started my career in child-focused health and development in Nepal more than 25 years ago,
Blog
Dec 04, 2019
In 2017, a child born in the Central African Republic (CAR) had nearly a 1 in 100 chance of dying from diarrhea before their fifth birthday, the highest risk in the world. This risk was over 7000 times greater than the country with the lowest
Blog
Oct 31, 2019
Note: This blog is cross-posted on PATH.org.
On October 30, 2019, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) took a bold step forward for child health by introducing rotavirus vaccine in its national immunization program. With the DRC having one
Blog
Sep 27, 2019
This analysis shows that the impact and cost-effectiveness of ETEC and Shigella vaccines are more favorable if vaccinations reach the most vulnerable children in underserved provinces. Read the full article.
Published research
Sep 19, 2019
Last week, PATH sponsored a webinar: Increasing access to lifesaving commodities one list at a time: approaches to advocating for the evolution of Essential Medicines Lists.
WHO’s addition of co-packaged ORS and zinc to the global list of
Blog
Aug 01, 2019
Kelli breastfeeds her son, Olivier. Photo: Kelli Cappelier.
The village traditional midwife and my work counterpart, Sané, and I walked to the hut where a mother was holding her malnourished child. The child is crying without tears, and the skin
Blog
Jul 31, 2019
This week, hundreds of people from around the globe are gathering in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 12th African Rotavirus Symposium. And, this year, we’ll be celebrating some pretty amazing milestones together – 10 years of rotavirus
Blog
Jul 01, 2019
Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) has identified five myths which are stopping investors, agencies and policymakers from properly addressing the inadequate access to essential water and sanitation services in cities across Africa and
Reports
May 22, 2019
Walking up to the front gates of Kilembe Mines Hospital in Western Uganda, one of the first things that catches your attention are the lush, mountainous terrain surrounding the health facility. Patients and family members line the airy, shaded
Blog
May 16, 2019
Can non-living biological replicas help protect children from severe diarrheal disease? Sounds eerie, but it’s a key question for Dr. Khuzwayo Jere, a Malawi-based Medical Virologist and Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, whose work on creating
Blog
Mar 20, 2019
Where there is conflict or unrest, children and families bear the brunt of the burden and fallout from infectious disease outbreaks like cholera and typhoid.
Conflicts simply amplify the ongoing diarrheal disease crisis that affects children every
Blog
Mar 13, 2019
Mothers in Kenya feed oral rehydration solution (ORS) to children dehydrated from diarrhea. Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
ORS + zinc is the globally recommended treatment for diarrhea. Thanks to the effort of PATH and other partners of the Diarrhea
Blog
Mar 06, 2019
Feb 05, 2019
Policy spotlight: improved access to ORS and zinc
We'
Blog
Aug 14, 2018
Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrheal disease among infants and young children in all countries. Despite improvements in sanitation and case management, rotavirus still caused 215,000 child deaths in 2013, with 121,000 of these in Africa.
Blog
Jun 20, 2018
From left to right: Laura Kallen, PATH; Roma Chilengi, CIDRZ; Hope Randall, PATH. See more photo booth images here.
Is advocacy my job?
That question was asked by presenter Dr. Roma Chilengi from the Centre for Infectious Disease Research,
Blog
May 08, 2018
Investing in integrated actions in the early years of a child’s life creates a positive cycle that builds human capital, strengthens economies, reduces future healthcare costs and contributes to national development.
New analysis by WaterAid and
Reports
May 08, 2018
Six-year-old Mamisoa gathers water at one of the three new fountains in his village in Mangasoavina commune, Madagascar. Photo: WaterAid/ Ernest Randriarimalala.
“No to fragmentation and isolated action, Yes to synergy, harmonisation and
Blog
Jan 03, 2018
You might be more used to seeing the shorthand abbreviation for ETEC, one of the leading bacterial causes of diarrhea. The 13-syllable mouthful is a lot to digest: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. I can tell you that it is a mouthful in Finnish,
Blog
Sep 05, 2017
Many families are forced to make the impossible choice between treatment and family finances when their children fall ill with diarrheal disease.
Diarrheal disease isn’t just a medical problem—it’s an economic one, too. We’ve heard from
Blog
Sep 05, 2017
Diarrheal disease isn’t just a medical problem—it’s an economic one, too. We’ve heard from families around the world how the costs of diarrhea treatment can significantly interrupt parents’ livelihoods as well as education, food, and shelter for the
Graphics
Sep 05, 2017
A study of households in Malawi showed significant financial burden from childhood diarrhea to the healthcare system and to households.
Read the full study.
Read the DefeatDD blog about the study: "An impossible choice: The dangerous
Published research
May 10, 2017
Rotavirus still kills over 200,000 children each year, but even non-fatal cases can have a dramatic impact on families due to the economic burden of treating the disease. Parents like Jacqueline, a mother from Malawi, often lose substantial amounts
Video
May 10, 2017
This week, I am in the beautiful Balkan country of Montenegro as part of a PATH workshop with immunization decision-makers from across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The workshop aims to equip these leaders with new cost-effectiveness analysis
Blog
Mar 29, 2017
Last week, the New England Journal of Medicine published some encouraging new results from a rotavirus vaccine study in Niger. The new vaccine was found to be safe and effective in preventing severe rotavirus diarrhea while being transported and
Blog
Jan 01, 2017
Rotavirus vaccines are saving lives and improving health in countries where they have been introduced as part of the routine childhood immunization program. We spoke with scientists, advocates, and leaders in three countries—Nicaragua, Ghana, and
Video
Sep 14, 2016
As many of us wrap up our summer vacations and head back to work and school, the usual conversations center around what everyone did over the summer. Much like in the US, summer in my country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), includes all
Blog
Jul 19, 2016
Children join the procession during the launch of the MNCH Advocacy Alliance in Kakamega, Kenya.
After a while, the preventable deaths became too much to bear.
For many years I worked as a midwife at different hospitals, and most days on the
Blog
Jun 08, 2016
His Excellency Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, President of the Republic of Mali, at the Opening Ceremony of the 10th African Rotavirus Symposium. Photo credit: Mama Traoré and Kamory Diallo.
Living and working in Mali, I have seen many family members,
Blog
Feb 24, 2016
Vaccines against diarrheal disease still have an enormous amount of untapped potential for Africa—for children’s lives, their ability to flourish, their families’ livelihoods, and their countries’ economies.
The Ministerial Conference on
Blog
Feb 17, 2016
Let's face it, after more than eight years leading PATH's work on developing vaccines against Shigella and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and more than three decades of working on enteric diseases, you might assume that I've heard it all
Blog
Dec 17, 2015
The Huffington Post, December 2015Despite UNICEF's latest report that 500 children die daily from lack of water and sanitation, funding levels remain low. UNICEF underscored the urgency of investment and the potential for a loss in gains due to
Latest news
Nov 10, 2015
Health workers transport pneumonia and rotavirus vaccines across Tanzania. Photo credit: PATH/Doune Porter.
Two years ago, Dr. Namala Mkopi, pediatrician and Shot@Life Global Immunization Fellow, celebrated Tanzania's dual introduction of
Blog
May 21, 2015
NPR, May 2015Chienge, Zambia, has become the first district in southern Africa to end open defecation, with every family having their own toilet.Read the full article
Latest news
May 19, 2015
This post was originally featured on the PATH blog.
Worldwide more than 700 million people lack access to good-quality sources of drinking water. This health inequity has deadly consequences: safe water is critical for preventing diarrheal disease
Blog
May 12, 2015
Rotavirus vaccines predicted to be highly cost-effective in several low- and middle-income countries
RotaFlash, May 2015New country-led research published in a new supplement of the journal Vaccine demonstrates the cost-effectiveness and public health impact of rotavirus vaccines.Read the full article here
Latest news
May 08, 2015
In 2014, PATH welcomed Dr. Cyril Engmann, a world renowned expert in newborn health and our new director of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN). That sounds like a lot of disciplines to take on, but Dr. Engmann is used to
Blog
Mar 19, 2015
In March 2014, advocates raised their glasses in a virtual toast to celebrate the lifesaving impact of safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Then in December 2015, members of Congress clinked their glasses in return through the
Blog
Feb 01, 2015
This case study shares how PATH and partners successfully advocated for national policies in support of human milk banks in South Africa.
Breastmilk is the ideal nourishment to help children grow and protect them against disease. Human milk
Factsheets
Jan 15, 2015
Several health clinics in Indonesia implemented electronic systems to capture data, but one facility in particular far outperformed the rest in almost every indicator measured. However, this should not have been the case. This facility was more
Blog
Dec 19, 2014
BBC News, December 2014
A new report by WaterAid, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the World Health Organization, and other global health bodies calls for greater attention to basic sanitation in health facilities to prevent
Latest news
Dec 03, 2014
RotaFlash, December 2014Two more African countries – Namibia and Senegal – introduced lifesaving rotavirus vaccines in November, bringing the total number of African country rotavirus introductions to 23. In both countries, rotavirus is estimated to
Latest news
Nov 11, 2014
NPR, November 2014PATH and partners are testing a new device that uses a smartphone to pasteurize breastmilk. This breakthrough could allow breast-milk banks to be set up in remote areas, where children who are not breastfed face a far greater
Latest news
Nov 11, 2014
Making human milk banking a priority in South Africa (2015)
306 KB PDF
Strengthening Human Milk Banking: A Global Implementation Framework (2013)
1.3 MB PDF
Foneastra Milk Pasteurization Monitor: Building Capacity of Small-Scale Human Milk Banks (
Other
Nov 10, 2014
RotaFlash, November 2014One year after Ethiopia’s national launch of rotavirus vaccines, the country has shown remarkable commitment to immunization through simultaneously introducing vaccines against rotavirus and Meningitis A while also containing
Latest news
Oct 21, 2014
This morning I awoke to some rare good news regarding Ebola. Nigeria has been declared Ebola-free by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization.
And once again we hear what many of us already know: ORS saves lives. According to
Blog
Oct 10, 2014
RotaFlash, October 2014New data show that rotavirus vaccines indirectly protect household members of vaccinated infants. Data from South Africa also show that rotavirus vaccination prevents nearly 60% of rotavirus hospitalziations among vaccinated
Latest news
Oct 01, 2014
In a swampy field in Western Kenya, an energetic Alfred Ochola surveys the crowd. All eyes are on him as he rolls up his pants, wades into a muddy stream, and fills a bucket with dirty water.
Special Features
Sep 02, 2014
Our work on rotavirus vaccines has brought PATH's Vaccine Development team to India countless times over the past several years. But rather than research or prepping for clinical studies, this week's trip brings us to India for a related, yet
Blog
Aug 04, 2014
UPDATES:
-- USAID announces renewed commitments to child health. Read the press release.
-- The White House publishes a fact sheet: U.S.-African Cooperation on Global Health.
The first week in August, African Leaders - including about 50 heads
Blog
Aug 01, 2014
This fact sheet provides an overview of rotavirus disease and vaccines in Africa. It includes information about the tremendous burden of rotavirus diarrhea in African children, rotavirus diarrhea treatment and prevention strategies, and the
Factsheets
Jul 09, 2014
Two years after we first met ColaLife in Lusaka, Zambia, we welcomed them to Seattle. The city didn't disappoint: ColaLife founder Simon Berry lamented a forgotten raincoat upon his introduction to typical Northwest weather; and he even garnered his
Blog
Jun 19, 2014
Mothers wait to vaccinate their babies at the Kpele-Eleme Health Centre in Togo.
My cousin Mada, who lives in Atakpamé, Togo (about 160 km from the capital Lomé), tragically lost her son Dissirama to severe diarrhea. After the baby fell
Blog
Jun 16, 2014
Schoolchildren in Zambia pair health and hygiene through lessons in sanitation. The country is pursuing an integrated strategy to overcome childhood diarrheal disease with education, proven interventions, and new tools. Photo: PATH/Gareth Bentley
Blog
Jun 10, 2014
Rotavirus vaccines are being rolled out across Africa at a remarkable pace thanks to the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. PATH, through the Vaccine Implementation Technical Assistance Consortium, has successfully assisted and supported Gavi
Photo gallery
May 08, 2014
RotaFlash, May 2014To commemorate African Immunization Week (a regional subset of the WHO sponsored World Immunization Week), the Repblic of the Congo, Angola, and Madagascar rolled our rotavirus vaccines to protect children from the deadliest form
Latest news
May 06, 2014
Child Health in Tanzania: Identifying Policy Pathways to Help Prevent Child Deaths From Pneumonia and Diarrhea
626KB PDF
This brief provides policy recommendations to help Tanzania reduce the impacts of pneumonia and diarrhea and ensure all
Other
May 05, 2014
To the average passerby, Dar es Salaam is a busy, bustling city. With a lovely coastline, welcoming people, and so much culture, it seems Tanzania is humming. And undoubtedly, it is. However, for all of Tanzania's development and progress—like
Blog
Apr 30, 2014
Pneumonia and diarrhea are the leading killer diseases of children globally. National policies that incorporate the latest global standards of care can help drive down these numbers. Kenya adopted an integrated national diarrheal disease policy
Blog
Apr 16, 2014
When you survey the low income area of Ndirande, Blantyre in Malawi from the crest of a hill you notice the density of the homes mashed together, the uneven, almost crater-like nature of the unpaved roads, and the sites and the sounds of a town.
Blog
Apr 03, 2014
RotaFlash, April 2014Cameroon and Sierra Leone are the 21st and 22nd GAVI-eligible countries and 15th and 16th countries in Africa to welcome rotavirus vaccines into their national immunization programs, protecting children from the deadliest form
Latest news
Mar 04, 2014
Huffington Post, March 2014"Along with the global effort to scale up zinc and oral rehydration salts (ORS) in the treatment of diarrhoea, we need effective training materials for health care professionals to introduce them to how effective zinc is
Latest news
Feb 26, 2014
Studies on the cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccines might sound like pretty dry pursuits. Though I find science fascinating, nothing makes my eyes glaze faster than talk of monetization and math. But when I learned about the paths that
Blog
Feb 05, 2014
Myth: Diarrhea is no more serious than the common cold.
Mythbuster: Dr. Alfred Ochola, technical advisor for child survival and development for PATH's Kenya Program.
As a doctor and as a father, I am saddened by this myth because it costs many
Blog
Jan 21, 2014
RotaFlash, January 2014There was a jubilant celebration in Mali to welcome the introduction of rotavirus vaccines to protect the nation's children. Dr. Kathy Neuzil, Director of PATH's Vaccine Access and Delivery Program, reflects on the clumination
Latest news
Jan 02, 2014
Diarrhoea Dialogues: From Policies to Progress
English, 4.7 MB PDF
French, 4.7 MB PDF
This report investigates how three African countries are addressing diarrhea. It examines the policies and strategies to prevent children getting diarrhea and
Reports
Dec 16, 2013
RotaFliash, December 2013Coinciding with the start of its second annual Mother-Child Health Week, Burundi became the 19th GAVI-eligible country and 13th country in Africa to introduce rotavirus vaccines into its national immunization program.Read
Latest news
Dec 02, 2013
RotaFlash, December 2013In late November, Zambia expanded a pilot project that originated in Lusaka district, bringing rotavirus vaccines to children nationwide as part of an integrated program to prevent and treat childhood diarrhea.Click here to
Latest news
Nov 26, 2013
While Zambia launched the rotavirus vaccine nationally today, the vaccine has been in public health clinics across Lusaka Province—the most populated province and home of the nation's capital—for over a year and a half. The Government was keen to
Blog
Nov 08, 2013
RotaFlash, November 2013Ethiopia has become the 11th African country to introduce vaccines against rotavirus. As Africa's second most populous country and one of five countries with the highest rotavirus burden worldwide, the vaccines stand to make
Latest news
Nov 01, 2013
Madame Chantal Compaoré, First Lady of Burkina Faso, holds the baby given the first dose of rotavirus vaccine at the official launch ceremony of pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines, which took place in the rural community of Tanghin Dassouri.October
Blog
Oct 15, 2013
PATH's team tested designs for hand-washing stations with all ages. Photo: PATH/Walter Thorn.
Originally posted on the PATH blog
Think about how you wash your hands. Are you happy with the process?
If you live in a place where scented
Blog
Aug 16, 2013
RotaFlash, August 2013The Gambia's introduction of rotavirus vaccines stands to make a significant impact. Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS), the first comprehensive global study of childhood diarrheal disease, found that rotavirus is the most
Latest news
Jul 17, 2013
This is what caregivers in Kenya and India told researchers is most important to them when choosing treatment for their child. Now, you may be wondering ‘did we need a research study to learn that?' Yes, because of this paradox: the highly
Blog
Jul 05, 2013
New York Times, July 2013PATH's Evan Simpson and ColaLife weigh in on creating a market for ORS in the remote, rural areas where its lifesaving potential is greatest.Read the full article.
Latest news
May 09, 2013
One year ago this month, the plans were well underway - plenty of ideas, not too many specifics, and uncontainable excitement: The defeatDD team was heading to Zambia!
I had actually been once already, before joining PATH. Nine years prior,
Blog
Apr 17, 2013
Zambia is leading the charge to defeat diarrhea. The country serves as a model for the successful integration of policies, education, safe drinking water, rotavirus vaccines, and ORS/zinc.
Video: PATH; Photos: PATH/Gareth Bentley.
Video
Apr 05, 2013
Dr. George Armah, Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor, University of Ghana
Dr. Roma Chilengi, Country Lead, Absolute Return for Kids, Zambia
Dr. Chris Elemuwa, National Pneumonia Focal Point, National Primary Health Care Development
Other
Apr 05, 2013
This advocacy toolkit is designed to assist civil society organisations (CSOs), nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and other advocacy groups or individuals to advocate for the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Integrated
Toolkits
Apr 05, 2013
Leaders of global and national NGOs, scientists, pediatricians, academics, and policymakers have issued statements to support the implementation of the GAPPD framework. To read through leader statements categorized by region, click the links below
Other
Mar 22, 2013
Schools are important focal points for communities. These students in Mazabuka, Zambia, are teachers for their peers, families, and communities about the importance of safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. They also know a thing or two about
Video
Mar 20, 2013
The Ebubala Primary School health teacher describes how to use the SE200 to students and parents.
While I waited to board my plane en route to Kenya in September 2012, I was reading the newspaper, hoping for good news about the teacher strikes in
Blog
Feb 13, 2013
[Dad joke alert] “Yesterday, I swallowed some scrabble tiles by mistake. The next time I go to the toilet, it could spell disaster”. Bit of a stupid joke, I apologise, but the dubious function it performs in this blog is to show how what you put
Blog
Jan 31, 2013
In this country, diarrhea tends to be shrugged off as a mild nuisance, but in parts of the developing world, it can be a death sentence. Health workers like Salif in Mali know this all too well.
He recently treated a young boy, Sekou, who had
Blog
Jan 16, 2013
In a recent survey completed by PATH on perceptions of ORS and zinc in India and Kenya, caregivers in both countries demonstrated some encouraging similarities in knowledge and behavior:
· More than 90% of caregivers recognize the
Blog
Dec 20, 2012
A community meeting to receive health messages from a CHW.
Community-level perception of a public health intervention is tantamount to the success or failure of its uptake. Programs generated in the West can often be perceived as irrelevant,
Blog
Dec 14, 2012
It was an idea years in the making.
It was sparked by a newspaper article in the 1980s, buried deep within the news pages, stating that 1 in 5 children die of diarrhea. Though originally shocked by the statistic, Simon and Jane Berry, co-founders
Blog
Dec 13, 2012
Over the past few weeks excitement has been building for the upcoming GAVI Partners Forum that took place in Tanzania. This is the 5th GAVI Partners Forum, a meeting that brings together a range of stakeholders including implementing country
Blog
Dec 07, 2012
RotaFlash, December 2012On December 6, Tanzania simultaneously launched vaccines against the primary causes of two of the leading childhood killers in Tanzania and worldwide – pneumonia and diarrhea. The launch took place in tandem with the GAVI
Latest news
Dec 05, 2012
A mother cares for her baby, suffering from severe diarrhea, at the gastroenteritis ward in Dar-es-Salaam's Muhimbili hospital.
As a pediatrician in Tanzania, my days are spent making individual children healthy and working to save their lives. But
Blog
Nov 30, 2012
PATH press release, November 2012With a new grant from the Starbucks Foundation, PATH will address water, sanitation, and hygiene in coffee-growing communities in Tanzania.Read the full press release.
Latest news
Nov 05, 2012
PATH's Safe Water Project summarizes its findings in a new publication.
If households living on just a few dollars per day can purchase soap, shampoo, and cell phone minutes, they ought to have access to products that purify their drinking water.
Blog
Nov 05, 2012
AllAfrica.com, November 2012A group of dedicated partners has completed a pilot rollout of rotavirus vaccines throughout Zambia's Lusaka Province. The vaccine is provided in an integrated clinical package that also encourages use of ORS and zinc for
Latest news
Oct 29, 2012
Malawi was a groundbreaker: The first developing country where research definitively proved that rotavirus vaccines will save lives in the world's most challenging settings. A study in Malawi and South Africa garnered the first figures on
Blog
Oct 24, 2012
Schoolchildren in rural Mazabuka Province, a 3 hour drive out of Lusaka, Zambia, are learning vital lessons in water, sanitation, and hygiene. Part of an integrated approach involving infrastructure improvements, capacity development, and peer
Blog
Oct 18, 2012
Yahoo! News, October 2012Chelsea Clinton is promoting access to ORS and zinc in Nigera, where only 2% of children have access and where 100,000 children die of diarrhea each year. Increasing the number of children with access to ORS and zinc by 80%
Latest news
Oct 15, 2012
Janet Mbawo, Maternal and Child Health Coordinator and District Health Officer in Kafue, Zambia, describes the hygiene messages that community health workers and clinicians teach mothers and schoolchildren, such as handwashing with soap at critical
Video
Oct 15, 2012
"Together, we shall fight diarrhea!"
In this clip, students at Mukuyu Basic School in rural Mazabuka, Zambia, showcase their health knowledge by performing pooetry. We like their style!
Click through our photo album to see more student activities
Video
Oct 03, 2012
Zinc deficiency places children at greater risk of illness and death due to diarrhea and pneumonia, particularly children under five years old in low-resource settings. Evidence shows that zinc is beneficial in managing acute or persistent
Blog
Sep 25, 2012
Dennis Malambo is Kabulanga Branch Manager for Lusaka Water and Sewerage.
Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka, is growing rapidly and it is not slowing down. The country’s population is projected to increase exponentially by the end of the century – the
Blog
Sep 12, 2012
Social entrepreneurs with boundless creativity are redefining the outer limits of what's possible in global health. Two such visionaries, Simon and Jane Berry, have harnessed their mental oomph and creative prowess in the public health community
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Aug 17, 2012
Everywhere we went in Zambia, there were reminders of water. There were the fantastic and inspiring people we met working on WASH programs, of course, whose magnitude and potential—and impact already—is certainly worth notice. But there were
Blog
Jul 27, 2012
In2EastAfrica, July 2012Former US Present Bill Clinton visits Uganda to initiate the implementation of new steps to rapidly increase the use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc.Read the full article
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Jul 18, 2012
Children in Zambia are dying from three major killers: malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
Children in Zambia are dying from three major killers: malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Until recently, diarrhea was the only disease target without a
Blog
Jul 13, 2012
Ten years of development work, and this week marked my first visit to an African health care clinic. The waiting room was tiny, tight, and filled with weary anxiety. The bottom line being that, despite my own excitement, the women and children in
Blog
Jul 12, 2012
I don't think any of us expected to be deeply moved during an informational interview at Zambia's Ministry of Health, a stop typically made to gather facts and figures rather than inspiration.
In a crowded room with thick binders filling an
Blog
Jul 05, 2012
Infectious disease isn't the only thing that can go viral these days. Facebook posts and tweets can, too, which makes social media pretty powerful stuff.
At defeatDD, we spend a lot of time thinking about how we can harness the potential of
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Jun 20, 2012
“Oh, Stephanie, NO. Not while we're eating our dinner!”
This is how the conversation usually goes when my parents make the mistake of asking me how my job is going over a family meal. I have become so used to discussing this subject, I forget
Blog
Jun 12, 2012
The Great, the Good and the Glamorous are gathering in Washington DC this week to talk about some really big issues affecting the world's poorest and most vulnerable children and adults.
Anyone who is anyone in Global Health and Development
Blog
Apr 24, 2012
You probably already know the shocking reality—more than 1,200 children under age five die from rotavirus each day—that's more that 450,000 each year! What you might not know is that many of these deaths can be prevented by using rotavirus vaccines
Blog
Apr 09, 2012
How can we stop millions of deaths from diarrhea? With simple solutions. Just listen...
Video
Feb 15, 2012
I have traveled to Africa three times in the past six years. Prior to 2006, I pictured myself in the advertising business, living in a sweet apartment in Manhattan, and, making money. Then my 2-year relationship ended and I wanted to go somewhere
Blog
Feb 09, 2012
Vibe Ghana, February 2012In April 2012, Ghana will introduce two new vaccines that will protect children against pneumonia, diarrhea, and meningitis.Read the full article
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Jan 12, 2012
In November, while traveling for PATH's Safe Water Project, I had the opportunity to link up with PATH's Alfred Ochola in Kakamega to tour ORT corners in two area hospitals. Having never been to rural Kenya, nor to any medical facilities in the
Blog
Nov 01, 2011
Diarrheal disease is one of the top two causes of child death in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and Malawi is no exception. Diarrhea causes approximately 11 percent of deaths in children under five years of age in the country, with
Factsheets
Nov 01, 2011
This document outlines a landscape policy analysis that identified challenges and opportunities for prioritizing diarrheal disease in Malawi. A local steering committee identified strengths and weaknesses in current policies, recommended steps to re
Factsheets
Oct 12, 2011
Last week I attended a briefing on Capitol Hill, part of a series focused on showcasing the Power of 1% of the US budget that goes to foreign assistance. The series was intended to garner support from Americans and our country's leaders for
Blog
Sep 27, 2011
It is with a quiet sense of hopefulness and excitement that I look ahead to the next couple of years as we hear about the growing impetus of African countries preparing to introduce rotavirus vaccines - it sounds almost like a building crescendo
Blog
Sep 27, 2011
GAVI Alliance, September 2011The GAVI Alliance today announced it will provide funding for 16 more developing countries to introduce rotavirus vaccines and 18 more countries to introduce pneumococcal vaccines -- a major step towards protecting
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Aug 15, 2011
Washington Post, August 2011How is American aid helping Liberia? In this op-ed, Liberian President and WaterAid goodwill ambassador highlights the importance of water and sanitation -- and the generosity of the American people.Read the full article
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Aug 09, 2011
Blog 4 Global Health, August 2011Dr. Amani Abdelmoniem Mustafa, manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunization for Sudan, gives a first hand account of the first child to receive a rotavirus vaccine in Sudan.Read the entire blog
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Jul 28, 2011
In 2008, PATH was thrilled to welcome Dr. Duncan Steele as our senior advisor on diarrheal disease. For three decades, he has tracked rotavirus in Africa and is recognized worldwide as a leading expert. A recent outbreak, potentially due to
Blog
Jul 28, 2011
Huffington Post, July 2011A new blog post from Ambassador Jan Eliasson, Chair of WaterAid in Sweden and former President of the UN General Assembly, on the role of water and sanitation in peacebuilding in Liberia.Read the full article
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Jul 21, 2011
Over 800 delegates and 35 ministers from African countries are in Rwanda for a three-day conference that aims at improving sanitation and hygiene to prevent illnesses like diarrhoea.
Officials highlighted that 230 million people in Africa still
Blog
Jul 13, 2011
How can we make an impact on child health in far-away countries for those of us who are working from our desks in the US?
We think this is an incredibly important question, and so do our Facebook friends. In fact, when we recently interviewed
Blog
Jul 06, 2011
Reposted with the permission of GAVI Alliance
Two and a half year-old Abdul lay inert on his mother's lap when we arrived at the Gondama Community Health Centre, a tiny rural clinic in southern Sierra Leone. Abdul's mother, Aisha Kamara, had just
Blog
Jun 22, 2011
Alfred Ochola points to the title of his panel at the Global Health Conference: "WaSHing (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) to Improve Health in Developing Countries: Opportunities and Obstacles."
I was thrilled when I learned that Alfred, our
Blog
May 26, 2011
A health care worker demonstrates simple and effective hand-washing techniques.
"You can be extremely poor but extremely clean." If there ever was a statement that dispelled assumptions about the correlation between hygiene and poverty, it was this
Blog
Apr 14, 2011
In the village of Kamusinga, Kenya, parents learn about basic diarrheal disease prevention strategies from a community health volunteer.
Memories of my stay in the bustling border town of Busia, Kenya, fill me with optimism. Last October, I
Blog
Mar 28, 2011
Treehugger, March 2011A team of eleven climbers began a week long summit of Tanzania's Mt Kilimanjaro, in an effort to raise nearly $75,000 for The Water School, an international non-profit dedicated to bringing clean drinking water to the
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Feb 09, 2011
One of the simple pleasures of making field trips to rural Kenya are the meals served at road side restaurants.
These meals are fresh, fast and finger-licking good! Often served in modest (read inexpensive) road side eating houses, just enough
Blog
Jan 06, 2011
allAfrica.com, January 2011Medical experts have warned that malaria and HIV have monopolized interventions geared towards curbing child mortality in Kenya, thus ignoring the equally deadly killer, diarrhea.This disease silently claims the lives of
Latest news
Dec 03, 2010
No children should die of diarrhea and, with a coordinated package of proven interventions, they don't have to. Rotavirus vaccines are among the newest tools in the fight against diarrheal disease and the only way to prevent severe infection. Follow
Video
Oct 21, 2010
On a recent trip to Kenya's Western Province, I witnessed how the Oral Rehydration Treatment (ORT) corner is becoming an important part of primary care services in that region.
While I was visiting one of the ORT corners in Kakamega, a shy young
Blog
Sep 13, 2010
Daily Nation, September 2010Diarrheal disease is a severe problem in Kenya, but the Ministry of Health's new national policy on diarrheal disease control is beginning to change that picture. The recently launched strategy is based on a coordinated
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Sep 02, 2010
I vividly remember the night, nine years ago, when I franticly rushed my 9 month old son to Nairobi hospital due to a bad bout of diarrhea.Being my second child, I'd thought I'd seen all there was to see regarding the usual childhood illness: flu,
Blog
Aug 18, 2010
In remote villages of Western Kenya, children are asked to bring water to school.
They collect water around the house or along their journey to school each day in a variety of worn containers of varying sizes. They collect surface water often
Blog
Aug 16, 2010
allAfrica.com, August 2010Dr. Dorothy Esangbedo, National President of the Paediatrics Association of Nigeria (PAN), describes immunization as the biggest gift that can be given to mankind. She asserts that Nigeria must urgently double its routine
Latest news
Aug 06, 2010
Check out new blogs posted today by our partners at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the ONE Campaign.
New blogs posted today by our partners at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the ONE Campaign offer insight on the dramatic
Blog
Aug 03, 2010
It is hardly a month since the football frenzy ended, vuvuzelas were stored away, and South Africa could proudly say it was the first African nation to host the World Cup. South Africa boasts other firsts.
It is the first African nation to host an
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Jul 29, 2010
AfricaNews, July 2010New figures published in the Lancet medical journal last month revealed that diarrhoea is now the biggest killer of under-fives in Africa, claiming the lives of 2,000 children per day. Action Aid made recommendations at the
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Jul 23, 2010
In a hot, dry town in Ghana called Navrongo, a group of mothers gathered one day last year at a health clinic.
The mothers - about 30 of them - had traveled on foot and by bicycle, carrying their young children, to meet with the doctors and health
Blog
Jul 12, 2010
BBC News, July 2010In the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, the lack of sanitation is dangerous not only for women's health, but also for women's safety. The new report, Insecurity and Indignity: Women's experiences in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, expose the
Latest news
May 28, 2010
Daily Nation, May 2010The report on Kenya’s Situational Analysis and Needs Assessment (SANA) found that 39 per cent of people in rural areas do not have access to proper sanitation comparable to international standards. The study holds environmental
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May 14, 2010
The Huffington Post, May 2010Joseph Treaster makes some interesting observations from his recent trip to Kenya. "Governments in many developing countries pay very little attention to clean drinking water and toilets and I could see from
Latest news
Apr 04, 2010
Follow PATH's Alfred Ochola as he demonstrates how simple, cost-effective solutions are defeating diarrheal disease in Western Kenya. Read more about Alfred Ochola on PATH's website.
Video
Mar 30, 2010
On March 31, 2010, the Government of Kenya stepped out as a regional leader in the renewed fight against DD—unveiling an updated national policy to manage and control diarrheal disease. The policy, which highlights traditional and new interventions
Other
Mar 12, 2010
One woman’s stand against diarrheal disease
Women rarely hold office in Kenya. Florence Weke-sa is an exception. Currently deputy mayor of Kimilili, Florence is the first woman to hold the position and was the only female councilor on the Kimilili
Blog
Jan 01, 2010
Afrique en ligne, January 2010 The "Summit on the Summit" brings together 10 celebrities and global influencers, including Jessica Biel and Kenna Zemedkun, for a week long expedition to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for clean water.
Latest news
Dec 01, 2009
IRIN, December 2009 Poor health care results in preventable and curable diseases becoming major childhood killers. This article discusses how such challenges impact Kenya, citing diarrheal disease as a major problem.Read the full article.
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Oct 01, 2009
UNICEF, October 2009 Several countries around the world conducted activities for Global Handwashing Day. In Zimbabwe, hundreds of community volunteers participated in a campaign that focused on school children as agents of this life-saving behavior
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Sep 01, 2009
Stories on Malawi, September 2009 PATH's Evan Simpson writes about the importance of an integrated approach in the fight against diarrheal disease. He highlights momentum already happening in Malawi specifically, having just spoken at the annual
Latest news
Jul 01, 2009
Republica, July 2009 Kalendra Sejuwal outlines the tragic consequences for residents in rural areas of Africa, who cannot gain access to medicine to treat diarrheal disease. Though health clinics and medical deliveries from the government reach more
Latest news
Jun 01, 2009
Bread for the World Institute, June 2009 Highlighting the personal stories of two mothers from Kenya, Janie Hayes from PATH and Altrena Mukuria from the Infant and Young Child Nutrition Project illustrate the “vicious cycle” of malnutrition and
Latest news
Jun 01, 2009
UPI, June 2009 Through the company he founded, Ecotact, Kenyan architect David Kuria is addressing the cultural barriers against sanitation. With the creation of “toilet malls,” families have access to shower and toilet facilities, as well as
Latest news
Dec 01, 2008
National Public Radio, December 2008 Zimbabwe faces a crisis as a severe cholera outbreak grips the country, attributed to failures of water and sanitation systems.Read the full article here.
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