Kenya Launches first NTD Strategic plan in Africa!

"The Kenyan government launched a five-year national master-plan on Thursday to address neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that have become a public health challenge in remote parts of the country," making Kenya "the first country in Africa to launch a broad-based strategic plan on combating neglected tropical ailments that include bilharzia, trachoma, kalaazar, intestinal worms, elephantiasis and Hydatid disease," Africa Science News reports. "Minister for Public Health and Sanitation Beth Mugo said this strategic plan dovetails with her ministry's 'vision of transforming Kenya into a nation free from preventable diseases and ill health,'" the news service writes (Mwaura, 11/11). "Eliminating NTDs in Kenya is also in line with Millennium Development Goal 6, along with achieving Vision 2030, which aims to turn Kenya into a middle-income nation by 2030," according to the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases's "End the Neglect" blog, which notes, "In Kenya alone, one in two people suffer from NTDs" (Diep, 11/10). Original Article Here

Open Eboard Meeting Tonight

Hello All, we are hosting an open board meeting tonight at 8pm in Thorpe conference room! Be sure to be there to take part in conversations about the spring global health conference!

Hello All! Our UAEM Chapter just finished three successful presentations at Central Michigan University's 11th Annual Issue Day. Through increasing awareness towards health disparities, we gained student support for our petition for the implementation of Global Access Licensing and Global Health Curriculum at Central Michigan University. However, we still need more signatures and encourage you to spread the word, advocate for this cause, and attend our general member meeting on Tuesday, November 7th at 8pm in Anspach 157 to sign the petition. Continue the fight! -Rebeccah

Anti-malarial compound from UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley originally licensed the anti-malarial compound artemisinin to Amyris and the Intitute for One World Health (iOWH), with global access provisions in 2004, after receiving a grant from the Gates foundation. Now, they are planning on producing the drug for combination therapy with the help of sanofi in 2012. This semisynthetic compound should lower the price significantly and stabilize the availability of the drug which is originally derived from a plant grown in China and Vietnam. Original Source here For more info: iOWH press release: Here Artemisinin Case Study (Berkeley TTO): Here A great example of the importance of global access licensing!

Issue Day this Weekend

Come learn about social issues that people on CMU's campus are passionate about! This event is free for students, faculty, and staff, and at low cost to those outside the campus! Cmich UAEM is presenting at three sessions throughout the day, and featuring an extremely important petition for the student body! Register on orgsync at https://orgsync.com/26702/events/271378/show!!!!

Words of Wisdom

‎"Keep on fighting the good fight. Don’t get depressed or discouraged, ever. You keep on fighting, and one day the pendulum swings. You grit your teeth. You’re tenacious.. You decide that one of the great things about being alive is to usher in a more humane, more decent, more civilized international society. And global health is intrinsic to that goal."
           ~Stephen Lewis 2011 Universities Allied for Essential Medicines Annual Conference

Very inspirational words from quite an accomplished individual.  It was a pleasure to hear Stephen as a keynote and hopefully one day everyone will live their lives with these words very close to their heart.
            ~Priscilla Vargas

  
                         To check out how you can help: http://essentialmedicine.org/