Author: Kerri Szulak

N’DJAMENA, Chad — The Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé visited Chad in early August where he met with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, the First Lady and civil society. Sidibé acknowledged the strides Chad has made in responding to HIV, but there is still more that could be done. In Chad, only 30 percent of people living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral treatment. A change must be put in place so that more people have access to treatment. Sidibé spoke about the importance of increasing HIV testing as a first…

DUXBURY, Masschusetts — Technology is part of everyday life, even essential for some tasks today. But what if you could not connect to the Internet? What if there was no power on a regular basis? What if you could not afford new technology? These are things that many individuals have to deal with in the developing world. There is hope for the developing world. Inventors keep in mind the problems that could arise in the developing world, and work around them to create affordable technology. With the limitations of the developing world, these inventions are as difficult to create as…

ABUJA, Nigeria — Inventor Zuby Onwuta, originally from Onitsha, Anambra State in Nigeria has recently invented a new wearable technology that will change the lives of the visually impaired. This new technology, ThinkAndZoom, has also helped the inventor himself who was declared legally blind in 1998. Wearable technology comes in many forms, including devices like Google Glass, Smart Watches, Virtual Reality headsets and Tracking Peripherals. ThinkAndZoom now operates on Google Glass but is also able to operate on any Android Operating System devices. Onwuta was discharged from the U.S. military due to his visual impairment. However, Onwuta realized that there…

PAPUA NEW GUINEA — Papua New Guinea is taking the first steps towards the global eradication of polio, and the protection of its children against measles and rubella. The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) has been incorporated into its routine immunization program while at the same time, launching a nationwide measles-rubella vaccine (MR) campaign. The Papua New Guinea Government unveiled its support for this immunization campaign in Port Moresby. Immunization is widely recognized as one of the most cost-effective and impactful public health interventions available. But most importantly, thousands of children’s lives will be protected against these preventable diseases. Immunization is highly thought…

NAIROBI, Kenya — On July 21, 2015, the First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama addressed the Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer (SCCA) conference in Nairobi, Kenya. She called on fellow first ladies in Africa to lead a planned and sustained campaign and work with related organizations and agencies to support cancer prevention and control in Africa. The theme for the SCCA conference was “Investing to Save Lives, the Role of Public Private Sector Partnerships.” In attendance were first ladies, representatives from related organizations, parliamentarians, ministers of health, health professionals and scientists. Mahama informed the audience that approximately 2,900 women in…

TANZANIA — The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV), known as Gardasil, protects women against cervical cancer. Ninety percent of women that die from cervical cancer live in developing countries. Tanzania is taking a stance against cervical cancer, but also looks to lessen the gap between rich and poor women worldwide. Dar es Salam is the home to the only specialized facility for cancer treatment center in Tanzania, the Ocean Road Cancer Center. This is a service that Tanzanian women increasingly need. HPV is almost 100 percent preventable. It is because developing countries lack the necessary early screenings for HPV that causes…

KIRIBATI—As one of the most beautiful, remote and endangered nations in the world, malnutrition in Kiribati has been steadily on the rise in relation to climate change. Consisting of 33 micro-islands in the mid-Pacific, rising sea levels have limited the already limited resources available. Kiribati is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. The country has very limited natural resources, food resources, access to fresh water (most water is gathered from rain) and a high unemployment rate. All of these factors contribute to the problem of malnutrition in Kiribati. A team from the Liahona Children’s Foundation…