United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

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Answering the Call For More Nigerian Midwives

Amanda Puckett with Samuel Ngobua | CapacityPlus | May 1, 2013

“The world needs more midwives now more than ever,” said the Honorable Minister of Health of Nigeria, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate. On May 6, Pate was joined by stakeholders and international development partners [...] to celebrate the 2013 International Day of Midwives. Read More »

Applying New And Existing Technologies To Atrocity Prevention

Donald Steinberg | USAID.gov | October 25, 2012

Over the past year, I’ve had the honor to be part of the team at USAID implementing the President’s vision of preventing and responding to mass atrocities, including through my service on the White House’s Atrocity Prevention Board.  I have deep personal connections to the issue of atrocity prevention, having worked throughout my career on countries in the midst of conflict where such atrocities have occurred, from Rwanda to Angola to Libya. Read More »

At Datajam, Innovators And Entrepreneurs Unleash Open Data For Global Development

Rajiv Shah and Todd Park | USAID.gov | January 3, 2012

A remarkable new tool is becoming increasingly available to help end extreme poverty and ensure dignity and opportunity for people around the world—a tool that few people think about when they consider how to bolster international development efforts. That tool is data, and in particular “open data“. [...] Read More »

Behind The Mask Of Altruism: Imperialism, Monsanto And The Gates Foundation In Africa

Colin Todhunter | Global Research | October 16, 2014

Since 2006, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to the tune of almost $420 million. Activists from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia recently attended the US-Africa Food Sovereignty Strategy Summit in Seattle to argue that the Foundation’s strategy for agriculture in Africa is a flawed attempt to impose industrial agriculture at the expense of more ecologically sound approaches...

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Feds Ratchet Up Public Health, Tech Efforts To Battle Ebola

Staff Writer | Government Health IT | September 25, 2014

It appears almost definite at this point that the Ebola outbreak is likely to get worse, and very much so, before it shows any signs of lessening.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, in fact, projected that the number of infected people could potentially double every 20 days if nothing is done — a figure that could skyrocket to 1.4 million by January’s end...

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Frontline Health Workers’ Key Role in Improving Nutrition

Sarah Dwyer and Geeta Sharma | CapacityPlus | June 6, 2013

Sunita Kumari was struggling to get her message across. Working as an auxiliary nurse midwife in Gumla District, Jharkhand, India, she kept trying to mobilize the women of Toto, a village of 941 houses, to participate in Village Health and Nutrition Days. [...] Read More »

G-8 Conference Highlights Importance Of Open Data In Ag

Staff Writer | CropLife | April 29, 2013

The G-8 Open Data For Agriculture Conference kicked off with an announcement from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on the new virtual community launched on Data.gov. Read More »

Guatemala Adopts iHRIS To Manage Health Workforce

Devika Chawla | CapacityPlus | June 6, 2013

Guatemala is the newest country to adopt the open source iHRIS software for tracking, managing, and planning the health workforce. At least 14 other countries are actively using the software. Read More »

How the Trump Budget Undercuts Security Risks Posed by Pandemics

President Trump proposed a US$54 billion military budget increase to solidify the security of our nation. However, the government also recognizes pandemic threats as an issue of national security – one that knows no borders. In the last four years, we have faced the Ebola epidemic – contained after significant loss of life – and Zika, which is still not contained. Collectively, we will feel these effects for a generation, while children born with Zika-related defects and their families will feel the effects every day of their lives...

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Innovative Funding Begets Innovative Development

Joseph Marks | Nextgov | June 28, 2013

Chlorinating water, a bug-killing intervention that the industrialized world largely takes for granted, can be prohibitively difficult in the developing world. Read More »

Mosquitoes and Malaria: Taking a Big Step Against a Small but Deadly Foe

Shaun Donovan | White House Blog | February 22, 2016

If you’ve ever swatted away a mosquito on a muggy summer night, then you know how annoying these winged pests can be. But in many parts of the world, mosquitos are not just irritating—they’re deadly. Malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitos, took the lives of 438,000 people worldwide last year. More than 3 billion people remain at risk of contracting this horrific disease, which is especially dangerous for pregnant mothers and young people...

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So Much For Exporting Democracy: Afghanistan Is As Corrupt As North Korea

Catherine A. Traywick | Social Reader | December 3, 2013

After 12 years, nearly $700 billion, and more than 2,000 dead U.S. soldiers, here's what the United States has to show for its efforts in Afghanistan: a government that's perceived to be as corrupt as North Korea, according to a new report from the anti-corruption group Transparency International. Read More »

Superbugs Could Eventually Kill More People Than Cancer

Jason Millman | The Washington Post | December 12, 2014

The world could have a deadly and expensive problem on its hands if the growing fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria stays on the same track, according to a dire new warning...

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Tech’s Role In Fighting The Ebola Outbreak

Nicole Blake Johnson | FedTech Magazine | October 6, 2014

...The U.S. government is eyeing body sensors, ruggedized tablet computers, broadband communications and big data capabilities to aid its Ebola response. A high priority on the list is using innovative technologies to improve the protective gear worn by healthcare workers on the frontlines...

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USAID Invests In Open-Source Mobile Tech For Water Sanitation Monitoring

Amanda Sperber | Huffington Post | August 22, 2013

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) initiative just announced its investment in mWater. A non-profit tech startup, mWater has created an app for mobile phone users to instantly test and analyze water quality from local sources and share this information [...]. Read More »