About the Author: Chris LaTondrese serves in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives.

Anglican Bishop Dinis Sengulane’s message isn’t exactly what one might expect from a typical religious leader. Then again, Bishop Sengulane, who has presided over Mozambique’s Lebombo Diocese since 1976, is not a typical leader, religious or otherwise. The large cross that hangs from a chain around his neck is fashioned from components of disassembled weapons surrendered by combatants after the Mozambique civil war, a prolonged conflict that he and other religious leaders played an integral role in bringing to an end in the mid-1990s.

Today, Bishop Sengulane is fighting to bring an end to another destructive force in his nation: malaria. The disease steals 650,000 lives around the world each year, devastating entire communities and undermining opportunities for prosperity and growth — and disproportionately affecting the African continent.

At a gathering… more »

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote an opinion piece that appeared today on Global, Health, and Diplomacy. The text of the article follows below.

America and our partners have more than doubled the number of people who get AIDS drugs. We’ll soon cut maternal mortality by a quarter. How? The answer may surprise you.

When I became Secretary of State, I asked our diplomats and development experts: “How can we do better?” I could see our strengths, including tens of thousands of public servants who get up every day thinking about how to advance America’s interests and promote our values around the world. At the same time,… more »

About the Author: Rear Admiral Timothy Ziemer (Ret.) serves as Global Malaria Coordinator with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

On a stifling hot March evening in Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, I joined Peace Corps volunteers David Kalpakchian and Hannah Braun and Ghanaian volunteers to hand out and hang up insecticide-treated nets (ITN). We know that insecticide-treated nets are a highly effective way to protect people from malaria infection. Because of this, Ghana is working to achieve “universal” coverage, meaning one ITN is available for every two people. This effort is important to the kayayei and other groups whose socioeconomic and transient status make them much less likely to have access to ITNs.

Malaria does not threaten boys and girls in the United States, but in Ghana and across Africa, the lives of could-be future presidents, scientists and nurses are lost prematurely, and their hope for making an impact on the world is greatly diminished. In Ghana, where malaria is a leading… more »

About the Author: Ambassador Eric Goosby serves as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.

Late last week in Geneva, Martin Dinham, a former Director General in the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, and Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Health Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, were elected Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. They were voted in as the Board passed a comprehensive package of reforms to ensure that the Fund can continue to fulfill its mission to combat these three devastating diseases. As part of its multi-year pledge in support of the Fund, the United States called for strong reforms to improve the Fund’s transparency, accountability, and fiduciary controls. I am pleased that my fellow Board members took the United States’ call to action seriously.

Through the Global Fund Board,… more »

About the Author: Ambassador Eric Goosby serves as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.

This week in Johannesburg, South Africa, PEPFAR is convening its annual meeting. U.S. Government global health leaders and staff are working together to identify opportunities to build on the impressive achievements our programs have made so far. Throughout the week here on Dipnote, I am providing updates on our collaboration to further our vision of partnership, efficiency, and innovation for sustained impact through PEPFAR.

As we wrap up this year’s meeting in Johannesburg, today we have focused on what we can do to advance the vision of shared responsibility at the country level. As I have described, we are working to reach the point where… more »