In 2005, "Chima" abandoned "Sinachi" and their four children to marry another woman. Heartbroken and unemployed, Sinachi returned to her home village and became a farmer. Although she worked hard, Sinachi’s children often went hungry and did not attend school for three years because she was unable to pay the fees.

Fortunately, in May 2012, the PEPFAR [6]-funded, USAID [7] project, Community-Based Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children [8] (CUBS) in Nigeria held an event in Sinachi’s village to raise HIV awareness and enroll vulnerable children in support programs. When Sinachi attended the event and explained her situation to the CUBS staff, they immediately referred her to the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

The Ministry’s commissioner helped Sinachi advocate for support from Chima by meeting with him to discuss the children’s needs and his responsibilities. Swayed by the authority of the commissioner, Chima now pays his children’s schools fees and calls them frequently to inquire about their well-being. Recently, Chima also gave Sinachi money to rent a better home and start a small business.

Last night, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) visiting our programs, I attended a US election-eve gathering of mostly Congolese people in Kinshasa. The DRC is one of those “distant nations” President Obama was referring to in his early morning acceptance speech today, where people are, “risking their lives just for… the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.”

Fragile, conflict-ridden nations, such as the DRC, struggle with leadership and governance. Its people have been victims of horrific violence, stunning gender inequality, and some of the worst health conditions in the world. They deserve better.

The United States reelected President Barack Obama to lead not only our country, but also to lead on addressing global health and other global development challenges such as those faced by the DRC.

Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a global non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives and improving health for the poorest and most vulnerable in the world, has long been a partner with the US government, foundations, and other donors, working in more than 140 countries to build stronger and more sustainable health care systems.

Using a basic household item like vinegar to screen for a deadly disease is one of those "Aha!" solutions that will save lives. I had never imagined that I’d get to see the procedure in action.

Cervical cancer kills some 250,000 women every year -- over 80 percent from low-income countries, according to the World Health Organization [19] (WHO). Early diagnosis can save lives, but many health facilities in developing countries struggle to find a way to screen women in remote, overcrowded settings. Last year, The New York Times [20] talked about the success of using vinegar as a cervical cancer diagnostic method in Thailand, and yesterday SHOTS, NPR's health blog [21] documented its life-saving use in Botswana.

The Ugandan government launched [25] a new prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) strategy on September 12.

Uganda will transition from an approach based on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Option A --- which is contingent on an HIV-positive pregnant woman’s CD4 count --- to WHO's newest PMTCT strategy, Option B+.

Option B+ — whereby HIV-positive pregnant women receive lifelong treatment, regardless of their CD4 levels — originated in 2010 when the Malawian government decided to combine antiretroviral therapy (ART) with PMTCT in response [26] to the challenges of providing reliable CD4 testing in remote settings.

The WHO updated its PMTCT guidelines [27] with Option B+ in April of this year.

(Cross-posted on MSH at AIDS 2012 conference blog [30])

On Sunday, July 22, 2012, Management Sciences for Health (MSH) hosted a satellite session, Beyond MDG 6: HIV and Chronic NCDs: Integrating Health Systems Towards Universal Health Coverage [31] at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012). The session panelists were (left to right): Dr Ayoub Magimba, Till Baernighausen, Dr Jemima Kamano, John Donnelly (moderator), Sir George Alleyne, Dr Doyin Oluwole, and Dr Jonathan D. Quick. 

USAID [34] and partners are hosting [35] a Twitter chat in preparation for the 19th International AIDS Conference [34]. The #AIDSChat [36] began at 10 am EDT and continues throughout the day.

Management Sciences for Health [37] (MSH) will be co-hosting from 2:00 - 2:30 pm on the topic of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV with Scott Kellerman, MD, MPH, tweeting from [38]@MSHHealthImpact [39].

The World Health Statistics 2012 [42] report released this year reveals a mixed bag of amazing progress and underachievement.

The report --- the World Health Organization [43]'s (WHO) annual compilation of health-related data for its 194 Member States --- includes a summary of the progress made towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals [44] (MDGs) and associated targets.

Countries have achieved amazing success in some areas and little or no progress in others. Here are some highlights:

Karla came from a troubled home where there was domestic violence, drug use, and general turbulence. She was repeatedly sexually abused by a relative in her home.

In 2008, Karla participated in the In School Youth (ISY) HIV prevention program at her secondary school in Region 4, Guyana.

Agape Network Incorporated, a USAID [48]-funded, faith-based organization, leads the ISY program. Agape receives technical assistance from USAID's Guyana HIV/AIDS Reduction and Prevention Program, Phase II [49] (GHARP II), led by Management Sciences for Health [37] with Howard Delafield International [50] and AIDS Healthcare Foundation [51],

On this historic World Population Day --- the first with the world’s population at seven billion and growing --- we call your attention to a crucial summit in London happening today, and to the ongoing importance of supporting access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health.

The London Summit

Over one hundred high-level decision-makers are convening at The London Summit on Family Planning [54] in hopes of securing a better future for women and girls globally. Hosted by the UK government [55] and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation [56], with UNFPA [57] and others, the summit seeks to provide an additional 120 million women in resource-poor countries with lifesaving contraceptives, information and family planning services by 2020.

“I knew I wanted to be a nurse since I was 10. A woman used to come home to my village in her nurse uniform on the weekends and she was so smart and nice. It was my goal,” said Anna.

Anna finished nursing school and her formal training in 1998 and started working in 1999. In 2000, she began working at Kaginima Hospital in eastern Uganda, where she still works today.

Kaginima Hospital is an expanding facility and uniquely has a lot of space for patients and services. The facility has a surgical theater with two beds and is well stocked with medical supplies. As a private, nonprofit hospital, Kaginima does not receive any support from the Ugandan government. The hospital relies on support from USAID [48], international organizations, faith-based organizations, and local nongovernmental organizations. They also charge nominal fees for the services directly to patients.