Throughout the international system, the United States is always interested in a clear understanding of the performance and the impact of the multilateral institutions it supports.

Today, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson released the new U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2020), which reaffirms U.S. support for HIV/AIDS efforts in more than 50 countries …

INL convened an Expert Working Group that included U.S. and international experts in substance use recovery, including from the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the United Nations, the Colombo Plan, the Organization of American States, and civil society organizations.

Chargé d’Affaires Allegra: Together, we are making rapid progress toward eliminating HIV/AIDS, but the next few years are perhaps the most crucial for UNAIDS and the greater global response. We look forward to working together to ensure success.

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health on Right to Health As Delivered by Gregory Staff Tuesday, June 6, 2017 U.S. Statement   Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  The United States thanks Mr. Dainius Pūras for his report. The …

The United States strongly supports efforts to prevent and control non-communicable diseases. NCDs are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States and around the world, with severe impacts on our populations and our economies

The United States strongly supports efforts to end childhood obesity – a critical public health issue in our country, and many others. In fact, tackling childhood obesity in the United States is one of our top three clinical health priorities.

The Secretary shared his vision for the WHO as a place that can attract the most talented individuals from around the world with state-of-the-art expertise to advance the WHO’s mission of enhancing the public health.

The United States looks forward to working with the new Director-General and our public health partners at the WHO to reform and strengthen the organization and enhance the ability of all nations to protect the health of their people.

On Monday, May 22, Secretary Price participated in the opening activities of the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA).

The United States wants, and we all need, a strong WHO. The distinguished history of this organization should be an inspiration for the work we will do together for the health and prosperity of all nations.

On Sunday, May 21, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D. arrived in Geneva, Switzerland to lead the U.S. delegation to the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA), which begins Monday, May 22.

Funding and building the capacity of community-based and civil society organizations is absolutely crucial to ensuring that no one is left behind.

On World AIDS Day, we commemorate the lives lost and communities devastated by HIV/AIDS. We also celebrate those lives that have been saved and the courageous individuals who have brought hope and healing to those living with and affected by this disease.

New PEPFAR data show for the first time that the AIDS epidemic is becoming controlled in older adults and babies in three key African countries – Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – where the program has significantly invested. New pediatric HIV infections globally have declined by nearly 70 percent since 2000, and there are significant validated …

The GHSA is a signature global health and national security priority for President Obama. It was launched in 2014 – before the first cases of Ebola in West Africa came to light – due to leadership of the United States and partners from every region of the world. In only three years, the GHSA has …

The United States is the first and largest donor to the Global Fund. On August 31, 2016, the United States committed up to $4.3 billion through 2019 to the Global Fund’s Fifth Replenishment, subject to Congressional appropriations.

If we are to truly get on the fast track to ending the AIDS epidemic, we need to surround vulnerable populations – in particular adolescent girls and young women – with comprehensive support and services in every aspect of their lives. Time and again, research and experience have shown that holistic, multi-sectoral responses lead to …

PEPFAR Invests $85 Million to Drive Innovation for Adolescent Girls and Young Women.

Alongside the report, USAID announced a new $9.2 million program – Integrating Community Health – which will leverage an additional $10 million investment from other sources and is designed to strengthen the role of community health in USAID’s efforts to end preventable child and maternal deaths.

Thirty-five years ago, this Sunday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report describing cases of a rare lung infection, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, in five young, previously healthy, gay men in Los Angeles. One year later, the CDC used the term “AIDS” to describe this condition for the first time. The …

If we are to truly get on the fast track to ending the AIDS epidemic – we need to surround adolescent girls and young women with support and services in every part of their lives.

Continued partnership, vigilance and commitment means we all will be better prepared for the health threats that come our way. Together, we will be a stronger, more secure global community.

As our nations become more interconnected, the health challenges we face are increasingly shared by us all.

HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell World Health Assembly Ministerial Panel on Dementia Geneva, Switzerland May 23, 2016 “We welcome any opportunity to collaborate on innovative care and services models and we will continue to support international efforts to fight dementia through the work of the G7 and WHO.” AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY Introduction I want …

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) invites global problem solvers to answer the call for groundbreaking ideas to enhance our ability to respond to the current Zika outbreak and generate cutting-edge technologies and approaches that better prepare the world to address the disease threats of tomorrow.

On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, we can commit to ending TB by rapidly adopting the 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) Guideline on When to Start Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and on Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV, more commonly known as “Test and START,” and strengthening partnerships among countries, multilateral organizations, and civil society.

Since late last year, the Administration has been aggressively working to combat Zika, a virus primarily spread by mosquitoes that has recently been linked to birth defects and other concerning health outcomes.

Investments in health are essential in order to address the direct needs of every women, child and adolescent. But also for the world to achieve the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals, and we understand how important the World Health Organization is in this area.

A critical issue for the United States and the global community has been a WHO and UN system that is ready to take on such challenges in the future.

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary Washington, DC December 1, 2015   FACT SHEET: World AIDS Day 2015 – The Time to Act Is Now   Today, in conjunction with World AIDS Day, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy is releasing the  Federal Action Plan for 2016-2020 , which outlines specific Federal agency actions to implement …

GHSA accelerates action and spurs progress toward implementation of the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations and other global health security frameworks

President Obama announced that PEPFAR is now investing nearly half a billion dollars to support an AIDS-free future for adolescent girls and young women, including by strategically aligning $300 million in prevention investments in support of our DREAMS partnership and related efforts.

The United States supports the vision for development represented by the global goals and the new tools and approaches.

A year ago, Redemption Hospital in Monrovia lacked proper tools, equipment and training to ensure the safety of its health workers and other patients. All of that has changed thanks to the work of the World Health Organization and many international partners including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Read the full feature on …

We have made tremendous progress toward stopping this deadly Ebola outbreak, but we must work relentlessly to get to zero.

The United States has made a commitment to assist at least 30 countries over five years to achieve the targets of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).

Tech-savvy teens from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, and Tunisia will participate in the fourth annual TechGirls exchange program from July 21-August 12.

In parts of the affected countries where Ebola ravaged health infrastructure and other public services, we must not only rebuild them, but build them stronger.

The 2015 Resolve Award winners make strides toward universal access to reproductive health. The 2015 winners are Senegal, Philippines and Uruguay.

Adolescent health, and in particular that of girls, is an issue that is close to my heart as one of my priorities is to consistently highlight the female dimension in the global challenges we face. This was one of the key drivers behind the U.S. Mission’s new initiative – The Future She Deserves – which …

The United States is committed to improving our own health system to better serve our people—work that has begun in earnest with the Affordable Care Act and other efforts to create a better, smarter, health care system.

I would also like to thank Director General Margaret Chan for her vision and leadership in supporting the Global Health Security Agenda and working with all participating Member States on this effort. WHO’s collaboration on GHSA is essential to ensure good alignment with efforts to implement the International Health Regulations (IHR).

Remarks delivered at the WISE Work in Sports Exhibition, a convention for career development in sports.

“No one can win the fight against this devastating illness alone.” Statement by HHS Secretary Hunt delivered by Ambassador Hamamoto

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy addressed the Executive Board of the World Health Organization January 29, 2015. Video footage of her statement courtesy of the World Health Organizations Multimedia team.

WHO’s EB adopts consensus resolution co-sponsored by the United States aimed at improving WHO’s capacity to respond to global health emergencies such as Ebola.

Adolescent girls are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. In 2013, over 80 percent of new HIV infections among adolescents in the hardest hit countries occurred in girls. Every year, an astonishing 380,000 adolescent girls and young women are infected with HIV.

We are actively working with federal colleagues, the medical and scientific community, industry, and international organizations and regulators to help expedite the development and availability of medical products …

We need more doctors and more nurses. More beds and more treatment facilities. More personal protective equipment. More burial teams and more ambulances. More cell phones

This is a global problem that requires urgent action by the entire ITU membership.

The U.S. is operationalizing a comprehensive strategy to respond to the threat of Ebola here at home, enhance our broader domestic preparedness, and contain the epidemic in West Africa.

We are making an AIDS-free generation a closer reality for a lot of folks all around the world.

Faced with this outbreak, the world is looking to us, the United States, and it’s a responsibility that we embrace.

The full range of relevant U.S. Government agencies are increasing every possible form of assistance to the affected countries, their citizens and international organizations responding to the outbreak.

08 August 2014 Washington — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is rapidly increasing its efforts to curb the expanding West African Ebola outbreak and deploying staff to four African nations currently affected: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria. CDC’s 24/7 mission is to prevent, detect and stop disease outbreaks wherever they …

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), in partnership with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), launched Accelerating Children’s HIV/AIDS Treatment (ACT) on August 6 during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

CDC and our partners must surge to deliver resources and expertise to help end this outbreak. Far too many lives have been lost already.

This conference, dedicated to ending HIV and AIDS worldwide, allowed researchers, activists and advocates to share their latest scientific findings and deliver thought provoking presentations on challenges the AIDS community faces.

The United States is sending more health experts to the three West African countries struggling with an Ebola outbreak.

Begun in 2010, MEPI is funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the National Institutes of Health.

More than $500 million in additional U.S. funding will support global HIV and AIDS response efforts with 19 partners.

The U.S. Census Bureau released its annually updated interactive global resource on HIV prevalence, AIDS cases and deaths. The database is the most comprehensive resource of its kind in the world, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

This is more than a moment to focus on drug abuse and addiction. It’s a time to connect the dots between the global flow of illicit drugs, violence that destroys communities and even nations the world over, and 21st century challenges, from human trafficking to elephant poaching to transnational crime and corruption.

Tens of thousands of people in Europe and the United States are dying each year from infections that once were successful treated with antibiotics. A trans-Atlantic group is working to develop an effective public health response.

U.S. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Canadian Minister Rona Ambrose and Mexican Secretary Mercedes Juan signed a declaration of intent at a meeting during the 67th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, key changes have been implemented to place the patient at the center of her care, and while problems still exist, we have made enormous progress.

As our global community grows smaller, it becomes increasingly difficult for our respective nations to tackle health challenges in isolation. We continue to learn that borders cannot stop evolving natural threats, and that not even oceans can protect us from the spread of infectious diseases.

The ongoing outbreaks of MERS, H7N9, and Ebola remind us that every outbreak is only a plane ride away. The devastating loss of life and economic impact all of us, no matter where in the world we happen to live. Therefore, all of us have a stake in working together across regions, across sectors, and …

Together, we have made extraordinary progress toward this ambitious goal, saving millions of lives, and bringing hope and healing to communities and nations.

The Sixty-seventh session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) takes place in Geneva during 19–24 May 2014.

USDA plans to provide $183 million in U.S. agricultural commodities and support for an estimated 2.7 million children in 10 developing countries as part of the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program.

Nations of the Americas have one of the world’s best records in collaborating to fight disease, and health officials from across the region say their collaboration must grow even stronger in the face of emerging health threats.

Mosquitoes, flies, ticks, water snails and other pests can carry diseases that sicken more than 1 billion people each year with malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis, Lyme disease, yellow fever and other dangerous conditions.

Our agencies opened a new collaborative chapter by signing a memorandum of agreement to advance the sustainability of PEPFAR programs. This agreement launches a three-year partnership between the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the State Department’s Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, which manages PEPFAR, that will tap into what we each do best.

Health agencies around the world are working to raise awareness and action to combat a disease that claims a victim every 18 seconds: tuberculosis.

The U.S. joined 26 countries, the WHO, the FAO and the OIE in a commitment to accelerate progress toward a world safe from the threat of infectious disease and to the goals of the Global Health Security Agenda.

Welcome to this telebriefing where we’ll be discussing the launch of a new global health security initiative which we all hope will make the world a safer place.

Washington, 08 January 2014 More health care workers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia will be able to prevent, detect and treat the disabling condition obstetric fistula thanks to a new project sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID announced on January 6 that it had awarded the Fistula Care Plus Project, …

Commitments from the Global Fund and PEPFAR show what is possible when local leadership and international action come together.

At a White House World AIDS Day event, President Obama promised new U.S. assistance to fight the disease, saying the more others contribute to the cause, the more the U.S. will contribute to better health worldwide.

U.S. leaders in the campaign against HIV/AIDS mark the 25th anniversary of World AIDS Day with renewed commitments to continue the battle against the disease and support the 35 million people worldwide who live with the virus.

Since it was established in 2003, PEPFAR has provided treatment to more than 5.1 million people and HIV counseling and testing to nearly 47 million people, the Agency for International Development (USAID) reports.

Every year, this is a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come since the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

On this World AIDS Day, we take stock of what has been achieved and look forward to what can be accomplished in the near future toward the universally shared goal of ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

An international research effort working to better understand global patterns in influenza outbreaks has developed a vaccination strategy that is likely to prevent more cases of flu in China.

Early in October, global health leaders in the Americas Region made a major step forward to improve access to and quality of health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons.

The U.S. Congress has made quick work of legislation that extends the life of the nation’s 10-year-old program targeting the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, the most extensive campaign a nation ever has mounted against a single disease.

MCC’s health investments support the government of Lesotho’s efforts to provide HIV-battling antiretroviral therapy by improving a clinic network that can deliver this and other essential health services throughout the country.

Thorough, effective treatment for tuberculosis has saved the lives of 22 million people in recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports, while the number of people succumbing to this age-old disease has declined.

U.S. and European medical societies are speaking with one voice about the need to address health disparities between socioeconomic groups.

The lives of 74,000 children might be saved each year if specialized attention is focused on the youngest sufferers of tuberculosis (TB). A coalition of U.S. and international groups put forth a plan to do so October 1, calling it the first to specifically target TB in children under 15.

Ambassador Goosby: Creating an AIDS-free generation is a shared responsibility. The Global Fund is a principal tool to make this vision a reality.

Three major vulnerabilities threaten people’s health worldwide, said the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the agency is working around the clock to decrease the threats.

A majority of U.S. volunteers in a drug trial were cured of hepatitis C virus (HCV) with a treatment that is less harmful and shorter than treatments with drugs currently in use.

The bacteria that cause tuberculosis have plagued humankind for millennia, but scientists are just getting to know the pathogen at the genetic level.

President Obama announced his intention August 1, 2013 to nominate Pamela K. Hamamoto, as Representative of the United States to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador.

Hepatitis is the deadliest disease you hear very little about, but July 28 is a day to “know it” and “confront it,” according to the designated theme of World Hepatitis Day.

Known as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the virus has appeared in several countries of the region, with 80 laboratory-confirmed cases reported to WHO, resulting in 44 deaths as of July 7.

US Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby congratulates the World Health Organization on the Launch of the Consolidated ARV Guidelines.

One million babies are alive today because their HIV-infected mothers received medication to prevent them from transmitting the virus to their infants.

Secretary Kerry marked the 10th Anniversary of the creation of the U.S. President’s Plan for Emergency AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by announcing that the millionth baby will be born HIV-free this month due to PEPFAR-supported prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs.

Representatives from more than 190 nations convened for the World Health Assembly May 20 with a record of achievement and a challenge for the future.

This year’s World Health Assembly theme of ensuring health’s place in the next generation of global development goals is one that we in the Americas welcome.

A vaccine that might save the lives of more than 400,000 children each year is producing hopeful results in India.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an estimated 5.5 million children worldwide are victims of forced labor and child trafficking. Thousands of children are trafficked in the United States.

Health authorities in Southeast Asia have detected a strain of the malaria-causing parasite that is resistant to the best medicines available to treat the disease.

A new strategy and financial backing bring new energy to the old battle to eradicate crippling polio.

The Obama administration’s budget request for U.S. international aid activities in fiscal year 2014 focuses on food security, maternal and child health, gender equality and poverty reduction through sustainable economic growth.

Early childhood deaths due to malaria are in rapid decline, eight years after a U.S. campaign against the disease began in 15 high-risk countries.

On April 24, U.S. representatives and ECOWAS states will come together to share knowledge, experiences and best practices during a three-day meeting of the West Africa Malaria Task Force in Ghana.

The U.S. Department of State will be supporting efforts to build health care cooperation through the recently created Office of Global Health Diplomacy.

The lives of 20 million people have been saved in recent years because the United States and other governments have scaled up their campaign against tuberculosis (TB), working to overcome one of the world’s most deadly diseases, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) says.

Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy is proven to stop replication of the HIV virus and prevent the most devastating effects of HIV infection, including progression to full-blown AIDS and death. Despite that knowledge, many patients neglect their drug regimen and allow the disease to progress again.

The GAVI Alliance announced the campaign to offer disease protection to more than 180,000 girls on World Cancer Day. HPV is a primary cause of cervical cancer, which kills 275,000 women each year, 85 percent of them in the world’s poorest nations.

Both U.S. and international health institutions use the month of February as an opportunity to raise awareness about diseases that are among the greatest causes of premature death.

U.S. medical researchers have developed a trial vaccine that holds promise for preventing dengue, a disease that sickens an estimated 50 million people or more each year.

Dr. Mark Dybul writes about this opportunity in an essay released by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as he becomes executive director of the Geneva-based organization.

The incidence of measles worldwide has decreased 65 percent from 2000 to 2011, according to a new survey. The number of estimated deaths from measles has also declined, by 71 percent, from 542,000 to 158,000.

A year-old commitment to focus new resources on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is making progress in delivery of medicine and preventive treatment to 1 billion poor people most severely affected by these conditions.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent a group of diseases that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide but have until recently received limited attention from the affluent regions of the world

WHO members are meeting in Geneva Dec 6-7 for an Extraordinary Meeting of the Program Budget and Administration Committee.

Deaths from HIV/AIDS have declined, and new infections of the deadly virus have decreased while the dissemination of treatment is on a steadily upward trend.

Ambassador King delivered the opening statement today and expressed our optimism that this WHO meeting will finalize a package of voluntary global targets and indicators along with a global monitoring framework to strengthen and focus our collective action to prevent and control non-communicable diseases.

The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the U.S. Mission and the Mission of Panama co-hosted a roundtable discussion on the development of targets and indicators for the prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). U.S. Ambassador Betty E. King delivered opening remarks pointing out that the U.S. is “strongly committed to raising profile of …

Broadening global understanding about mental illness is the goal of the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Day October 10 and National Mental Health Awareness Week October 7–13 in the United States.

Today, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UNITAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced an agreement that will significantly reduce the cost of a new, highly accurate, rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) in 145 high-burden and developing countries.

NASA’s most advanced Mars rover Curiosity has landed on the Red Planet. The one-ton rover, hanging by ropes from a rocket backpack, touched down onto Mars Sunday to end a 36-week flight and begin a two-year investigation.

The international movement to beat the AIDS epidemic has achieved more in the last 10 years than anyone would have thought possible in 2002. Eight million people around the world are receiving life sustaining treatment to control HIV infection and prevent the development of AIDS. Millions more need it as governments around the world develop …

Kicking off her visit in London, Michelle Obama reminded Team USA’s athletes that American children everywhere look up to them not only as excellent athletes, but also as promoters of active lifestyles.

“My administration has made cybersecurity a priority, including proposing legislation to strengthen our nation’s digital defenses. It’s why Congress must pass comprehensive cybersecurity legislation.”

The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) reports that 34.2 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2011, while a decline in the rate of new infections has slowed the spread of the disease.

Catherine Bushnell, an internationally recognized researcher in neuroscience, will lead a new research program at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) on the role of the brain in perceiving and managing pain.

The XIX International AIDS Conference will be held in Washington July 22–27, and organizers say they hope the meeting of AIDS specialists, researchers and policymakers will mark the “beginning of the end of the epidemic.”

The United States welcomes the focus on occupational health in the latest report from the Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health.

An independent evaluation team finds that the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has been “very successful” in reducing children’s deaths from the mosquito-borne parasitic disease, but also warns that the program must gear up if those gains are to be sustained.

Ambassador King welcomed the Aspen Institute to present the 2012 Resolve Award which recognized leaders for delivering on a promise of universal access to reproductive health.

Ambassador King welcomed the Aspen Institute to present the 2012 Resolve Award which recognized leaders for delivering on a promise of universal access to reproductive health

This is a compilation of speeches delivered by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at World Health Assembly meetings in Geneva, May 21-22, 2012

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius addressed the World Medical Association during the 65th World Health Assembly and called attention to the importance of investing in Women’s Health.

Everyone has a basic right to health care. This is a principle that all people should share and all nations should strive for.

Women make up half the population, but when it comes to health, women have been underserved or left out.

Our coordinated efforts make it possible to successfully address shared public health challenges. From increasing prevention of diseases such as polio and heart disease, to conducting lifesaving research, to strengthening our humanitarian response and protection of vulnerable and marginalized populations, all of our efforts are enhanced through our partnership in this body.

High blood pressure afflicts one in three adults worldwide, putting them at greater risk of heart disease and stroke, the report finds.

“Vaccines historically have been the single most important tool for controlling epidemics. With an ongoing commitment to HIV vaccine research, we have the potential to radically change the trajectory of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.”

Improving malaria diagnosis in the developing world may get some help from an unlikely source. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles have developed a computer game that could use the power of online crowdsourcing to identify the parasites that cause malaria, one of the greatest killers of Africa’s children.

The U.S. Mission and the Kenyan Mission to the UN and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) were pleased to co-host a roundtable discussion ahead of the World Health Assembly in May.

International partners of the Measles Initiative have immunized 1 billion children since 2001, and the partnership is now extending its effort to the related condition of rubella.

USAID will recognize World Malaria Day April 25 by presenting the U.S. Congress with a report documenting substantial progress in reducing deaths from malaria as a result of increased investment by the U.S. and others in the global anti-malaria campaign.

In January, India marked an incredible achievement: one year since the country’s last reported case of polio.

Children with tuberculosis (TB) often go undiagnosed because they lack access to health care or because the health care workers they see lack training to detect the symptoms of TB in this young age group.

The U.S. State Department is devoting new resources to support organizations trying to prevent gender-based violence, with a goal of reducing the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV infection.

Officials implementing the Global Health Initiative say the program has made solid progress in improving services for women and girls in the developing world.

The Peace Corps, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Health Service Corps are launching an innovative public-private partnership to place nurses, physicians and other health professionals as adjunct faculty in medical and nursing schools overseas.

U.S. government health agencies are focusing public attention on HIV awareness among women and girls, at the same time new research shows that HIV infection among certain populations of African-American women is five times the national average.

“By fighting hunger and disease, we fight the despair that can fuel violent extremism and conflict,” said Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

By Charlene Porter IIP Staff Writer Washington, February 2,  2012   Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the greatest single global killer, the cause of 30 percent of all deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Members of the U.N. General Assembly in 2011 resolved to emphasize public awareness of this health risk in their …

The United States joins the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the World Health Organization and a host of other players in recognition of World Cancer Day February 4, an event to raise awareness of one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

If the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is going to protect the health of American citizens, it must look beyond national borders and work to improve health on a global basis.

An international research team has developed a vaccine that provides some protection for monkeys against the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and the discovery may light the path to a vaccine candidate that will protect humans from HIV.

Moving swiftly to implement the findings of successful research has saved lives and slowed the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS, according to a U.S. leader in the campaign, Ambassador-at-Large Eric Goosby.

“Leading with Science, Uniting for Action,” the theme of this year’s worldwide commemoration, describes how U.S. military members work hand in hand with militaries around the world to address the disease, said Matthew Brown, deputy director of the Defense Department’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Program.

“Today, we come together as a global community, across continents, faiths and cultures, to renew our commitment to ending the AIDS pandemic once and for all,”

The U.S. space agency is set to launch an unmanned mission to Mars November 26, and while the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) will leave Earth’s orbit alone, the craft represents 40 years of research and analysis conducted by generations of scientists trying to better understand life in the universe.

On World Polio Day 2011, the number of polio cases has been reduced by 99 percent since 1988 and the disease limited to a handful of countries resulting in fewer than 500 individual cases this year.

Researchers and government health officials express measured optimism about a malaria vaccine candidate that has produced positive results in trials involving more than 15,000 children across 11 sites in seven countries in Africa, where the disease causes the most deaths.

“USAID is proud to support the critical work of domestic and international partners against TB,” said Ariel Pablos-Mendez, assistant administrator for USAID’s global health programs, at a Washington news conference unveiling the new WHO report. “We know that treating TB abroad saves lives while also saving money here at home.”

An international research consortium has identified 29 genetic variations that influence blood pressure, providing insight into blood pressure abnormalities that are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. This class of disease is the world’s largest killer, taking more than 17 million lives in 2008, according to the World Health Organization.

The GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) said the new vaccination campaign will provide funding to pay for vaccines in dozens more countries where they are not currently available. The vaccines will protect the children receiving them from two of the diseases with the highest fatality numbers in the developing world.

The United States and the World Health Organization (WHO) are moving to a higher level of cooperation, combining resources to help other countries boost their public health infrastructure for the good of their own people and the rest of the world.

“We have the potential to drive forward our programs, such that we could be reducing childhood mortality by 38 to 40 percent,” said Amy Batson, deputy assistant administrator for global health at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The U.S. Government and the WHO share a commitment to strengthen cooperation in the area of global health security to ensure that the international community effectively manages public health risks. Improving the ability of all nations to detect, report, and respond to infectious diseases quickly and accurately lies at the heart of the global community’s …

Cancer takes 8 million lives a year, and it’s gaining, expected to reach a global death toll closer to 12 million by 2030. But medical researchers in the United States and Latin America are combining their efforts to solve some of cancer’s mysteries and save lives.

“The United Nations General Assembly is ready to launch a full-fledged assault on some of the world’s greatest killers. They aren’t terrorists or drug kingpins. They are diseases: heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer and diabetes.”

Introducing a particular bacterium into the reproductive cycle of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito may stop transmission of the virus that causes dengue fever in humans.

The US government has been closely engaged with the GAVI Alliance since its creation in 2000. In addition to its financial contributions to GAVI over the past 11 years totaling almost $825 million, the US has been an active member of the GAVI Alliance Board and also serves on a number of program and technical …

Dr. Shah: “This multi-year commitment leverages the billions of dollars that other donors have committed to GAVI, multiplying the impact of our funding more than eight-fold. At a time when budgets around the world are being scrutinized, this partnership with donor and host country governments, civil society and private sector partners ensures our development dollars …

The “Egypt Health Legacy Review” presented data that looked at a 32-year period of USAID assistance to Egypt’s health sector. Compiled by interviewing USAID employees and Egyptian government officials and reviewing program documents, the review looked at 10 health areas that demonstrated sustained, positive outcomes.

The United States strongly supports the Director-General’s leadership in promoting a comprehensive reform package for the organization. We believe the future of financing discussion has sparked an important discussion on the role of WHO at the center of global health and how to ensure the organization is best placed to respond to the challenges of …

A top U.S. health official called on the community of nations to devote resources and energy to the final eradication of the paralyzing disease of polio.

I know we share these goals with nations around the globe and our meetings this week have continued to confirm that. In the days and months ahead, I look forward to building on those relationships to make prevention and wellness a global priority.

Secretary Sebelius at Gates Foundation Meeting on Polio Eradication: “This is a global challenge. Until the disease is eradicated everywhere, it remains a threat everywhere. If we are serious about global polio eradication, we all have a role to play.”

As we continue to address challenges posed by threats likes these, the United States remains committed to the World Health Organization’s implementation of the International Health Regulations and efforts to better coordinate the global response to public health emergencies.

This is not just a health issue. The growing prevalence of chronic disease is also a major driver of rising health care costs that are putting a growing burden on government, business, and family budgets.

HHS spokesman Bill Hall said one U.S. priority for the assembly will be to engage in discussions with health leaders from other nations to exchange ideas on effective strategies against noncommunicable diseases. Other issues of importance for the United States include the debate surrounding smallpox virus retention or destruction and the issue of polio eradication.

Following the cancellation of Endeavour’s scheduled launch on Friday, NASA announced today that the space shuttle will not launch before Sunday, May 8. No new launch date will be released until early this week. Friday’s launch was scrubbed due to a failed heater circuit.

The AMS brings together two scientific fields that have not had much historic interaction – astronomers who have seen the effects of these phenomena through their telescopes for centuries and high-energy physicists who have spent decades trying to explain them from the grounds. The AMS team hopes to find answers linking these two fields of …

World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 each year to commemorate the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948 by the United Nations (UN). Each year, the event brings worldwide attention to an important global health priority. World Health Day 2011 focuses on educating people of all ages to the dangers of …

“Today, April 7, the world commemorates World Health Day. This year’s theme focuses on combating the steadily growing public health threat posed by antimicrobial drug resistance — a growing problem with implications for both national and global security. Drug resistance also threatens to reverse global health gains by making currently available first-line medicines less effective.

World Health Day 2011, WHO, with our international and national partners from the public health, research, medical fields, is focusing our attention on a critical issue that increasingly challenges global health.

“Urgent and consolidated efforts are needed to avoid regressing to the pre-antibiotic era,” WHO declares on its website, announcing its intent to deliver on April 7 a coordinated plan to slow Antimicrobial Resistance.

On this World Tuberculosis Day, the United States reaffirms its commitment to fighting this deadly disease. We are supporting programs that are saving lives and fostering a more secure world. We are the first and largest contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

GENEVA – On January 27th, the U.S. government and the government of the Russian Federation, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation (MOHSD), signed a Protocol of Intent on Cooperation for the Global …

The global HIV/AIDS response is a responsibility we all share, and speaking on behalf our constituency partner Spain, we believe it is only through collective efforts at the global, regional, national, and local levels that we will realize this vision.

World AIDS Day is both a day of remembrance and a day of celebration. We must all keep in our thoughts those who have lost their lives to AIDS. It’s in their honor that we work every day to provide HIV prevention, treatment and care to millions across the globe. Yet, it’s also a day …

December 1, 2010 is World AIDS Day. Through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the cornerstone of President Obama’s Global Health Initiative (GHI), the U.S. Government is promoting the theme “Building on Success.” The theme reflects the idea that we have a shared responsibility to build on our success to make smart …

As part of the United States’ Global Health Initiative (GHI), up to 20 countries will receive technical and management resources that will help them quickly implement innovative health solutions. The first eight countries have been chosen and work has begun.

“USAID is proud to work with the Partnership for Supply Chain Management to help improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in countries most severely impacted by the epidemic,” said Susan Brems, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID. “We congratulate the Partnership on this most deserved honor and award.”

A gel that may be able to reduce the risk of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) offers new hope and direction for HIV prevention, according to the United States global AIDS coordinator. A study of 889 women in Durban, South Africa, has shown that a microbicide gel containing an antiretroviral drug can reduce …

In light of the International AIDS Society conference being held in Vienna this week, many people have raised questions about the Obama Administration’s commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS. The amount of money spent on HIV/AIDS cannot be the measure of success. The right measures are lives saved and lengthened.

Since the first cases were reported in 1981, HIV ― the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) ― has become one of the world’s most serious health and development challenges. More than 25 million people have died of AIDS, and another 33.4 million now live with HIV/AIDS.

A newly-released study in the July 21st issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) saved an estimated $323,343,256 from 2005 to 2008 through the use of generic antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). This significant cost savings contributed to PEPFAR’s ability to dramatically improve access …

From July 18 to 23, Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, will lead the U.S. delegation to the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria. The conference brings together an estimated 25,000 participants, including scientists, health care providers, political, community and business leaders, government, non-governmental and multilateral organization representatives, and people living with HIV/AIDS, …

The United States remains the leader in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, funding more than a quarter of the international financing for the disease. President Obama has undertaken a comprehensive Global Health Initiative (GHI) to help partner countries improve the health of their people through an integrated approach that recognizes that PEPFAR is central to …

Health is, in fact, at the heart of human progress. And we recognize that the wellbeing of people around the world is not just an important end in and of itself, but it is strongly linked to the security, prosperity and partnership of our country with our colleagues around the world. And that’s why global …

The United States is energized by the progress we continue to make together against this epidemic. We are optimistic that, collectively, the international community is making the necessary changes in our response to meet the changing epidemiology and to face the dramatically altered international landscape from just a few short years ago.

USAID-supported organizations in Russia are also exploring the use of mobile text messaging and other applications of technology to reach pregnant women and new mothers with information about prenatal and neonatal care.

At the 2010 World Health Assembly, the United States delegation led by Secretary Sebelius and Nils Daulaire reaffirmed its commitment to working with the World Health Organization and its member countries to improve the health of all nations.

The United States thanks the WHO for its work on the global strategy for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. As the Surgeon General of the United States, I can say that we recognize that non-communicable diseases contribute significantly to mortality and morbidity worldwide …

Good afternoon, everyone. And thank you for joining us today. On behalf of the United States we’re proud to attend the 63rd World Health Assembly, and I’ve been privileged to lead this impressive delegation.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak to this important issue. As the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, a public health practitioner and a medical doctor, I have seen first hand the preventive damage to health caused by drugs and other medical products that people depend …

We just finished a productive dialogue with the Health Ministers from the OIC country meeting led by Secretary Sebelius. This is a part of the President’s framework which he set forth last year in Cairo for a new [beginning] between the United States and Muslim communities around the world.

It is my honor and privilege to represent the United States again at the World Health Assembly. Today, on behalf of the entire U.S. Government, I can tell you that we are committed to working with everyone in this room to expand access to health care, reduce health disparities, advance social justice, and improve the …

This is a pivotal moment. The United States Government is committed to working with the world to achieve our shared global health objectives. There is also a growing understanding that we can’t achieve these goals unless we all work together. Today, none of us can afford to “go-it-alone.” That’s why I’m so pleased that so …

“We are committed to working with the Haitian government and the people of Haiti to develop a sustainable, long-term health care system that will not only help the survivors of the earthquake but increase the ability of Haitians to receive the health care they need inside Haiti delivered by their own trained professionals.”

Recognizing the link between gender-based violence (GBV) and global HIV/AIDS, the United States, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has committed an additional $30 million to support three partner countries – Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo – in scaling up GBV prevention and response efforts.

Malaria control is a core component of President Obama’s Global Health Initiative and is critical to USG efforts to help countries meet the Millennium Development Goal target to reduce the mortality in children under age five by two-thirds.

The vulnerability of human settlements — at a time when half the world’s population lives in cities — is projected to increase due to the rising sea levels, inland floods, frequent and stronger tropical cyclones, periods of increased heat, and disease spread that climate change is beginning to generate.

World Tuberculosis Day 2010, March 24, is focused on individuals around the world who have found new ways to stop TB and can serve as an inspiration to others. The idea is to recognize people who have introduced a variety of innovations in a variety of settings. This year’s theme of Innovation speaks to the …

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that claims nearly two million lives every year. It is second only to HIV/AIDS among infectious disease killers worldwide. More than 2 billion people, one-third of the world’s population, are infected with the microbe that causes the disease, putting them at risk of developing TB in their lifetime.

Through the Global Health Initiative (GHI) the United States will invest $63 billion over six years to help partner countries improve health outcomes through strengthened health systems – with a particular focus on improving the health of women, newborns and children through programs including infectious disease, nutrition, maternal and child health, and safe water.

Launched on World AIDS Day, the Five-Year Strategy of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) outlines the high-level direction of the program for its next phase.

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced today that the two programs are jointly supporting antiretroviral treatment for nearly 3.7 million of the estimated 4 million individuals in low- and middle-income countries who currently receive treatment globally.

Today, President Obama announced the United States will continue to act aggressively to stop the global spread of the pandemic 2009-H1N1 influenza virus and is prepared to make 10 percent of its H1N1 vaccine supply available to other countries through the World Health Organization (WHO). In recognition that diseases know no borders and that the …

SECRETARY SEBELIUS: Good morning, everyone. I’m pleased to be here this morning at my first opportunity to meet here at the World Health Assembly as a representative of the United States of America. I’m now four weeks into my new position as Secretary of Health and Human Services and am delighted to have the chance …

It is my honor to represent the United States of America and address the World Health Assembly and I want you to know that the United States is here to work with you and we are here to listen. President Obama and I know that this is a unique moment in our history, a moment …

The United States Government has declared a public health emergency in the United States. CDC’s response goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency. CDC is issuing and updating interim guidance daily in response …

Today marks World Tuberculosis Day, and I join others around the world in saying “I am stopping TB.” Tuberculosis (TB) kills almost 5,000 people each day, and is the leading cause of death for people living with HIV/AIDS. According to the World Health Organization, almost 40% of TB cases are not properly detected and treated. …