U P C O M I N G   E V E N T S

Development Through the Eyes of a Child:
U.S. International Assistance Programs and the World's Children
A Townhall Meeting with Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF
Monday, May 3, 2004 at 5:00 pm
Yale University Law School Auditorium

Also featuring Sam Gejdenson, former U.S. Representative from Connecticut's 2nd District and Adam Taylor, Executive Director of Global Justice

Reception to follow

This event is one in a series of townhall meetings across the nation to engage the American public in a dialogue on the importance and impact of international assistance programs to U.S. foreign policy and the national interest.

For more information, please contact Christine, , or Julia, .

4th Annual USAID Global Health Mini-University:
Program Science in Action
Monday, May 10, 2004
Ronald Reagan Building, International Trade Center Conference Rooms, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, USA

The Mini-University is a forum that features 53 presentations highlighting "best practices" in a variety of technical areas. Participants will attend a total of four sessions based on their own interests. Sessions will be 1 hour in length and will emphasize interactive group discussion and exploration of the various topics. This event is free and open to anyone interested in attending.

Registration is on a first come, first served basis. When a session has reached maximum seating capacity it will be closed for registration. Therefore, sign-up now to get your first choices. Registration will close on Thursday, April 29.

For more information: www.maqweb.org/miniu/.

A Dose of Hope
Preventing Mother to Child Transmission of HIV
POSTPONED UNTIL SPRING
Check back for updated information

USAID's Global Health Update
Child Survival & Health Programs Fund Progress Report
This event has been postponed. Please check back for new information

P A S T   E V E N T S

Looking at Child Health through an Equity Lens: How Can We Reduce the Gap between Poor and Rich?
Tuesday, March 9, 2004 | 12:30pm - 1:30 pm
BASICS II, 1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300, Arlington, VA, USA

Over the past three or four years, increasing evidence has emerged to suggest that child health interventions typically reach better-off children much more effectively than poor ones, thereby contributing to an increase of health inequalities. Davidson Gwatkin, Health Equity Adviser to the World Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation, will summarize this evidence. He will briefly describe what's known about disparities in child health status and the use of child health services, both between North and South and within countries of the South. He will then discuss what's known about how to reduce these disparities, and invite suggestions from participants on the development of "pro-poor" child health programs.

First Annual National Race
Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse
Saturday, April 17, 2004 | Race starts at 9:00 am
Freedom Plaza, Downtown Washington, DC

Join us in a 10K race and 5k walk/run to increase awareness of and support for this silent epidemic. Hosted by Futures Institute for Sustainable Development, proceeds will benefit local non-profit organizations working to stop child sexual abuse.

Injury Prevention - the Overlooked Component of Child Survival
October 9, 2003 | 5:30pm - 8:00pm
Chemonics, 1133 20th St. NW, Washington, DC, USA

The DC Global Health Interest Group (DC GHIG), and the International Health and Nutrition Workgroup of the Society for International Development/Washington chapter, jointly presented this event.

Recent studies have shown that in Bangladesh more children die from drowning than from all vaccine-preventable diseases combined; and in Viet Nam more children die from transport injury than diarrhea. National assessments recently conducted in Thailand, Philippines, and China confirm that injury is likely the leading cause of child death and suggest that for most countries in Asia, an epidemiologic transition has occurred with injury now outstripping infectious diseases as the leading killer of children.

Dr. Michael Linnan, an epidemiologist who has participated in these surveys and assessments, discussed the findings from this recent work. This pre-publication information highlighted the dramatic differences between demographic data and epidemiological data, which have helped mask the neglected area of injury prevention in Child Survival. He also discussed simple, low-cost interventions to address this epidemic of child injury in LDCs and how these initiatives could be incorporated into existing Child Survival programs.

Looking at Child Health through an Equity Lens
How can we reduce the gap between rich and poor?
August 8, 2003 | 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
562 Dirksen Senate Building

Over ten million children continue to die every year, the vast majority of them from preventable and treatable diseases such as measles, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Poor children die much more frequently than rich ones: large differences exist - and are in some cases getting worse - both between poor and rich countries, and between poor and rich population groups within countries.

Why do such disparities persist in spite of the stated objective of global health initiatives to overcome them? What can be done to correct the situation? What are the implications for U.S. policy?

These and other questions were addressed in this informative session, as part of a three part series on how to keep children healthy. We hope that you'll be able to join us.

Reception Hosted by
The Vaccine Fund and USAID
In Honor of Members of the United States Congress
July 16, 2003 | 5:30 pm
H-144, U.S. Capitol

The Vaccine Fund and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) co-hosted this event to coincide with the conclusion of the GAVI board meeting and in conjunction with USAID's $58 million contribution to The Vaccine Fund for FY 2003, resulting in a total U.S. contribution of almost $160 million over three years.

The reception honored Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Representatives Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Nita Lowey (D-NY).

Call for Revolution in Public Health to Prevent 10 Million Child Deaths Every Year
June 20, 2003 | 9:00am - 10:45am
First Amendment Lounge, 529 14th Street, NW
National Press Club, Washington DC

Click here to read more and to view speaker presentations.

The Lancet joined leading public-health scientists and international agencies in calling for a revolution in strategies for child health to tackle a global disaster. In total, ten and a half million children will die this year - seven and a half million from easily preventable causes such as diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, unnecessary neonatal deaths and malnutrition. The U.S. Agency for International Development joined The Lancet, Johns Hopkins University, the United Nations Children' Fund, World Bank, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, Global Health Council, and the U.S. Coalition for Child Survival to launch the five-article series on key child survival issues.

Keeping Global Immunization a Critical Priority
April 15, 2003 | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
First Amendment Room at the National Press Club, 14th and F Streets, NW, Washington, DC
The panelists documented the progress achieved to date, discussed their experiences at global, regional, country, and district levels in addressing the major challenges and opportunities facing immunization programs, and highlighted the unfinished agenda.

Advocacy for Child Health
March 24, 2003 | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Senate Hart Building, Room 902, Washington, DC
This workshop highlighted the following areas:
Information on --

• Global policy issues: the Global Fund, Millennium Challenge Account, and the Bellagio meeting
• Congressional child survival policies: current opportunities, initiatives, messages, and advocacy coalitions
• How USAID collaborates with PVOs to report information to Congress

Advocacy Skills Building --

• Differences between lobbying and advocacy
• Overview of the political process
• Tips on how to become an effective grassroots advocate

Child Survival - The Need for Action
November 15-17, 2002
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
This organizational and leadership conference brought together students and professionals to learn about child survival issues, to train to be effective advocates, and to plan the future of this movement.

Improving Child Health: The Role of Research
September 5, 2002 | 12:30-2:30 PM
Room #2168, Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC
This Congressional briefing showed that US supported research has played an important role in developing technologies, tools and approaches that have improved the health and reduced burden of disease on the world's children.

UN Special Session on Children
May 8-10, 2002: New York City, NY
The US Coalition for Child Survival will be present in New York during the three-day UN Special Session and is planning a series of events for delegates, children, and child advocates.

• REACH FOR THE STARS!
  Celebrating Achievements in Child Survival
  Reception: May 9, 2002 | 6:00-8:00 PM
  Crystal Fountain at the Grand Hyatt New York
  Park Avenue and Grand Central (East 42nd Street)
  New York City, New York - USA
  Please join fellow United Nations Special Session on Children delegates and participants for a tribute to child survival visionaries. Featuring New York Children's Chorus and other special guests.