10 tips for successful malaria vaccine advocacy</h1> <article> <h1>10 tips for successful malaria vaccine advocacy</h1> <p>Katy Lenard — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:54:57 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> We are closer than ever to having the world's first malaria vaccine--it could be recommended by the World Health Organization as early as 2015. Getting the vaccine from the lab to those who need it, however, poses another major challenge. Many policymakers don't have the information they need about a malaria vaccine to make necessary early decisions on its use. Any delay can result in a substantial lag between the availability of a vaccine and access to it. "10 tips for successful malaria vaccine advocacy" presents a set of success stories and best practices to help scientists become better advocates for those who need the vaccine most.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p> A child in Africa dies from malaria every 60 seconds. But today, we are closer than ever before to having the world’s first vaccine to combat this devastating disease. If all goes well in final testing, <a href="http://www.malariavaccine.org/pr2011Oct18-RTSS.php">the World Health Organization has said it could recommend this vaccine as early as 2015</a>. </p> <p> Unfortunately, though, even once a vaccine is approved and available, it must get from the lab to the field, to those who really need it. That’s the challenge – many policymakers don’t have the information they need about a malaria vaccine to make necessary early decisions on its use. Any delay can result in a substantial lag between the availability of a vaccine and access to it.</p> <p> A group of senior malaria vaccine researchers from all over Africa recently collaborated with the <a href="http://www.malariavaccine.org/index.php">PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative</a> and Burness Communications to publish a guide of best practices called “<strong><a href="http://www.malariavaccine.org/files/Advocacy-Booklet-FINAL-web.pdf">10 tips for successful malaria vaccine advocacy</a></strong>.” The guide presents a set of success stories, examples of advocacy efforts, and tips like “build advocacy into your own work schedule” and “draw on your personal connections.” It also demonstrates that while simple actions—whether briefing policymakers, writing an opinion piece, or inserting a paragraph into a key speech—may seem to be small steps on their own, their collective impact can be significant over time.</p> <p></p> </article> <article> <h1>New Report Supports Use of Dental Therapists In U.S.</h1> <p>Lowell Dempsey — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:12:18 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> "Too many Americans... end up in the emergency room with severe tooth abcesses that keep them from eating," argues former Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan in a <em>New York Times</em> op-ed urging policymakers and the dental profession to embrace dental therapists as a way to improve access to Health Care. The op-ed came on the heels of a new report from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (a Burness client), which concluded that dental therapists were able to effectively expand access to dental care worldwide, especially for children.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p> Nearly 50 million people in the United States can’t get dental care where or when they need it. As community, tribal, state and national leaders debate how best to solve the nation’s intensifying oral health care crisis, a recent research review, entitled <em><a href="http://www.wkkf.org/news/Articles/2012/04/~/media/97A0E38A926443BF81491C09DCA6A7EA.ASHX">A Review of the Global Literature on Dental Therapists: In the Context of the Movement to Add Dental Therapists to the Oral Health Workforce in the United States</a></em>, indicates that serious consideration should be given to incorporating mid-level providers such as dental therapists into the dental health team. The extensive review issued by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (a Burness client) concluded that dental therapists were able to effectively expand access to dental care worldwide, especially for children. </p> <p> Dental therapists typically provide routine care that includes cleanings, filling cavities, preventive care and extractions of children’s teeth. While the scope of practice has typically been restricted to children, some states and countries are beginning to permit dental therapists to treat adults as well.</p> <p> The report found no evidence to indicate that the public perspective of dental therapists in any country was negative, according to report’s principal author David Nash, DMD, MS, EdD. In New Zealand, 96 percent of school age children, and 49 percent of preschool children are enrolled in the school dental service and cared for by dental therapists. In Malaysia, 96 percent of elementary school children and 67 percent of secondary school children are enrolled in the school dental service staffed by dental therapists.</p> </article> <article> <h1>How Healthy is Your County?</h1> <p>Victoria Chao — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:42:16 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Insittute, released its 2012 County Health Rankings today. The Rankings highlight the healthiest and least healthy counties in every state, as well as those factors that influence health outside of the doctor’s office. Coverage of the Rankings includes pieces in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/us/longevity-up-in-us-but-education-creates-disparity-study-says.html?_r=1"><em>The New York Times</em></a>, <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/03/the-healthiest-places-to-live-in-the-u-s-ranked/"><em>Time</em></a>, and <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-04-02/health-statistics/53955910/1"><em>USA Today</em></a>, to name a few.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p> Today, the <a href="http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute</a> and the <a href="http://www.rwjf.org/">Robert Wood Johnson Foundation</a> (a Burness client) released the 2012 <a href="http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/"><em>County Health Rankings</em></a>. Now in their third year, the <em>Rankings</em> highlight the <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/03/the-healthiest-places-to-live-in-the-u-s-ranked/">healthiest</a> and least healthy counties in every state, as well as those factors that influence health outside of the doctor’s office. This year’s <em>Rankings </em>include several new measures, including number of fast food restaurants in each county and levels of physical inactivity among residents. Graphs illustrating premature death trends over 10 years are new as well. </p> <p> As <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-04-02/health-statistics/53955910/1"><em>USA Today</em></a> reported this morning, the Rankings are increasingly being used by community leaders to help them identify challenges and take action in a variety of ways to improve residents’ health. Leaders in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYdrLRpdBz0&feature=youtu.be">Hernando</a>, a small city in Mississippi’s top-ranked county, used the <em>Rankings</em> to build support for policy changes—like building new bike trails and requiring new developments to include sidewalks. Health premiums for city employees went down by 15%, prompting Mayor Chip Johnson to give his employees a 2% raise. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qss4NEG_-o&feature=youtu.be">San Bernardino</a>, California—a lower-ranked, geographically and demographically diverse county of 2 million people—is using the <em>Rankings </em>as a guide to advance health by providing access to healthier food and developing safer routes for kids to get to school. </p> </article> <article> <h1>Junk Food is Widely Available in U.S. Schools – but New Standards are Coming Soon</h1> <p>Sara Brinda — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:17:36 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> A recent study by Bridging the Gap, a research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (a Burness client), showed that nearly half of the country’s elementary school students could buy unhealthy snacks, such as cookies, cakes and baked goods, at school. This spring, however, USDA is expected to introduce new standards for the foods sold outside of the official school lunch program.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p> In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced <a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/AboutLunch/NSLPFactSheet.pdf">healthier new standards for school meals</a>. Soon, students will find more fruits, vegetables and whole grains on their cafeteria trays, and these meals will be subject to stricter limits on calories and salt. In a country where more than 23 million children and teens are overweight or obese, these changes are an important step toward improving the health of American kids.</p> <p> Though the new rules will lead to healthier items being served through the official school meals program, they won’t have any effect on other foods and drinks sold in schools. These products, available in vending machines, school stores and even cafeteria à la carte lines, are virtually exempt from federal regulation. </p> <p></p> </article> <article> <h1>Bamboo Charcoal: A Sustainable Energy Source for Africa</h1> <p>Burness Team — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:26:00 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)--a poverty alleviation partnership among African nationns and communities and Burness client--and China are working to substitute bamboo charcoal and firewood for timber, on which 80 percent of the rural population in sub-suharan Africa depends for its fuel needs. Initial success in Ghana and Ethiopia with using bamboo charcoal, which provides a more sustainable and cleaner-burning source of energy than timber charcoal, has spurred interest in countries across Africa in adopting the technology. </p> </div> </div> </div> <p> When we think of bamboo, we rarely think of Africa. Though most of us know the plant as panda food or as the backdrop of Chinese movies like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, it is also a source of alternative energy that can combat soil degradation and massive deforestation in Africa. A partnership among African nations and communities, the <a href="http://www.inbar.int">International Network for Bamboo and Rattan</a>--or INBAR (a Burness client)--and China are working to substitute bamboo charcoal and firewood for forest wood on which 80 percent of the rural population in sub-Saharan Africa depends for its fuel needs. Charcoal from bamboo burns longer and produces less smoke and air pollution than ‘natural’ charcoal. Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet. It also can be harvested after just three years and requires little water to grow. </p> </article> <article> <h1>SXSW: "Measure of a Society's Freedom is its Tolerance for Satirists"</h1> <p>Laura Gerhardt — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:39:23 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> SXSW Interactive Keynote Speaker Baratunde Thurston, the director of digital at The Onion, reminded a technology-driven crowd that humanity and humor to can help us all achieve greater freedom. </p> </div> </div> </div> <p></p> </article> <article> <h1>Live from SXSW Interactive 2012</h1> <p>Laura Gerhardt — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:19:03 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> Greetings from rainy South by South <em>Wet</em>! Little did Alex and I know that the most important thing to bring to SXSW Interactive in Austin would be an umbrella and extra socks. Now that we’re inside and drying off from the deluge, we want to share our plan for covering the biggest social tech conference of the year.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p> Greetings from rainy South by South <em>Wet</em>! Little did Alex and I know that the most important thing to bring to SXSW Interactive in Austin would be an umbrella and extra socks. Now that we’re inside and drying off from the deluge, we want to share our plan for covering the biggest social tech conference of the year.</p> <p> <strong>Follow Along</strong></p> </article> <article> <h1>Arctic Seed Vault Receives Seeds from Syria, Trendy Amaranth and Barley Plus High Altitude Wheat</h1> <p>Dan Klotz — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:27:28 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> The Svalbard Global Seed Vault turned four-years-old this week. The vault, maintained by the Global Crop Diversity Trust (a Burness client) in partnership with the Norwegian government and the Nordic Genetic Resources Center, celebrated its anniversary with a special shipment containing seeds from war-torn Syria, blood-red amaranth used to make Day of the Dead drinks, and rare, high-altitude wheat.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p> Rarely do you celebrate an anniversary with raw chick peas and fava beans. </p> <p> But these seeds, from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), highlighted the fourth anniversary shipment for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault—located on the colder side of the Arctic circle in Norway. The <a href="http://www.croptrust.org">Global Crop Diversity Trust</a>, a Burness client, maintains the seed vault in partnership with the Norwegian government and the Nordic Genetic Resources Center, as a back-up to the living crop diversity collections housed in “genebanks” around the world.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Map Aims to Help Health Officials Take a Bite out of Lyme Disease</h1> <p>Bridget DeSimone — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:31:53 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> As part of the most extensive Lyme disease-related field study ever, researchers from various universities spent four years combing wooded areas in the United States for ticks in order to create a map of the Eastern United States pinpointing where residents are at highest risk of contracting the disease.The goal is to provide doctors and public health officials a better sense of whether they should be on the lookout for the disease. The results were published in the February issue of the <a href=""><em>American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene</em></a> (a Burness client).</p> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> </article> <article> <h1>Food and Farming at the Heart of Climate Discussion</h1> <p>Michelle Geis — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:57:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-primary-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-intro"> <div class="field-label">Accordion Summary: </div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <p> Last week, a group of 14 international agriculture experts from around the world wrote an opinion piece in <em>Science </em>magazine urging the scientific community to address the importance of agriculture in the climate change debate. The authors, many of them serving as part of the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change (a Burness client), and led by UK's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir John Beddington, say there was incremental progress on the issue at this year's climate discussions in Durban. But they say the agreement does not go far enough.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p> Last week, a group of 14 international agriculture experts from around the world wrote an opinion piece in Science magazine urging the scientific community to address the importance of agriculture in the climate change debate. The authors, many of them serving as part of the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change (a Burness client), and led by UK's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir John Beddington, say there was incremental progress on the issue at this year's climate discussions in Durban. But they say the agreement does not go far enough.</p> </article> </main></body></html>