tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53448982170034688082024-03-13T23:53:44.329+11:00RESULTS International (Australia)Empowering everyday Australians to be extraordinary voices for the end of poverty.RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-53149101228995190762014-10-10T12:56:00.000+11:002016-01-14T11:49:19.314+11:00We've Moved<div style="text-align: center;">
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RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-11245982308485946912014-09-19T15:32:00.003+10:002014-09-19T15:37:25.366+10:00Global leaders arrive in New York – can they make progress on a new set of Development Goals?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kIIlWwxOl9E/VBu_xVqKS4I/AAAAAAAAAZA/792ghO_lHUw/s1600/UNGA1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kIIlWwxOl9E/VBu_xVqKS4I/AAAAAAAAAZA/792ghO_lHUw/s1600/UNGA1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>By Steve Lewis from RESULTS UK </i><br />
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From Monday onwards Presidents and Prime Ministers will arrive in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Among the issues they will grapple with are two of special interest to RESULTS and the development community – firstly how to tackle Climate Change, and secondly to make progress on fixing a new set of development goals. <br />
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Alongside the political leaders, leaders of all the major development institutions will be in New York, among them many of the agencies that RESULTS works with on a daily basis. Institutions such as GAVI (The Global Vaccine Alliance); GPE (The Global Partnership for Education) and SUN (Scaling Up Nutrition) hold events to publicise new successes or discuss innovations. RESULTS UK will be present during ‘UNGA week’, along with our partners from Canada, the EU, Kenya, India and of course the USA. <br />
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An international consortium of NGOs called “Beyond2015” have been working together to urge global leaders to set ambitious targets for the next set of Development Goals, to start in 2016. The current Millennium Development Goals run from 2000 to 2015. Last week Beyond 2015 in the UK asked Development Minister Lynn Featherstone to explain what the UK is hoping to achieve from the UN discussions. <br />
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“<i>The post 2015 negotiations will be one of our top priorities in New York</i>” , said Ms Featherstone. “<i>UN negotiations so far have made some good progress, but there is much work to do. The current draft set of goals needs to be more concise, compelling and implementable</i>.”<br />
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“<i>The UK has shown leadership on setting strong development goals. But efforts to combat poverty will be totally undermined if Climate Change is not reversed. If the global climate does rise by 2 degrees we will face a very challenging situation – crop failures, steeply rising hunger, mass migration, to name just a few examples of what the world will face</i>”.<br />
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The UK will be represented in New York by deputy PM Nick Clegg. The government is proud of recent progress on UK aid. A bill is moving through parliament to guarantee in law the current 0.7% of Gross National Income for international development. The second reading of the bill was supported by 166 MPs, with only 6 votes against. This will be used in New York as a ‘good example’, to encourage other countries to raise the aid contributions. As Lynn Featherstone described it: “<i>We need to broaden the shoulders of the aid effort…. at present the same countries are supporting most of development programmes. We need a wider set of contributors</i>.”<br />
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RESULTS and other Beyond 2015 agencies will be listening closely to the sessions next week to keep the UK to its word. And to try to encourage other countries to also increase their commitment. We are insistent that the next development framework includes ambitious goals – and that this time the goal is not a reduction in poverty but an end to extreme poverty by 2030. <br />
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Steve Lewis from RESULTS UK will be in New York next week. Please follow this blog next week to get updates from the UN and find out what has been achieved. <br />
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The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of RESULTS Australia.<br />
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<br />RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-1024303398030018112014-09-16T09:52:00.000+10:002014-09-16T10:00:23.072+10:00RESULTS Australia welcomes UK aid bill – a huge wake up call for Australia<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DEtUeNzXfg/VBd7hp0KQUI/AAAAAAAAAYw/YA7O6yu2Bys/s1600/UK-aid-bill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DEtUeNzXfg/VBd7hp0KQUI/AAAAAAAAAYw/YA7O6yu2Bys/s1600/UK-aid-bill.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> photo: RESULTS UK</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">On Friday
12 September, the UK House of Commons voted to progress a bill bringing them a
step closer to having laws that commit 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) to
international aid. This is truly historic for the UK but in stark contrast to
Australia’s aid level which is less than half this and falling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">What is
especially impressive is that a predominantly Conservative British government -
in the middle of a slow recovery from a dramatic financial crisis - not only
managed to reach 0.7% but will likely preside over it being enshrined in law to
lock this commitment in for the foreseeable future. </span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">In
contrast, Australia’s aid has declined from 0.35% of GNI to 0.32% of GNI in the
last two years. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">“This is a
huge wake up call to our own Government and other political parties that it can
be done. Wouldn’t it be inspiring to see this type of cross-party support
here?” said RESULTS Australia CEO, Maree Nutt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">While the
UK bill is a private member’s bill, members of all political parties in the
House of Commons showed very strong support for the objectives and provisions
of the bill.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">“Its
disappointing that h<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>ere in Australia, successive governments
have backed away from what was a bipartisan commitment to reach 0.5% of GNI by
2015-16. This had not been possible if the commitment been legislated.” Ms Nutt
added. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">The UK was
contributing only 0.32% of GNI in aid in 2000 (the same as Australia's current
level of aid), and the sustained growth in the UK’s aid since then demonstrates
what is possible with political vision and commitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">“The
current cross-party support for maintaining the level of aid through
legislation is a tribute to the consistent work of global poverty campaigners
in the UK, not least our colleagues at RESULTS UK”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ms Nutt said. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></span></div>
RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-74085797663263466392014-09-09T12:00:00.000+10:002014-09-09T12:50:58.888+10:00Welcome to the family!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGQECYgvCi4/VA5fFbDwmeI/AAAAAAAAAYg/F9ueWdm5Emo/s1600/Melbourne-group-launc-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gGQECYgvCi4/VA5fFbDwmeI/AAAAAAAAAYg/F9ueWdm5Emo/s1600/Melbourne-group-launc-3.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>by Gina Olivieri, Grassroots Engagement Manager RESULTS Australia</i><br />
<br />
On Sunday, August 31 2014, I welcomed a brand new addition to the RESULTS family. Not a baby, but a brand new group of enthusiastic advocates – RESULTS Melbourne!<br />
<br />
Starting a new group is always an exciting and challenging process of networking, promoting, on-boarding, inviting, organising, rehearsing and preparing. It takes a lot of work to get a group of people together in the same place, at the same time, to talk to them about their role in ending extreme poverty.<br />
<br />
Then you have to convince them to say yes to writing to their political representatives, and putting their passion for ending poverty out into public view by writing letters to the editor of their newspapers.<br />
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Not always an easy sell, believe it or not.<br />
<br />
I am always in awe of the people who come along to a group launch event, perhaps after only hearing about RESULTS in passing – arriving with an understanding of the problem of poverty then putting their hand up to be part of the solution. <br />
<br />
It takes a lot of guts to be a RESULTS group member. You really are signing up to ‘put yourself out there’ and challenge your comfort zone. Talking to members of parliament is not something many people choose to do with their spare time. <br />
<br />
But it is what’s necessary to bring about the kind of changes we’re after; to create the political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty, and to empower individuals to have breakthroughs in exercising their personal and political power. <br />
<br />
<i>The next RESULTS group to be launched will be RESULTS Perth – October 2014. If you are interested in joining this group or any other please contact <a href="mailto:info@results.org.au" target="_blank">info@results.org.au </a></i>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-78845274482311956802014-08-25T16:22:00.000+10:002014-08-25T16:26:20.851+10:00Insights from AIDS2014 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h-y1jNuDyjQ/U_qrbiFDdjI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/SIDsWtfelEw/s1600/TBHIV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h-y1jNuDyjQ/U_qrbiFDdjI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/SIDsWtfelEw/s1600/TBHIV.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>RESULTS advocate Jeremy Picone with the #DeadlyDuo TB and HIV</i></div>
<br />
AIDS2014 was the 20th International AIDS Conference and was held in Melbourne from the 20th – 25th of July 2014. The Conference had a very somber beginning with the loss of a number of delegates in the MH17 airline tragedy. Nonetheless it proceeded, as it should have, and was a great tribute to those lost who had dedicated so much of their lives to improving the health and well being of others.<br />
<br />
Over 14,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries, including 1,200 journalists convened at AIDS2014. There were those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. It was chance to assess where we are, evaluate recent scientific developments, lessons learnt and collectively chart a course forward.<br />
<br />
Following on from the <a href="http://www.results.org.au/our-actions/national-conference-2014/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">RESULTS National Conference </span></a> RESULTS staff, volunteers and Board members joined our global health advocacy partners from <a href="http://www.action.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">ACTION</span></a> at AIDS2014 with the purpose of profiling the issue of tuberculosis (TB) in the fight against HIV and AIDS, as well as the important role of the <a href="http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria</span></a> in combatting these diseases.<br />
<br />
These efforts were also greatly enhanced by working closely with international superstar and humanitarian Ms. Yvonne Chaka Chaka. The <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/humanitarian-sings-the-praises-of-mandela-in-aids-fight-20140719-zue4y.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">media</span></a> that we were able to generate in the lead up to the Conference events also helped us to secure high profile meetings.<br />
<br />
We were also proud that, for the first time ever, at an International AIDS Conference, TB was recognized as a neglected issue in the fight against AIDS, and this deadly duo was spotlighted with a dedicated TB+HIV Networking Zone.<br />
<br />
<b>Why was it important to profile TB and an AIDS conference?</b><br />
<br />
TB is the leading killer of people living with HIV, causing one in five HIV-related deaths. TB is the most common presenting illness among people living with HIV, including those who are taking antiretroviral treatment. At least one-third of the 34 million people living with HIV is infected with latent TB and those co-infected with TB and HIV are 21-34 times more likely to develop active TB. So in reality, TB and HIV are two diseases that often attack as one.<br />
<br />
The substantial progress made in the fight against HIV over the past years is threatened by the neglect of tuberculosis (TB). By ignoring TB, we risk undermining the huge financial investments made to help people living with HIV.<br />
<br />
A new research report was released by ACTION at AIDS2014 entitled <a href="http://www.action.org/resources/item/from-rhetoric-to-reality-an-analysis-of-efforts-to-scale-up-the-respon" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>From Rhetoric to Reality: An Analysis of Efforts to Scale Up The Response to TB-HIV</i></span></a>. It showed that joint TB-HIV activities are neglected by HIV programs and overwhelmingly carried out by TB programs, and that global guidelines to address TB-HIV have not been prioritized by leading donors and affected countries. <br />
<br />
<br />
Here, three of RESULTS Australia's attendees share some personal insights <br />
<br />
<b>Maree Nutt</b>, CEO:<br />
<br />
<i>It was very inspiring (and at times overwhelming) to be part of such an amazing conference where so many people, institutions, governments and organisations come together united for a common cause. Our ACTION partners, our staff and volunteers did an incredible job highlighting the issue of TBHIV as well as the role of the Global Fund in a variety of forums. Often with Yvonne Chaka Chaka by our side, we were also able to secure several meetings with senior government officials and parliamentarians during the week</i><br />
<br />
<b>Sarah Kirk</b>, Global Health Campaign Manager (Tuberculosis):<br />
<br />
<i>The TB/HIV Networking Zone was a buzzing place during the conference. TB activists from all over the world presented, discussed their projects, argued for new initiatives and shared their wisdom.<br /><br />The thing that struck me the most was how common TB really is – we hear statistics like 1/3 of the world is infected with latent TB, and in some populations (prisoners and miners), this can be up to 90%. However we don’t often hear about people who were happily going about their everyday lives before they got TB. Housewives, school boys, nurses, builders, journalists, grandmas, nuns and researchers. So many people from all over the world “I tested positive for TB” “I was treated for TB”.<br /><br />For something as deadly as TB, it is frightening how ordinary and normal it is to have to take a 6 month-2 year course of drugs and injections.<br /><br />The thing is, everyone at that conference were the lucky ones. They responded to treatment, they “only” caught TB, not MDR or XDR TB. They “only” had years of drugs with terrible side effects.<br /><br />Lucky huh. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Nicole So</b>, Volunteer and #DeadlyDuo Mascot:<br />
<br />
<i>I have never been inside a mascot costume before. It was heavy and cumbersome. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Mostly, people wanted to hug me. Or pretend to fight me. But one lady chased and punched me. The force rattled me and almost made me lose my balance. I couldn’t see her, the costume takes away most of my peripheral vision as well as give me blurry vision. But I could hear her say, ‘I hate you. I hate you. You took my brother. I hate you.’<br /><br />Before this happened, we posed for lots of photos. It was fun and people were often amused to see us. But this incident made it real, it caused me to think about the harsh reality of so many People Living with HIV and AIDS, and the repercussions on the lives of their loved ones.<br /><br />HIV causes the progressive failure of the immune system allowing for opportunistic infections to take hold. TB is the number one killer of PLWHA. Perhaps it was TB that took her brother’s life.<br /><br />This emphasised the need to further our message of the important of TB and HIV coinfection. No one was punching TB!</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/56450828@N07/sets/72157646063625677/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Click here for some photos from the very colourful AIDS2014</span></a><br />
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<br />RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-83633571843729550712014-08-18T13:38:00.005+10:002014-08-20T17:11:31.952+10:00From Clicktivist to Advocate<i>Today marks <a href="http://mdg500.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">500 days</span></a> until the target date to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. As the momentum speeds up, what can we do to assist? Nicole So decided to </i><i><i><i> get more involved and effective in doing her bit to help meet these important goals. Here she tells of her journey from 'clicktivist' to advocate. </i></i></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>by Nicole So, Citizen Advocate</b></i><br />
<br />
Less than a year ago, I knew nothing about advocacy.<br />
<br />
This time last year, I was nothing more than a clicktivist. A person that cared enough to share a heart-breaking picture of a child living in poverty via my Twitter account, but didn’t quite know what else she could do.<br />
<br />
I found RESULTS through a job advertisement for Global Health Campaign Manager. A position that I did not have the experience or qualifications for which to apply, but something about this word, advocacy, grabbed my attention.<br />
<br />
Defined by Dictionary.com as ‘the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending; active espousal.’<br />
<br />
OK, that didn’t clear anything up...<br />
<br />
Upon further research I realised:<br />
<ul>
<li>Words with Friends point value for advocacy is 21 points!</li>
<li>Google images relates advocacy to people holding hands and/or megaphones.</li>
<li><i>Advocacy </i>in Portuguese is <i>advocacy</i>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
None of these amazing fun facts actually helped me understand advocacy better. When I finally clicked through to the RESULTS website I had a lot of questions. The biggest one was who can I contact to ask more questions, the website had so many words, flashing images, and tabs. It was overwhelming to know where to start. So, I retreated to my safe place - Facebook.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, RESULTS has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RESULTSAU?v=wall" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Facebook page</span></a> or my journey in advocacy could have ended right there. This is the first post that I saw:<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozBtnI2ps1k/U_Fv52oo0TI/AAAAAAAAAX0/oNyXDFdPbY0/s1600/come-to-canberra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozBtnI2ps1k/U_Fv52oo0TI/AAAAAAAAAX0/oNyXDFdPbY0/s1600/come-to-canberra.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I am not sure what intrigued or terrified me more, the idea of speaking with my local member of parliament, who happens to be the Hon. Joe Hockey, or travelling to Canberra with strangers. I stared at my screen, stupefied, for five minutes before I sent this short email to<a href="http://www.results.org.au/about-us/who-we-are/gina-olivieri/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"> Gina the Grassroots Engagement Manager</span></a>:<br />
<br />
<i>Hello,</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>My name is Nicole. I am interested to help speak to MPs in Canberra about poverty.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Please let me know more information.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Thank you.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Regards, Nicole</i><br />
<br />
When my mum said, ‘don’t get into a car with strangers’, I think she meant to say, ‘except if the driver is the CEO of a non-profit organisation who is driving you to Canberra to talk to MPs about poverty’. If not, sorry mum.<br />
<br />
That was in September 2013, fast forward to June, 2014: I am in the foyer of the Doubletree Hotel in Arlington, Virginia at the RESULTS 2014 International Conference. It is 9:00am, but my body thinks it is 11:00pm, so I rely on unrelenting enthusiasm to keep me vertical. <br />
<br />
Plus caffeine. <br />
<br />
The first workshop was titled ‘Who Do You Want to Be in the World?: Leadership Tips for Everyone’. I sat sheepishly at the end of a row, towards the back. Close enough so that I can see the screen without my glasses, but far back enough to melt into a sea of faces. I wasn’t sure that I had anything important to contribute, but I was wrong. Turns out, as a Citizen Advocate, I am the most important part.<br />
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Sam Daley-Harris, the founder of RESULTS opened the day with a powerful speech, reminding all of us that ordinary citizens can do extraordinary things. A part of our potential and privilege as citizens of a democratic nation is the freedom to engage and connect with our government. This is something that not enough of us are taking advantage of. The power to change the world for the better, was hidden in the idea of advocacy the whole time.<br />
<br />
Next, Rev. Lisa Marchal captivated me with the story of her journey to working with RESULTS (US). It began with a humble recollection of her first encounter with a Person Living with HIV and the stigma she witnessed amongst her friends and family. She emphasised the necessity for a good personal story to not only teach someone how to act - but to inspire them to act. A good story can communicate morals and values through emotions and can bring global issues to a personal level. I wanted one of those, a story to bewitch, and to embolden change.<br />
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I have been to conferences before, ones where people talk at you, where you’re expected to write notes quietly, and not interact. This was not one of those. The minutes went by and I felt the community atmosphere grow. Each session was peppered with audience participation, and we were encouraged to give feedback and ask questions. I felt like I was a part of something bigger, like a cog in a well-oiled advocacy machine.<br />
<br />
After each speaker, I was sure that my glass was too full of inspiration, I could not possibly have room for more. But the conference just kept handing me a bigger glass. <br />
<br />
Perhaps, it was between: <br />
<ul>
<li>former Prime Minister and Board Chair of GPE, Julia Gillard passionately advocating for universal quality education;</li>
<li>or the dizzying scrimmage to get this photo with President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Kim after he spoke fondly of his experiences with RESULTS;</li>
</ul>
<br />
That I stopped to ask myself, <i>How did I get here</i>?<br /> <br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m3xkraRxnds/U_FzMODJEnI/AAAAAAAAAYA/6zdaUcSP5Cc/s1600/10363392_725655500809346_5378510128546441655_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m3xkraRxnds/U_FzMODJEnI/AAAAAAAAAYA/6zdaUcSP5Cc/s1600/10363392_725655500809346_5378510128546441655_n.jpg" height="400" width="252" /></a>Well, the ingenuity of aeronautical engineering had a hand, but it was advocacy. Advocacy got me from Sydney, Australia to Washington DC, USA.<br />
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It empowered me as much as I use it to empower politicians to act on alleviating poverty.<br />
<br />
Less than a year ago, I knew nothing about advocacy.<br />
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Now, I am a Citizen Advocate, and I know what it means. It means that I am one of many big-hearted people around the world in the RESULTS family, who care enough to speak loudly about the global issues that matter, for the betterment of those who are voiceless.<br />
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And Google images was right, advocacy was about holding hands and a megaphone.<br />
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So, thank you to my friends at <a href="http://www.results.org.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">RESULTS (Australia)</span></a> who held my hand and helped me find my voice, but especially to Gina who gave me a megaphone.<br />
<br />RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-21272360540102848972014-08-05T17:58:00.003+10:002014-08-05T19:11:56.672+10:00AIDS 2014 – Where can the Global Fund obtain additional funding?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LpETjW-s7rU/U-CMS2OsiCI/AAAAAAAAAXk/GCHevY7qVDI/s1600/Global-Fund-23-July---blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LpETjW-s7rU/U-CMS2OsiCI/AAAAAAAAAXk/GCHevY7qVDI/s1600/Global-Fund-23-July---blog.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mark Rice, Aaron Oxley, Carol Nyirenda and Christoph Benn</span></div>
<br />
<i>By Mark Rice, RESULTS Australia's Global Health Campaigns Manager</i><br />
<br />
RESULTS Australia staff and enthusiastic volunteers joined our ACTION partners,13,600 delegates and 6,000 visitors to the Global Village at the <a href="http://www.aids2014.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">AIDS 2014 Conference</span></a> in Melbourne on 20 to 25 July. Our <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23tbhiv&src=typd" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">daily updates</span></a> during the week shared some of the excitement and highlights from the Conference. Beyond these highlights, it is also important to note how well we met RESULTS Australia’s first objective for AIDS 2014, which was to obtain a commitment from the Australian Government for an additional contribution of $125 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in 2014 to 2016.<br />
<br />
In his address to the Opening Ceremony of the Conference, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss only restated the Government’s three-year commitment of $200 million announced last December. However, we may have more time than we had anticipated to seek a supplementary payment by Australia to the Global Fund. <br />
<br />
At a session on Closing the Resource Gap for the Global Fund in 2014 to 2016 that RESULTS Australia organised at AIDS 2014, Dr Christoph Benn, Global Fund External Relations Director, indicated that the United States Government may extend an offer of a matching contribution to other Governments’ pledges, originally due to expire in September, by several months. If an additional Australian pledge is to have the maximum impact, it is essential that the Government announces it while the US matching funding is still available.<br />
<br />
This means that RESULTS Australia can continue to seek a supplementary contribution for the 2014 to 2016 period over the rest of this year, before we switch our focus to requesting a significant contribution by Australia in 2017 to 2019. Dr Benn noted that the next Replenishment Conference for the Global Fund is likely to take place in mid-2016, so we would need to start campaigning on pledges from early 2015 to increase our chances of success.<br />
<br />
The other presentations and discussion at the session on Closing the Resource Gap for the Global Fund concentrated on how to obtain additional funding from established donors, new national donors and private donors:<br />
<br />
<b>The increased and early UK pledge:</b> RESULTS UK’s Executive Director, Aaron Oxley, explained some of the factors that contributed to the pledge of up to £1 billion ($A 1.8 billion) by the UK Government, announced ahead of the December 2013 pledging conference:<br />
<ul>
<li>Having a firm, cross-party political commitment to increase overall aid by the UK meant that extra funding was available. Campaigners had strong evidence to argue the Global Fund is an excellent use for increased UK aid and in strong alignment with UK’s own goals and objectives.</li>
<li>Campaigners helped create political space for a large increase by having a specific request of £1 billion. This was double the amount the UK had contributed in 2010 to 2012, and campaigners used this number consistently in communication with the public and MPs, highlighting the impact it could have on the three diseases.</li>
<li>By having strong relationships with Government officials, RESULTS UK and other organisations made a credible commitment to create a strong positive (or negative) public response to a UK pledge. They collectively delivered on that commitment with an overwhelmingly positive response. </li>
</ul>
<b>Kenya becoming a first-time donor</b>: Allan Ragi, Executive Director of KANCO, set out how campaigners in Kenya had obtained support from the Kenyan Government for its first-time Global Fund contribution of $2 million announced in December 2013. The key elements in this success were:<br />
<ul>
<li>Relating the request for Global Fund contributions to the provisions in the Constitution of Kenya to rights to services, including health services. </li>
<li>Having both State Governors and members of the national parliament take up the request for Kenya to become a contributor. </li>
</ul>
<b>Zambia as a potential donor:</b> Carol Nyirenda, Public Health Patient Advocate for CITAM+, explained that campaigners in Zambia are seeking additional domestic spending on health by the Zambian Government, so it can use contributions by donors more effectively, and is also asking Zambia to become a Global Fund contributor. An important role for campaigners in Zambia is to educate Parliamentarians and officials on both the need for health programs, and the process for obtaining resources from the Global Fund. Members of RESULTS Australia would be familiar with the role we also have of educating our Parliamentarians on issues, as well as making specific requests for action.<br />
<br />
<b>Private sector contributors:</b> Dr Benn noted that the business sector will support the Global Fund if their contribution is consistent with their business goals – for example, mining companies operating internationally have an interest in a healthy workforce. If we as advocates know of businesses which are potential contributors, the Global Fund would welcome receiving contact details from these businesses.<br />
<br />
These lessons from other countries will be valuable for us in seeking further contributions from the Australian Government in the current and future Global Fund replenishments. RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-53563264235211286402014-07-16T15:43:00.003+10:002014-07-16T16:19:15.466+10:00The 2014 State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report Emphasises Resilience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_E6g0ULkjcI/U8YP-OunzSI/AAAAAAAAAXE/HjmZQNvyPvk/s1600/micro2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_E6g0ULkjcI/U8YP-OunzSI/AAAAAAAAAXE/HjmZQNvyPvk/s1600/micro2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>photo by <a href="http://www.brac.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">BRAC</span></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>by <a href="http://www.results.org.au/about-us/who-we-are/mark-rice/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Mark Rice</span></a>, RESULTS Australia's Global Health Campaigns Manager</i></span><br />
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Microfinance (the provision of credit and financial services to the poorest people) has been one of RESULTS Australia’s advocacy priorities for many years. The lack of access to financial services adds to the vulnerability of poor people, as they are unable to obtain credit on reasonable terms to start or grow small enterprises, obtain insurance to protect against unexpected costs or loss of income or have a safe place for savings. Therefore, increasing access to financial services is an important strategy in poverty reduction.<br />
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RESULTS Australia has been a strong supporter of the <a href="http://www.microcreditsummit.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Microcredit Summit Campaign </span></a> since its launch in 1997. The original goal of the Campaign was to reach 100 million of the world’s poorest families – those living on less than $US 1.25 per person per day - with credit and other financial services by 2005. In 2006, the Campaign took on two new goals for 2015:<br />
<ul>
<li> Reaching 175 million poorest families with microfinance. </li>
<li>Helping 100 million families lift themselves out of extreme poverty.</li>
</ul>
<br />
From 1997 to 2010, the Microcredit Summit Campaign had been able to report phenomenal growth in the number of the poorest people accessing credit and financial services, with the numbers increasing from 8 million people in 1997 to 138 million in 2010.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://stateofthecampaign.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Resilience: The State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report 2014 </i></span></a> was launched last month and provides an update on what is happening in client numbers, and also on innovations in microfinance that are better meeting the needs of people who are living in extreme poverty and building the resilience of clients. <br />
<br />
In 2010, the strong growth of microfinance came to an abrupt halt, as the State of Andhra Pradesh in India, which had been a hotspot for growth in microfinance, introduced restrictive new regulations on microfinance operations, designed to address the massive over-indebtedness and aggressive collection practices by some institutions caught up in a fever of sustained double-digit growth in client numbers.<br />
<br />
In 2011, the Microcredit Summit Campaign reported that, for the first time since 1997, the total number of borrowers, and the number of very poor borrowers, <a href="http://stateofthecampaign.org/the-report-2013/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">both declined</span></a>. The latest State of the Campaign Report shows that in 2012 (the latest available information) the total number of clients rebounded to 204 million, while the number of poorest clients continued to fall, from 124 million to 116 million.<br />
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The chart below shows the long-term growth and recent interruption of growth in the number of very poor borrowers.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6lvyfi6nqkM/U8YD3454JaI/AAAAAAAAAW0/CjlffF-TxN4/s1600/micro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6lvyfi6nqkM/U8YD3454JaI/AAAAAAAAAW0/CjlffF-TxN4/s1600/micro.jpg" /></a></div>
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This result seems like bad news, suggesting that microfinance institutions are becoming less focussed on serving the poorest people. However, Microcredit Summit Campaign Director Larry Reed explains that these results are more encouraging than they seem;<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We found that most of the decline can be explained by MFIs making increased use in recent years of poverty measurement tools like the Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI) or the Poverty Assessment Tool (PAT) in which they often found that they were overestimating their poverty outreach. In the long run, we believe that increased use of these tools will lead to more people in extreme poverty being reached with products and services that better meet their needs. We’ve already seen this start to happen in the Philippines, where 10 of the largest MFIs began using the PPI at the same time. This led these MFIs to begin looking at what prevented people living in extreme poverty from becoming clients and to developing policies, systems, and services that could include the poorest. As a result, the numbers of poorest clients started going up again in 2012.” </blockquote>
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The 2014 State of the Campaign Report highlights some strategies that microfinance institutions and governments can adopt to assist the poorest people move out of poverty:<br />
<ul>
<li>Providing health education, financing, and products through the existing channels for delivering microfinance.</li>
<li>Building agricultural value chains that reach small scale producers in rural areas.</li>
<li>Using digital cash and banking agents to deliver financial services at much lower costs.</li>
<li>Combining conditional cash transfers with ultra-poor graduation programs to provide pathways out of poverty for massive numbers of people.</li>
</ul>
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At around the same time as the release of the 2014 State of the Campaign Report, the Australian Government released its aid policy statement, Australian Aid: promoting prosperity, increasing stability, reducing poverty. Three of the priorities the Government has set for the aid program are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Promoting private sector development.</li>
<li>Building resilience (including disaster risk reduction and social protection).</li>
<li>Gender equality and empowering women and girls.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Effective microfinance programs are relevant to all of these objectives. For example, microfinance institutions can offer insurance and loans to rebuild businesses after a natural disaster (adding to resilience) and the majority of clients of microfinance institutions are women (as they have most difficulty in accessing mainstream financial services and are most likely to use additional income to benefit their families).<br />
<br />
Therefore, it is essential for us to continue to call on the Australian Government to incorporate microfinance in its aid to countries in the Asia-pacific region. RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-60881776829974934212014-07-09T16:17:00.002+10:002014-07-10T08:07:30.282+10:00Every child's right to a quality education - making it a reality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aKDvQL7KAAI/U7zaD5pgxyI/AAAAAAAAAWk/qk5eRpKZ3qY/s1600/GPE-replenishment-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aKDvQL7KAAI/U7zaD5pgxyI/AAAAAAAAAWk/qk5eRpKZ3qY/s1600/GPE-replenishment-2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Camilla Ryberg, RESULTS Australia's Online Communications and Education Manager </span></i><br />
<br />
It sounds obvious and we’ve heard it many times before. <i>Every child has the right to a quality education. </i><br />
<br />
So how is it that a few weeks ago we were told that there were 57 million primary school-aged children not in school and today there are 58 million according to <a href="http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Pages/out-of-school-children.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">newly released data </span></a>from UNESCO Institute for Statistics? <br />
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We are clearly not doing enough to make the right of every child to an education a reality. Indeed, world-renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs recently called universal basic education the “<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jeffrey-sachs-universal-basic-education-is-the-millennium-goal-everyone-forgot/2014/06/22/6b7bc374-f8cb-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">millennium goal everyone forgot</span></a>”. <br />
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On 26 June, leaders from around the world came together at the <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Global Partnership for Education</span></a>’s (GPE) second replenishment conference in Brussels to address this discrepancy. <br />
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Hosted by the European Commission, the conference brought together 800 delegates including more than 40 ministers, education experts, and representatives from multilateral organisations, civil society, business and youth leaders from 91 countries.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://globalpartnership.org/replenishment/pledges" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Pledges </span></a>of more than US$28.5 billion in additional funding for education for millions of children in more than 60 developing countries were made. This is a significant step in the direction towards making education for all a reality.<br />
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The outcome was driven by commitments by 27 developing country partners to increase their own education budgets by US$26 billion, or 25 percent, between 2015 and 2018.<br />
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Pledges were also made by many civil society organisations (<a href="http://globalpartnership.org/docs/replenishment/2014/RESULTS-Pledge.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">including RESULTS</span></a>), multilaterals, private philanthropic foundations and the first pledge of an innovating financing resource – loan buy-down arrangements from the Islamic Development Bank valued at more than US$400 million.<br />
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There were a few generous pledges from the United Kingdom, the European Commission and some Scandinavian countries, but most donors seemed not quite as willing as their developing country partners to make the right to education a reality. <br />
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Of the US$3.5 billion target, only US$2.1 billion was raised at the replenishment conference. <br />
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The US will contribute US$50 million in 2015 to the GPE fund – the equivalent of one hour of Pentagon spending.<br />
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Australia halved its contribution, <a href="http://globalpartnership.org/docs/replenishment/2014/Australia-Pledge.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">announcing an AU$140 million </span></a>four-year commitment (or less than US$33 million per year). Is this consistent with Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop’s assurance that education is a ‘central pillar’ of the Australian aid program?<br />
<br />
Surely Australia can do better. <br />
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Overall, pledges by donors to the GPE Fund did increase more than US$600 million, or 40 percent, compared to the last replenishment pledging conference in Copenhagen in 2011. <br />
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GPE’s CEO Alice Albright said it is “<i>a powerful start to achieving the goal we set of US$3.5 billion in donor commitments for the Partnership's four-year replenishment period. We’re looking forward to further commitments in the coming months</i>”.<br />
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With aid to education falling by 10% in the last four years, and the target for the GPE fund not yet reached, donor country governments, including Australia, should meet the level of ambition set by developing country partners and those donors who have made significant contributions. <br />
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The <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Global Partnership for Education</span></a> is the only multilateral partnership devoted to getting all children into school for a quality education in the world's poorest countries.<br />
<br />
A child’s right to a quality education. It’s hard to imagine a better investment than making it reality.<br />
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<a href="http://www.results.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/GPE-v2-June-26.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Read our media release</span></a> on the Australian pledgeRESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-36687168797952022842014-06-27T18:38:00.003+10:002014-06-27T18:52:43.069+10:00The power of being non-partisan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvTAO6jgCT4/U60sRNXQK-I/AAAAAAAAAWU/Nj6WHJYpWAQ/s1600/Jim-Grant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hvTAO6jgCT4/U60sRNXQK-I/AAAAAAAAAWU/Nj6WHJYpWAQ/s1600/Jim-Grant.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Jim Grant, former Executive Director of UNICEF, visits a classroom in Bangladesh. </span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo: UNICEF</span></i><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<br />
by Gina Olivieri, RESULTS Australia's Grassroots Engagement Manager<i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>"Why do you provide condoms to sex workers? Why do you provide lube to men who have sex with men? Why do you exchange needles for drug users?”</i><br />
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These are questions often posed to our advocate friends in Kenya who are working to eliminate HIV in their communities.<br />
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The underlying assumption of questions like this, particularly in conservative settings, seems to be ‘these people are dirty, they are not worthy of your help.’<br />
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The answer given by the Kenyan advocate, incidentally, was love. They show love to all people who need their help to protect themselves and the community from a killer virus; by simply helping them without judgment.<br />
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This comment and others throughout the day got me thinking of another story. They got me thinking of the late Jim Grant, hugely influential former Executive Director of UNICEF who led the ‘child survival revolution’ throughout the 80s and 90s. Grant was often criticised for being photographed shaking hands with dictators; before or after having just met with them to discuss some sort of child survival intervention such as vaccination or oral rehydration salts.<br />
<br />
He ‘shook hands that were stained with blood, hands that had turned the keys on political prisoners, hands that had signed away human rights, hands that were deep in the country’s till.’<br />
This was not taken well, as many thought he shouldn’t be tainting UNICEF’s name by associating with such corrupt and even evil regimes.<br />
<br />
Grant’s answer was as pragmatic as you would expect – “We don’t like the President so the kids don’t get immunized? You want to wait to launch the campaign until all governments are respectable?”<br />
Grant recognised that as advocates, we don’t always get to choose who has the key to unlock interventions that can save lives. We could probably individually find a reason to avoid engaging with every single political leader or person of influence; for reasons trivially annoying to morally reprehensible. <br />
<br />
But if we avoid engaging with them, what do we gain? And more importantly, what do we lose?<br />
We lose the opportunity to influence somebody to be a champion for child health. Despite their evil reputations and deeds, Jim Grant was able to convince some notorious dictators that child health was important and deserving of resources. Had he not done that, those children would have been in exactly the same state as before – dying of preventable diseases or dehydration for a lack of simple, inexpensive interventions.<br />
<b><br /></b>Our power is in our non-partisan stance. If we eliminate individuals, or even whole sides of politics from the dialogue, we miss the opportunity to build champions, who we have seen from experience, can come from surprising places. They may not be the ones we would have chosen, but they are in a place of influence. It’s our job to ensure that influence is used well.<br />
<br />
Reference: <a href="http://www.unicef.org/about/history/files/Jim_Grant_unicef_visionary.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">http://www.unicef.org/about/history/files/Jim_Grant_unicef_visionary.pdf </span></a>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-90299804042435014022014-06-12T11:59:00.001+10:002014-06-12T12:36:15.040+10:00Greater Impact through Partnership: 8 reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for EducationOn June 26, 2014, leaders from around the world will convene at the
Global Partnership for Education Pledging Conference to decide the
future of education for children in the most poverty-stricken and
conflict-affected countries on the planet. This brief explores 8
critical reasons why now, more than ever, donors and development actors
must ambitiously support GPE’s work over the 2015-2018 period. Written
with RESULTS Education for All campaign affiliates in Australia, Canada,
the UK, and the US, <a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf" target="_blank">"<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Greater Impact Through Partnership: 8 reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever</i></span></a>"
provides the critical information and data we need to move the Australian
government to pledge AU$500 million over four years to the Global
Partnership for Education.<br />
<br />
<b>Over the 8 weeks following the release of the brief, RESULTS and its
affiliates developed an 8-part blog series covering each of the 8
reasons. <i>Click on the image to read the relevant blog post.</i></b><br />
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Joining us in our campaign are <a href="http://www.results.org/blog/world_leaders_call_for_ambitious_u.s._and_other_g_7_commitments_to_global_p/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">world leaders</span></a> and <a href="http://www.results.org/blog/98_civil_society_organizations_from_around_the_world_support_the_global_par/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">98 Civil Society Organisations</span></a> from
around the world calling for generous support to the Global Partnership for
Educatio.<br />
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And have you told the world what you have achieved <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/becauseofschool" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">#BecauseOfSchool</span></a>? RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-88103718961811499542014-06-06T14:20:00.001+10:002014-06-06T15:07:16.109+10:00Undernutrition is a smart development investment: Why delay?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FbEEXN5swds/U5E8O2pRT7I/AAAAAAAAAUs/QghgtcY-U1M/s1600/nutrition-report.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FbEEXN5swds/U5E8O2pRT7I/AAAAAAAAAUs/QghgtcY-U1M/s1600/nutrition-report.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>By Tiruni Yasaratne, Global Health Researcher Volunteer</i><br />
<br />
In 2013, the Lancet published an ‘eyebrow raising’ statistic: undernutrition contributes to 45% of all child mortality worldwide. Of the seven million children around the world who die before their fifth birthday, nearly half of these die from undernutrition. Undernutrition, is in fact, a major global public health problem, with almost one in four children under-five stunted and 52 million children wasted.<br />
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The World Bank “<a href="http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/04/17688930/cambodia-nutrition-glance" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #990000;">At a glance</span></i></a>” nutrition series shows that the economic costs of undernutrition include direct costs such as increased burden on health care systems, and indirect costs of lost productivity. Childhood anemia alone is associated with 5% drop in future adult wages!<br />
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Donor nations, countries and agencies came together in June 2013 at the Nutrition for Growth Summit in London, and made pledges for increased spending on nutrition interventions. Australia committed $40 million over four years for nutrition activities in the region.<br />
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A recent report, "<a href="http://www.results.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/CambodiaReport_AUS_Final_Large_05JUN-1.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Undernutrition in the Land of Rice</i></span></a>", by <a href="http://results.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">RESULTS UK</span></a> and RESULTS Australia on undernutrition in Cambodia reveals some distressing facts: <br />
<ul>
<li>On average undernourished children enroll in school later and complete fewer years of school</li>
<li>Only a third of undernourished children go on to secondary school with completion rates very low </li>
<li>Undernourished children have weakened immune systems and are more likely to contract communicable diseases (TB for example) – Studies in India show that a patient who is diagnosed with TB and also undernourished is two times more likely to die than a non-malnourished TB patient!</li>
<li>Maternal undernutrition is high – Anaemia caused by low consumption of iron rich foods is very high in women of reproductive age and is a leading cause of maternal deaths and linked to adverse birth outcomes such as low weight babies. It also leads to reduced ability to concentrate, and ability to do manual labour.</li>
</ul>
Cambodia has an average economic growth rate of 7% per annum; yet 40% of its children under five are too short for their age. Where did Cambodia go wrong in relation to nutrition related investment?<br />
<br />
A common understanding in the development community is that economic growth will improve nutrition. The Cambodian case proves otherwise. Sadly, Cambodia is far from unique in struggling with this issue –14 countries have a child stunting rate of over 30% in the Asia Pacific region. <br />
<br />
Economic growth needs to be funneled in a targeted way to have an improvement on nutrition. Too often nutrition has been neglected, as there’s no easy single solution to implement. Our Cambodian report advocates for a stand alone indicator on nutrition and food security to be incorporated into the post-2015 development goals, to ensure nutrition is prioritised. <br />
<br />
In a nutshell, Cambodia needs to invest more in nutrition interventions. But in a country with already competing development priorities, is it a cost effective option?<br />
<br />
In 2013, the Lancet brought together the worlds nutrition experts, who found that a combination of ten interventions can make<i> significant improvements in nutritional status at a relatively low cost</i>.<br />
<br />
Areas worthy of scale up include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Infant feeding practices - Support early start of breastfeeding (within the hour), continued exclusive breastfeeding until age six months, and timely introduction of complementary foods;</li>
<li>Access to a diverse range of food through crop diversification;</li>
<li>Nutrition education, in schools and primary health care centres, and by community health workers;</li>
<li>Micronutrient fortification - According to the Micronutrient Initiative, “specifically providing vitamin A and zinc, provides the most beneficial return on investment of any development intervention”. Fortification is also most successful when it is mandated by law. </li>
<li>Conditional Cash Transfers- These provide a small income to families, with a conditional element that encourages them to engage with social programmes, including health and primary education. Evidence from major programmes (e.g. in Mexico and Brazil) shows that the interventions are most effective when they reach children during their first two years of life.</li>
<li>Access to water and sanitation to combat disease - WHO estimates that 50% of undernutrition is associated with intestinal worm infections or repeated diarrhoeal episodes due to insufficient access to clean water and sanitation. </li>
</ul>
Overall, annually, Cambodia loses over US$134 million in GDP to vitamin and mineral deficiencies according to UNICEF and World Bank database sources. This holds back the country’s growth and ambition to reach upper middle income country status. <br />
<br />
Amazingly, scaling up core micronutrient interventions would cost less than US$6 million per year. Addressing undernutrition is cost effective: Costs of core micronutrient interventions are as low as US$0.05–3.60 per person annually. Returns on investment areas high as <a href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/HEALTHNUTRITIONANDPOPULATION/Resources/Peer-Reviewed-Publications/ScalingUpNutrition.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">8–30 times the costs</span></a>!<br />
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The World Bank states the returns on investment for addressing malnutrition include:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MZTXsG6mReA/U5FAnBFE84I/AAAAAAAAAU4/ntK3zqJ_NiY/s1600/nutition-WB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MZTXsG6mReA/U5FAnBFE84I/AAAAAAAAAU4/ntK3zqJ_NiY/s1600/nutition-WB.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: The World Bank – Nutrition at a glance/Cambodia</span></i></div>
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Donor agencies, including Australia should publicise examples of their spending on nutrition interventions. Australia initiated the development of a holistic nutrition strategy soon after the London summit. However, due to changes in the aid programme in late 2013, there are no visible developments on it. <br />
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It is obvious that investing in nutrition programmes is tremendous value for money. With more bang for your buck, it is essentially an investment and not a cost. Keeping in line with new changes in Australian foreign aid whereby the Federal Government will soon introduce a performance evaluation system for foreign aid, with an emphasis on value for money, moving forward on the undernutrition strategy and developing comprehensive aid solutions to undernutrition is crucial for effective Australian aid.<br />
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Read the full report "<a href="http://www.results.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/CambodiaReport_AUS_Final_Large_05JUN-1.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Undernutrition in the Land of Rice</i></span></a>"RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-36319353360203429582014-06-05T15:00:00.003+10:002014-06-05T15:04:31.839+10:00"Inspirational. Enriching. Regenerative." - Your experience at AIDS2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Angie (far right) with RESULTS and ACTION friends at the AIDS march</span></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.aids2014.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">AIDS2014</span></a> is the 20th International AIDS Conference and will be held in Melbourne from the 20th – 25th of July 2014. For the first time it will feature a dedicated hub for discussing the deadly duo of TB-HIV. Despite TB's status as the leading killer of people with HIV, responses to these two diseases are often disconnected, and collaboration on HIV and TB programs is weak in many places.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.results.org.au/our-actions/other-events/first-ever-tbhiv-networking-zone-announced-for-aids-2014/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">TB/HIV Networking Zone</span></a> at AIDS 2014 will provide a space for HIV and TB communities – researchers, affected communities, advocates, policy makers, donors, and more – to come together and chart a way forward for addressing these deadly diseases together.<br />
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We interviewed RESULTS Hobart Group Leader Angie about her experience at AIDS2012 and encourage all RESULTS advocates to consider joining in the activities at AIDS2014's Global Village following our <a href="http://www.results.org.au/our-actions/national-conference-2014/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">National Conference</span></a>. <br />
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<b>1. What did you enjoy most about AIDS2012?</b><br />
Being in Washington for AIDS2012 was an incredible experience. The Global Village was amazing and listening to such a variety of plenary speakers streamed live from the conference was a huge privilege. My favourite part was the AIDS march where thousands of people marched from the four corners of Washington to meet for a massive rally outside the White House! Incredible. And RESULTS marched with ACTION right up the front from our corner. Unbelievable!! <br />
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<b>2. Describe your experience in 3 words.</b><br />
Inspirational. Enriching. Regenerative.<br />
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<b>3. Why do you think RESULTS advocates should join in with AIDS2014?</b><br />
We need to learn from past mistakes with Malaria and TB that just because we 'cure' or 'eradicate' these diseases in our own country, it doesn't mean they are gone forever. We need to continue the fight for all three of these diseases, to get the best possible drugs and equipment to the wealthy and impoverished alike in all countries, and to eradicate AIDS, TB and Malaria across the world. WE ARE THAT GENERATION!! And if that fact ignites some passion in you to help fight this cause, AIDS2014 will inspire you beyond measure. Don't just think about it. DO IT!!!<br />
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<b>4. What made your AIDS2012 experience unique? What did you get out of it that you couldn't get anywhere else?</b><br />
I feel incredibly privileged that as a member of RESULTS working with the amazing advocates from ACTION, I was part of a movement that brought awareness to people from all over the world about TB and its relationship to HIV. There were so many people at the conference who wandered through the Global Village and almost fell over backwards when ACTION advocates would share this knowledge. The educative experience on a personal level was huge and bringing that awareness to others both in Washington and back home to Australia was life changing.<br />
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Don't forget to register for the <a href="http://www.results.org.au/our-actions/national-conference-2014/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">RESULTS National Conference</span></a> - and if you're keen to stay on and join in the activities at the<a href="http://www.results.org.au/our-actions/other-events/first-ever-tbhiv-networking-zone-announced-for-aids-2014/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"> TB-HIV Networking Zone</span></a> at the AIDS2014 Global Village, please contact <a href="mailto:info@results.org.au" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">info@results.org.au </span></a>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-50172275691442710152014-06-04T14:17:00.002+10:002014-06-05T10:58:01.401+10:00Australia recommits to eradicating ancient disease<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: GAVI Alliance</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">RESULTS Australia media release</span></b><br />
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RESULTS International (Australia) applauds the commitment re-iterated by the Australian government on Sunday to eradicate polio from the entire world. <br />
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Australia will be investing $100 million into the campaign, with the aim of eradicating polio completely by 2018. This investment not only honours an aid commitment made by the previous Labor government, but also shows the Abbott government's dedication to eradicating the disease by extending and increasing our commitment.<br />
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This investment will be hosted by the Global Polio Eradication initiative (GPEI), which is the coordinating body for all international agencies working to eliminate and eradicate polio.<br />
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Polio is a viral disease that is transmitted through contaminated food and water, and multiplies in the intestine. It can affect the central nervous system, and causes paralysis in one in every 200 infections.<br />
Since its establishment in 1988, GPEI has successfully reduced polio cases by more than 99%, from more than 300,000 per year to just 417 cases in 2013.<br />
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The announcement by the Foreign Minister came with the opening of Rotary's 105th International Convention on Sunday. Hosted in Sydney this week, Rotary's annual convention was opened Sunday by the NSW Premier Mike Baird and Prime Minister Tony Abbott and expects to see more than 18,000 international Rotarians. <br />
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"Eradicating polio around the world has been an Australian project," said Samantha Chivers, Global Health Campaign Manager at RESULTS Australia. <br />
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"It was a Queensland Rotarian, Sir Clem Renouf, who lived through the eradication of smallpox and had the vision that polio could be eradicated in the same way," Samantha continued. <br />
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"Australian aid and community support has been vital in supporting GPEI and keeping the issue high on the agenda. Now we have to up the ante, as that last 1% will be the hardest."<br />
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India, a country of over one billion people, saw its last case of polio in 2010, and was certified polio-free by the World Health Organisation in March this year. India joins the Pacific, Southeast Asian, European and American regions in being completely polio free.<br />
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Polio now remains endemic in only three countries: Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, cases are beginning to re-emerge in countries including Ethiopia, Iraq, and Israel. War-torn Syria, whose health system has collapsed, was polio-free for 14 years, and was re-infected with the virus from Pakistan.<br />
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At the beginning of May, the World Health Organisation declared that the spread of polio is an international public health emergency.<br />
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Endemic polio is preventable by vaccination, with oral vaccination of three drops being the preferred method so far.<br />
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"The public health community has seen great success with the oral vaccine. However, in order to completely eradicate polio and not just prevent infection in an individual, an injectable vaccine is needed, and this complicates the logistics and increases the price substantially" Samantha said.<br />
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The GAVI Alliance is the leading partnership providing vaccines to the developing world at low prices. GAVI announced earlier this year that it will begin supporting injectable polio vaccine (IPV) to 73 of the poorest countries in the world by the end of the year.<br />
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"We are very encouraged by the commitment made yesterday," Samantha said, "Increasing vaccination is a very effective use of our aid money. Now we need to see more support made to GAVI as well, so we can completely destroy this ancient disease forever."<br />
<br />RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-80317234600170752412014-05-23T19:24:00.001+10:002014-05-23T20:26:23.477+10:00REASON #8: Demand for the Global Partnership for Education is on the rise<i>Over eight weeks, RESULTS affiliates in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and the U.S. delve deeper into 8 key reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education. This week's post is by <b>Camilla Ryberg at RESULTS Australia</b>. You can read about reasons number <b><a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/reason-1-to-invest-in-gpe-we-cannot-end.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">1</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-2-to-invest-in-global.html"><span style="color: #990000;">2</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-3-global-partnership-for.html"><span style="color: #990000;">3</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/over-eight-weeks-results-affiliates-in-u.html"><span style="color: #990000;">4</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/reason-5-global-partnership-for.html"><span style="color: #990000;">5</span></a>,</b> <b><a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/reason-6-global-partnership-is-taking.html"><span style="color: #990000;">6</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/reason-7-global-support-to-basic.html"><span style="color: #990000;">7</span></a></b>. </i><br />
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</i><a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Click here to read the full RESULTS report</span></a><i><a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><i> Greater Impact Through Partnership: 8 Reasons to Invest in the Global Partnership for Education Now More Than Ever.</i></span></a><br />
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What difference can the Global Partnership for Education make - Lao PDR</h3>
This week I had the pleasure of meeting <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/multimedia/video/interview-lytou-bouapao-vice-minister-education-lao-pdr" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Hon Lytou Bouapao</span></a>, the Vice Minister of Education of Lao PDR. He spoke frankly and enthusiastically of the difference the support by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is making in his country.<br />
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Lao PDR joined the <span style="color: #990000;">Global Partnership for Education</span> in 2009 and its children has benefited significantly as a result. For instance, the percentage of out-of-school children decreased from 11.5% in 2009 to 4.1% in 2012. The primary completion rate rose from 78% in 2009 to 95% in 2012, with the rate for girls rising from 74% to 93% over the same period. (<i>Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics</i>)<br />
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With challenges such as a large disperse rural population encompassing many different languages and ethnic groups, an unwillingness by many parents to send girls to school and few qualified teachers, it is clear that a locally-specific and flexible approach to education is imperative.<br />
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GPE’s current project in Lao PDR reflects this need by focusing on community-based school construction, non-formal education, community-based school readiness programs, and a mobile teacher training program. The innovative <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/success-stories/lao-pdr-innovative-school-meals-program" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">School Meals Program</span></a> that combines local food production, community trainings, and school interventions in health, sanitation, and hygiene was piloted by the Ministry of Education and Sports in 66 schools in 2012. It’s success has resulted in plans to expand it to nine districts in five provinces. <br />
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Not surprisingly Mr Bouapao and his government colleagues in Lao PDR are currently preparing another grant application. <br />
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Demand from citizens</h3>
The demand for education support is not just coming from high level ministers and governments. During a recent trip to Pakistan, the Global Partnership for Education CEO Alice Albright attended an event in Islamabad titled "Girls of Pakistan for Education", where hundreds of Pakistani girls and young women called on their government to support their education. According to estimates by the <a href="http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">UNESCO Institute for Statistics</span> </a>there are more than 3 million girls of primary school age who don't go to school in Pakistan, and 3.4 million adolescent girls who don't go to secondary school. <br />
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As citizens of low-income countries are becoming increasingly aware of their right to an education, they will continue to put pressure on their governments to deliver. When governments do not have sufficient funds implement their education plans, it makes sense they turn to the Global Partnership for Education for support. <br />
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Funds are urgently needed </h3>
With the proven effectiveness of GPE’s approach, it is no wonder that demand for the Global Partnership is on the rise. In 2013 alone, low-income country partners requested over US$1 billion from the Global Partnership for Education to support their national education plans. GPE anticipates that by the end of 2014, it will have provided over US$4 billion since its establishment in 2002 to support education in nearly 60 countries. <br />
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However, even this significant amount seems like a drop in the ocean if considering all anticipated program implementation grants over the 2013-2014 period. If GPE was to approve them all, a staggering <a href="https://www.globalpartnership.org/content/financial-forecast-meeting-addis-ababa-ethiopia-18-19-meeting-board-directors" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>US$585 million</b> in additional funds may be required</span></a> beyond existing inflows. <br />
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The Global Partnership is growing </h3>
Due in part to the Global Partnership for Education’s support, countries such as Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and post-conflict Afghanistan are now rolling out their first national education plans.<br />
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But not only has existing demand for GPE support exhausted the GPE Fund but the Global Partnership will likely grow over the 2015-2018 period. Having multiplied<b> from 7 developing country partners in 2002 to 59 in 2014</b>, the Global Partnership for Education today remains open to a total of 68 eligible countries.<br />
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Issues such as an increasing youth population, growing economic inequalities, and the impact of climate change will put increased pressure on low-income country governments. The currently high demand for GPE support will likely only increase.<br />
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In the Indo-Pacific region we have several eligible countries such as Tuvalu, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu which are not yet partners but who are likely to apply for GPE support in the near future.<br />
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As demand increases donor partners need to step up support</h3>
As we saw in last week’s blog post <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/reason-7-global-support-to-basic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #7</span></a>, global support to basic education is drastically declining. It is now time for donors to step up to reverse this trend.<br />
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Australia saw <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-20/tim-costell-correct-on-budget-foreign-aid-cuts/5452698" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">brutal cuts to our foreign aid budget</span></a> last week. However, we can still afford to <a href="http://www.results.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/May-2014-Fact-Action-Sheet.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">pledge generously</span></a> to the Global Partnership for Education for the period 2015-2018. Indeed, we can’t afford not to.<br />
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<i>Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US are front-running proponents of global education and leaders in the development community writ large — a successful GPE replenishment and the education progress it promises depends on their ambitious commitment. In addition to the critically important bilateral support these countries will provide from now until 2018, the governments of Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US must seize the GPE Pledging Conference as an opportunity to provide the Global Partnership for Education the resources it needs to build strong, sustainable national education systems, end the learning crisis burdening much of the developing world, unlock education’s transformative powers, and deliver prosperity and stability to the world’s poorest populations in a post- 2015 world.<br />
</i>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-15812191615186208992014-05-16T10:22:00.001+10:002014-05-16T10:48:51.674+10:00Reason # 7 to invest in the Global Partnership for Education: Global support to basic education is drastically declining<i>Over eight weeks, RESULTS affiliates in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and the U.S. delve deeper into 8 key reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education. This week's post is by <b>Julie Savard-Shaw, Campaigns Officer at RESULTS Canada</b>. You can read about reasons number <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/reason-1-to-invest-in-gpe-we-cannot-end.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">1</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-2-to-invest-in-global.html"><span style="color: #990000;">2</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-3-global-partnership-for.html"><span style="color: #990000;">3</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/over-eight-weeks-results-affiliates-in-u.html"><span style="color: #990000;">4</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/reason-5-global-partnership-for.html"><span style="color: #990000;">5</span></a>, and <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/reason-6-global-partnership-is-taking.html"><span style="color: #990000;">6</span></a>.</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Click here to read the full RESULTS report Greater Impact Through Partnership: 8 Reasons to Invest in the Global Partnership for Education Now More Than Ever.</i></span></a><br />
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Reason #7 addresses the drastic decline in global support for basic education. As the pledging conference for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) approaches, it is essential to highlight the large financial gaps that exist in the education sector and reiterate the importance of education in eliminating poverty.<br />
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Following the global financial crisis, overall official development assistance levels declined significantly with the latest figures showing a 4 percent reduction in 2012 from a 2 percent reduction in 2011.[1] Of the remaining development assistance budget, commitments to education overall dropped by 27 percent from 2009 to 2011 and commitments to basic education dropped by 35 percent over the same period.[2]<br />
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Evidently, reduced commitments are being translated into reduced disbursements. Aid disbursements to the education sector declined by 9 percent between 2009 and 2012. Most alarmingly, basic education funding dropped 16 percent (or US$1 billion) between 2009 and 2012 at a time when there are still 57 million children of primary school age out of school.<br />
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b25uNjc3Z2dn7+zsYLHYvr6+7777TiaThcNhvV5/48aNV69eYTCYcDhss9mio6MtFguVSk1LSwuHw9evX1coFK2trT/++GN5eTmUKBaLHRwcNJlMEY+kcDicmZlJoVDOnz/f2tqKx+ONRmN1dXV8fDwM4Ha7r127NjEx0dTUBNWSkpLC4XAGBwezs7PpdPo333wDAPjmm2/a29s3NjYuX77scDhycnJaW1uTk5MrKioAAD6fj0ajZWRkAABGR0cj2p6fn//222+Li4ujo6MBAImJiTQaLSEhIdLxVigUf/vb3/b29sLhcFNT0927dx0OR2xsrNFolEqlCQkJTqczJiamrq7uypUrIyMjIpEIXou1tbXY2NjW1lYMBnN0dATtlhYWFoRC4Y0bN8xmM9S51Wr99ttvWSzWl7j5/mX46qfHJiYmUlNTqVRqbW3tzMyMy+V6/fo1jUZLT0/3er1jY2OvX7/W6XQdHR3Pnj0DAFgslvr6+srKysiITqfT1dbWlpeXGwyGnZ0dBEGam5tTUlKsVuvu7i6FQuns7ExNTZ2bmzObzRUVFU1NTdvb269fvy4vL8/KyvL7/aFQCHb76XT6ixcvAACrq6tkMhlBEJfLxWAwnj9/DgD4/vvvp6enmUwmhUKBSUOp0Gi07OzsgYGBu3fvms1mNpv95MmTyAkqlcry8nIqlQp3bm1tUSiUkpKSvb09kUh07949AEBubi6XywUADA8Pk8nkrq6uQCDw5MmTjo4OAMDU1NTr16+hH1BmZmbElnhnZ6ekpKSsrAz6q+Xn58NSgv1wmL3h4WEEQQQCgc/nYzAYZDIZGjw5nc7y8nIGg3H//v3e3t7c3FyNRjM2NgZtiYLBYGVlZX5+fnp6OnSAS05Onp+fD4fDIpGovLy8oaFhZ2enu7sbQZA/NA2J8rt89ZKGRKavIJHnPX6//xfnwI+Ojo4/EwoEApE94XD4+GwTjCTyORgMQgOj46lAIjZ9kV/94mOnubm55eXl43t+9+lOIBA4HiYYDP7iTBvk+LRfJCeR8HK5/MTTvt99Nub1eiOndiLyEwX1Ybq/uN/j8Xg8Hmir9NtJo3wCZ0TSKCgoEFTSKChnClTSKChnClTSKChnClTSKChnClTSKChnClTSKChnClTSKChnClTSKChnClTSKChnClTSKChniq9e0na7XSaT9fX1DQ4ORt6+/hCHw2E2mz8yTviPs9DA4I9m5vg/uf4hvF6vVCo9PDyE/2t74uja2lpkXefpsr+/Pzg4KJFIDg8P19fXpVJpf3//7u5uMBhUKBRCobCvr+/EMm+Y1eP/5vvbaDSaiP/Er7Gzs2MymT7xHFCO8UUlHfR5gP8IeN2fu/ncwHfk9/kAAEKhEI/H83i8mpqaZ8+e/ZpFxtzc3PDw8Efm02q1EggE+IfMH4lYLPb5fDMzM8f/2voPsbW1BRdXVlZWxsXFnThaX18P1yefLmNjY+Xl5SKRSCQSra+vIwhy+fLlrq6uJ0+eTE1NnTt3rqysjM/nRwxJIE6nE4/Hf1jv/BopKSlwGdxv8Icu0KcRCoXEYvFvrHj5Q6yurqpUqlOJ6nT5cpLeWVt2i+lBcZ1PUPO5m7AmKK49kHUAr0sskeLxeACAwWBISEjY2tqyWCx9fX3Q5cPr9cpkssHBQZ1ONzg4CHOi0+mYTObW1hb8GgwGR0dHp6am4Fe1Wt3R0YHFYjc2NnQ6nUKhCIVCvb290KxHqVR2dnZ6PB6TycTj8aAjUnd39/nz59lstlarjXiP9ff3w88LCwsikUgmk0X+Tf44brdbIBAsLS3Z7fZz58596Gri9/uHhoZIJBJc7w0AGBoaEggEAIC1tTU+n69QKNRqNVyq5XQ6mUwmXOkllUqHhobUanUgEJiYmOju7j5xN+/s7GRkZBxXZllZ2ffffw8AiI2NFQgEFy5c+DDPOp2uu7sbi8XCEnM4HIODg2az2e/3d3d32+325eVluDwTHrLZbPfu3YNrTv1+P4vFgkqYnJwUiURDQ0Ow96TVaqE/hEAgUCqVIpEI9gIMBsPg4CCPxzth4WAwGFgsltFoBAAIhUJ4cRcXF+EaUj6fb7FYtre3+/v7R0dHJyYm4DpWIpE4ODio0WgGBwfVarVOp5NIJFarFcYDAPB4PP39/QqFQiaTwZVkh4eHfD5/cXERAKDX6/l8/tjY2NLSUmpqamJiosFgEIlE4+PjQ0NDsFtns9kGBwe3t7e9Xi+PxxseHl5aWvL5fAKBQCaT/YIwTpsvaFSkVYCJVqBqA+Mtp7Cp2oCyFeyZhkfG8Hg8lUrNy8uDl/Pg4IBCocBmgU6n379/f25urrS0FDqQsFgsBEHkcjl0DvN6vVQq9dWrV999911PT8/IyEh+fj6Hw8FgMA6Ho6ioKCUlJRAI4HA4uVzOYDBqa2uHh4f9fv/e3h6ZTC4oKAAAiESiqKiokZGR4uJiaN8DvZBKSkp4PF55efnly5eHh4dv3rx5YlklACAUCnE4nDt37qjVagKBcELSwWAQQZCampri4mK4s729nUqllpWVdXV1tbW14fF4hUJx69YtjUbj8XgKCgra29vz8/Onp6dv3LiRm5u7vLzM5XKhH8uJdZSTk5MXL170+Xw9PT1kMvndu3e1tbWxsbElJSVisfjg4IBIJD558oRKpcL6EQAwMjLy+PHjvr4+LBY7Pz9vMpkKCgqKioqSk5OXlpYePHjA5XIRBKFQKCsrKwUFBYWFhXfv3o2NjaVSqcFgEC5rf/HihUKhePToUWpqKpfLffDggd/vf/v2LbRtwWAwTU1NpaWlxcXFS0tLeXl5PB4vOjqazWZHci6RSEpKSuRyucViodPpCIJQqVQOh1NdXR0TEwMAwGKxAoFALpdHR0ePjIykpKQolcq+vj4cDjczM/Po0aPExMTl5WWpVJqRkUGhUCJLxLe3t/F4fGdnJ5lMbmxshBeIzWanpKQ4nc6WlpYLFy6oVCqz2Xz37t2UlJT19XUcDsdkMslkMo1G0+v18KzT0tKUSiUGg2loaDCZTBQKpaCg4A/1+z6ZLydpz6HryDAVNqqCy8rP3ELLyrBR5dJPg3BIPDSEx+ODweD09PTf//53o9HI5XIrKyujoqI8Ho9Go/nhhx/Gx8erqqpu374NAIiNjeXz+ZFcLSwsEAiEmpoaBoMhk8mysrIoFIrP58NisTabjUqlQnsAIpHY29t75coVWFu7XK6urq7y8nLoBwKNjTweT1lZWVZWVigUioqKWllZ6e/vv379+s8//wybPjwefzxpiEAg6Orqio6O7uzs/NCoCPqBrK2tcTgc2EpjsVjY4F+8eLG5uRn6n8TFxbHZ7OnpaRwOBwC4e/duSUlJZmZmbW0tAGB2dvbx48cfmoeYzebvvvsOerDV1tbGxcVVVFQkJSXBBdUHBwcYDGZsbOx4RZCXlwfrSgwGs7q6SqfTz58/z2Kx6HT6xsbGyMhIc3NzRUWF1WqtqKi4dOkSi8VqbGyMj48vKyvb3d0lEAg+nw9BkJycHBKJRCKRYLGYTKa6urq0tDQAQHR09OTkpFgshi4r0F7q4sWL0OMBkpaWRqPR4OeoqCidTieXy69evVpVVQWLLiYmRiwWj46OEolEAMDt27fr6uosFgs0XcnPz4cWcRaL5eHDhwiCRLpsdrsdg8FYrda2tjZoI8Pn87u6uvB4/OzsLJvNjoyJXrx4ASPBYrFGo7GzszMtLQ1BkJiYGBaL1dTUNDExgcfj5+bmAAA8Hu/x48dfpqP+1U+PCQQCAoGgVCo5HE5BQYFOp4uNjSWTyVgs1ul0bm5uvnjxgkajIQgCL0ZlZSWCICqVCs6lud1uEonU19c3Pz+/u7vb09OTn58/MDAQHR29sbEhk8kyMjJGRkYIBIJYLKbRaI2NjVqtdn5+/ptvviGRSOfOnQsEAi6X6/r161KpFLal4XAYQZCqqioKhcLlct++fQvNvaKioqRS6djYGFQaACAcDicnJxcUFERFRbW2tsKbo6Ki4sqVKzBAMBgsKCig0+nFxcXQk6ihoeHNmzc0Go3BYEBvIwAAkUhsamryeDxPnz5ls9n5+flarTYuLg5BEACAzWYrLS199OgRAABBELVaHSm9yM1XVFT0448/UqnUyC3rcDjweHx9ff34+HjENUEoFObl5Ukkkujo6JmZGb1e/+zZM7VaPT8/f3R05PV6b968CS1ctFrts2fPNBrNxsZGfHz88+fPA4EAiUR6//49iUSSyWQkEik7O7u7u/vp06d+v59KpUZKaWRkpK+vj0AgTE1N5eTkKBQKAoEAbQwhnZ2dL1++nJiY2N/fr6qqevfuHYIgHR0darUaNsgEAkEoFMpkMljHxcXFlZWVuVyuq1evqtXq3NxcWFM7nc6EhIT6+vpIzHa7PSoqCrbSTCYTAHDz5s2CggICgTA9Pd3e3g7rCAAAg8G4ffv22toaHo9fWFhobGy8evWqVqv9xz/+odFojEaj0WiMioqCpW0wGO7du3c8oX8eX72kzWYzk8lsbW0dGhqC5htqtVoqlXI4HNh09/f3ezwenU4Hx58AgPHxcRaLFZlI83q9IpGora3NarUCAGQymVQqZbFYTqcTACCVShUKRcSGWiKR8Hg8n8+nVqslEklPTw8coE5OTg4MDKjVajggDIfD3d3dcCCg1WqhhTibzd7c3ORwOK2trZH8GwyG4eFhDoej1+u7u7v39/dnZ2cjWQUA7OzsCIVCkUgU2cnn86ERp8FggBalsEoCADgcjvb2dtiV6O/vhyPhhYUFLpcL/XoLCgpWVlaOF+Dy8nJ7e7tAIPB4PFqtNpKKx+PhcDiw4oiYKIfD4ZGREYlEwmQyYW98c3Ozq6uLw+FAixI+nx8ZnFssls7OTqFQGNnp8Xja29vHx8cBAPn5+WlpaXw+H0auVqvheJjFYm1ubq6trUENLywsSCSSuLi4ExP+s7OznZ2d8KL09vYKhUK4f2RkBJanyWSyWCywuy4UCrVa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" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5344898217003468808" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KH5A8_g_WvQ/U3Vec0KzIXI/AAAAAAAAATc/Q9ipEPH1U1A/s1600/oda-basic-edu1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KH5A8_g_WvQ/U3Vec0KzIXI/AAAAAAAAATc/Q9ipEPH1U1A/s1600/oda-basic-edu1.jpg" height="257" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gaHNtIxpPQI/U3VenSCbYnI/AAAAAAAAATk/Uu32rW7ztWc/s1600/oda-basic-edu2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gaHNtIxpPQI/U3VenSCbYnI/AAAAAAAAATk/Uu32rW7ztWc/s1600/oda-basic-edu2.jpg" height="72" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Source: OECD CRS (using UNESCO definition of “education” and “basic education”)</i><br />
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What is more, basic education aid actually available to GPE developing country partners was cut by 23 percent from 2009 to 2012. Even though domestic spending on education is slowly increasing (see Reason #4) and remains the most important source of financing for the sector, aid for education is central to support low-income countries in achieving the Education for All goals.</div>
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During a recent multiparty delegation with Canadian Members of Parliament in Tanzania, I witnessed first-hand the dire conditions in which children study every day as a result of insufficient funds. The Principal noted that due to the limited budget for education, priority is given to providing the necessary school supplies and paying teachers’ salary. The school had a good graduation rate and an almost equal girl to boy ratio. On paper, the school is faring well; however, that fails to represent the immense hole in the sunken ceiling because of mold or the absence of running water, electricity and classroom doors. That day, with the rain and wind, children were visibly shaking from the cold.<br />
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Education is currently underfunded by US$26 billion a year.[3] Donors have the chance in June to reduce the education financial gap and pledge generously to reach the GPE’s replenishment target of US$3.5 billion to give millions of children the chance to receive quality basic education.<br />
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<a href="http://www.campaignforeducation.org/docs/reports/GCE_EDUCATION_AIDWATCH_2013.pdf"><span style="color: #990000;">[1] http://www.campaignforeducation.org/docs/reports/GCE_EDUCATION_AIDWATCH_2013.pdf p.7</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf"><span style="color: #990000;">[2] http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf</span></a><br />
<a href="http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002256/225654e.pdf" target="_blank">[3] http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002256/225654e.pdf p.3</a>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-37711954799328169832014-05-09T16:07:00.003+10:002014-05-09T16:22:47.391+10:00Reason #6: The Global Partnership is Taking Innovative Steps to Enhance Performance<i>Over eight weeks, RESULTS affiliates in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and the U.S. are delving deeper into 8 key reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever, outlined in our joint report <a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Greater Impact Through Partnership</span></a>. This blog about Reason #6 is by <b>Allison Grossman, Senior Legislative Associate at RESULTS US</b>. You can read the previous blogs written by staff from <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/reason-1-to-invest-in-gpe-we-cannot-end.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Australia, Canada, the U.K., and U.S., here</span></a>.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Good value for money"</span></h3>
In its <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/multilateral-aid-review" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Multilateral Aid Review</span></a>, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) called the <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Global Partnership for Education</span></a> "good value for money for UK aid." In a 2013 update of the review, DFID noted the progress that the Global Partnership had made against all of its reform priorities, such as increasing efficiency, transparency, and predictability in financial management. This rating put the Global Partnership on par with other major multilaterals like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the GAVI Alliance.<br />
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A year before, the 2012 <a href="http://aid.dfat.gov.au/partner/pages/ama-submissions.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Australian Multilateral Assessment</span></a> rated the Global Partnership "strong" in the seven areas it analyzed, including delivering results and transparency and accountability.<br />
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Even more impressive, the Global Partnership for Education was the sole multilateral organization called out for its strengths in <a href="http://www.post2015hlp.org/the-report/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">A New Global Partnership: Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through Sustainable Development</span></a> – The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which said, "The Global Partnership is getting quality education to marginalised children, coordinating education's many players, offering aid without wasteful replication and following local leaders…Similar models might prove useful in other areas."<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Driving progress: a stronger funding model for the next four years</span></h3>
Even with these positive assessments, the Global Partnership for Education is continuing to improve its model and increase efficient use of resources and outcomes for children around the world. During the 2015-2018 replenishment period, the Global Partnership will implement a new funding model that guides the process for countries to apply for grant funding. This new model will drive results while continuing to strengthen the capacity of the current country-led processes that make the Global Partnership's model so compelling.<br />
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The new model starts by implementing a more nuanced view regarding countries' eligibility for grant funding. It will take into account poverty, education vulnerability, and fragility to ensure that the Global Partnership is truly reaching the poorest countries with the greatest education needs.<br />
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For eligible countries, there are now three requirements to access funding:<br />
<ol>
<li>Countries must have an education sector plan endorsed by the Local Education Group, as in the past.</li>
<li>Developing country partners will also need a data strategy for planning, budgeting, managing and monitoring (or a plan that will allow them to begin gathering this data if they are not currently doing so). This piece is critical given the lack of strong data in the education sector, particularly around learning.</li>
<li>Finally, there is a requirement for financial commitments from developing country partners to increase their own financing for education as well as financing from donors that is aligned with the priorities identified in the national education plan – ensuring mutual accountability. </li>
</ol>
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The revised funding model also aims to incentivize GPE's developing country partners to address the biggest challenges in education related to equity, efficiency, and learning. This model will make additional funds available to countries that commit or meet benchmarks to overcoming the biggest bottlenecks in their education system, allowing rapid progress toward quality education for all.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #990000;">What do these innovations mean for June?</span></h3>
With the exciting innovations that the Global Partnership for Education is currently undertaking, donor support at the June pleding conference, particularly from Australia, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S., is needed more than ever to allow developing country partners to benefit from these developments and to give them the support needed to build strong, sustainable national education systems for their children.<br />
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<b>Check back next week for Reason #7!</b>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-15796738048052049852014-05-06T20:20:00.001+10:002014-05-07T20:12:27.535+10:00Saving Lives - How RESULTS advocates help fund the Global Fund<br />
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<br />RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-15427122875254629872014-05-02T12:24:00.001+10:002014-05-02T13:29:40.590+10:00Reason #5: The Global Partnership for Education gets results<h1 class="entry-title">
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<span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author"></span><span class="comments-link"><a href="http://blog.results.org.uk/2014/04/30/reason-5-the-global-partnership-for-education-gets-results/#respond" title="Comment on Reason #5: The Global Partnership for Education gets results"></a></span> </div>
<i>Over eight weeks, RESULTS affiliates in the UK, Australia, Canada and the U.S. are delving deeper into 8 key reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever, outlined in our <a href="http://www.results.org.uk/sites/default/files/Greater%20Impact%20Through%20Partnership%20-%208%20Reasons%20to%20Invest%20in%20the%20Global%20Partnership%20for%20Education%20Now%20More%20Than%20Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">joint report ‘Greater Impact Through Partnership</span></a>’. This blog about Reason #5 is<b> by Dan Jones, Campaigns Manager at RESULTS UK </b>and it was originally published on <a href="http://blog.results.org.uk/2014/04/30/reason-5-the-global-partnership-for-education-gets-results/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">RESULTS UK blog</span></a>.<b> </b> You can read the previous blogs exploring Reason #1 to #4 by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page. </i><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“<span style="color: #666666;"><b>The Global Partnership for Education is getting quality education to marginalised children, coordinating education’s many players, offering aid without wasteful replication, and following local leadership… GPE is single-sector (education) but shows how collaboration can bring better results. Similar models might prove useful in other areas.</b></span>”</i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /> - The Report of the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda</span></blockquote>
As RESULTS and our partners ramp up our advocacy in advance of the Global Partnership for Education’s replenishment conference in June, we know a crucial part of the case we need to make in order to persuade our Governments to invest in the GPE is being able to demonstrate the results GPE can, and has, achieved.<br />
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Thanks to the efforts of many, including our Governments’ own aid programmes and the work of the GPE, dramatic progress has been made over recent years. For example, since 1999 the number of children out of school around the world fell almost by half.<br />
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<a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Yet, as UNESCO recently reported</span></a>, “by 2015, many countries will still not have reached the Education For All goals”. Globally, <b>1 out of 10 children still cannot go to school</b>. Nearly 40% of children of primary school age (250 million) either do not reach grade 4 or, if they do, fail to attain even minimum learning standards – a “<b>global learning crisis</b>”, according to UNESCO.<br />
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<a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/"><img alt="1 in 10 children have no access to school" class="aligncenter wp-image-14681 size-medium" src="http://blog.results.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GPE_250MillionReasons_FB-girl-300x214.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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If donor Governments like ours make total pledges of US$ 3.5billion in June to ensure that the Global Partnership is fully-funded, <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/replenishment" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">GPE has pledged in turn to support 29 million children</span></a> over the next four years to receive a primary and lower secondary education. They plan to reduce the number of children not completing primary school by more than a third between 2014 and 2018.<br />
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<b>So what results has the Global Partnership for Education achieved so far, and why are they a good investment of our money?</b><br />
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Since it was established in 2002, the Global Partnership has grown from 7 developing country partners to 59 in 2013 and has become the 4th largest donor to low and lower middle income countries. GPE highlight that with their help, low income countries have enrolled nearly <b>22 million more children into school, including 10 million girls.</b> In 2011, 72% of girls in GPE countries finished primary school compared to 55% in 2002. GPE has helped train 300,000 teachers, built or rehabilitated 53,000 classrooms, and distributed 50 million textbooks.<br />
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<a href="http://blog.results.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GPE-results-infographic.jpg"><img alt="GPE results infographic" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-14679" src="http://blog.results.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GPE-results-infographic-790x1024.jpg" height="640" width="493" /></a></div>
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<b>GPE’s system-strengthening partnership approach of supporting plans led by the governments of their partner developing countries means that these improvements cannot and should not be attributed solely to the Global Partnership.</b> Ultimately, it is the developing countries themselves that should take proud credit for these achievements. <b>These are their results</b>, and this nuance is absolutely fundamental to the success of GPE’s model and the reason why they received the praise I’ve quoted above from the <a href="http://www.post2015hlp.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">UN’s High Level Panel on Post-2015 Development</span></a>.<br />
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The Panel, which was brought together by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and co-chaired by UK Prime Minister David Cameron, sees <b>GPE’s model as the kind of powerful, innovative approach that ending poverty needs.</b> The bottom line is that collaborative planning, coordinated aid, increased oversight, and bolstered commitment – the strengthening of whole education systems that GPE specialises in – may not sound sexy or simple to communicate – but is <b>absolutely fundamental to getting results for the world’s poorest children.</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.results.org.uk/sites/default/files/Greater%20Impact%20Through%20Partnership%20-%208%20Reasons%20to%20Invest%20in%20the%20Global%20Partnership%20for%20Education%20Now%20More%20Than%20Ever.pdf" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="RESULTS - Greater Impact Through Partnership report" class="alignleft wp-image-14536 size-medium" src="http://blog.results.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Greater-Impact-Through-Partnership-cover-231x300.jpg" height="400" title="" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.results.org.uk/sites/default/files/Greater%20Impact%20Through%20Partnership%20-%208%20Reasons%20to%20Invest%20in%20the%20Global%20Partnership%20for%20Education%20Now%20More%20Than%20Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">You can read more in our report</span></a> about how developing countries that are part of GPE are clearly demonstrating accelerated progress that is seeing these low income countries catch up with the levels of education enrolment and completion shown by the mostly upper-middle income countries that are not part of GPE. Another tangible result for GPE – and more importantly for its partner countries – is that on average, <b>domestic financing for education by GPE partner developing countries increases by 10% as a share of GDP after they join the partnership</b>. A good demonstration of the national commitment needed, and which GPE is helping to deliver.<br />
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More tangible still is to look at some of the results achieved in GPE countries. In Cameroon, for example, a GPE grant was used during an economic crisis to pay teacher salaries as the country worked to address its teacher shortage. Over the grant period (2007-2011) 37,200 qualified primary school teachers were hired, 60% of them women. With this increased presence of female teachers, the ratio of girls to boys in school rose from 63 girls to 100 boys in 2007 to 89 girls for every 100 boys in 2011. <b>That’s a result.</b><br />
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As June’s replenishment conference approaches, RESULTS Affiliates in Australia, Canada, the UK and the U.S. will continue to highlight these results to our Governments as a clear demonstration that we believe this is our money, well spent. T<b>hat they should invest in the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever.<br />
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Check back next week for another reason!</b><br />
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<i>You can read the blog about <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-3-global-partnership-for.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #1, by RESULTS Australia’s Camilla Ryberg</span></a>, the post exploring <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-2-to-invest-in-global.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #2, by RESULTS UK’s Dan Jones</span></a>, <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-3-global-partnership-for.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #3, by RESULTS U.S. Allison Grossman</span></a>, and looking at <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/over-eight-weeks-results-affiliates-in-u.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #4, by RESULTS Canada's Julie Savard-Shaw</span></a>.</i>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-40701655029658810812014-05-01T10:46:00.000+10:002014-05-01T10:50:46.797+10:00Immunisation in the Indo-Pacific: Is Australia up to date?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y_Q4i9E6BjM/U2GZme-ZckI/AAAAAAAAARw/8psHC6KG4GM/s1600/Gavi-vaccines-Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y_Q4i9E6BjM/U2GZme-ZckI/AAAAAAAAARw/8psHC6KG4GM/s1600/Gavi-vaccines-Girls.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>by Samantha Chivers, Global Health Campaign Manager (Maternal, Child and Neonatal Health) with RESULTS Australia</i><br />
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On World Immunisation Week this year, RESULTS Australia is celebrating the work of the GAVI Alliance, a public-private partnership that has had phenomenal success in getting underused vaccines to children in the poorest countries in the world.<br />
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It is clear GAVI is a worthwhile investment for Australia, as it aligns very strongly with Australian foreign policy priorities in several ways.<br />
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<b>Here are five reasons why:</b><br />
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<b>1. </b><br />
GAVI was rated extremely highly in a 2012 Australian Government evaluation, as it “[saves] lives through cost-effective and evidence-based interventions”. Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has recently publicly praised GAVI, calling it “the kind of thinking we need”. GAVI also strongly emphasises results-based financing, which aligns with Australia’s interest in linking aid spending to performance benchmarks. <br />
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<b>2.</b><br />
In 2011, Australia pledged $200 million to the GAVI Alliance. This funding alone vaccinated an estimated 37 million children against a range of childhood diseases, including 3.3 million children vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia. These vaccinations will avert over half a million future deaths.<br />
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Our investment has also supported the development of stronger health systems in over 50 countries, including Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and the Solomon Islands. This will not only provide the foundation for successful immunisation programs, but also prioritise strong and sustainable health system financing within recipient governments. <br />
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<b>3.</b><br />
Australian partnership and leadership in the Indo-Pacific region is vital. GAVI has a large influence in the Asia-Pacific region: seventeen of the countries that have received GAVI support are also Australian aid priority countries.<br />
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It also shows the strength of Australian research: GAVI focuses on rolling out new and underused vaccines, and this has most recently included human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect girls and women against cervical cancer, an Australian-developed vaccine. In two years, 21 of the poorest countries in the world have been approved to introduce HPV vaccine with GAVI support, including Laos and the Solomon Islands. Through negotiating a new record low price of $4.50 per dose of HPV vaccine, GAVI hopes to reach more than 30 million girls in more than 40 countries by 2020. <br />
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<b>4.</b><br />
The GAVI Alliance works to improve global vaccine markets to ensure adequate supply of appropriate, quality vaccines at low and sustainable prices. This involves working with private pharmaceutical companies in countries such as Indonesia, to support their access to global vaccine markets, so they can make new and underused vaccines for their own regions. GAVI has had great success in creating jobs in vaccine production. In 2001, there were 5 vaccine suppliers to GAVI, 1 based in an emerging market. By mid-2013, there were 12 vaccine suppliers to GAVI, with over half now based in Africa, Asia and Latin America. One outstanding example is the rollout in late 2013 of the locally produced pentavalent vaccine in Indonesia: protecting children against five diseases in one shot, this will now be produced by the Indonesian pharmaceutical industry.<br />
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GAVI is also very conscious to introduce regional-specific vaccines. Japanese encephalitis (JE), for example, is a serious mosquito-borne viral disease that kills over 15,000 people per year. Late last year, Chinese manufacturers obtained qualifications from the World Health Organisation to begin producing JE vaccines. This vaccine will be going to eight countries in Asia at risk of JE transmission.<br />
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<b>5.</b><br />
Consistent with recent trends in Australian aid, GAVI will be investing more time and resources in strengthening health systems, especially in fragile and conflict-affected states. Considering the intense focus of the Australian military and the foreign policy department on building the governance and resilience of countries like Myanmar and Afghanistan, developing strong policies to ensure equitable access to immunisations will assist in building strong health systems.<br />
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The countries that make up the Indo-Pacific are diverse and complex, and so are their needs. Extreme poverty co-exists on the same streets as comfortable families and the megarich, more so than anywhere else on earth. RESULTS Australia works to ensure the poorest countries in the world benefit from evidence based health policy.<br />
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Vaccines decrease poverty. There it is. GAVI works with the poorest countries to get new and underused vaccines on the ground to the families that need them. GAVI is on track to immunise half a billion children by 2015, and save more than nine million lives by the end of the decade. Although Australia works with a smaller aid budget than in previous years, GAVI is an excellent investment for Australia, and for the world.<br />
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<i>This post was originally published on the <a href="http://www.action.org/blog/post/immunisation-in-the-indo-pacific-is-australia-up-to-date" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">ACTION Global Health Advocacy Partnership blog </span></a></i>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-16922595671607468532014-04-24T16:53:00.001+10:002014-04-24T17:28:53.920+10:00REASON #4: The Global Partnership for Education mobilizes developing country resources towards their own education systems<i>Over eight weeks, RESULTS affiliates in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and the U.S. delve deeper into 8 key reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education. Today, RESULTS Canada's Julie Savard-Shaw explores Reason #4. </i><br />
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<i>You can read the blog about <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-3-global-partnership-for.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #1, by RESULTS Australia’s Camilla Ryberg</span></a>, the blog about <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-2-to-invest-in-global.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #2, by RESULTS UK’s Dan Jones</span></a>, and the blog about <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-3-global-partnership-for.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #3, by RESULTS U.S. Allison Grossman</span></a>.</i><br />
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<i>Click here to read the full RESULTS report <a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Greater Impact Through Partnership: 8 Reasons to Invest in the Global Partnership for Education Now More Than Ever</span></a>. </i><br />
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This week, I explore reason #4, which looks at how the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) mobilizes developing country resources towards their own education system. This is an especially critical piece in our broader campaign in the lead-up to the June pledging conference. It allows us to show our governments in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US how the Global Partnership’s co-financing model can actually increase the impact of education programs, if donors reach GPE’s $3.5 billion replenishment target.<br />
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As education advocates, our goal is to see all children in the poorest and most remote regions of the world have access to quality basic education. Literacy is the necessary condition for a country to escape extreme poverty and to eventually reduce its dependency on aid. Indeed, the social rate of return from completing primary education in low-income countries is very high. This means that the benefits of having more education outweigh the costs of obtaining that education. For example, each additional year of schooling raises a country’s average annual gross domestic product growth by 0.37 percent and a child whose mother can read is 50 percent more likely to live past the age of five.<br />
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Achieving universal literacy requires that developing country governments be able and willing to assure the supply of quality education services. This often requires the assistance of industrialized countries. At the same time, many donors are skeptical of developing country governments’ willingness to monitor and maintain reasonable education standards, without which education investment achieves little.<br />
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The GPE builds the capacity of partner developing country governments to deliver quality basic education to their citizens through Local Education Groups (LEGs). Headed by partner governments, these groups also include international organizations like GPE, civil society and the private sector. Members of the group provide financial and technical assistance for the developing country partner to develop and implement their education plan.<br />
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By developing realistic policies and a feasible implementation plan based on the country context, education goals are more likely to be reached, which in turn motivates developing country partners to invest more in the education sector. Public expenditure on education in developing country partners has grown from 3.9 percent of GDP in 2000 to 4.8 percent of GDP in 2011. The GPE’s success to build the local government’s capacity through LEGs is even more apparent when we look at the resources invested in education for developing countries that are not part of the GPE. Between 2000 and 2011, of all the resources invested in education for one country, GPE developing countries increased their own investment by 15 percent whereas developing countries that are not part of the GPE only increased their spending by 6 percent.<br />
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The Government of Ethiopia joined the GPE in 2004 and received two GPE grants in 2007 and 2010 totaling US$168 million to support the country’s General Education Quality Improvement Program (GEQIP), an important part of its Education Sector Development Plan for 2010-2015. Since joining the GPE, the Government of Ethiopia has increased public expenditure as a share of GDP by 28 percent. The GEQIP is financed by national resources supplemented with pooled external funding, of which the Global Partnership contributed some 50 percent.<br />
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Through it’s partnership with the GPE, Ethiopia has made significant strides in getting more children in school. Enrollment in primary school increased from 75 percent in 2007 to 86 percent in 2011, with the percentage of children finishing primary school increasing from 48 percent to 58 percent over the same period.<br />
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With adequate financing, the GPE will support 29 million children to go to school in 66 GPE eligible countries. Moreover, drawing on a fully funded Global Partnership (US$3.5 billion) developing country partners will be able to leverage an additional US$16 billion for domestic education expenditures for 2015-2018 to further broaden access, boost quality, and ensure relevant learning for all children and youth.<br />
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Investing in the GPE is essential to ensure that developing countries break out of the vicious circle of extreme poverty and aid dependency. As Nelson Mandela said, “ No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.”<br />
<br />RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-58352103633219498082014-04-17T15:50:00.000+10:002014-04-17T15:57:28.546+10:00Reason #3: The Global Partnership for Education Complements Bilateral Efforts in Global Education<i>Over eight weeks, RESULTS affiliates in the U.K., Australia, Canada, and the U.S. delves deeper into 8 key reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever. Today, Allison Grossman, Senior Legislative Associate at RESULTS U.S., explores REASON #3.</i><br />
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This week, we explore reason #3, which looks at how donor government contributions to the Global Partnership for Education have the power to complement their bilateral efforts in global education. This is an especially critical piece in our broader campaigning in the lead-up to the June pledging conference. It allows us to show our governments in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US how the Global Partnership's work can actually increase the impact of bilateral programs, if donors reach GPE's $3.5 billion <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/replenishment" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">replenishment</span></a> target.<br />
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<h4>
Enhancing Donors' Own Education Objectives</h4>
From focused, specific goals in the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Education Strategy (100 million children in primary grades by 2015 and increased equitable access to education in crisis and conflict environments for 15 million learners by 2015) to the three pillars of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's education thematic strategy (access to basic education for all, improved learning outcomes, and better governance and service delivery), each of our governments have their own programmatic objectives for their bilateral basic education programs.<br />
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But how are each of these donor country objectives addressed within the Global Partnership for Education? <br />
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The Global Partnership has its own set of <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/strategy" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">strategic goals</span></a> on access, learning, reaching every child, and building the future – goals that are widely seen as global priorities that we must address in order to truly achieve education for all. They then operationalized these goals through five specific strategic objectives: supporting education in fragile and conflict-affected states, promoting girls' education, increasing basic numeracy and literacy skills, improving teacher effectiveness, and expanding aligned funding and support for education.<br />
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When looking at the bilateral objectives of Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US, there is clear alignment – GPE's objectives enhance the specific goals of each of our countries, and do so through a partnership with a broad set of members all contributing together to support these efforts. As the report notes, the Australian government rated the Global Partnership as "very high" when looking at alignment with national interests and priorities – can't get much better than that!<br />
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<h4>
Extending the Reach of Bilateral Education Programs</h4>
In addition to enhancing donors' own global education objectives, investments by Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US in the Global Partnership for Education extend the reach of our governments, getting to countries and issues not covered in our own goals and objectives.<br />
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For instance, the Global Partnership for Education's support for early childhood development programs in Moldova is outside of the USAID Education Strategy, but addresses the needs of Moldova and the context of their system –allowing the US to positively impact children in Moldova in a way they never would have been able to do without the Global Partnership.<br />
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The same is true geographically. As the report points out, DFID in the UK noted that by 2015, it and the Global Partnership for Education will be supporting nine of the 12 countries with the world's highest populations of out-of-school children. Of these, DFID will be reaching four of them solely through its contributions to the Global Partnership for Education.<br />
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With 59 developing country partners currently, and more if the June pledging conference is successful, the Global Partnership's geographic reach combined with their focus on national needs and priorities allows donor countries to extend their reach and impact in a way they are not able to do alone.<br />
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<h4>
Building Government Capacity to Partner with Bilateral Institutions</h4>
Beyond specific education objectives, the Global Partnership for Education's systems approach actively seeks to strengthen the ability of their developing country partners to deliver education services to their own people. By working with governments and civil society to develop and implement national education plans, the Global Partnership is taking a long-term approach to building strong national education systems that countries will need to sustainably educate children well into the future.<br />
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Not only is this the most effective approach to education development, but it also fills in a gap that donors are seeking. USAID, for instance, has agency-wide goals to channel more of its funding directly through effective local institutions, including government-to-government assistance and local organizations. But at the moment, USAID invests an extremely low percentage of its education funds through partner country governments or local institutions, especially when looking at investments in sub-Saharan Africa and in comparison with other sectors.<br />
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Clearly USAID and other donors want to invest directly in government systems and local institutions – and the Global Partnership's approach is building the partners they're seeking. Donor governments need to benefit from GPE's comparative advantage in this area and can do so by more greatly support GPE’s efforts to foster environments with strong national systems capable of effective, independent delivery of quality, essential education services.<br />
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<h4>
Supporting Civil Society to Hold Governments Accountable</h4>
The Global Partnership for Education doesn't stop with strengthening developing country governments, though. It also has a separate fund to support the development of civil society organizations and coalitions across 45 developing countries, called the <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/civil-society-education-fund" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Civil Society Education Fund</span></a>. Donors are looking for effective local institutions with which to partner on the delivery of services. By supporting the Global Partnership for Education, donors will allow the Global Partnership to utilize its comparative advantage in working with these coalitions across the world to strengthen their capacity, eventually allowing them to partner directly with donors.<br />
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Further, this support also builds the accountability and oversight capacities necessary to ensure that developing country governments are using their education dollars effectively. Organizations like the <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/success-stories/strengthening-role-civil-society-kenya" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Elimu Yetu Coalition</span></a> in Kenya exemplify how civil society organizations can positively influence the education systems in their countries when supported by the Global Partnership. Just as we advocate to our governments to direct resources to the most effective programs and to improve their policies for the poorest and most vulnerable, we need advocates around the world watching their governments and ensuring that donor and developing country funds are going to implement national plans and are having the impact needed for their children's education.<br />
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As Australian, Canadian, UK, and US governments consider their roles in the Global Partnership for Education's replenishment campaign, the role that GPE can play in moving ahead their own education and development objectives is a key consideration. But strong commitments from our governments that help reach the $3.5 billion replenishment target are necessary to ensuring the Global Partnership and our own governments can fulfill our collective goals for children around the world.<br />
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<ul>
<li>RESULTS report <a href="http://www.results.org.uk/sites/default/files/Greater%20Impact%20Through%20Partnership%20-%208%20Reasons%20to%20Invest%20in%20the%20Global%20Partnership%20for%20Education%20Now%20More%20Than%20Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Greater Impact Through Partnership: 8 Reasons to Invest in the Global Partnership for Education Now More Than Ever</i></span></a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/reason-1-to-invest-in-gpe-we-cannot-end.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #1, by RESULTS Australia’s Camilla Ryberg</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/reason-2-to-invest-in-global.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Reason #2, by RESULTS UK’s Dan Jones </span></a></li>
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<b>Don’t forget to check back here next week for Reason #4!</b>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-47806531697272106572014-04-10T13:16:00.003+10:002014-04-10T15:32:37.352+10:00REASON #2 to invest in the Global Partnership for Education now: THE GPE REACHES THOSE IN THE GREATEST NEED<i>Over eight weeks, RESULTS affiliates in the UK, Australia,
Canada and the U.S. will delve deeper into 8 key reasons to invest in
the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever. Today, </i><i><i>Dan Jones, Campaigns Manager at RESULTS UK, looks into REASON #2.</i> </i><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“</i></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Everyone has the right to education</i></span></b><span style="font-size: large;">”</span><br />
– Article 26, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights</blockquote>
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This week, we look more closely into Reason #2 of the eight reasons from our joint RESULTS report “<i><a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Greater Impact through Partnership: 8 reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever</span></a></i>”.<br />
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This reason is close to the hearts of everyone who campaigns with RESULTS around the world, because it is about reaching the most marginalised and vulnerable people in our world.<br />
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Education is fundamental to ending poverty and to tackling the inequalities that leave some children behind, unable to fulfil their right to education. Put simply, the world cannot achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) without ensuring education for all, including the most marginalised people.<br />
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Dramatic progress has been made in expanding access to primary education. For example, since 1999 the number of children out of school around the world has fallen almost by half. We should be proud of the part our Governments, as major donors to education, have played in that. Yet despite progress, 57 million children of primary age remain out of school around the world. <a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/efareport/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">The UN recently reported</span></a> that 250 million children are failing to learn even the basics of reading and writing – a “global learning crisis”.<br />
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It is clear that marginalised children, particularly girls, those living in conflict-affected and fragile states, and children with disabilities, make up a very large proportion of the children either out of school or receiving such poor quality education that they are unable to learn.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.globalpartnership.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Global Partnership for Education</span></a> specifically prioritises these children and aims to support them to receive a quality basic education. Nearly three-quarters of the world’s 57 million primary-school-aged children who are out of school live in GPE’s partner developing countries. Of the 250 million children estimated by UNESCO to either not be reaching grade 4 or reaching grade 4 without mastering minimum levels of learning, 100 million (40%) of them are in GPE countries.<br />
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<b>Children in conflict-affected countries are estimated to make up half of the world’s out of school children.</b> Yet despite general agreement of the importance of reaching these children, only 1.4% of global humanitarian assistance was allocated to education in 2012. That’s why the Global Partnership for Education has such a crucial role in these difficult circumstances. As one tangible example, on our most recent <a href="http://blog.results.org.uk/2014/04/02/the-most-valuable-right-that-will-prevent-conflict-and-help-a-country-grow-is-education-results-april-conference-call/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">RESULTS UK grassroots conference call, our speaker was Chernor Bah</span></a>, a former refugee from war-torn Sierra Leone and now a powerful advocate for education. Chernor told us about the vital role GPE has played in helping the people and government of Sierra Leone to re-build their education system from the rubble of the civil war. More recently, as the world has just begun to pay attention to the violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Global Partnership were among the first to respond, allocating US$3.7 million in accelerated funding to support an emergency education plan and restore education for nearly 120,000 children in the most conflict-affected areas.<br />
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The GPE strives to ensure that the humanitarian community works in a coordinated way, assisting national governments to establish emergency education plans that help countries recover from war or natural disaster. 61% of GPE funds have gone to conflict affected and fragile states, higher than most other donors. If the GPE’s replenishment this year is successful, then 23 million of the 29 million children that they will support from 2015-2018 will live in fragile and conflict states.<br />
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<b>Girls’ education is another headline priority for the Global Partnership for Education.</b> Girls are still more likely than boys to be out of school, and yet the evidence clearly shows that educating girls and women is a bedrock for development. An educated girl is less likely to marry and to have children whilst she is still a child; more likely to be literate, healthy and survive into adulthood; and more likely to reinvest her income back into her family, community and country. Since 2003, GPE has helped to get nearly 10 million girls in school, and 28 GPE countries have achieved equal numbers of girls and boys completing primary school.<a href="http://appg-educationforall.org.uk/events-a-meetings/93-qeducation-is-crucial-to-the-re-birth-of-afghanistanq.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"> I met with the Minister of Education from Afghanistan </span></a>earlier this year, and he had powerful words to say about the GPE’s work in that fragile country. Top of his list was GPE’s funding to support the recruitment and training of female teachers in hard-to-reach regions, and the impact that was having in encouraging girls to return to school.<br />
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<b>Children with disabilities are perhaps the most invisible, and marginalised, group of children of all. </b>Data about this group at the global level is so poor it is hard to know how many are in, or out, of school, but for example, in Nepal it is estimated that 85% of out of school children are those with disabilities. RESULTS grassroots advocates have campaigned passionately for greater support to these children. Here, again, the Global Partnership for Education is playing a key role. Working closely with key donor governments represented on its Board of Directors, like the UK and Australia, the GPE has committed to ensure that more of their country partners improve access and learning outcomes for children with disabilities. By 2018, GPE has said that it aims for 80% of its developing country partners to have explicit policy and legislation on education for people with disabilities.<br />
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<b>It is clear that investing in the Global Partnership for Education is a crucial way for donors to ensure that they are reaching those children in the greatest need.</b> Investing through GPE also complements and multiplies the reach and influence of each individual donor’s efforts, ensuring that more of the most marginalised children are supported.<br />
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But as our report makes clear, <b>the GPE can only have this vital impact if donor countries like the UK, U.S., Canada and Australia step up</b> in June and make ambitious pledges to ensure that the Global Partnership for Education’s four-year replenishment target of US$3.5 billion is met. With that money, the GPE can support <b>29 million children to receive a good quality education</b>. With that money, the world can demonstrate its commitment to ending poverty and to a vision of prosperity for all that ‘leaves no-one behind’. With that money, there is real hope of a future where every child, no matter what their circumstances or where they are born, can have the future they deserve.<br />
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<b>Don’t forget to check back here next week for REASON #3!</b><br />
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Click here to read the full RESULTS report “<i><a href="http://www.results.org/uploads/files/Greater_Impact_Through_Partnership_-_8_Reasons_to_Invest_in_the_Global_Partnership_for_Education_Now_More_Than_Ever.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Greater Impact through Partnership: 8 reasons to invest in the Global Partnership for Education now more than ever</span></a></i>”.<br />
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Click here for <a href="http://resultsinternationalaustralia.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/reason-1-to-invest-in-gpe-we-cannot-end.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">REASON #1 WE CANNOT END POVERTY WITHOUT INVESTING IN EDUCATION </span></a>RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-14090927288992520612014-04-08T11:23:00.002+10:002014-04-08T11:33:11.950+10:00Diseases with bite<br />
<i>by Sam Chivers, Global Health Campaigns Manager </i><br />
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Reflecting on <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704111704575354911834340450" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">World Health Day</span></a> , that falls on 7th of April, I thought it a perfect time to talk about a few of my favourite subjects. <br />
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First up is worms. Worms that enter your skin as eggs through a bite from a fly, and make their home in the vessels under your armpits. Worms that burrow into your blood vessels and block the flow of your lymphatic system, slowly causing the liquid to permanently build up in one of your legs. Far from a Crichton-esque fantasy, lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a daily threat for over a billion people around the world. Although the infection itself is easily treatable, the physical disability elephantiasis is permanent, and many patients suffer daily discrimination in their communities. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Figure 1: Elephantiasis in Haitian patients</span></i></div>
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Now, let’s talk about parasites. A tiny parasite is injected into your bloodstream by the bite of a brown mosquito, and swims into your liver to set up a colony. When they’re mature enough, the parasites re-invade your bloodstream and take up residence of your red blood cells. They grow and multiply so fast inside your blood cells that they quickly burst, releasing thousands of baby parasites back into your blood stream. Every time your blood cells explode, your fever spikes to an extreme level, and your energy plummets. This is especially dangerous to small children, as they cannot regulate their body like adults can, and much more easily develop the brain infection that kills most sufferers of this condition. <br />
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This disease is malaria. Still causing more than 200 million illnesses around the world, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704111704575354911834340450" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">malaria has been the cause of more than half of all human deaths</span></a> since the Stone Age. <br />
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Malaria remains a major health problem in our region, especially in Myanmar. While there has been a very effective cure available for a decade, careless use of the treatment means that drug-resistant parasites have cropped up in Myanmar and Cambodia three years ago, and, as of last week, Angola. If the drug-resistant form spreads across to Africa as it did in the fifties, the only effective cure against malaria will be useless. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Figure 2: Malaria bursting through a red blood cell</span></i></div>
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Thirdly, let’s talk about bacteria. A bacteria that spends some of its life in the warm squishy gut of a sandfly, before invading the soft warm squishiness of your skin. As it invades your soft tissue, it causes a large open sores in its the softest parts, including your nose, lips and cheeks. Other variants of the disease cause your skin to blacken and develop lesions, and weaken your ability to fight opportunistic infections such as pneumonia, TB and diarrhoea. Another horrifying dystopian nightmare, leishmaniasis is a scourge making a recurrence in India, as risk factors include poverty, malnutrition, deforestation and urbanisation. Some types of leishmaniasis make their home in areas of drought, famine, and high population density, such as Sudan and Somalia. Around 12 million people are infected with leishmaniasis right now, and another two million are infected every year. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Figure 3: Cutaneous leishmaniasis</span></i></div>
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Now for the last infectious agent, the virus. A disease that used to be known as breakbone fever for its excruciating joint pain, you catch this agonising disease through the bite of a huge black-and-white-striped tiger mosquito. The virus breaks micro-holes in your blood vessels, and you bleed into your skin, causing it to itch like nothing else. Your mouth is bone dry, and you feel like you can’t drink enough; I’ve seen people drink two-litre jugs of water in ten minutes and then ask for more. This disease is known as dengue haemorrhagic fever. Dengue has swept around the globe in an extreme outbreak over the past five years<span style="color: #990000;"> <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-12/an-malaysia-warns-of-spike-in-dengue-fever-cases/5254086" target="_blank">Malaysia alone has experienced triple the amount of deaths this year</a></span> than it did last year. Without cure, treatment, or vaccine, people just have to suffer through it.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Figure 4: The tiger mosquito, Aedes spp.</span></i></div>
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<b>What do all these diseases have in common?</b><br />
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They are all transmitted by insects, known as vectors. A vector is an organism that transmits a disease or parasite from one animal to another. Unlike diseases like influenza, diarrhoea or polio, one must be bitten by an insect to contract the disease; you can’t catch it from another person. <br />
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This World Health Day brings attention to the often-neglected vector-borne disease. More than half the world’s population is at risk of a vector-borne disease. They kill more than a million people each year, and disproportionately kill children. For most of them, there is no cure. For most, there is no vaccine. Prevention takes the form of long sleeves, insecticides, and bed nets. <br />
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The Senate recently released the results of its enquiry into Australian aid effectiveness. For me, one of crucial parts was the recognition that Australia must contribute more to research and development in diseases that affect our region. A vaccine against dengue haemorrhagic fever is one of the most crucial. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323585604579008510278710696" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">The epidemic is close to doubling every year in Asia</span></a>. Dengue also seriously threatens Australia’s health security (<a href="http://www.health.qld.gov.au/dengue/outbreaks/current.asp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">dengue outbreaks occur constantly in Queensland</span></a>). <br />
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These diseases cause massive suffering and unnecessary death. Now is the time to invest, and finally the time to end it. <br />
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For the story of my experience with dengue, <a href="http://www.results.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Small-bite-big-threat.World-Health-Day.7.4.14-1.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">check out our latest media release</span></a>!<br />
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Check out the World Health Organisation’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xSUITkRvbA&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">World Health Day video</span></a>! <br />
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<br />RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344898217003468808.post-30127661716869656962014-04-03T16:30:00.002+11:002014-04-03T16:31:27.483+11:00Tuberculosis - NOT an artefact of the past<br />
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<i>By <b>Sian White OAM</b>, Researcher at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and 2014 recipient of an Order of Australia Medal for her service to international relations, particularly through TB prevention programs in the Pacific.</i> You can hear Sian speaking on RESULTS Australia’s February <a href="http://yourlisten.com/riaust/fact-action-call-february-2014-sian-white-oam" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Fact & Action Call here</span></a>. <br />
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Growing up in Australia one could be forgiven for thinking Tuberculosis (TB) was an artefact of the past. It is a disease which feels comfortably distant to us; only being idealised every now and again through period dramas.<br />
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Of course, in reality TB is far from glamorous and has certainly not yet been assigned to the history books of our time. I was fortunate to be woken up from this rose-tinted reality while in Papua New Guinea (PNG), our nearest neighbour and a country where every 2 hours someone is still dying from this entirely curable disease. <br />
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Working for World Vision on the National TB Program of PNG I began to realise why the story of TB is not in our headlines. For so many years scientists and health professionals have been talking only in clinical terms and statistics about TB bacteria. But the story the public really needs to know is how TB affects the lives of individuals and communities. <br />
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TB is a disease which can strip a person of all it is to be human. First of all you lose your physical strength and mobility; becoming just a frail reminder of your former self. Due to the stigma of the disease, many individuals face extreme and unjustified discrimination. I have heard too many cases of individuals being fired from their workplaces, expelled from their schools and, perhaps worst of all, disowned by their families. <br />
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On too many occasions I have found myself lost for words as patients describe the inconceivable challenges TB had imposed on their lives. One such individual was Solomon. I remember seeing him from across the hospital ward and even though I had chatted to many patients that day his harrowing story stayed with me. Solomon had drug resistant TB and had been sitting on that same bed for a year. Every day he took a concoction of 23 tablets and for the first 9 months he had received daily injections. Yet for patients like Solomon this is normal – the best modern medicine can do. <br />
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Solomon spoke remarkably calmly as he described what TB had stolen from him. First he lost his wife. The TB drugs she was prescribed had caused her to experience horrible hallucinations and she never got better. Before her death she unwittingly passed TB onto their 11 year old daughter. Since there are no special paediatric TB drugs Solomon’s daughter received crushed adult tablets which, as with many drug resistant TB patients, caused her to lose her hearing permanently. When I met Solomon his daughter had died just a month before. <br />
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Not surprisingly Solomon asked me why he should continue his treatment. It was hard to find words of encouragement. For patients with standard TB almost all cases can be easily cured through 6 months of treatment but for drug resistant patients the odds are much more slim with only half of patients globally surviving treatment. <br />
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It was hard for me to look Solomon in the eyes and explain that the toxic regimen of drugs he must take for 2 years is the best we have. All the while knowing that the drugs we use to treat TB were invented more than 40 years ago. It is hard to explain to someone like Solomon why our main mode of diagnosing TB is the same diagnosis that was used 130 years ago when Microbacterium Tuberculosis was first discovered. And for the loved ones that remain to support patients like Solomon it’s hard to explain that we don’t have a vaccine efficacious enough to protect them. <br />
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Australia’s responsibility to TB control is twofold. On the one hand Australia must take action because it is a dereliction of our humanitarian duty to sit idly by while our neighbours suffer needlessly. However, with more than 60% of the world’s TB burden occurring on Australia’s doorstop, in the Asian and Pacific region, we need also need to act in our own selfish national interest before our citizens are also affected.<br />
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The key to TB control is sustained financing. We cannot stand by and allow our government to continue to scale back the aid budget and revoke our commitments to the Millennium Development Goals. Instead we must lobby for the sustained and increased financing of multilateral agencies such as the Global Fund to support TB, HIV and Malaria. <br />
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We must capitalize on our strengths as a nation and utilize our world renowned scientific expertise to fund innovative research into new TB drugs, new diagnosis tools and a new vaccine. <br />
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In the 1960s many eminent political figures believed that TB was already on the path to eradication. The decades since have shown this expectation to be overly optimistic but it is now up to our generation to make this goal a reality - while we still can. <br />
<br />RESULTShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965256803813545223noreply@blogger.com0