Opening the Door to Cheaper HIV Drugs for Children
The UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced today they’ve struck a licensing agreement with Merck—a first-time partner for MPP—for use of their pediatric HIV drug in the low- and middle-income countries with the highest burden of disease. Ninety-eight percent of children with HIV in the developing world live in these countries, which include India, South Africa and Nigeria.
Shedding a Light and Engaging on Land Rights
In an opinion piece that appeared in the Reuters Sustainability online portal, Nestlé Executive Vice President José Lopez writes that Indigenous land rights must be addressed before any economic development project proceeds.
Improving Oral Health for Kids and Communities
Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) Bonnie Johnson, from Emmonak, Alaska, travels around her community providing dental care to children and families in rural Alaska. Tribal leaders, dentists and community members explain how dental therapists like Bonnie have helped radically improve oral health in their villages while inspiring their community, once known for rampant tooth decay and poor oral health, to strive for a different, healthier future.
Can a List Save the World’s Forests?
Did you know that more than 50 percent of products on grocery store shelves contain ingredients—from palm oil to soy—that likely contributed to the destruction of rainforests? Fortunately, dozens of companies—from Kellogg’s to Mars, Inc.—have recently made pledges to remove forest destruction from the supply chains of their products.
Lending a Hand in Our Own Backyard
This past weekend, Burness teamed up with the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) to deliver fresh produce to a DC neighborhood with high rates of food insecurity through its Community Marketplace program. It was a great opportunity for us to come together outside of the office and give back to our own community.
Food Safety in Africa’s ‘Wet’ Markets
If you’ve been to any part of sub-Saharan Africa, you know that the large majority of food consumed (about 85 to 95 percent) passes through informal channels: vegetable, milk and meat stalls and outdoor markets cater to customers across urban centers and rural landscapes alike. And while the food sold there is often safe, sometimes it’s not. And when it’s not, people get sick. Some people die.
RWJF Makes Historic Commitment to Kids’ Health
Building on a $500 million pledge made in 2007, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced yesterday that it will commit an additional $500 million over the next ten years to help all children grow up at a healthy weight.
The State of Rights and Resources
In 2014, we saw a number of studies showing that when Indigenous Peoples and local communities have control of their land and the natural resources the land contains, they do the best job of keeping those resources—including tropical forests and fresh water supplies, for example—intact. But often times, governments claim control of the land and the disposition of its resources.
Pop Star Science
With a gloomy forecast for scientific funding, scientists are taking things into their own hands to find research funding, according to a recent Washington Post article, Crowdfunding propels scientific research. But they need to have good communications skills to do it.
When the White House Calls…
Last week, President Obama announced the launch of UpSkill America—a coalition of business, education, and workforce training organizations leading a movement to expand economic opportunity for American workers. As the economy continues to improve, many employers are struggling to find skilled workers to fill the jobs they have available.
