May 19, 2009
WaterAid/PATH event rallies support for action on diarrheal diseases
A panel discussion hosted by WaterAid America and PATH at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, has rallied support for action to defeat a global killer, diarrhea.
The event was held on May 12, 2009 to coincide with the
launch of reports by WaterAid America and PATH highlighting stalled progress against diarrheal disease.
The event was
moderated by Jon Sawyer, the Director of the Pulitzer Prize Center on
Crisis Reporting. Nancy
C Bwalya-Mukumbuta, Program Manager for Advocacy and Communications at WaterAid
Zambia, and Dr. John Wecker, Director of the Immunization Solutions Program at PATH, served as panelists.
Nancy Mukumbuta speaking at the event.
Nancy Bwalya-Mukumbuta presented a case study from WaterAid's new report
Fatal neglect: How health systems are failing to comprehensively address child mortality, detailing how Zambia's national government and donors alike are neglecting sanitation, one of the main
prevention interventions to combat diarrhea, the world's second biggest killer of children under five.
Dr. John Wecker spoke about the range of interventions that can prevent or treat diarrhea as outlined in PATH's new report
Solutions to Defeat a Global Killer (PDF 4MB). Measures include safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene. breastfeeding and optimal complementary feeding, rotavirus vaccines, zinc treatment, and oral rehydration therapy.
The event was attended by more than 80 people.
The event was attended by more than 80 people representing a broad range of organizations including the US Government, the World Bank, foundations, and NGOs and has generated widespread media coverage.
Highlights of coverage of the event and the reports' releases are available at:
The event was successful in generating debate and public awareness of the need to tackle diarrhea in order to reduce child mortality. Significant support was also garnered for
PATH's call to action on diarrheal disease, which urges advocates, including organizations from the health, development, environmental, water/sanitation, and research communities to push for adequate funding of both prevention and treatment interventions for diarrheal disease. The call to action has been signed by more than 90 organizations.
WaterAid
works to overcome poverty by enabling the world’s poorest people to
gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. WaterAid
works in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region and campaigns globally
with partners to realize a vision of a world where everyone has access
to these basic human rights.
PATH
is an international nonprofit organization that creates sustainable,
culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide to break
longstanding cycles of poor health. By collaborating with diverse
public- and private-sector partners, PATH helps provide appropriate
health technologies and vital strategies that change the way people
think and act. PATH’s work improves global health and well-being.
