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The week is almost over but the Mifos Innovation team is still hard at work in Ecuador.
The day started with the Innovation Team meeting with an organization that oversees a network of cooperatives. The biggest takeaway from the meeting was that the organization sees the value that the Mifo’s Financial Inclusion Cloud can bring to their network of financial institutions. Continue Reading
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The 2016 Women Deliver conference is an unprecedented gathering of the some of the world’s most committed women and men. Midwives, Presidents, youth advocates, physicians, policymakers and mothers fill rooms to take stock of our successes, our failures and our future efforts to improve the health and well-being of women around the world. We learn that much has changed—the challenges of pregnancy-related complications and HIV and AIDS have been forcefully and creatively tackled for many and in most countries. We also know that in order to protect those hard-earned successes, we must now turn to the diseases that are increasingly taking the lives of women—often mothers in their most productive years.
Click here to read the full article in Ms. Magazine.
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Welcome to the June 2016 issue of the Global Washington newsletter.
Washington state is home to several globally recognized companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, and Costco. Our state also has a number of companies that value giving back to their communities and being good corporate citizens. We have a healthy mix of traditional corporate philanthropy along with new approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as companies understand that it can help with employee recruitment and retention.
As companies increase their global operations and recruit employees worldwide, many are adding a global lens to their CSR. Several companies in Washington state have increased giving to international issues through their employee giving and match programs, others have started new foundations, and some have embraced the concept of shared value to align their core business with philanthropy.
Companies that are members and supporters of Global Washington are leaders in doing good around the world, and I am proud to spotlight them in this issue of our newsletter. Our feature articles highlight philanthropic programs at JPMorgan Chase and Microsoft, and you can read more about CSR and other corporate members in our issue brief.
This topic will also be spotlighted at Global Washington’s Annual Conference on December 8, 2016. With the theme Allies in Action, Global Washington companies alongside their NGO partners will share opportunities and challenges of collaborating on international development projects. I hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
Kristen Dailey
Executive Director
What is the most interesting NGO/Business partnership you’ve seen or been a part of?
By Amanda Pain
Corporate social responsibility (CSR), defined as a business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders, is a concept that often guides business practices today. Corporate philanthropy, defined as the act of a corporation or business promoting the welfare of others, generally via charitable donations of funds or time, is an important aspect of CSR. While both concepts have historical roots dating back to the 20h century, each has evolved as social, economic and political landscapes have changed.
Early forms of charitable giving were influenced primarily by chief executive officers (CEOs) based on their philanthropic interests, and often had little to do with business strategy. Fueled by a CEO’s desire to give back, corporate giving typically addressed an issue of personal interest, or within a community of interest (often the community where the company was based). Economic prosperity in the United States led to increased corporate giving and CEOs from companies such as Chase Manhattan Bank, General Electric and Cummins created foundations and programs that institutionalized philanthropy as part of company mission. Companies also began to focus more intently on CSR in relationship with how business makes profit and how, through and alongside this process, they are serving society.
However, this era of giving came under criticism from economists who thought the role of a corporation in a free society was to make as much money as possible for its shareholders, and that philanthropic ideals undermined this goal. Those in favor of corporate giving believed that companies had a responsibility to be good corporate citizens, and that business should serve stakeholders such as customers, employees and the community; not just their shareholders.
This debate, as well as the changing landscape of the 1980s and 1990s, led to more strategic corporate giving. Issues such as globalization placed more stringent cost controls on businesses, and philanthropic giving that was not seen as advancing business objectives was often eliminated. Other influences such as the Earth Summit in 1992 and the rise of the anti-sweatshop movement in the 1990s highlighted a company’s impact on issues like the environment and human rights. People started paying more attention to business ethics (or lack thereof), which in turn influenced corporations to better align business strategy and corporate giving.
While philanthropy can help build a positive reputation for a company, philanthropy alone does not define a company’s integrity, trustworthiness and/or values. Today, companies often focus their giving where they can make the biggest impact among all stakeholders. Three current CSR trends include: conscious capitalism, a philosophy that a more complex form of capitalism is emerging that will enhance corporate performance and people’s quality of life; shared value, a management strategy focused on creating business value through solving social problems that intersect with their business; and social business, a non-dividend business that seeks to solve a social problem through business methods.
Corporate giving is often in the form of direct cash giving, foundation grants, stock donations, employee volunteer time, product donations and other in-kind gifts. Research has shown that companies that encourage employees to donate and volunteer have higher employee retention rates, which is a huge cost savings for the business. Two common programs for employees are matching gift and volunteer grant programs. Matching gift programs allow the company to match an employee donation made to the charity of his/her choice. Over 65 percent of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs, and an estimated $2-3 billion is donated annually through these programs. Volunteer grant programs offer monetary grants to organizations where employees volunteer, usually within the community where a company’s employees live or work. Nearly 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs, and a majority of these programs donate anywhere from $8 to $15 per hour volunteered.
CECP (formerly known as the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy), a coalition of CEOs committed to philanthropy that was founded in 1999, tracks corporate giving. In 2014 as part of an annual survey, CECP surveyed 271 companies and found that companies surveyed gave $18.5 billion in cash and in-kind donations. Between 2012 and 2014, total corporate donations as a percentage of revenue remained stable at .13 percent, and according to a Giving USA 2015 report, corporate giving rose by 13.7 percent between 2013 and 2014. In 2014, religion, education and health and social services received the most charitable donations. Internationally, most corporate giving went to European-based charities, which received USD 410 million, followed by charities in Asia, which received USD 374 million. Charities in Africa received giving, but the overall philanthropic investment in the continent was the lowest regional investment, at USD 88 million.
CSR as part of company culture leads to creative, thoughtful and ongoing philanthropic giving that helps non-profits throughout the world and, in turn, helps the communities those non-profits serve. There are a number of corporations in Washington state that have established successful foundations and giving programs. Here are a handful of Global Washington members who are on the front lines of corporate giving.
Alaska Airlines gives to a number of charitable organizations that focus on the issues affecting communities served by Alaska Airlines. Areas of giving include youth and education, medical (emergency/research) environmental and community outreach. The Alaska Airlines Foundation offers cash grants to non-profit organizations based in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington that focus on educational and workforce development.
Clark Nuber is dedicated to the success of its people, its clients and its community at large. Though Clark Nuber is strongly rooted in the Pacific Northwest, its charitable giving extends globally – supporting international businesses, industries and communities for over six decades. In 2015 alone, Clark Nuber made direct monetary contributions to over 100 organizations, was involved in nearly 70 charitable community organizations, served on over 50 boards, and was included in the Puget Sound Business Journal’s top 75 Corporate Philanthropists in Washington for the third time.
The Emirates Airline Foundation is a non-profit which aims to improve the quality of life for children, regardless of geographical, political or religious boundaries, and to help them maintain or improve their human dignity. The foundation’s aim is to help disadvantaged children realize their full potential by providing them with the basics, which most of us take for granted such as food, medicine, housing and education. Emirates is also a supporter of United for Wildlife, helping to raise awareness about the threat that the illegal wildlife trade poses to the survival of some of the planet’s most endangered and iconic animals.
JPMorgan Chase believes it has a fundamental responsibility to its client and communities to meet economic and social challenges. JPMorgan Chase works with community partners on issues such as workforce development, financial capability, small business development and community development in regions where it does business. In 2015, the firm and its Foundation gave more than $200 million to thousands of non-profit organizations across 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and 43 countries. More than 47,000 employees provided 310,000 hours of volunteer service in local communities around the globe.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. With a foundation of more than 30 years of giving, Microsoft Philanthropies invests its strongest assets – technology, employees, and partnerships – to drive greater inclusion and empowerment of people who do not have access to technology and the opportunities it offers and enables.
PwC has been in the Pacific Northwest since 1907 and has seen the region and the world continuously transformed by the innovation of business. PwC is well-equipped to help organizations address issues that arise in this high growth business climate. They believe business can go beyond products and services to have a measurable impact. PwC is committed to building trust in society and solving important problems for their clients, their people, the marketplace, and society as a whole. Working collaboratively with all of their stakeholders, they aim to deliver positive social impact, with measurable and long-lasting results. PwC is proud of their local, national and global impact.
The Tableau Foundation believes data can unlock innovation and drive collaboration to help solve global challenges. They are using data to make a difference in the world in various ways including: in human rights, where Tableau works with REDLAYMC utilizing data to advocate for children’s rights in Mexico and Latin America; in global health, whereby PATH uses Tableau software to better track and eliminate malaria in Zambia and South Africa; and in civil society development, helping the people of Myanmar learn to use data to bring about democracy in their country.
By Amanda Pain
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is no stranger to philanthropy. With a corporate history dating back to 1799, this financial institution was built by successful business leaders and philanthropists such as John Pierpont Morgan. Today, JPMorgan Chase operates in more than 100 countries, and donates nearly $270 million annually.
JPMorgan Chase philanthropic giving is centered on its four pillars: Work Force Readiness, Financial Capability, Small Business Development and Community Development/Affordable Housing. “We really focus on what we call the four pillars of philanthropy,” said Phyllis Campbell, Chairman, Pacific Northwest for JPMorgan Chase & Co. “We put our dollars, our thought capital and volunteerism into these targeted areas where we have expertise and can make a difference.” Campbell believes this style of philanthropy is unique because it focuses on core issues and utilizes strong local community partners to implement programs.
Campbell, former president and CEO of the Seattle Foundation, came to JPMorgan Chase in 2009. After JPMorgan Chase bought Washington Mutual (WAMU) Bank in 2008, Campbell wanted to carry forward WAMU’s strong commitment to the region. “I really have to say, with my years of working at the Seattle Foundation, I am really impressed with the way (JPMorgan Chase) goes about its corporate giving and partnerships,” said Campbell. She sees all organizations as serving three main stakeholders: customers, employees and the community. “The JP Morgan Chase philosophy of doing the right thing by its customers, employees and communities was an important part of why I took this job, and why I think that JPMorgan Chase has done well wherever it does business.”
JPMorgan Chase’s community spans across the globe, which is why Campbell describes its philanthropy as a combination of global focus with local implementation. For example, in Seattle, there is a team of executives who head philanthropic efforts for the company. Those executives then work with local partners to carry out initiatives specific to community needs. Seattle initiatives include working with partners such as the Pacific Science Center, Brenthaven, University of Washington Foster School of Business and the Seattle Housing Authority. Programs in Seattle funded by JPMorgan Chase include Startup Week Seattle, Fresh Bucks and the redevelopment of Yesler Terrace. “We tend to focus globally on the four pillars,” she said. “But we tell our local teams to find the best partners and tell us what the best strategies are to get from point A to point B, and we will commit to working with those partners.”
In addition to leading JP Morgan Chase’s philanthropic efforts, Campbell is also heavily involved with the Global Cities Initiative. She explains that this initiative provides cities with data on their competitive standing, brings city leaders together to discuss this data, and links cities worldwide to exchange ideas and learn from one another. In 2014, Seattle was the 20th U.S. city to launch Global Cities. Challenge Seattle was then born, an initiative to improve Seattle’s infrastructure, educational opportunities, job placement and city branding. Campbell said Challenge Seattle is a perfect example of how the Global Cities Initiative is encouraging cities to be more globally competitive.
According to Campbell, JPMorgan Chase employees take pride in their corporate responsibility efforts. In 2015 alone, 47,000 employees provided 310,000 hours of volunteer service. “I think this region values philanthropy, volunteering and giving back. I think it is just part of who we are and people really value that in the employers they work for,” said Campbell. She went on to explain that JPMorgan Chase aims to be a steward to communities where it does business. “I think our philanthropy has been driven by a real emphasis on corporate responsibility. We have an obligation to give back as a large corporation and to be a good corporate citizen.”
One of the biggest challenges for corporations is that sustainable change requires long-term commitment. “You can throw money at anything, but to be successful you have to have the right partners, address the right stakeholders and have the will to sustain change when it gets hard,” said Campbell. In addition, she believes philanthropy is evolving to include both local and global, and company initiatives must address both. “Donors today want to get involved in solving some of the world’s biggest problems. Here in Seattle, we have more globally aware donors than almost any place in the nation,” said Campbell. She believes Global Washington has raised the bar in terms of how Washingtonians think of themselves as part of a global community by helping local organizations solve problems that affect lives worldwide.
Campbell is pleased with the positive changes that JPMorgan Chase has made in the communities where it does business. She wants stakeholders to acknowledge that JPMorgan Chase is fulfilling its promises by investing in the four pillars and investing in long-term, sustainable change. “What drives us is our sense of responsibility, especially to the economy and to the financial underpinnings of the communities where we do business,” explained Campbell. “We want to help all parts of the community do well and succeed.”
Campbell is excited that partners are already lauding JPMorgan Chase’s philanthropic efforts. She says that her work, however, and that of her team, is far from over.
By Amanda Pain
When Jane Meseck took a job at Microsoft in 1997, she planned to stay for a few years before returning to school to get her Ph.D. in Public Policy. Nearly 20 years later, Meseck, now Director of Global Programs for Microsoft Philanthropies, has no plans to leave anytime soon.
Meseck was a technology consultant in the private sector before pivoting to the public sector. I was not planning to stay in the corporate sector,” explained Meseck. “I fully intended to get out of corporate work all together when I went to graduate school, and planned on getting my Ph.D. and teaching.” Working in the business sector in the 1990s, Meseck saw how technology could positively impact private sector productivity, and she believed the non-profit sector could benefit, as well. “I didn’t fall for the old adage that non-profits needed to apply more business acumen to be more effective, because I saw non-profits doing so much with so little.” Meseck wanted to play in role in advancing non-profits use of technology so that they could be even more efficient.
After moving to Seattle and getting an M.P.A. from the University of Washington, Meseck took a research and teaching job at UW’s Institute for Public Policy and Management. She heard Microsoft was hiring in what was then called its Community Affairs department. They were seeking someone with a business background who could explore ways in which technology could advance the non-profit sector. “It was a really unique opportunity to bring my business background and my social good interest together,” said Meseck. “I took the job and it has been 19 ½ years, so things have worked out pretty well.”
On her first day at Microsoft, Meseck was handed a large stack of letters from non-profits that were requesting the technology giant’s help. “One of the biggest things I wanted to do when I first started was to look at what role Microsoft could play in bringing technology to non-profits,” Meseck explained. When she started with the company, Microsoft was donating a couple million dollars in software every year to a handful of U.S. states. Today, Meseck has helped expand product donation to over $1 billion annually, with products shipped to markets worldwide. “When I step back, that is probably my biggest accomplishment,” she said. “I really scaled our product donations to be accessible to non-profits all over the world.”
Meseck’s current role as Director of Global Programs for Microsoft Philanthropies involves leading Technology for Good, Humanitarian Response and Employee Giving programs. She feels fortunate to have been a part of corporate giving at Microsoft over the past 20 years, and she truly enjoys the people she surrounds herself with every day. “The people I work with are amazing,” she said. “They are all truly focused on doing good and helping others do good.”
Meseck is passionate about both technology and humanitarian issues and feels lucky that her role allows her to address both. “One of the biggest issues of today surrounds migrants and refugees,” Meseck explained. “In working in humanitarian response programs, I am trying to figure out how Microsoft can approach this crisis in new ways.” Meseck also cares deeply about animals, and is a devoted volunteer at the Seattle Humane Society. “My passion is saving puppies and kitties,” said Meseck. “I do stuff like clean kennels, which I like because, in my profession, often the type of volunteer work non-profits want me to do is very similar to what I do in my day job. At the Seattle Humane Society, I can just help the animals, and it’s really nice.”
Microsoft Philanthropies was launched in December 2015 to consolidate the company’s philanthropic work and utilize all company assets in order to better achieve the mission “to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” Meseck said this new approach goes beyond dollar and product donations by expanding employee engagement to better utilize their expertise, and raising the company’s voice to advocate for issues important to Microsoft, such as counting computer science coursework as STEM credit. One way Meseck would like to see Microsoft Philanthropies expand during her tenure is to connect employee volunteers with non-profits that need technology skills training. Meseck lauds Microsoft employees for their generosity and service. In 2015, the company raised and matched $125 million in employee donations, and employee’s volunteered over 570,000 hours. “We want (employees) to volunteer more, but we would love to see more of those hours go towards skills-based volunteering to help non-profit organization’s staff increase their technology skills and better use technology to pursue their mission.”
Meseck believes corporate philanthropy is important because corporations have valuable assets such as products and employee expertise that go beyond foundation funding that non-profits seek. “Especially with a multinational corporation like Microsoft, we are everywhere, so we have people everywhere that can support projects all over the world. Because we have people on the ground in so many places, we understand the communities we work in, and can bring relevant programs to those communities.”
Meseck understands the external and internal challenges companies face in making their philanthropic programs a success. Externally, they need to find and support the right partners who have mutual goals. “That’s the hardest part,” she said. “But when you get it right, it is also the best part because of the huge impact you can have.” Internally, a company’s philanthropic efforts need to be positioned to employees as a critical part of the company and its culture. “In my job, I play this dual role of driving external impact while simultaneously ensuring the work you do reflects back positively on the business, and supports the business.”
Meseck loves what she does and plans to stay at Microsoft until she “graduates” and can devote more time to volunteering. “I probably have one of the best jobs here,” she said. “I’m given the resources to do what I love, which is to help the non-profit sector use technology for social good. That mission is still resonating with me in a big way.”
Please welcome our newest Global Washington members and partners. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with their work and consider opportunities for support and collaboration!
American Cancer Society
For over 100 years, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has worked relentlessly to save lives and create a world with less cancer. Together with millions of supporters worldwide, ACS helps people stay well and get well, find cures, and fight back against cancer. www.cancer.org
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. At work in over 40 countries and 25 U.S. cities to restore safety, dignity and hope, the IRC leads the way from harm to home. rescue.org/seattle
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational banking and financial services holding company. www.jpmorganchase.com
Vista Hermosa Foundation
Vista Hermosa Foundation (VHF) was established by Ralph and Cheryl Broetje in 1990 to carry out the mission of “bearing fruit that will last.” In addition to supporting local education programs in the Vista Hermosa community, VHF invests in the development of holistic, sustainable communities in East Africa, India, Haiti, Mexico and the United States. www.firstfruits.com/vista-hermosa-foundation.html
Highlighted Positions
Program Advisor: Global Washington
Director of Sponsorship: Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos
Strategic Partnerships Director: Vista Hermosa Foundation
For more jobs and resources, visit https://globalwa.org/resources/careers-in-development/
June 23: Networking Happy Hour
July 18: WCIT 2016 Summer Luncheon: Leading on Trade
August 7-12: Accelerating for Social Transformation Certification Course
December 8: Global Washington’s 8th Annual Conference
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Do you know someone doing great work connecting the Seattle area to the rest of the world?
Someone whose tireless efforts embody the values of the Seattle Globalist: creativity, diversity, open-mindedness, social & economic justice, humanitarianism and community development?
Help choose the 2016 Globalist of the Year by nominating a change-maker in your community. It’s as simple as filling out this quick nomination form.
The winner will be honored at the Globie Awards on October 14, 2016 at the Georgetown Ballroom. Click here to buy tickets for the party!
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Throughout this election year, news outlets are constantly pushing out political commentary, debates and advertisements, and the heated rhetoric around immigration is at an all-time high. It is undeniable that Latin American migrants play a role in the U.S. economy and our society as a whole. But why are people from across Latin America choosing to leave their families in order to travel to a country that does not always welcome them with open arms? Continue Reading
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Microsoft Corporate Vice President Mary Snapp is now the head of Microsoft Philanthropies. She oversees more than $1 billion of giving annually. Photo: Microsoft.
Microsoft — the company that already gives the most cash to Washington nonprofits — announced in December that it is expanding its commitment to corporate philanthropy and has formed a division within the company, Microsoft Philanthropies, that will align its giving with its core business mission.
Microsoft Philanthropies will focus on connecting “the benefits of technology to those who need it most and work harder to drive inclusive growth of the global economy,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith in a blog post. The company’s giving has surpassed $1 billion, with cash donations of nearly $120 million and in-kind donations worth nearly $950 million. Now the company’s philanthropic arm continues that giving but directs it by making strategic investments of cash and technology in digital inclusion programs and partnerships, mobilizing the technical talents of employees and forming creative and collaborative partnerships, and using its brand power to highlight and call others to action.
Click here to read the full article in Puget Sound Business Journal.
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Welcome to the May 2016 issue of the Global Washington newsletter.
Washington state has a vibrant global health community and is a leader in efforts to eliminate and eradicate diseases that plague developing countries such as polio, malaria and guinea worm. We have made tremendous progress to eradicate polio and guinea worm, and are emboldened by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s declaration that malaria can be eliminated with sufficient investments, ambitious strategies and new technologies.
This month, Global Washington formed a special partnership with the Washington Global Health Alliance to spotlight the work of the global health community in our state in the race to wipe out infectious disease. None of this will be easy. In fact, it might be the most difficult thing the global health community has faced. But with organizations such as PATH, Malaria No More and the Gates Foundation leading the way, Seattle will be known as a driving force in making a healthier and more prosperous world. Read more about these local champions in the issue brief below.
We celebrated progress made in global health at last week’s Spring Member Celebration, in addition to recognizing achievements in other areas such as financial services, global education, economic development and land rights. Thank you to everyone who attended and partied on the dance floor. I continue to be inspired by this tremendous community of people.
Kristen Dailey
Executive Director
Did your organization participate in GiveBIG on May 3-4 this year?
By Amanda Pain
Photo Credit: VillageReach
In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the eradication of smallpox, the first and only infectious disease to meet this fate. Eradication of a disease is defined as the permanent reduction to zero of the worldwide incidence of infection. The road to eradication includes stops at control, the reduction of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity or mortality to a locally acceptable level, followed by elimination, the reduction to zero of the incidence of infection in a defined geographical area.
Smallpox has several characteristics that made eradication possible: an effective vaccine which could prevent infection with a single dose, highly visible symptoms with a short incubation period, and transmission occurring only human-to-human. Since the last known case of smallpox, The International Task Force for Disease Eradication has been coordinating efforts to rid the world of infectious diseases. However, each disease is unique and has its own set of challenges on the path to eradication. To illustrate how diseases differ in treatment, interventions and challenges, this article will focus on global efforts to eradicate polio, guinea worm and malaria.
Polio, also called poliomyelitis, is believed to be the next infectious disease in line for eradication because it has been eliminated everywhere except for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Polio is a viral infectious disease transmitted from person to person through the fecal-oral route. The virus primarily affects children under age five, and one in 200 infections can lead to irreversible paralysis. Polio cases have decreased by 99 percent since 1988, and in 2015 there were only 22 reported cases of polio worldwide. This reduction is due to coordinated efforts of The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). In order to tackle the two remaining endemic countries with polio, the GPEI developed the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 to rid the world of polio by 2018.
Polio eradication strategy involves the immunization of every child, strong surveillance to detect and interrupt transmission and a long-term plan to ensure vulnerable countries do not see reemergence of infection. In April, a new bivalent oral polio vaccine started being distributed globally. This new vaccine protects against polio types 1 and 3 (type 2 was eradicated in 1999) and is stronger than the previous oral vaccine. Many of the challenges to eradicating polio are due to instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The remaining areas with polio infection are isolated and people have limited access to vaccines, and face security problems.
Guinea worm disease, also known as dracunculus medinensis, is caused by a parasitic worm which enters the body through ingestion of contaminated water. When a person drinks the worm larvae living in nearby water sources, the larvae migrate through intestinal walls, mate, and after 10 to 14 months the pregnant female extracts itself painfully from the foot of the host. The adult female worm carries three million embryos, and can measure 60 to 100 centimeters in length. For pain relief, infected people place the affected area in water, releasing the larvae back into the water source for the next victim. There is no treatment to prevent infection or heal a person of guinea worm. While rarely fatal, a person can suffer from infection at the site of extraction leading to skin ulcers and permanent disability. Eradication of guinea worm depends solely on access to clean drinking water.
The good news is that, in 2015, there were only 22 reported cases of guinea worm in four countries (Chad, Mali, South Sudan and Ethiopia). Eradication efforts include detecting cases within 24 hours, health education and ensuring access to safe drinking water. Since 1986, The Carter Center has led the international campaign for guinea worm eradication, and today cases have been reduced by 99.99 percent. Once eradicated, it will be the first parasitic disease to meet this fate, as well as the first disease eradicated without the use of vaccines or medications. Challenges to guinea worm eradication include infections in remote areas where interventions can not reach people, as well as dogs hosting the parasite which has led to increased human transmission in Chad and Ethiopia.
Malaria is an infectious disease of the blood caused by the plasmodium parasite and is transmitted from person to person by the female anopheles mosquito. Once the parasite enters the body, it lodges in the host’s liver, multiples, and enters the blood stream to infect red blood cells. Without treatment, malaria leads to death. In Africa, a child dies every two minutes from malaria and, in 2015, there were an estimated 214 million cases of malaria worldwide (mostly in pregnant women and children). In 2015, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 88 percent of malaria cases and 90 percent of malaria deaths. Approximately half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria, but the disease is preventable and curable.
The Global Malaria Eradication Program launched by WHO in 1955 was the first attempt at eradicating malaria. The program was criticized for its one-size-fits-all approach, lack of community involvement and lack of research and evaluation on intervention methods. It was abandoned in 1970. Since 2000, improved interventions have decreased the incidence of malaria by 37 percent globally, and mortality rates in children under age five have fallen by 58 percent. Interventions today include rapid diagnostic tests, malaria medications for treatment and prevention, availability of insecticide treated bed nets (since mosquitos carrying the virus feed at night) as well as indoor insecticide spraying. A malaria vaccine is also in development. The new goal is a major reduction of malaria cases and deaths by 2030 and the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030 outlines a plan to achieve this.
Malaria has a longer and more challenging road to eradication when compared to polio and guinea worm, but important achievements are being made in the fight to end malaria. In April, Europe was the first region in the world to be certified as malaria-free by the WHO. This is defined as zero locally acquired malaria cases for three consecutive years. Two major challenges to other regions of the world becoming malaria-free are insecticide resistance by mosquitos and medication resistance by strains of the virus. Another challenge is that a majority of transmissions start with asymptomatic people, requiring medical professionals to diagnose patients who have yet to show symptoms, and then treat them before transmission can occur.
Polio, guinea worm and malaria are unique diseases each with their own unique challenges, much like other infectious diseases that are causing death and disability around the world. While the road to eradication for each disease has many paths and varies in length, global health organizations must continue to collaborate and pursue solutions. Below are several GlobalWA members working towards eradication of infectious diseases. Learn more about these organizations and others on our interactive member map.
Health & Hope Foundation (HHF) provides dental, vision, non-surgical medical care and preventative healthcare education tools to impoverished communities who otherwise lack access or means for care. Clinics are on-site and portable allowing for access to rural areas. By teaming with local leaders, specific community needs such as disease prevention, clean water, light, education, sexual safely, safe living conditions and sustainable business are illuminated. Local leaders are developed to address these needs within HHF programs or by linking them with specialized NGOs. www.healthandhopefoundation.org
Malaria No More (MNM) is working to create a world where no child dies from a mosquito bite. Using strategic advocacy and innovative partnerships to engage global leaders, rally the public and deliver lifesaving tools and education to families across Africa, MNM aims to create the political will and mobilize the global resources required to achieve malaria eradication within our generation. They work with leaders of malaria-endemic countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to increase the amount of attention and funding they commit to malaria each year, elevating it on the global health and international development agenda. www.malarianomore.org
Medical Teams International works to stem the tide of communicable diseases among vulnerable populations in locations where access to health care and medicine is lacking. In Uganda, this means curbing malarial infections, particularly among refugees. Medical Teams was instrumental in quelling the deadly cholera outbreak that swept through Haiti following the devastating 2010 earthquake, and preventing further outbreaks. And in Liberia, Medical Teams has worked to build durable partnerships to strengthen health systems in the fight against Ebola. Through clinical case management, prevention, education and early diagnosis, Medical Teams aims to stamp out the spread of deadly diseases around the globe. www.medicalteams.org
PATH is a leader in global health innovation. An international nonprofit, PATH saves lives and improves health, especially among women and children, and works alongside countries primarily in Africa and Asia to tackle their greatest health needs. With a network of partners, both in the Pacific Northwest and around the world, PATH advances high-impact, low-cost approaches to not only manage and control stubborn diseases, but to end them completely. Recently, PATH and their partners helped vaccinate more than 235 million people against meningitis A in sub-Saharan Africa — nearly eliminating it as a major health threat in the span of five years. Through the PATH Center for Malaria Control and Elimination, the organization is building on their unparalleled portfolio of malaria tools and projects — including cutting-edge research and development of malaria drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines — to advance efforts toward elimination. PATH’s work in disease elimination also includes diagnostics and other tools to fight polio and neglected tropical diseases like river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. www.path.org.
With over 16 million cases of malaria per year in a population of only 34 million, Ugandans have the highest malaria transmission rates in the world, and status quo measures are not reducing malaria fast enough. In partnership with Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Rotary International, Seattle #4 Rotary Club and Peace Corps Uganda, Pilgrim Africa is charting a course for the most cost-effective, safest and fastest way to reduce malaria in high transmission settings. Pilgrim Africa’s newest operational research project combines and sequences the most effective malaria interventions for mosquito control and medical management in order to rapidly reduce malaria transmission and maintain the new lower rates. This intervention is predicted by mathematical modeling to remove over 90% of the death and disease caused by malaria and to provide a cost-effective solution at scale. www.pilgrimafrica.org
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Founded in 1997, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works in developing countries to improve people’s health and to lift them out of extreme poverty. The Foundation’s global health and development work uses advances in science and technology, and works with partners in developing countries to deliver vaccines, drugs and diagnostics. The Gates Foundation works to find new solutions and interventions to improve efficiency and effectiveness and ensure these methods reach those most in need. The Foundation also invests in vaccines for HIV, polio and malaria, as well as supports integrated health solutions for family planning, nutrition and maternal and child health. www.gatesfoundation.org
UNICEF, the world’s largest buyer of vaccines, provides immunization for forty percent of the world’s children. Today, infant and childhood vaccination saves up to 3 million children’s lives a year. Conflict, displacement and poverty keep some of the most vulnerable children from getting the vaccines they need. If all children were immunized with existing vaccines, by 2020 we would save nearly 25 million lives. Thanks to UNICEF and partners’ global immunization and vaccine efforts, polio has almost — but not quite — disappeared. In 2014, India joined the ranks of the polio-free, a major achievement thanks to lifesaving polio vaccines, and in 2015, Nigeria reached a milestone when it went a full year without a single case of polio. www.unicefusa.org
VillageReach increases access to quality healthcare by improving the capacity and efficiency of health systems in the world’s most underserved communities. With a particular emphasis in last mile supply chain systems, VillageReach has developed innovative approaches to improve transport and logistics for vaccine delivery and other essential medicines, including HIV medicines and other related supplies to test and treat infectious diseases. www.villagereach.org
By Amanda Pain
A data collector, community health worker and district malaria focal person look at a mobile phone with the village of Harmony in the background. Photo Credit: PATH/Gabe Bienczycki.
Malaria, an infectious disease of the blood caused by the plasmodium parasite, is responsible for over 400,000 deaths and nearly half of the world’s population is at risk of infection each year. Spread through mosquitoes, malaria affects millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa, especially pregnant women and children. Eliminating a disease that infects so many people requires a smart and strategic approach. PATH, an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Seattle, understands this.
“PATH works on a number of platforms to address malaria,” said Dr. Nanthalile Mugala, Country Program Leader for Zambia. “PATH is not just working at the system and service implementation level, but also addresses innovations in new drugs, diagnostics, as well as vaccine candidates that could reduce malaria prevalence.”
PATH contributes to the control and elimination of malaria in endemic countries and has worked with partners to save 6.2 million lives over the past 15 years through scale up of malaria interventions. PATH’s Center for Malaria Control and Elimination brings together expertise to develop new and improved tools and approaches to attack the deadly disease. PATH has pioneered innovations to improve diagnostic tools, increase malaria drug supply, and has helped to develop what could become the first-ever licensed malaria vaccine, MosquirixTM. PATH also partners with national governments and local communities. For example, the Malaria Control and Elimination Partnership in Africa (MACEPA) has partnered with the Zambian government to reduce malaria prevalence in parts of Zambia, according to Mugala.
“Whatever work we do as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), can only be effective if we work with government systems,” said Mugala. “One of PATH’s key mandates is to ensure capacity building among local people to help sustain progress.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has a global strategy to reduce incidence of malaria by 90 percent, and to eliminate it in 35 countries by 2030. Mugala believes PATH has contributed to the global reduction of malaria, and will be a key player in the WHO strategy. In Zambia alone, PATH has been working to reduce malaria since 2004 and is helping the Zambian government eliminate malaria by 2020, ten years earlier than the WHO target. Mugala said the Zambian government believes this 2020 target is possible partly because PATH’s efforts in partnership with the Zambian government’s National Malaria Control Centre have led to large reductions in malaria prevalence in Southern Province.
PATH has also helped Zambia improve its data collection methods. “Having credible data regarding the magnitude of the problem in various geographical areas helps to focus resources,” said Mugala. PATH has strongly supported the government in data management efforts to strengthen malaria programs.
Mugala believes PATH has also been instrumental in engaging local communities and training health workers to test and treat people for malaria. “National level commitment and pronouncements can be made, but I think ultimately the people at the household level will make elimination a success.” PATH works with community leaders to attain village engagement and holds community meetings to explain malaria transmission and prevention. The meetings also help communities learn what is happening, and take ownership of the malaria program activities. “Malaria is a household name in Zambia,” said Mugala, “but people are not always clear on how it is transmitted.” She emphasized that engaging communities and giving people the tools to prevent malaria is critical in achieving elimination.
Trained as a medical doctor, Mugala spent 15 years practicing medicine before moving full-time into the public health sphere. “One of the things that doctors and nurses would complain about in Zambia was how full the hospitals always were,” she said. “You wonder why this person is coming so late to the hospital often in a severe condition. When you are working in public heath, you actually have a chance to contribute to preventing disease and promoting interventions that improve access to appropriate timely treatment services so people won’t end up in the hospital.”
Racheal Mokosha, District Malaria Focal Person, stands in front of a crowd of children in Harmony village. Photo Credit: PATH/Gabe Bienczycki.
Prevention methods used in Zambia include providing households with insecticide treated bed nets, as well as conducting indoor residual spraying of insecticides. Mugala said PATH also helps to train community health workers to test and treat for malaria. If a household has a positive case of malaria, the health worker will test everyone in that household and in surrounding households. Anyone with a positive result receives treatment immediately. To date, PATH has contributed to the training of more than 2,500 of these health workers — volunteers chosen by their communities — in surveillance to identify, contain and clear malaria infection in their villages.
The Zambian government, with assistance from PATH and other partners, is forming a strategy to eliminate malaria by 2020. Mugala believes the biggest challenge to this goal is ensuring that Zambia has the required financial and human resources. She also stressed the importance of working with neighboring countries to monitor and reduce transmission across borders. “I am happy that we have set a benchmark. It is going to be hard work and we will need sustained commitment and adequate resources.”
Mugala believes, if Zambia succeeds in eliminating malaria, sub-Saharan Africa can use the country as a model to control and eventually eliminate malaria in other African countries. “Often having the evidence that something can be done motivates everybody to want to try,” said Mugala. “PATH has been consistently and successfully working on malaria for the past ten years, and it is highly respected. You cannot mention malaria right now without mentioning PATH’s contribution.”
By Amanda Pain
Ananda Bandyopadhyay has what he calls a love-hate relationship with polio. While he was never particularly fascinated with polio as a topic as a medical student, he witnessed many peers suffering from the disease. “Growing up in India was really my exposure to the real world, in terms of what diseases really mean beyond the medicine books,” he said. With the ultimate vision of being a cardiologist, Bandyopadhyay was a young medical graduate when he took a job at the World Health Organization’s (WHO) National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP).
“A few months into my new job in the (polio) eradication program I was completely fascinated. I never would have realized public health would have so much impact,” said Bandyopadhyay. What initially was billed as only a six-month break from practicing medicine, he ended up staying at WHO for four years, and went on to receive a Master’s degree in global health from Harvard University. Currently a Senior Program Officer with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s polio program, polio has become Bandyopadhyay’s life’s work.
A highly infectious viral disease largely affecting children under age five, polio has been reduced globally by 99 percent since 1988. When Bandyopadhyay took the position at WHO, India was highly endemic with a rapid transmission rate. He said the most challenging part of elimination in India was reaching everyone. “You knew that the vaccine worked, but you could not just administer it once. You actually had to go back to the same remote village over and over again to essentially beat the speed of transmission with the speed of your vaccination activities. It’s incredible now looking back that India actually succeeded.”
Bandyopadhyay examining an infant in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Bandyopadhyay described the work to eliminate polio in India as a social movement that went beyond a health program. Health workers had to overcome social and economic challenges, deal with language and cultural differences, as well as ensure that local and national governments were committed to eliminating the disease. According to Bandyopadhyay, India is an example to the world that a diverse and populous country can unite together for a common cause. Polio was eliminated in India in 2011.
Today the remaining cases of polio are in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Elimination in these last endemic areas are challenging not because of reluctance to prevention or treatment methods, but rather due to lack of access, said Bandyopadhyay. “If you look at the big picture, the proportion of those reluctant to vaccination is very small. Most of the population is willing to take up not only vaccinations, but also health care interventions. The challenge is actually reaching them, and doing that over and over again.”
Polio vaccination campaign during floods in Bihar, India.
With the Gates Foundation’s polio team, Bandyopadhyay works on a research portfolio that aims to improve vaccines, improve vaccine delivery and improve surveillance systems to track and respond to new outbreaks of polio. Much of this work is planning how to sustain polio eradication once achieved. Bandyopadhyay believes the world has the tools needed to eradicate polio, but ensuring eradication will require the world to be united in the fight. “The virus that we are fighting is a noble one that doesn’t discriminate based on race, socioeconomic status, nationality or religion,” he said. “Being immunized or not is all that matters to the virus and we should take that same approach in our eradication efforts.”
Knowing the world is close to eradicating polio, the disease Bandyopadhyay has dedicated his career to fighting, what’s next for him?
“I’ll take a break and retire,” he joked. He went on to explain that the job is never really over, even when polio cases reach zero. “That will be a huge achievement, but after that you have to ensure that children are still protected with vaccines, and that we are still alert with the surveillance activities.” Bandyopadhyay believes the world will have to work to sustain polio eradication, and then leverage this work to control and eradicate other infectious diseases.
“I consider myself a foot solider in this battle to eradicate the virus,” he said. “I am most proud when I describe myself as a vaccinator. The very fact that people are dying from vaccine-preventable diseases bothers me, and I think it bothers all of us. After polio eradication, there will still be a lot to do.”
May 17 – June 1: University of Washington – Bothell // Register Now: Accelerating for Social Transformation Certification Course
May 20: GSBA // Scholars Dinner
May 21: OneWorld Now! // Get Global Youth Conference
May 25: Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce // Young Professionals Network: Chamber Board Leadership Mixer
Highlighted Positions
Senior Program Officer, Gender Equality – Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Director of Development – Habitat for Humanity, Seattle-King County
Sanitation Program Manager – Splash
For more jobs and resources, visit https://globalwa.org/resources/careers-in-development/
May 19: Networking Happy Hour with Friends of GlobalWA, Humanosphere and World Affairs Council
June 9: Fast Pitch: Taking Risks to Change the World
June 16: Executive Director Roundtable featuring Amy White
December 8: Global Washington’s 8th Annual Conference
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I first heard about Marta last September. By this time, her story was known by most of my colleagues as “The Ukraine Sisters.” She was at the heart of an unbelievable story of separation—72 years!—suddenly reunited with her sister on a Skype call from Idaho to Ukraine.
It all came together last summer when a search launched in 2008 finally bore fruit. The result was unexpected discovery for Marta Kruk Lysnewycz, who was born in Ukraine in 1926 and currently lives in Sandpoint, Idaho. Through a Red Cross program called Restoring Family Links, her sister, Vassia, who was taken for forced labor in WWII and was thought to have been killed, was found. She was still alive and living in a remote Ukrainian village. Continue Reading
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Nearly three billion people live in areas of the world where the rights of LGBTIQ individuals are abused. While LGBTIQ rights are gaining visibility and people in all walks of life are better understanding the importance of these rights, there is a battle to be fought and this is only the beginning.
OutRight Action International, a GlobalWA member, is on the frontlines of this fight. OutRight is dedicated to worldwide human rights advocacy for those who experience discrimination because of their perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender or expression. Jessica Stern, OutRight’s Executive Director based out of the New York headquarters, led the April 28 GlobalWA Executive Director Roundtable. Amie Bishop, Co-Chair of OutRight’s board and a Seattle resident, joined her at the table, along with Ashton Giese, OutRight’s Development Associate. Continue Reading
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By Gwen Straley, Executive Director, 3rd Creek Foundation
3CF made its first impact investment in Nam Thang Long, a company that manufactures life-jacket backpacks which prevent early childhood drowning during monsoon season in Vietnam.
3rd Creek Foundation (3CF) is a small organization, but at just 12% the asset size of the average U.S. private family foundation, it has a big vision: a world without poverty. Since its founding in 2007, 3CF has made grants to small organizations in developing countries around the world who are working to alleviate poverty in their communities. These grants follow the standard 5% annual payout rate mandated for perpetual foundations. To increase impact without spending down principal, 3CF has implemented a strategy to apply more funds toward mission related activity through impact investing. 3CF makes small-sized investments of up to $20K directly in early stage businesses in South Asia and East Africa. This outlay is important because there are roughly thousands of small social enterprises with sound business models that lack access to much needed capital. As mentioned by Capria, early stage enterprises make up the “missing middle,” and are unable to access capital from microfinance institutions, local banks, and most impact investors who make larger sized investments. Continue Reading