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Submitting guest blogs is open to Global Washington’s members of the Atlas level and above. We value a diversity of opinions on a broad range of subjects of interest to the global health and development community.

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Lights, Camera, Vaccinate! How Malawi Uses Drama to Boost Immunization Rates

By Joan Kalepa and Ronald Ngeno, VillageReach

Two actors in play outside with audience

Drama group acting in a play called “Better Late than Never” in Malawi. Photo credit: Cosmah Chaula

Imagine a child’s missed vaccination sparking a dramatic scene, not of anger, but of awareness. In Malawi, this is a powerful new approach to public health. Through theatrical performances on local stages, communities are learning about the importance of vaccinations in a way that’s both entertaining and effective.

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Addressing Vaccine Dis- and Mis-information in Yemen

By Aisha Jumaan, President, Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation (YRRF)

Image of boy in wheel chair

“Polio has no treatment. Best protection is vaccination.”

In the past few years, Yemen experienced a dramatic rise in vaccine-preventable diseases, posing a severe threat to public health amidst an already dire humanitarian crisis. Millions of Yemeni children missed routine immunizations, with only 37% fully vaccinated in 2023. This gap contributed to over 53,000 suspected measles cases and 2,347 confirmed cases. Additionally, there were 1,978 suspected diphtheria cases. The circulation of polio virus type 2 persisted, with three new confirmed cases in 2023, raising the total to 239 confirmed cases since the outbreak began in November 2021. Vaccine disinformation and misinformation further threatened public trust in the vaccination program.

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Bridging Healthcare Gaps for Island Communities in Ghana

By Global Communities

View of Ghana health voyager on water

In a momentous step towards revolutionizing healthcare accessibility for secluded island communities in the Oti region of Ghana, the United States Agency for International Development ), in partnership with Global Communities, orchestrated the commissioning and handover ceremony of the groundbreaking “Health Voyager” boat.

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