April Dispatch: What can the 40-year-old smallpox eradication effort teach us now?

Our Health, Our Planet: World Health Day

Photo Contest Winners

More than 50 submissions from 14 countries entered our photo contest celebrating World Health Day 2022 on April 7. The winning photographs are featured in this World Health Day lookbook. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who participated!

COVID-19 Response Strengthens Routine Immunization Systems in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa

The devastation of COVID-19 has included more than six million deaths and impacts on education, the economy, development and many other areas of society, but one positive outcome is strengthening national routine immunization systems.

ALL COVID-19 ACTIVITIES

WHO and Member States Reform Law for International Response to Health Emergencies

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Member States have convened an effort to reform the current law on international cooperation during public health events and emergencies and to outline a new treaty to support better pandemic response. As a non-State actor in official relations with the WHO, The Task Force supports these efforts through two working groups. Read.

Children Without Worms Names New Director

The Task Force is excited to announce Dr. Paul Emerson as the new director of the Children Without Worms (CWW) program. Emerson is also the director of the International Trachoma Initiative and has been acting as interim program director for CWW since 2021.

In Memory of Global Public Health Leader Ralph 'Rafe' Henderson

The Task Force is deeply saddened by the passing of global public health visionary, trailblazer and friend Dr. Ralph ‘Rafe’ Henderson. We reflect on the many ways he touched our lives and work, and the global impact he had. Read.

Video: Trailer for New Smallpox Documentary Debuts Nine Lessons Learned for Becoming Better Ancestors

Task Force co-founder Dr. Bill Foege, CEO Dave Ross and other Task Force experts are featured in a new virtual learning series on lessons learned from smallpox eradication. Watch the trailer.

Highlight: Immunization Expert Burmaa Alexander

Burmaa Alexander has helped build Mongolia’s immunization system which allowed the country to swiftly vaccinate people against COVID-19. Read her feature in our annual report about how she's helped protect Mongolians from vaccine-preventable diseases.

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THIS IS MY STORY

IN THE NEWS

An April 12 Science article called “Pandemic propels global effort to study rare vaccine side effects” quoted Task Force vaccine safety expert Dr. Robert Chen, director of the Brighton Collaboration.

On April 23, Voices for Vaccines program director Karen Ernst was quoted in USA Today's article called “More children were hospitalized for COVID during omicron, CDC study finds. Most were unvaccinated."

Coalition for Global Hepatitis program director Dr. John Ward was featured in Healio’s “Q&A: ‘The search for answers continues,’ expert says about hepatitis outbreak in children” on April 27.

Marking World Immunization Week (April 24-30), the Ready2Respond initiative housed at The Task Force released a statement on the opportunity to use influenza vaccination programs to better equip the world and ensure more equitable access to vaccines for the next pandemic.

PROGRAM EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Join Women in Global Health-Georgia for “Vax to the Max” in collaboration with The Task Force, Emory Global Health Institute, the Center for Global Health Innovation, and the World Affairs Council of Atlanta on May 11 from 12 to 1 p.m. (EST). This event will explore the roles high-income countries should play in equitable vaccine delivery. Register.

The Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL) refreshed their website. Browse the new look.

In the next two months, GPZL will conduct action planning with the National Leprosy Programmes of Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda to accelerate their zero leprosy efforts. Learn more about the planning.

The Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE), Partners in Health Malawi and the Ministry of Health Malawi announce a partnership to improve hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing and treatment policies to reduce deaths from liver disease and liver cancer. Malawi will join four other countries in the project for Hepatitis Evaluations to Amplify Testing and Treatment.

CGHE is co-hosting a webinar with the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse called “Elimination of Hepatitis C and Drug Abuse in the Criminal Justice System” at 3pm EST on May 5. Register.

Just released: The latest edition of the Common Thread podcast in which the Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics director Dr. David Addiss is interviewed about compassion and global health. Listen.

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We take on big problems. We have real impact.

Our Health, Our Planet: World Health Day Photo Contest Winners

More than 50 submissions from 14 countries entered our photo contest celebrating World Health Day 2022 on April 7. The winning photographs are featured in this World Health Day lookbook. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who participated!

COVID-19 Response Strengthens Routine Immunization Systems in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa

The devastation of COVID-19 has included more than six million deaths and impacts on education, the economy, development and many other areas of society, but one positive outcome is strengthening national routine immunization systems.

WHO and Member States Reform Law for International Response to Health Emergencies

Children Without Worms Names New Director

The Task Force is excited to announce Dr. Paul Emerson as the new director of the Children Without Worms (CWW) program. Emerson is also the director of the International Trachoma Initiative and has been acting as interim program director for CWW since 2021.

In Memory of Global Public Health Leader Ralph 'Rafe' Henderson

The Task Force is deeply saddened by the passing of global public health visionary, trailblazer and friend Dr. Ralph ‘Rafe’ Henderson. We reflect on the many ways he touched our lives and work, and the global impact he had. Read.

Video: Trailer for New Smallpox Documentary Debuts Nine Lessons Learned for Becoming Better Ancestors

Task Force co-founder Dr. Bill Foege, CEO Dave Ross and other Task Force experts are featured in a new virtual learning series on lessons learned from smallpox eradication. Watch the trailer.

Highlight: Immunization Expert Burmaa Alexander

Burmaa Alexander has helped build Mongolia’s immunization system which allowed the country to swiftly vaccinate people against COVID-19. Read her feature in our annual report about how she's helped protect Mongolians from vaccine-preventable diseases.

LAST CHANCE: Complete 5-question survey for raffle to win Amazon gift card

THIS IS MY STORY

IN THE NEWS

An April 12 Science article called “Pandemic propels global effort to study rare vaccine side effects” quoted Task Force vaccine safety expert Dr. Robert Chen, director of the Brighton Collaboration.

On April 23, Voices for Vaccines program director Karen Ernst was quoted in USA Today's article called “More children were hospitalized for COVID during omicron, CDC study finds. Most were unvaccinated."

Coalition for Global Hepatitis program director Dr. John Ward was featured in Healio’s “Q&A: ‘The search for answers continues,’ expert says about hepatitis outbreak in children” on April 27.

Marking World Immunization Week (April 24-30), the Ready2Respond initiative housed at The Task Force released a statement on the opportunity to use influenza vaccination programs to better equip the world and ensure more equitable access to vaccines for the next pandemic.

PROGRAM EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL) refreshed their website. Browse the new look.

In the next two months, GPZL will conduct action planning with the National Leprosy Programmes of Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda to accelerate their zero leprosy efforts. Learn more about the planning.

CGHE is co-hosting a webinar with the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse called “Elimination of Hepatitis C and Drug Abuse in the Criminal Justice System” at 3pm EST on May 5. Register.

Just released: The latest edition of the Common Thread podcast in which the Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics director Dr. David Addiss is interviewed about compassion and global health. Listen.

If you can't see the graphics in this email, click on "download picture.”

Our Health, Our Planet: World Health Day

Photo Contest Winners