Speaking Up: Partners' Op-Eds Advocate Solutions to Our Most Vexing Problems

2022

Investing in agriculture innovation to overcome Africa’s climate crisis

<p>Africa’s agriculture sector is looking toward innovations in technology and sustainable management to increase resilience against climate change. Enock Chikava, of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, highlights how strategic partnerships and investments are crucial to providing farmers with the resources needed to adapt to and overcome climate threats.</p><p><a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/investing-in-agriculture-innovation-to-overcome-africas-climate-crisis/">CNBC-Africa</a><u></u></p>

2022

African governments must lead food system transformation

<p>William Asiko, of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa regional office, discusses the urgent need to upgrade the continent’s inefficient food system. Governments can transform the African food system by providing strategic incentives and partnerships to create agriculture systems that support and sustain economic development.</p><p><a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/african-governments-must-lead-food-system-transformation/">CNBC Africa</a><u></u></p>

2022

I used to take cassava for granted - but it could help to wean the world off wheat

<p>Cassava could help solve the grain supply shortages aggravated by the Ukraine war, according to Chiedozie Egesi, of the Next Generation Cassava Breeding Project, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. and Cornell University. </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/commentisfree/2022/may/12/cassava-nigeria-wean-world-off-wheat">The Guardian</a><b><u><br></u></b></p>

2022

Why impact investors should bet on agriculture

<p>Adesuwa Ifedi, of Heifer Programs in Africa, encourages impact investors seeking both positive financial returns and social impact to invest in African agriculture so that the continent can become a major food resource for the world while creating well-paying, sustainable jobs for local communities.</p><p><a href="https://venturesafrica.com/why-impact-investors-should-bet-on-agriculture/">Ventures Africa</a><br></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

The Power of Data Can Unleash the Potential of Smallholders

<p>Aspen New Voices Fellow Habtamu Yesigat, Ph.D., calls on government institutions to build a data-sharing platform that serves farmers in Ethiopia, where it is predicted 8 million people will need food assistance this year.</p><p><a href="https://addisfortune.news/the-power-of-data-can-unleash-the-potential-of-smallholders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Addis Fortune (Ethiopia)</a></p>

2021

Investing in Agriculture is Africa’s Best Hope for Bouncing Back from Covid-19

<p>"Talk to any African professional today and you often discover a very strong connection to a farming household. The problem is that, unlike our parents, too many African farmers – about half of whom are women – lack access to what they need to succeed. That includes good seeds, healthy and productive livestock, technical advice, financing, and a reliable, rewarding market for their commodities."</p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/investing-agriculture-africas-best-hope-bouncing-back-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Telegraph</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

The Weak Link to Transform Agriculture in Africa

<p>"In Ethiopia and across much of sub-Saharan Africa, farmers are being sidelined as a result of a lack of a robust agro-processing industry that would turn raw materials into processed products with a longer shelf life. Government and private sector collaboration is key to strengthening this link, building rural economies, and generating jobs desperately needed for pandemic recovery, writes Habtamu Yesigat (PhD), Ethiopian agricultural development economist with extensive research experience in Africa and Europe, director of programmes for Precision Agriculture for Development and Aspen 2021 New Voices Fellow."&nbsp;<br></p><p><a href="https://addisfortune.news/farmers-sell-for-pennies-markets-starve-for-agri-products-wheres-the-missing-link/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Addis Fortune (Ethiopia)</a></p>

2021

Heifer International AYuTe Africa Challenge

Africa's Youth are "Leading a Revolution to Transform African Food Systems"

<p>"We went to sleep last night as CEOs of African agritech companies emerging from the pandemic crisis. Today, we woke up as winners of the AYuTe Africa Challenge, a competition run by Heifer International for businesses that brings technological innovation to the continent’s agriculture. Together, we will share $1.5m in cash grants to build our companies and help realize our dreams for Africa."</p><p><a href="https://www.theafricareport.com/124960/africas-youth-are-leading-a-revolution-to-transform-african-food-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Africa Report</a></p>

2021

Criticism of Animal Farming in the West Risks Health of World's Poorest

<p>"In the developing world, most people are not factory farming and livestock is essential to preventing poverty and malnutrition. The pandemic has pushed poverty and malnutrition to rates not seen in more than a decade, wiping out years of progress. In 2020, the number of people in extreme poverty rose by 97 million and the number of malnourished people by between 118 million and 161 million."</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/sep/10/criticism-of-animal-farming-in-the-west-risks-health-of-worlds-poorest" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian (UK)</a></p>

2021

Rockefeller Foundation

Africa: "Clean Energy Solutions are Woefully Underfunded Today"

<p>"Since Covid-19 struck, 15 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa, who had recently gained access to basic electricity, can no longer afford it. Globally, four-in-five people without access to electricity now live in sub-Saharan Africa.<br><br>This energy poverty affects economic growth and fuels poverty and environmental destruction. It means that farmers must endure without access to irrigated water during droughts, mechanised agriculture for improved productivity, or even access to markets for their crops."</p><p><a href="https://www.theafricareport.com/152269/africa-clean-energy-solutions-are-woefully-underfunded-today/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Africa Report</a></p>

2021

Africa’s Farmers Deserve Choices

<p>"From our extensive work with African farmers, it’s clear that the Food Systems Summit’s admirable vision will not be achieved on our continent as long as our farmers lack the basic choices available to farmers elsewhere in the world. The same can be said for efforts to recover from the pandemic and adapt to climate change.<br><br>But here’s where the situation becomes especially complicated.<br><br>Many organizations are advocating for single solutions, restricting the options available for African farmers to choose from, when they should be doing just the opposite. And while we recognize that it is important to protect African farmers and African ecosystems from exploitation, we also must recognize the sovereignty of African farmers and their agency to choose what works best for their farms and their families and for protecting the ecosystems that they depend on."</p><p><a href="https://www.ipsnews.net/2021/09/africas-farmers-deserve-choices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inter Press Service News Agency</a></p>

2022

What the Child Tax Credit fight says about America

<p>The <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/child-tax-credit/">expanded Child Tax Credit</a> was a key part of the American Rescue Plan Act, which gave us a glimpse into how we can meaningfully reduce child poverty. RWJF President and CEO Richard Besser, M.D., contends that the fact that we have to fight to secure continuous funding to sustain the Child Tax Credit reveals a lot about our country's priorities. Health insurance, paid family and medical leave, affordable child care and safe and secure housing should not be treated as luxuries--they should be regarded as necessities provided by the government, he argues.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/590831-what-the-child-tax-credit-fight-says-about-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a><br></p>

2022

The US must confront its failures of Native children in foster care

<p>The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which has protected American Indian and Alaska Native families for nearly 50 years, faces a Supreme Court challenge. Undoing ICWA would be catastrophic, disrupting Native families and communities, according to Donna Butts of Generations United, who argues that the law should not only be upheld but strengthened.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/597320-the-us-must-confront-its-failures-of-native-children-in-foster-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2022

The U.S. routinely fails its babies—here's how to fight for their future

<p>Miriam Calderón of ZERO To THREE explains the many ways that the United States routinely fails babies and their families. Compared to other industrialized countries, the U.S. has some of the world’s higher infant and maternal mortality rates, At best, it offers a flimsy safety net to support children's well-being.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/education/3489659-the-us-routinely-fails-its-babies-heres-how-to-fight-for-their-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a><br></p>

2022

One way to overcome states’ preemption of what localities want: litigation

<p>In states around the country, industry groups have&nbsp;weaponized a legal concept known as a preemption&nbsp;to protect their business interests at the expense of health and opportunity for millions of Americans. Sabrina Adler, of <a href="https://www.changelabsolutions.org/">ChangeLab Solutions</a>, and Meryl Chertoff, of the <a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/salpal/">Georgetown Project on State and Local Government Policy and Law</a><u>,</u> explain the value of taking to the courts to push against industry-backed preemption.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.governing.com/now/one-way-to-overcome-states-pre-emption-of-what-localities-want-litigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Governing the Futures of States and Localities</a></p>

2021

ASPEN INSTITUTE NEW VOICES FELLOWSHIP

The Dangerous Health Impacts Of Child Marriage In Nigeria

<p>Aspen New Voices Fellow Dr. Tijani Salami lists the dangerous health consequences of child marriage in Nigeria by centering his op-ed on an example of child marriage. Key findings include higher risks of stillbirth or infants dying in the first few years of life, the compromising of a girl’s development due to social isolation with mental and psychological effects and the limiting of her opportunities for career and vocational development.</p><p><a href="https://dailytrust.com/the-dangerous-health-impacts-of-child-marriage-in-nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Daily Trust (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Generations United

Foster Care: We Must Not Fail More Children (Letter to the Editor)

<p>"For each child with relatives in the foster care system, about 20 are with kin, like grandparents, outside the foster care system. Decades of research prove that being raised by loving, supported kin, children have better outcomes than those who live with unrelated foster parents."</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/22/opinion/letters/foster-care-children.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The New York Times</a></p>

2022

To protect our planet, we need bold African leadership

<p>African biodiversity, habitats and livelihoods are most vulnerable to climate change. Sharon Ikeazor, Nigeria's minister of state for the environment, calls on African countries to come together to protect their land and seas and create a sustainable, thriving economy through strategic funding and partnerships.</p><p><a href="https://africaprimenews.com/2022/03/29/op-ed-column/op-ed-to-protect-our-planet-we-need-bold-african-leadership/">Africa Prime News (Nigeria)</a></p>

2022

America’s parks are essential to healing our planet and ourselves

<p>Parks and green spaces have positive effects on our environment and the mental health of our communities. Studies show that time spent in a park can decrease levels of stress and anxiety by <a href="https://www.nrpa.org/our-work/Three-Pillars/health-wellness/ParksandHealth/fact-sheets/parks-improved-mental-health-quality-life/">50%</a>. Catherine Nagel, of the City Parks Alliance, urges the U.S. to consider parks and green spaces as essential parts of our infrastructure and invest in their maintenance and development.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/3271693-americas-parks-are-essential-to-healing-our-planet-and-ourselves/">The Hill</a><br></p>

2021

Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health

Biden Should Treat Climate Change as a Health Emergency

<p>Research released in February 2021 showed that more than 8 million people around the world die each year from breathing air pollution from burning fossil fuels. That air pollution is making us sicker today and driving climate change, which will cause worsening health unless we act. </p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/539248-biden-should-treat-climate-change-as-a-health-emergency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill's Changing America</a></p>

2021

UNITED NATIONS FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO)

Recognizing Indigenous Land Rights can Help Fight Climate Change and Boost Economies

<p>Julio Berdegué summarizes an FAO report that reveals evidence that Indigenous peoples outperform all others in protecting their lands from deforestation.</p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/03/31/latin-america-covid-indigenous-rights-brazil-colombia-panama/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Washington Post</a></p>

2022

Massive Deforestation in the Congo Basin Will Lead to Poverty

<p>Sylvie Djacbou Deugoue—forest campaigner with Greenpeace Africa and a 2022 Aspen New Voices Fellow—talks about the consequences of massive deforestation in the Congo Basin. Massive deforestation is contributing to more harm than the development of the region, by making the region more susceptible to climate change, and causing the expropriation of Indigenous communities from their ancestral lands leading to the disappearance of Indigenous languages and cultures.</p><p><a href="https://www.ipsnews.net/2022/05/massive-deforestation-congo-basin-will-lead-poverty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Inter Press Service (Italy)</a></p>

2021

OPINION: A Tragic Outcome for the World's Forests is not Inevitable

<p>Frances Seymour from the World Resources Institute proposes policy tools and market mechanisms to stop deforestation in light of grave recent forest loss data. Seymour specifically mentions that government leaders should support Indigenous communities, the best defenders of the forests and the ones best to help combat climate change. </p><p><a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20210420081935-gxsln" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thomson Reuters Foundation</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

ASEAN Needs a Green New Deal

<p>Aspen New Voices Fellow Renard Siew argues that in order to survive COVID-19 and climate change, Southeast Asia needs an economic reset. This plan would need to address renewable energy, transportation and forests, and focus on transforming key industry sectors that would serve as prime examples for the rest of the world. More specifically, Siew says that "ASEAN should lead the way, rolling out a plan to transform some of the region’s biggest carbon-emitting sectors into their low-carbon counterparts."</p><p><a href="https://theaseanpost.com/article/asean-needs-green-new-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The ASEAN Post</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial Turns Up Pressure on Nigerian Government

<p>"Nigerian security agencies failed on Monday to produce Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the increasingly radical secessionist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in Federal High Court for his arraignment. While government lawyers cited “logistical problems” for Kanu’s absence, his lawyer told the court that he had been unable to access his client in ten days and that he believed his client’s life was in danger.<br><br>Nigeria’s government cannot afford any more mishandlings of Nnamdi Kanu. The safety and security of the country depend on it."</p><p><a href="https://www.cfr.org/blog/nnamdi-kanus-trial-turns-pressure-nigerian-government?amp=&amp;s=08" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CFR 100</a></p>

2022

There’s a social isolation epidemic. But it can be fixed.

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated a longstanding epidemic of social isolation, which can lead to sicker, unhappier, and shorter leaves. Risa Wilkerson, of Healthy Places by Design, and Edward Garcia, of Foundation for Social Connection, say that instead of addressing social isolation as a personal problem, we must acknowledge and examine its root, systemic causes.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/589801-theres-a-social-isolation-epidemic-but-it-can-be-fixed/">The Hill</a><br></p>

2022

The hidden link between covid and Legionnaires’ disease: poverty

<p>Legionnaires’ disease is a deadly waterborne infection that affects about tens of thousands of Americans each year, hitting low-income communities disproportionately. A team of experts from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic spotlights the need to increase investment in the nation's public health infrastructure that serves vulnerable communities.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/593505-the-fatal-link-between-covid-and-legionnaires-disease-poverty"><b>The Hill</b></a><b></b></p>

2022

The debate over the COVID-19 public health emergency is failing America

<p>At some point, the Biden administration will declare an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency. But that must not signal a return to inequities that persisted prior to and have been exacerbated by COVID-19, says Richard Besser, M.D., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now is the time to plan an orderly transition and protect those who will be most affected.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/3462700-the-debate-over-the-covid-19-public-health-emergency-is-failing-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a><br></p>

2022

Shortsighted COVID policies are accelerating harm for people with disabilities

<p>People with disabilities are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html#:~:text=61%20million%20adults%20in%20the,is%20highest%20in%20the%20South." target="_blank">26 percent</a>&nbsp;of the population, yet they are invisible — and never more so than during a public health crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic when they are also acutely vulnerable.&nbsp;Javier Robles, a professor at Rutgers University and a former member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems, says the public health system must do a better job of collecting and analyzing data that reflect the health experiences and needs of people with disabilities.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/594715-shortsighted-covid-policies-are-accelerating-harm-for-people-with/">The Hill</a><br></p>

2022

Opinion: As the US inches toward Covid vaccines for its youngest, a pediatrician weighs in

<p>Julie Morita, M.D., a pediatrician and executive vice president at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shares five principles to guide the next phase of the U.S. COVID-19 response as more of more children become eligible for vaccination.</p><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/08/opinions/covid-vaccination-children-morita/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNN</a><br></p>

2021

Project ECHO

Getting Ready for Vaccination

<p>With the announcement that India has approved two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use, we may finally be seeing some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. That’s good news.</p><p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/getting-ready-for-vaccination/article33522740.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hindu (India)</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Big Problem with 'Herd Immunity'

<p>Dr. Richard Besser explains that while the United States is doing well nationally, ultimately local vaccination rates and decisions will determine when the pandemic ends.</p><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/29/opinions/big-problem-with-herd-immunity-besser/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNN</a></p>

2021

Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC)

Pandemic Perils: How Battling One Deadly Disease May Intensify Risks From Others

<p>The demands of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic are draining resources from global health research and development (R&amp;D) programs and disrupting clinical trials and other work, presenting a potential post-pandemic scenario of a world more vulnerable to a host of infectious threats.</p><p><a href="https://healthpolicy-watch.news/pandemic-intensify-risks-others-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Health Policy Watch </a></p>

2021

Commonwealth Fund

The Missing Piece in our Fight Against COVID-19: Primary care

<p>As the COVID-19 vaccination effort struggles to get off the ground, people are instinctively turning to their primary-care clinicians to learn about risks and benefits and where to get vaccinated.</p><p><a href="https://www.modernhealthcare.com/opinion-editorial/missing-piece-our-fight-against-covid-19-primary-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Modern Healthcare</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Learning from COVID-19 to Accelerate Malaria Vaccines Development

<p>Developing vaccines to fight malaria deserves urgent attention, just like COVID-19.</p><p><a href="https://www.scidev.net/sub-saharan-africa/opinions/learning-from-covid-19-to-accelerate-malaria-vaccines-development/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scidev.Net (UK)</a></p>

2021

The Stop TB Partnership and the U.S. Agency for International Development

The Fight Against TB, Paused by COVID-19, Must Resume

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated lives, economies and health systems across the world with record-breaking speed. In doing so, it has seemingly pushed aside tuberculosis, another deadly airborne infectious disease.</p><p><a href="https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-the-fight-against-tb-paused-by-covid-19-must-resume-99090" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Devex</a></p>

2021

Investing in Agriculture is Africa’s Best Hope for Bouncing Back from COVID-19

<p>Too many African farmers—about half of whom are women—lack access to what they need to succeed. That includes good seeds, healthy and productive livestock, technical advice, financing and a reliable, rewarding market for their commodities.</p><p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/investing-agriculture-africas-best-hope-bouncing-back-covid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Telegraph</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

COVID Recovery Requires Addressing Economic Inequities

<p>For so many in America, in particular people of color and people in low-income jobs, the barriers to healthy choices are profound.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/541495-covid-recovery-requires-addressing-economic-inequities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

COVID's All-Hands-on-Deck Approach Should be Standard for Rare Diseases

<p>The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences encourages decision-makers to take the same approach and level of seriousness toward COVID-19 when addressing other infectious diseases. They specifically highlight the need to innovate and improve the translational process.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/543461-covids-all-hands-on-deck-approach-should-be-standard-for-rare-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

COVID vaccine questions—It's normal to have them. We did, too. Here's what we learned

<p>With millions of vaccinations happening every day in the U.S., and millions more on the horizon, people have understandably been asking a lot of questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. Drs. Richard Besser and Julie Morita from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation answer some of them.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/covid-vaccine-questions-normal-answers-drs-richard-besser-julie-morita" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fox News</a></p>

2021

de Beaumont Foundation and Northern Virginia Health Foundation

Public Health Needs Support, Not Blame, for COVID-19 Response

<p>Patricia N. Mathews, Susie Lee and Brian C. Castrucci reveal that there is decreasing public confidence in public health and how this is harmful toward fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. They explain the importance of why public confidence is necessary when fighting public health crises.</p><p><a href="https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/opinion/guest-opinion-public-health-needs-support-not-blame-for-covid-19-response/article_e3324136-8e47-11eb-a5aa-3f7399fbc003.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prince William Times</a></p>

2021

Commonwealth Fund

Failure to Modernize our Health Information Infrastructure Hinders Progress on the Pandemic

<p>Years of underinvestment in the nation’s digital health infrastructure has left the United States wholly unprepared to collect, report and share health data effectively—and we are now paying the price with a slow and inequitable vaccine rollout. </p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/546774-failure-to-modernize-our-health-information-infrastructure-hinders" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill's Changing America</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Op-Ed: COVID Holds Prescription for the Flu

<p>Aspen New Voices Fellow Dr. Adaora Okoli argues that we, as a society, should use the blueprint for fighting COVID-19 as a model for fighting the common cold and influenzas.</p><p><a href="https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/uritheflu/92012?trw=no" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MedPage Today</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

A New Era of Vaccine Sovereignty in Africa Beckons

<p>Aspen New Voices Fellow Robert Agyarko explains how COVID-19 has shown that African countries cannot remain dependent on others for vaccine supply. He argues that the African continent must learn how to be independent when it comes to public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and learn how to contain them without outside help.</p><p><a href="https://mg.co.za/africa/2021-04-14-a-new-era-of-vaccine-sovereignty-in-africa-beckons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mail &amp; Guardian (South Africa)</a></p>

2021

Duke Global Health Innovation Center

Poorer Nations Face Tougher Choice About Vaccines

<p>Better communications about vaccine regulatory concerns are needed on the global stage, especially when poorer nations face numerous challenges combatting the COVID-19 crisis. The authors call for better communications, transparency and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines in efforts to reassure governments around the world that vaccinations are indeed safe and effective. </p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/550765-poorer-nations-face-tougher-choice-about-vaccines" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

To Defeat COVID-19, Remember the Children and Don't Let Down Your Guard

<p>While we can celebrate the fact that nearly 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the U.S., few of them, outside of clinical trials, have gone into the arms of children younger than 16. Drs. Julie Morita and Richard Besser explain why in our race to declare the pandemic over, kids cannot be an afterthought.</p><p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/04/19/our-push-end-pandemic-kids-cannot-afterthought-column/7242424002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">USA Today</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

#EndSARS Means Enforcing Compensation for Police Misconduct

<p>Following the End SARS protests across country where Nigerians protested not only against police brutality but also their lack of accountability, Aspen New Voices Fellow Nelson Olanipekun sheds light on why the police have not been able to honor court-mandated compensations awarded to aggrieved civilians. </p><p><a href="https://punchng.com/endsars-means-enforcing-compensation-for-police-misconduct/?amp." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Punch (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

de Beaumont Foundation

Trump Can't Get HIs Supporters to Take the Vaccine. But Doctors can.

<p>"Our conversation was led by three doctors —&nbsp;former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Tom Frieden, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) — along with two Republican politicians who focused their messages on the virus rather than the politics: House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie. When it was over, all 19 focus group participants were more ready to take the vaccine or advise others to take it. They did not feel manipulated or coerced. They were empowered with facts that allowed them to make their own decisions. As one participant put it: “I don’t believe data has been shared enough with us as Americans. And for me, that was probably the biggest turning point.”"</p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-cant-get-his-supporters-to-take-the-vaccine-but-doctors-can/2021/03/18/ae96c2da-8820-11eb-82bc-e58213caa38e_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Washington Post</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Opinion: Africans Shouldn't Have to Pull Strings to Get COVID Treatment

<p>Aspen New Voices Fellow Maji Hailemariam centers her plea for more vaccine and health equity on her personal experience with the Ethiopian health infrastructure when she contracted COVID-19 while visiting home in a town 181 miles from the country's capital. </p><p><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/05/12/993543285/opinion-africans-shouldnt-have-to-pull-strings-to-get-covid-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NPR's Goats and Soda</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Needs a Shot of Equity

<p>In the rush to get as many people as possible vaccinated against COVID-19, the United States has become obsessed with numbers. Drs. Richard Besser and Julie Morita argue that while we should work to get shots in as many arms as possible, we must start with getting shots in the right arms.</p><p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/02/02/covid-vaccine-rollout-needs-equity-shot-column/4339949001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">USA Today</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Rescue Plan is a Down Payment on an Equitable America

<p>With vaccination numbers climbing, COVID-19 cases and deaths declining, the economy showing signs of healing and with winter ending, many might feel that day has come. In this opinion piece, Dr. Richard Besser explains why he is truly optimistic for the vision of what our nation could be, not for what it was before the pandemic or what it is now.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/543277-american-rescue-plan-is-a-down-payment-on-an-equitable-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

de Beaumont Foundation

Op-Ed: Stop Saying Covid Vaccine Passport and Learn from Messaging Missteps of the Past

<p>"Why are politicians so good at crafting language to get themselves elected, and so bad at communicating simple policies to keep their constituents safe and alive?"</p><p><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/07/frank-luntz-and-brian-castrucci-op-ed-stop-saying-covid-vaccine-passport.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The CDC was Damaged by Marginalization and Politicization. This is How Biden can Fix it

<p>Public trust in the CDC is diminished and many Americans see the agency as vulnerable to partisan influence. This is especially harmful at a time when building and maintaining the public's trust is integral to saving lives. In this opinion piece, four former CDC directors—including&nbsp; Dr. Richard Besser—advocate for the agency and lay out what needs to happen to rebuild trust through this pandemic and beyond.</p><p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/cdc-was-damaged-marginalization-politicization-how-biden-can-fix-it-ncna1254135" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBC News</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Africa Must Prepare for the Next Disaster - in More Ways than One

<p>"Even as the third wave of Covid-19 hits more than a dozen African countries, economic recovery is a top priority for governments. But recovery may not take hold before the next disaster strikes. Unless African countries prepare now for the next natural disaster, whether it is a drought or disease outbreak, progress will be at risk, and health and livelihoods will suffer, especially for the most vulnerable in society."</p><p><a href="https://african.business/2021/07/trade-investment/africa-must-prepare-for-the-next-disaster-in-more-ways-than-one/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">African Business</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Warning! Only 1% of Nigerians are vaccinated against COVID-19

<p>"Only around 1% of Nigeria’s 200 million people have been vaccinated against COVID-19. It is a worrying picture for this giant West African nation - especially if the highly transmissible Delta variant takes hold.<br><br>While Nigeria is experiencing vaccine supply problems, the most important issue is the lack of demand - driven in large part by mistrust and misinformation. There seems to be a widespread perception that COVID-19 is not real nor a serious health risk, with most people returning to large gatherings without face masks, physical distancing, or hand washing. Nigeria has significant experience with addressing widespread vaccine hesitancy, most notably with its successful polio vaccination campaign. The government can do this again if it musters the right persuasive tactics."</p><p><a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/202108060652.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AllAfrica</a></p>

2021

Omidyar Network

COVID Vaccine Passports are Important but Could They Also Create More Global Inequality?

<p>"The new outbreaks of COVID-19 surging in Africa and other low-income regions are once again highlighting stark global inequities accessing vaccines and other options for battling the pandemic. But now we are seeing this burden compounded by another form of inequality: the growing popularity of the COVID-19 or vaccine passport, such as the European Union’s new Digital COVID Certificate."</p><p><a href="https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/08/16/covid-vaccine-passports-are-important-but-could-they-also-create-more-global-inequality" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Euro News</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Sex Workers, Former Inmates and People Who Use Drugs Help to Feed the World During the Pandemic

<p>"As India suffered a devastating surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths, the vital role of community-led organizations became clearer than ever. And like similar organizations around the world, they are leading on one essential community service – providing food. Now funders need to catch up and put more unrestricted funding into the hands of community-based organizations that represent and understand marginalized communities. And they need to explicitly include food provision as an essential part of pandemic relief."</p><p><a href="https://thoughtleader.co.za/sex-workers-former-inmates-and-people-who-use-drugs-help-to-feed-the-world-during-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mail &amp; Guardian (South Africa)</a></p>

2021

deBeaumont Foundation

Op-ed: What You Hear about COVID in the Metaverse Should Scare You

<p>"In the real world, there are rules and regulations in place to protect the public. From food and product safety to air and water quality measures, Americans expect some level of common-sense protection from known harm for the things we use and consume daily. Why should a virtual world be any different?</p><p>Social media has been weaponized to spread misinformation about Covid and the vaccines, which has contributed to lower vaccination rates and, ultimately, cost American lives. We don’t yet know what the “metaverse” will look like, but it’s not hyperbolic to assume misinformation will fester and spread just the same, if not worse."&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/op-ed-what-you-hear-about-covid-in-the-metaverse-should-scare-you.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNBC</a></p>

2021

de Beaumont Foundation

Dueling Opinions: Setting Priorities for Infrastructure Investment

<p>"Spending on infrastructure has been a hot-button issue in Washington, D.C., for several years. Congress appears to be on the cusp of a bipartisan deal though. What should it mean for healthcare?"</p><p><a href="https://www.modernhealthcare.com/opinion-editorial/dueling-opinions-setting-priorities-infrastructure-investment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Modern Healthcare</a></p>

2021

de Beaumont Foundation

Better Data Will Help Us Fight the Next Pandemic

<p>"Throughout this pandemic, the dearth of reliable community data forced a reliance on guesswork and assumptions to guide the pandemic response, which too often lacked direction and nuance. Accurate, comprehensive and real-time data that reflect the needs of every community has never been more clear or urgent."</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/574886-better-data-will-help-us-fight-the-next-pandemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

de Beaumont Foundation

Back to "Normal" Isn't Good Enough

<p>"Covid-19 made these disparities impossible to ignore. Normal was not equitable or just, so back to normal means that the societal vulnerabilities that fueled Covid-19 remain, placing the nation’s collective safety, security, and economic prosperity at risk."</p><p><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/02/10/back-to-normal-isnt-good-enough/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">STAT News</a></p>

2021

de Beaumont Foundation

Economic Recovery Hinges on Republicans Boosting Vaccine

<p>"Republicans have a historic opportunity to help turn the tide of this pandemic. The first crucial step is to acknowledge that the science is settled: masks and vaccines save lives. America’s recovery hinges on these two vital public health measures, which continue to be dangerously undermined. And while the national conversation has focused, rightfully so, on building vaccine confidence among hard-hit minority communities, there are two other groups we must not overlook: young Republicans and rural Americans."</p><p><a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/19/economic_recovery_hinges_on_republicans_boosting_vaccine.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Real Clear Politics</a></p>

2021

Digital Equity Initatives

To Build Lasting Digital Equity, Look to Communities

<p>Greta Byrum details the digital inequity that currently exists in the United States and outlines what it means to bridge the digital divide by proposing several solutions including urging the Biden-Harris administration to take a more aggressive approach towards digital equity by including it in their infrastructure bill. </p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/545337-to-build-lasting-digital-equity-look-to-communities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2022

Child hunger won’t end with COVID: Congress must extend nutrition waivers

<p><a href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/leadership-staff/B/jamie-bussel.html">JAMIE BUSSEL</a>, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Luis Guardia, of the Food Research &amp; Action Center, contend that the benefits of universal school meals are not just financial—they address poverty and stigma while advancing children’s health. </p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/education/600395-child-hunger-wont-end-with-covid-congress-must-extend-nutrition-waivers/">The Hill</a><u></u></p>

2022

Mass. should retain free meals for all at schools

<p>Universal school meals can help end child hunger, improve child nutrition and support our economy. Jennifer Lemmerman, of Project Bread, encourages the state to extend universal meal waivers to prevent children from going hungry.</p><p><a href="https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/mass-should-retain-free-meals-for-all-at-schools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Commonwealth Magazine</a><br></p>

2022

Kids of tornado-devastated Mayfield now face another challenge, no school meals for summer

<p>Leah Feagin, of the Mayfield (Ky.) Independent School District, says that ending universal school meals will leave upward of 10,000 Kentucky children at risk of hunger while families recover from the devastation of the recent tornado and the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to struggle with inflation.</p><p><a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2022/05/11/tornado-devastated-ky-kids-now-face-hunger-without-summer-school-meals/9676120002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Louisville Courier-Journal</a><br></p>

2022

Make universal school meals permanent

<p>Universal school meals are essential to ensuring optimal development and learning for all children. Rachel Philip, of Hunger Free Colorado, says that food is a basic need for students and advocates for making universal school meals permanent.</p><p><a href="https://www.coloradopolitics.com/opinion/make-universal-school-meals-permanent/article_e4bf9d3e-d313-11ec-a48d-df4bfb38206b.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Colorado Politics</a><br></p>

2022

Every Maryland child deserves healthy meals — at no charge

<p>School meals play as important a role in a child's health, education and well-being as any classroom lesson. Burness’s own Adam Zimmerman argues that the expiration of universal school meals will leave Maryland children at risk of food insecurity, which will have adverse effects on their health, development, learning and quality of life.</p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/05/27/every-maryland-child-deserves-healthy-meals-no-charge/?utm_campaign=wp_afternoon_buzz&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;wpisrc=nl_buzz&amp;carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F36f3b12%2F62913041956121755a9451d4%2F596bc680ae7e8a44e7dd1cc9%2F48%2F62%2F62913041956121755a9451d4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Washington Post</a><br></p>

2022

Amid high inflation and expiring benefits, older adults face impossible choices

<p>Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation, calls on policymakers to strengthen SNAP benefits, extend the EITC and explore ways to make housing and healthcare more affordable for older adults as they struggle with soaring inflation.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/3511275-amid-high-inflation-and-expiring-benefits-older-adults-face-impossible-choices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a><br></p>

2022

An avoidable hunger crisis still looms for millions of children: Opinion

<p>RWJF President and CEO Rich Besser, M.D., argues that the success of the child nutrition waivers passed by Congress in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a compelling reason for extending them into the 2022-2023 academic year.</p><p><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/avoidable-hunger-crisis-looms-millions-children-opinion/story?id=85656487" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ABC News</a><br></p>

2021

Equity and quality—improving health care delivery requires both

<p>Equitable health care is essential to high-quality health care, and vice versa, says Victor J. Dzau of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Medicine, Kedar Mate of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Lucian Leape Institute of Weill Cornell Medical College and Margaret E. O’Kane of the National Committee for Quality Assurance. They argue that the current health system lacks the infrastructure to center equity. Building a more equitable health system will require a focus on data, leadership and governance.</p><p><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2788482">JAMA Network</a><br></p>

2021

Applied Self-Direction

American Rescue Plan can give disabled adults freedom of choice for care

<p>Kate Murray from Applied Self-Direction discusses how the American Rescue Plan can give disabled adults more freedom of choice for care because the Plan includes an unprecendented $12.7 billion to expand Medicaid, which would allow more people the choice and control to remain in their homes and communities. </p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/547361-american-rescue-plan-can-give-disabled-adults-freedom-of-choice-for-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC)

Six Steps To Pivot From Pandemic To Golden Era For Global Health R&D

<p>Jamie Bay Nishi outlines how the United States can continue global health response for infectious diseases during COVID-19 in six steps:</p><ul><li>Double funding for global health programs at USAID,</li><li>Increase support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</li><li>Provide targeted funding for product development and translational research lacking commercial interest,</li><li>Establish a permanent funding line at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of at least $300 million annually,</li><li>Protect Department of Defense programs focused on malaria and other parasitic diseases, TB and AMR, and</li><li>Increase support for key multilateral initiatives, like the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).</li></ul><p><a href="https://healthpolicy-watch.news/six-steps-to-pivot-from-pandemic-to-golden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Health Policy Watch </a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Congress Must Close the Medicaid Coverage Gap Once and for All

<p>Opponents in states that have not expanded Medicaid often cite costs as the reason. In this opinion piece, Dr. Richard Besser explains why this argument has no merit: If a state ever deprived its residents of a necessity like food or water, we would demand the federal government’s urgent intervention. Besser argues that we need to consider the suite of financial incentives that a state would receive if it expanded Medicaid today.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/557712-congress-must-close-the-medicaid-coverage-gap-once-and-for-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

Wyoming Primary Care Association/Wyoming Medical Society/Wyoming Hospital Association

Medical Professionals: Who Benefits from Medicaid Expansion? Everyone.

<p>"As Wyoming continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, we must take advantage of every available resource to propel our state forward. Medicaid expansion creates jobs, stimulates the economy and improves the health of our communities and workforce, but year after year, state policymakers have failed to take action."</p><p><a href="https://trib.com/opinion/columns/medical-professionals-who-benefits-from-medicaid-expansion-everyone/article_d3e1cbed-046e-5fc4-954f-5c9e973ebc74.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Casper Star Tribune</a><br></p>

2021

Every Texan

Opinion: Congress Has a Historic Opportunity to Expand Medicaid in Texas

<p>"Despite billions of federal dollars on the table, strong statewide public support and the ravages of COVID-19, Texas legislators have refused to expand Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program that covers Americans with limited incomes."<br></p><p><a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/Opinion-Congress-has-a-historic-opportunity-to-16477403.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Houston Chronicle</a></p>

2021

Tennessee Justice Center

In Tennessee, Health Insurance Should Not Be a Rare Commodity, Expand Medicare Now

<p>Many Tennesseans are often faced with a difficult choice: stay in their home state or move to a state that provides better access to health insurance? According to the most recent U.S. Census, over 800,000 people do not have health insurance in Tennessee. These people are our neighbors. They’re essential workers bagging our groceries, parents struggling to feed their kids and farmers living in rural communities."</p><p><a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2021/09/23/healthcare-not-accessible-all-tennesseans-expand-medicaid-now/5801679001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Tennessean</a><br></p>

2021

Senatra Healthcare

Anna James and Andrew P. Stephenson: N.C. Could Benefit from Virginia's Deal

<p>"North Carolina is one of only 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid. As a result, many individuals across the state who work full time are stuck: they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but are unable to afford health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Oftentimes, this means making only slightly more than the income threshold to qualify for Medicaid. These individuals fall into what is known as the Medicaid coverage gap...</p><p>...Thirty-eight states have leveraged federal funds to close this coverage gap. Take, for example, Virginia, where Republicans and Democrats came together to expand Medicaid. Since 2019, more than half a million Virginians have gained access to health insurance because the state opted to close its coverage gap."</p><p><a href="https://journalnow.com/opinion/columnists/anna-james-and-andrew-p-stephenson-n-c-could-benefit-from-virginias-deal/article_d0fbcaac-0b54-11ec-adac-1f9a715e1f3c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Winston-Salem Journal</a></p>

2021

Opinion: How to Strengthen Health Care for Georgians

<p>"It’s no coincidence that populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are the same populations most likely to be uninsured. Closing the Medicaid coverage gap in Georgia will also increase access to health care and strengthen health infrastructure in rural communities."</p><p><a href="https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-how-to-strengthen-health-care-for-georgians/AEP36JNJV5GY7KZ3O2WP2UZJJY/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a></p>

2021

National Academy of Medicine

If We Want Nurses to Take Care for Us, We Must Take Care of Them

<p>"Stress, burnout and compassion fatigue are conditions now synonymous with nurses on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. But COVID did not create these conditions. Well before the pandemic, many of America’s 4 million nurses had physical and mental health burdens tied to their jobs while the institutions that employ them overlooked or failed to prioritize these problems. Nurses leaders Regina Cunningham and Marcus Henderson, as members of the NAM Committee on the Future of Nursing 2020-2030, lay out what needs to change to help nurses more fully actualize their role in addressing the social, economic and environmental factors that influence health. They argue that for nurses to succeed in this role, the institutions where they learn and work owe them the support and protection they need to thrive."</p><p><a href="https://www.modernhealthcare.com/opinion-editorial/if-we-want-nurses-care-us-we-must-take-care-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Modern Healthcare</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Hospitals Need a Community Investment Approach to Improve Health

<p>"If you deliver healthcare, you know that children who live in disinvested neighborhoods too often land in emergency departments with conditions like asthma, uncontrolled diabetes and bacterial pneumonia that could be effectively prevented with better access to routine medical care, as well as other factors that influence health, like safe and affordable housing and healthier foods. As the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, these barriers to health disproportionately impact people of color and those with low incomes."</p><p><a href="http://drupal.prod.modernhealthcare.com/opinion-editorial/hospitals-need-community-investment-approach-improve-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Modern Healthcare</a></p>

2021

National Association of School Nurses

The Work of School and Public Health Nurses Has Never Been More Important

<p>"Whether in a big city or a rural town, one thing is certain: the COVID-19 pandemic and all its ripple effects are far from over and are likely to endure. This is especially true for historically under-resourced communities that rely on school and public health nurses to address a myriad of challenges facing kids and their families."</p><p><a href="https://spotlightonpoverty.org/spotlight-exclusives/the-work-of-school-and-public-health-nurses-has-never-been-more-important/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spotlight On Poverty &amp; Opportunity</a><br></p>

2022

Afterschool programs in NY need sustainable funding

<p>Afterschool programs provide a stronger, more inclusive support system for kids and families. New York State must prioritize long-term, sustainable funding for afterschool programs. Marcel Braithwaite, former Afterschool Alliance ambassador, proposes that funding from cannabis tax revenue is used to ensure that young people have equitable access to quality afterschool programs.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Afterschool-programs-in-N-Y-need-sustainable-16983504.php">Times Union</a><br></p>

2021

Afterschool Alliance

Opinion: Use Federal Relief to Expand Summer Learning and Afterschool Programs

<p>Katie Landes,&nbsp;director of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.afterschoolga.org/" target="_blank">Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network</a>,&nbsp;urges Georgia to use some of its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ajc.com/education/get-schooled-blog/federal-billions-are-coming-how-will-georgia-use-them/O37OH5TBPBCHZJMYEMFRV6PXII/" target="_blank">federal COVID-19 relief aid&nbsp;</a>to provide learning options for children during the summer as well as throughout the school year.</p><p><a href="https://www.ajc.com/education/get-schooled-blog/opinion-use-federal-relief-to-expand-summer-learning-and-after-school-programs/5KTV4PKN2BBGDF6ZWTWRUPN56I/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlanta Journal Constitution</a></p>

2021

Afterschool Alliance

Blaire Denson and Barbara Couto Sipe Column: When will we recognize how important afterschool programs are to Richmond families?

<p>Blaire Denson and Barbara Couto Sipe argue for how beneficial afterschool programs are for children and families. </p><p><a href="https://richmond.com/opinion/columnists/blaire-denson-and-barbara-couto-sipe-column-when-will-we-recognize-how-important-afterschool-programs/article_babf3f16-79dc-5139-8740-f7e7280ecc03.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Richmond Times-Dispatch</a></p>

2021

Afterschool Alliance

Let’s Use Federal Pandemic Relief to Invest in Our Kids and Our Future

<p>"Texas has long touted its meteoric economic growth and business-friendly climate and yet, our children’s test scores rank in the lower half of states in both reading and math. And that was before the pandemic. Recently released assessment data from the Texas Education Agency confirm what we’ve assumed to be true for the past 18 months: “as a result of learning disruptions caused by the pandemic, the number of students not meeting grade-level increased” among all grade levels and in all but two subject areas."</p><p><a href="https://fortworthreport.org/2021/08/17/lets-use-federal-pandemic-relief-to-invest-in-our-kids-and-our-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fort Worth Report</a></p>

2021

Afterschool Alliance

Use Federal Relief to Expand Summer Learning and Afterschool Programs

<p>Rural Washingtonians are rallying around using the American Rescue Plan funding to support afterschool and summer learning programs. Many parents are in favor of this to help their children emerge out of the pandemic less anxious, lonely and depressed. </p><p><a href="https://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/saturday_soapbox/saturday-soapbox-use-federal-relief-to-expand-summer-learning-and-after-school-programs/article_ae93b68f-e776-51d2-8332-198817e9622e.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Yakima Herald</a></p>

2021

Afterschool Alliance

Funding Needed for After-School, Enrichment Programs

<p>"When COVID-19 caused school leaders to close schools across Virginia more than a year ago, after-school and summer-enrichment programs didn’t skip a beat. They transformed in-person programming into online classes for reading, arts, STEM and sports. They opened facilitated learning sites, keeping kids safe, supervised, and supported while they attended “virtual” school and parents worked. And now, as the delta variant may upend “normal” reopening plans, after-school programs will continue to be critical partners for schools and parents."</p><p><a href="https://sungazette.news/commentary-funding-needed-for-after-school-enrichment-programs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sun Gazette</a></p>

2021

Afterschool Alliance

Invest in After-School Programs, Lifelines to Virginia Families

<p>"More than 80% of a student’s time is spent outside the classroom. After-school programs are powerful partners in working with families, schools and community organizations to help youth learn, grow and thrive in college and their careers. With more of these partnerships and funding to support them, we can make progress to address the persistent race and income disparities that have been worsened by the pandemic."</p><p><a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/opinion/columns/vp-ed-column-rodgers-denson-0926-20210925-6iwxf5hlozgpvmr6aqyd7j33zy-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Virginian-Pilot</a></p>

2021

Afterschool Alliance

Out-of-School Time Programs Need Reliable Funding

<p>"As a Johnson Elementary School parent shared: “My daughter attends an afterschool program because I work. I have no one to help me take care of her. It’s as simple as that.”</p><p><a href="https://pressreader.com/article/281788517342188" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Denver Post</a></p>

2022

We need to get the campaign to eradicate polio back on track

<p>According to a <a href="https://polioeradication.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DuintjerTebbens.vaccine.2010.10.026-1.pdf">recent report</a>, the projected economic benefits of ending polio will exceed $50 billion by 2035, with most of those benefits accruing to low-income countries. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti of the World Health Organization notes that the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted polio eradicating campaigns globally, causing children to miss vaccine doses. He urges governments to provide support and step up surveillance, vaccinate children and get back on track to eradicate polio worldwide.</p><p><a href="https://africanarguments.org/2022/03/we-need-to-get-the-campaign-to-eradicate-polio-back-on-track/">African Arguments</a><br></p>

2022

The solvable health issue that kills more than malaria, AIDS and TB

<p>Lack of access to quality surgery is a major problem in Africa—accounting for more deaths globally than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined, according to Desmond Jumbman, of Operation Smile and King’s Global Health Partnerships at Kings College London. He argues that African governments should prioritize and invest in access to safe, quality surgical care.</p><p><a href="https://africanarguments.org/2022/05/the-solvable-health-issue-that-kills-more-than-malaria-aids-and-tb/">African Arguments</a><br></p>

2022

Destroy all samples of the smallpox virus

<p>Why does the United States continue to hold on to smallpox samples, given the threat they pose to bio-security? Researchers Gigi Gronval and Tara Kirk Sell of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health further argue that the samples hold no strategic, security or scientific value. The U.S. could demonstrate leadership and transparency by destroying all the virus stocks.</p><p><a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/opinion-destroy-all-samples-of-the-smallpox-virus-70088"><b>The Scientist</b></a>&nbsp;<br></p>

2021

Global Health Research can Solve Diseases—if it Reaches Everyone in Need

<p>How to apply what we've learned from COVID-19 to other infectious disease responses, like tuberculosis.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/560244-global-health-research-can-solve-diseases-if-it-reaches-everyone-in-need" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

Stop TB Partnership

Here’s How We Can Move Closer to a World Without TB and HIV

<p>"Before the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity’s deadliest infectious disease was a different respiratory illness, one that we have lived with for millennia: tuberculosis (TB). Vaccines developed and rolled out in record time are already driving a reduction in deaths due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, the outlook for TB remains dark: 4,000 people continue to die of the disease every day, including 700 children. And that curve isn’t budging. Good news in the world of TB has been in short supply this year. In fact, recent research has shown that the countries that bear the biggest TB burdens saw a drastic decrease in TB diagnosis and treatment after COVID-19 hit in late 2019. In just 18 months, the Covid pandemic and the measures taken to address it erased some 12 years of significant and measurable progress against TB. This is bad news for us all."</p><p><a href="https://healthpolicy-watch.news/moving-closer-to-a-world-without-tb-and-hiv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Health Policy Watch</a><br></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

A Daughter’s Grief

<p>"We have a health system – if it can even be called a system – where even the most basic care is absent. The average life expectancy for Nigerian men is just 55 years. Every time I watch episodes of Grey’s Anatomy or Chicago Med, I cannot help thinking that my father might be alive today if we lived in Europe, the Americas or even some other African countries."</p><p><a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/amid-hospital-chaos-a-daughters-grief/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nation (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Break Down Barriers to Deal with Drug Resistance

<p>"The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a spotlight on the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance and the urgent need for global efforts to prevent this challenge from taking root. Much attention has been focused on how humans misuse antibiotics — either because they lack access to appropriate treatment or fail to complete antibiotic treatment due to lack of funds."</p><p><a href="https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-break-down-barriers-to-deal-with-drug-resistance-101870" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Devex</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Reality TV Must Deal with the Reality of Mental Health

<p>"Sir: Even as excitement lingers on the Sixth Season of Big Brother Naija that ended on Sunday, many are worried that the show’s producers need to take great caution with the mental health of the housemates. This secret task and fake eviction of Nini that led to Saga crying and admitting to having difficulties after the death of his mother is a case in point.<br><br>When Kayvee left the house on medical grounds early in the season, it was a lost opportunity to speak directly to the challenges of many of its viewers. Just five days into his stay in early August, Kayvee’s management team described his exit as being motivated by a mental health challenge."</p><p><a href="https://guardian.ng/opinion/reality-tv-must-deal-with-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guardian (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

In a Pandemic, Vaccine Equity Starts at Home

<p>"As the pandemic rages on, wealthy countries continue to hoard vaccines, ignoring criticism and warnings from the World Health Organization. Whereas developed nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, etc have vaccinated more than 50 percent of their populations, developing ones in Africa have vaccinated less than two percent of their populations. As rich countries start to give COVID-19 “booster” shots to persons already vaccinated, poorer countries still struggle with vaccine supplies, and the global inequity of vaccine access is becoming ever more apparent. And while this is one of the most pressing challenges we face in the global response to COVID-19, we cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening locally. In many countries that face shortages of vaccines, inequity of access on a national level is also a major problem. Just as rich countries have a higher chance of accessing vaccines, so too do wealthier individuals and communities in poorer countries."</p><p><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/10/11/vaccine-equality-has-to-start-at-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Al Jazeera</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Time to Walk the Talk: Kenya Government Must Fund Local Health Research

<p>It is time for African governments to honour the commitments made towards funding health.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/kenya-government-must-fund-local-health-research-3508936" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nation Online (Kenya)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Teach Oral Health in Schools to Keep Children in the Classroom

<p>"Nigerian children are most likely to have chronic dental diseases. Yet the reality is they are unlikely to ever see a dentist or the inside of an oral health facility. But every weekday, outside of school holidays or days when they are sick, they are inside the classroom. And, research shows that children who have poor oral health are three times more likely to be absent from school due to dental pain."</p><p><a href="https://dailytrust.com/teach-oral-health-in-schools-to-keep-nigerias-children-in-classrooms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Daily Trust (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

The World Finally Has a Malaria Vaccine. Now it Must Invest in It.

<p>"As an economist, I know it makes financial as well as ethical sense to get this world-first vaccine to the millions who need it."</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/nov/24/the-world-finally-has-a-malaria-vaccine-now-it-must-invest-in-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Guardian (UK)</a></p>

2021

Solidarity Can Overcome this Pandemic: Through Vaccine and Technology Sharing

<p>"To protect the countless unvaccinated people in poorer countries around the world, global leadership must align on key actions needed to end this pandemic and prevent future ones. A shared vision and concerted action can transform the global health system to be fully responsive in times of crisis, and better coordinate actions to prevent, detect, and respond to pandemic threats, leaving no one behind."<br></p><p><a href="https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-solidarity-can-overcome-this-pandemic-102078" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Devex</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

A Media-Worthy Smile Needs An Educated Media

<p>"We can dramatically improve dental health in Nigeria – especially for people who do not have access to a dentist -- but we must infuse good oral health habits into television, movies, and books."</p><p><a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/faith-leaders-can-change-the-story-of-contraception-in-nigeria-and-save-thousands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nation (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Learning from the Tuberculosis Pandemic

<p>Pandemics have threatened humanity for years, disproportionately affecting underdeveloped regions. Morounfolu Olugbosi, M.D., of the TB Alliance, highlights the need for resources, new technologies and outreach to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment for all in need.</p><p><a href="https://www.ipsnews.net/2022/03/learning-tuberculosis-pandemic/">Inter Press Service&nbsp;</a><br></p>

2022

The work toward equity that awaits a pandemic-weary nation: ANALYSIS

<p>Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO Richard Besser, M.D., puts out calls on policymakers to address the fraying social contract and safety net that has left us unprepared for COVID-19 and will continue to leave us unprepared for future crises absent further action.</p><p><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/work-equity-awaits-pandemic-weary-nation-analysis/story?id=83503857" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ABC News</a></p>

2022

Why it's impossible for some people to follow Covid-19 guidelines

<p>RWJF President and CEO, Dr. Richard Besser, discusses the disparity in COVID-19 testing and quarantining in the United States. The lack of sick leave, healthcare access, an economic safety net, and more, prevent those from lower-income communities from accessing the care they need to recover from COVID-19.</p><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/06/opinions/covid-guidance-testing-quarantine-conflict/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNN</a><br></p>

2022

Opinion: A fund to supercharge USAID’s global health equity work

<p>Marian Wentworth of Management Sciences for Health, encourages USAID to join a coalition of organizations in establishing the Supporting Innovative Global Health Technologies (SIGHT) Fund to advance equity in global health innovation.<a></a></p><p><a href="https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-a-fund-to-supercharge-usaid-s-global-health-equity-work-103538">Devex</a></p>

2021

Equity Research Institute (ERI)

Advice for Health and Racial Equity Advocates: Get back to the grassroots

<p>For anyone celebrating this national moment of possibility, remember: it was brought to you by grassroots organizers in Georgia who mobilized voters to elect two progressive candidates and swing the Senate to Democratic control. The win showcased just how crucial low-income and communities of color are to moving the needle toward justice, equity and inclusion.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/538462-advice-for-health-and-racial-equity-advocates-get-back-to-the" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill's Changing America</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Here's What We Need to do to Prevent Another Pandemic from Devastating the Vulnerable

<p>America’s most urgently needed public health intervention: dismantling racism.</p><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/05/opinions/pandemic-lessons-preparedness-besser/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNN</a></p>

2021

National Academy of Medicine

All States Should Harness Nurses Full Potential

<p>David Williams and Regina Cunningham, co-chair and member of the NAM Committee on the Future of Nursing 2020-2030, argue that harnessing the full potential of the country’s nurses can help America reach the goal of making sure that all Americans, no matter who they are or where they live, have what they need to live healthy lives.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/05/18/all-states-should-harness-nurses-full-potential/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">STAT</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Solving America's Public Health Crisis Means Addressing Historic Inequities

<p>What is “public health” and why does it matter? In this opinion piece, Drs. Richard Besser and Julie Morita explain why long-term, sustainable, equitable funding is needed to fix a broken public health system.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/554265-solving-americas-public-health-crisis-means-addressing-historic-inequities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

National Academy of Medicine

States Should Permanently Lift Practice Barriers for Nurses

<p>"Many Americans suffer from a lack of access to quality health care. In recent years, the availability of health care resources has decreased especially for communities of color and low-income communities. This problem will only worsen as projections show that by 2034 there will be a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/press-releases/aamc-report-reinforces-mounting-physician-shortage" target="_blank">shortage</a>&nbsp;of primary care physicians by 2034.</p><p>The most obvious solution to this problem is for states to lift practice barriers for advanced practice registered nurses and allow them to practice to the full extent of their education and training. This includes certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse practitioners (NPs), all who received advanced education and training."</p><p><a href="https://www.route-fifty.com/health-human-services/2021/11/states-lift-practice-barriers-nurses/186933/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Route Fifty</a></p>

2021

Women Deliver and Focus 2030

In Canada and Abroad, New Data Reveal Strong Support for Gender Equality

<p>A new first-of-its-kind, multi-national study from Women Deliver and Focus 2030 reveals that since the United Nations’ landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, no country has fully met its commitments to gender equality despite strong support among the public around the world for gender equality. The key finding is that 80% of participants and 76% of those in Canada support gender equality and want governments to do more to promote it. The study included 17 countries, including Canada. These 17 countries include half of the world’s population and more than half of the world’s women. </p><p><a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/march-2021/in-canada-and-abroad-new-data-reveal-strong-support-for-gender-equality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Policy Options</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Therapy, not punishment

<p>"Recently, divers in Peshawar saved a man from drowning after receiving an emergency call from among those who witnessed the man jump into the Kabul River. The man told the rescue crew that his intention was to commit suicide. Fortunately, he was saved. But by WHO estimates, his case is just one of some 130,000 to 270,000 attempted suicides in Pakistan each year.<br><br></p><p>Since colonial times, federal law in Pakistan has attempted to curb suicide under Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which states that attempting suicide is a crime and that a survivor can be jailed for up to a year. While the intention may be to discourage suicide, punitive methods are doing more harm than good because the threat of prosecution only increases the suffering of victims and may even have the opposite effect."</p><p><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1641143" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dawn (Pakistan)</a></p>

2021

Omidyar Network

Remote Work Risks Exploiting Workers in Low-Income Countries

<p>"The pandemic has propelled us into a gigantic, forced social experiment in how we work and live. For many people, the situation has provided an opportunity to re-imagine the future of work. Now, a consensus is emerging that there should be no going back to the pre-pandemic physical workplaces."<br></p><p><a href="https://qz.com/africa/2053741/remote-work-risks-exploiting-workers-in-low-income-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Quartz Africa</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Nigeria: Time to Ransom the Psycho-Social Trauma of Nigeria's Kidnapping Epidemic

<p>"The epidemic of kidnapping is one symptom of social unrest across Africa's most populous country. For kidnapped victims and their families, however, each abduction can have long-lasting and damaging psychological consequences and our family would join the hundreds of thousands more struggling to deal with the psychological impact of the event."</p><p><a href="https://allafrica.com/stories/202109210562.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">All Africa</a><br></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Taliban Success Carries Lessons for Nigeria

<p>"Many Nigerians watching last month’s collapse of the Afghan government to the Taliban have felt a sense of familiarity and some dread, a reminder of the dangers of allowing violent extremism to proliferate.<br><br>As a Nigerian, I experience the ripple effects of my country’s own violent extremist fight, even though our insurgency is almost a thousand miles away on the other side of the country. Since Boko Haram began its fight against the government, more than 2.4 million people have been displaced by the conflict. The effects can be in southern states like Lagos, Kwara, Kogi and Oyo, where children from the Northeast run after cars for alms and families sleep on the streets.<br><br>These are daily reminders of the cost of violent extremism and the necessity of tackling its causes, such as poor governance, violation of human rights and rule of law, and unresolved conflicts. All these drivers live and breathe in Nigeria and many countries across Africa."</p><p><a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/talibans-success-carries-lessons-for-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nation (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Community Power Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and New Georgia Project

The Va. Race Shows Why Philanthropy Can’t Tune Out Voter-Engagement Groups When Major Elections End

<p>"Building power in communities of color that were historically excluded and ignored is not an every-two-year business — it’s an every year, every month, everyday reality. We are seeking to create a permanent infrastructure to organize voters and permanently transform people’s lives."</p><p><a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/the-va-race-shows-why-philanthropy-cant-tune-out-voter-engagement-groups-when-major-elections-end" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Chronicle of Philanthropy</a></p>

2022

Secrecy: A demon of gene therapy’s past bedevils its future

<p>Breakthroughs in translating gene therapy discoveries into safe, effective and commercially viable treatments are at risk of being undermined by reluctance to share data, says Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., of <a href="https://geneeditinginstitute.com/">ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute</a>. He calls on gene scientists to embrace transparency in a win for everyone—researchers, investors and, most importantly, patients.</p><p><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2022/07/11/nondisclosure-gene-therapy-research-bedevils-its-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">STAT News</a><br></p>

2021

Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC)

Pandemic Showcases Value of Global Health R&D, While Imperiling its Future

<p>The arrival of the first wave of COVID-19 vaccines brings hope to a battered, weary world that 2021 can be the beginning of the end of a devastating, still-raging pandemic. But while the fight against this terrible disease has showcased an impressive array of global health talents and technologies, it also has taken a heavy toll on the field.</p><p><a href="https://www.globalhealthnow.org/2021-01/pandemic-showcases-value-global-health-rd-while-imperiling-its-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Global Health Now</a></p>

2021

Gene Editing Institute at ChristianaCare

Women are Leading the Way on Biology's Frontier. Here's How to Open Up All of Science to them

<p>Brett Marie Sansbury and Natalia Rivera-Torres argue for the case of supporting women in STEM and how to foster future female scientists.</p><p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2021/04/02/opinions/support-women-in-science-opinion-sansbury-rivera-torres/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CNN</a></p>

2022

What happened when smoking was banned in American Indian casinos

<p>American Indian tribes are joining the effort across the nation to&nbsp;ban smoking in casinos—in some cases, permanently, note Patricia Nez Henderson of the Black Hills Center for American Indian Health and Catherine Saucedo of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco. They encourage tribes to continue and expand the fight. “The sooner commercial tobacco addiction begs disappearing from Indian country, the better we are as tribal nations,” they write.</p><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/12/opinions/american-indian-casinos-smoking-ban/index.html">CNN Opinion</a><br></p>

2022

LettLetters to the Editor: Big Tobacco’s exploitation of George Floyd and Eric Garner is next-level evil

<p>Historically, menthol cigarettes are marketed toward African Americans. Delmonte Jefferson, of the Center for Black Health and Equity, and Catherine Saucedo, of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco, respond to an investigation of the tobacco industry's race-centric marketing tactics that have resulted in disproportionately high numbers of tobacco-related deaths among Blacks.</p><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/story/2022-05-05/big-tobaccos-exploitation-of-george-floyd-menthol">LA Times</a><br></p>

2022

Big Tobacco is killing the planet with plastics. No smokescreen should be allowed to hide that.

<p>Dr. Vinayak Prasad of the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative and Andy Rowell of the University of Bath Tobacco Control Research Group say that, despite the tobacco industry’s attempts at “greenwashing,” tobacco-related waste continues to pollute the Earth.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/may/26/big-tobacco-is-killing-the-planet-with-plastics-no-smokescreen-should-hide-that-acc">The Guardian</a></p>

2022

FDA ban on cigarettes targeted at Black smokers is overdue

<p>Health care business professional Yolanda Dickerson explains how the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will help improve health among Blacks, who have been heavily targeted by tobacco company marketing campaigns.</p><p><a href="https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-news-observer/20220708/281702618421472" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The News &amp; Observer</a><br></p>

2022

Opinion: Ban the sale of menthol cigarettes to save Black lives

<p>Minou Jones describes the devastating impacts of menthol cigarettes on family members and friends who became addicted as a result of the tobacco industry’s race-based marketing tactics.</p><p><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FXtn1ffVEAYrkSJ.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Detroit News</a><br></p>

2022

The cigarette regulation loophole that disproportionately costs Black lives

<p>Dr. Keith Churchwell of Yale New Haven Hospital and the American Heart Association calls on the Food and Drug Administration to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars to save Black and brown lives.</p><p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/fda-ban-menthol-cigarettes-time-especially-black-america-rcna40982" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBC News</a><br></p>

2021

Vital Strategies

Governments’ Alcohol Subsidies are Harmful to Public Health

<p>The alcohol industry, like the tobacco and fossil-fuel industries, benefits from billions of dollars in financial incentives and alcohol subsidies from governments and development agencies to increase its reach and profits. These incentives are used to produce, market and sell alcohol but they contribute to a growing health burden that results each year in more than 3 million deaths and other social ills. Vital Strategies’ Nandita Murukutla and Rebecca Perl call on governments to use finances and fiscal policies to strengthen health systems rather than subsidize alcohol companies and reallocate the savings or new revenue from taxes to enhance health budgets. </p><p><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/27/government-alcohol-subsidies-harmful-public-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">STAT</a></p>

2021

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

It's Time for FDA to End the Tobacco Epidemic

<p>Over the past year, we have seen the consequences of letting a deadly pathogen go unchecked in too many places and among too many populations. A similar scenario, explains Dr. Richard Besser, has played out over decades with tobacco, which is why it remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing nearly half a million people every year.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/549897-its-time-for-fda-to-end-the-tobacco-epidemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill</a></p>

2021

Unaffiliated teacher (volunteer spokesperson for UCSF SCLC)

How the Pandemic Helped Me Quit Smoking

<p>Quitting cigarettes is good for your mental health as well—and it took the pandemic to get the author up for the challenge.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/553942-how-the-pandemic-helped-me-quit-smoking" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hill's Changing America</a></p>

2022

Johns Hopkins deans: Maryland’s abortion bill good news for health care | GUEST COMMENTARY

<p>Access to the range of reproductive health services, including abortion, improves population health. Ellen J. MacKenzie, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Sarah L. Szanton, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, discuss how access to safe and legal abortion is critical to protecting the safety of mothers and children, promoting health equity and advancing community health.</p><p><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0404-abortion-bills-20220404-xu5225jqzjhq7menwkb3wsb35m-story.html"><b>The Baltimore Sun</b></a><b></b></p>

2022

Hiding in Plain Sight

<p>Julie Jacobson of Bridges for Development sheds light on the scourge of female genital schistosomiasis, a disease caused by a waterborne parasite that disproportionately affects about 56 million women in Africa and is often misdiagnosed. There is a great need, she says, for education and resources to address this disease in heavily affected areas.</p><p><a href="https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/hiding-plain-sight">Think Global Health</a><br></p>

2022

Domestic Violence in Liberia: Liberian Women Debacle in Dealing with a Cruel Menace

<p>According to a recent report, <a href="https://www.scoreforpeace.org/files/publication/pub_file/SCORE_Liberia18_Gender%20Analysis.pdf">two out of 10</a> Liberians believe that domestic violence is acceptable. Despite progress in reducing domestic violence since the passage of the Domestic Violence Act in 2019, more needs to be done. Public interest lawyer Margaret Muna Nigba calls for expanding the country's legal and policy framework around gender-based violence to ensure the safety of Liberian women and girls.</p><p><a href="https://www.liberianobserver.com/domestic-violence-liberia-liberian-women-debacle-dealing-cruel-menace">Liberia Observer</a><br></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Stop Playing Ping-Pong with Women's Health

<p>U.S. shifting policy changes surrounding abortion are harmful to women's health.</p><p><a href="https://burnesscomm.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/Global/Ef3zpDvg7zlKmC9Kuc1aGqsBu82TX1cuJJwbyrVddwPRaw?e=MPETUY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Standard (Kenya)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Uganda: Let's Save Ugandan Lives with Abortion Law Clarity

<p>Aspen New Voices Fellow Deborah Nakatudde argues that having abortion laws in Uganda will not necessarily encourage more abortions, rather they will help promote a culture around safe sexual and reproductive healthcare. </p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://allafrica.com/stories/202104071127.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">AllAfrica.com</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

To Pursue Reproductive Justice, Latin America’s Prosecutors Should Stop Enforcing the Law

<p>Latin America has some of the world's most restrictive abortion laws. Mariana Pranidini Assis describes how exactly these laws can be more harmful than helpful to the individuals they address. As a solution, Assis pleads for prosecutors to stop enforcing these laws. </p><p><a href="https://msmagazine.com/2021/05/04/reproductive-justice-latin-americas-prosecutors-stop-enforcing-abortion-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ms. Magazine</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

If You Want a Healthy Baby, Men, Feed Your Wife Well

<p>Aspen New Voices Fellow Tijani Salami details the tremendous burden of malnutrition on mothers and babies in Nigeria, where nutritional anemia affects over half of pregnant women and is a major risk factor for maternal mortality. <br></p><p><a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/if-you-want-a-healthy-baby-men-feed-your-wife-well/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nation (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Family planning saves lives – we need to spread the message to men as well as women

<p>"A year ago, I met a 26-year-old breastfeeding mother who was a graduate student. She was married with three children; the youngest was just eight months old. She started using oral contraceptives after the return of her menses following the birth, but she hid the pills from her husband. When he discovered them, he forced her to throw them away. Not long after that, she conceived again. Three months later, she had a miscarriage caused by stress. She was admitted into the hospital with infection and blood loss. Thankfully, she survived, and her husband has since changed his attitude towards contraceptive use."</p><p><a href="https://dailytrust.com/family-planning-saves-lives-we-need-to-spread-the-message-to-men-and-women" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Daily Trust (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

Faith Leaders Can Change the Story of Contraception in Nigeria and Save Thousands

<p>"Earlier this month, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, said that more widespread use of family planning can reduce maternal deaths by 30 percent, saving the lives of about 18,000 women every year."&nbsp;<br></p><p><a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/faith-leaders-can-change-the-story-of-contraception-in-nigeria-and-save-thousands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nation (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

It's a Time for a Lasting Solution to Period Poverty

<p>"As we commemorate yet another Women’s Month, those of us working in the field of sexual and reproductive health are reminded of the many initiatives that have come and gone in an attempt to address the extreme period poverty that continues to plague women and girls in South Africa. It is time to solve this issue once and for all and to make sanitary towels and menstrual hygiene products free and readily available to all adolescent girls and young women across the country."</p><p><a href="https://www.spotlightnsp.co.za/2021/08/16/opinion-reproductive-health-its-time-for-a-lasting-solution-to-period-poverty/?amp=1&amp;__twitter_impression=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spotlight</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

A Doctor's Argument for Sex Education and Contraception in Schools

<p>"I have been thinking about a former patient of mine ever since I read about the Nigerian government’s promise to invest more in contraception. Ibidun was a 16-year-old secondary school student I treated several years ago. She had unprotected sex with a middle-aged man and when he discovered she was pregnant, he lured her to an illegal abortion centre for a termination. However, she developed an infection, and two weeks later was rushed to hospital where I attended her with several other doctors. She underwent three operations but had repeated bouts of sepsis and died a month after admission.<br><br>Globally, pregnancy-related complications are the leading cause of death among adolescent girls aged 15-19 years. Sadly, Ibidun was one of them."</p><p><a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/a-doctors-argument-for-sex-education-and-contraception-in-schools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Nation (Nigeria)</a><br></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

COVID-19 Curfews: Every Pregnant Mothers' Nightmare

<p>"Kenyan women have another added worry to being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic: Access to health facilities during night curfew hours due to fear of the police. The government’s containment measures from March last year include overnight curfews. The latest announcement on October 4 extended the 10 pm-4 am curfew by 30 days. Police have been enforcing the curfew using excessive force, which has claimed more than 20 lives this year alone. Media reports — like the one about the death of a four-month-old baby after police in Kisii prevented a taxi from passing a roadblock, and police beating to death a boda boda rider who was taking a pregnant woman to hospital — only add to the anxiety of pregnant women."</p><p><a href="https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/covid-curfews-a-nightmare-for-pregnant-women-3583440" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Daily Nation (Kenya)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

The Unknown Disease Putting Millions of Nigerian Women at Risk of Cancer and Infertility

<p>"Currently a group of doctors from tertiary hospitals across Nigeria are leading an awareness campaign on Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS). They started the campaign because they realized that many women are not being diagnosed at primary or secondary health care facilities. It is only when they present at tertiary hospitals, often with cancer symptoms, that FGS are being diagnosed. Women have reported that FGS is rarely mentioned when they are treated for infections at primary healthcare centers and many healthcare workers are simply not aware of the disease – which can be easily prevented."</p><p><a href="https://guardian.ng/opinion/unknown-disease-putting-women-at-risk-of-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guardian (Nigeria)</a></p>

2021

Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship

It's Time to End Secrecy and Shame about Menstruation – It is Making Our Girls Sick

<p>"As this is an issue that affects all women and girls across the country, it deserves government attention. Educators, health officials, policymakers and government at all levels have a responsibility to create menstrual hygiene policies that include the provision of free sanitary products to girls in schools and support those who are disadvantaged. They should ensure access to water and safe places for girls and women to manage their period at school and other public places, and most of all they must provide education to girls and boys, as well as their teachers and parents, about menstruation."</p><p><a href="https://dailytrust.com/its-time-to-end-secrecy-and-shame-about-menstruation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Daily Trust (Nigeria)</a></p>