Category: Global Health & Development

By Michele Egan, Chief Development Officer, MedShare International Every year, MedShare redirects millions of pounds of high-quality medical supplies and critical biomedical equipment to vulnerable healthcare systems in the US and around the world. In order to do this life-saving work, it requires three essential elements: funding, quality supplies & equipment, and dedicated volunteers. We […]

By Michele Egan, Chief Development Officer Atlanta is home to many amazing organizations that fight on behalf of marginalized men, women, and children. Education, employment status, income, gender and ethnicity are among the myriad of social factors that are barriers to so many in our community. Some, like Communities in Schools, work to give underserved […]

By Claire Stinson  As we look forward to the year ahead, we are taking this opportunity to look back at some of the many highlights from our Contagious Conversations podcast in 2023. This year, we covered topics as diverse as community-based approaches to veteran suicide prevention, training the next generation of public health professionals and […]

By Toni Perling Something you might not know about bats: Bananas wouldn’t exist without them. Or avocados or mangoes, for that matter. But despite being key contributors to the ecosystem by pollinating fruit plants and feeding on crop-destroying insects, the species is probably most (in)famous for being one of the main carriers of the deadly […]

By Jason Chernock, Director of Programs and Partnerships On October 7th, in the early morning hours, Israel suffered a devastating terrorist attack at the hands of armed Hamas militants. Hamas launched thousands of rockets toward Israel and breached through the perimeter fence of Gaza at multiple locations. Members of Hamas entered Israeli towns, communities, and […]

Fostering collective action with the National Football League and community organizations to improve the health and well-being of youth and their families in the metro area For over 15 years, the American Heart Association and the National Football League (NFL) have championed 60 minutes of daily youth activity in schools, benefiting millions through the NFL […]

By Ruth O’Neill It was a grey and overcast day in Detroit when I met up with Deandra Smith, director of the AmeriCorps Climate R.E.A.D.Y. program at Wayne State University’s Center for Urban Studies. Climate R.E.A.D.Y.–Recreation, Education, Awareness, Demonstration and Youth–is a partnership between the university and AmeriCorps, an independent agency of the United States […]

By Charles Redding, MedShare CEO & President Worldwide, over a million children are born with congenital heart disease every year. Millions more are affected by rheumatic heart disease, which is a disease that results from damage to heart valves caused by one or several episodes of rheumatic fever. While most heart defects can now be […]

Every day, the CDC Foundation witnesses communities coming together to ensure all residents are thriving. Businesses, nonprofits, health departments, community coalitions and others are forming meaningful partnerships to support healthier communities. Governmental public health plays a key role in ensuring the community is at the forefront of public health decisions and that, through cross-sector partnerships […]

By Charles Redding, CEO & President By now everyone has watched in horror while wildfires devastated the city of Lahaina, Hawaii. By all accounts, the wildfires are the deadliest in U.S. history.  At least 114 people have been confirmed dead, and officials estimate that more than 1,000 could still be unaccounted for. This is a […]

The American Heart Association urges youth sports coaches, parents, and student athletes to know how to help in an emergency—on and off the field According to the National Museum of Archives, the power of sports has many applications. Sports unite people, teach values, and inspire hope and pride.1  Nonetheless, sports also have a way of amplifying voices […]

By Lily Samuels Lorenza Beati, PhD, gave us instructions as we gathered on a nature trail in Statesboro, GA. “Don’t believe the sock theory. Ticks can bite through socks, and they can go through the mesh of socks. Use the Deet available. And tape the bottom of your pants. We have duct tape.” Dr. Beati […]

By Charles Redding, MedShare CEO & President Haiti is the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere. Close to 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Finding enough food to eat, clean water to drink, a safe place to live and quality health care can be both a challenge and just a […]

The American Heart Association shares bold and ambitious mission to ensure equitable health for the next century The American Heart Association has saved and improved lives for nearly 100 years through data, scientific research, awareness and education, advocacy, collaboration with community clinics and hospital systems and so much more. Our work began in 1949 here […]

By Charles Redding, CEO & President Medical equipment is essential for safe and effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. It is vital for healthcare facilities to have functioning medical equipment that is safe, dependable, and available for diagnostic procedures, therapy, treatment, and monitoring of patients. However, there continues to be a significant gap in the […]

By Charles Redding, MedShare CEO & President Every day, approximately 830 women die in childbirth worldwide, and some 7,000 infants perish within the first month of their lives, with even more becoming gravely ill or suffering serious injury. Many of these deaths are the result of infections that could have been prevented with education and […]

By Judy Monroe, MD Atlanta and the world lost a remarkable business leader and philanthropist with the passing of Kent C. “Oz” Nelson last week. While Oz made a big impact in business, he also had an incredible impact in the public health world as well, including serving as chair of the CDC Foundation’s board […]

By Charles Redding, MedShare CEO & President April 27, 2023, is World Health Day and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO). In 1948, many countries of the world came together and founded WHO to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable populations so everyone, everywhere could attain […]