August 2021
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Note from Elizabeth (EJ) Ashbourne, PQMD Executive Director

As we soon say goodbye to the summer, PQMD and its members continue to respond to humanitarian crises and disasters around the world. On August 14th, a 7.2 earthquake hit Haiti causing more than 2200 deaths and injuring 12,000 people. A tropical storm brought drenching rains the next day. Our members are responding through financial and in-kind support. More information about what our members are doing is included in the newsletter below.

Along with the earthquake in Haiti, our members are monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and fuel tank explosion in Lebanon, the drought in Ethiopia and crises around the globe. Additionally, Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane, hit Louisiana at the end of the month resulting in flooding rains, high winds and electricity outages. Our members are meeting next week to discuss their responses to this disaster. The month of September will be dedicated to the theme of disaster response, so stay tuned for programming and resources related to this important topic.

Also of note this month, PQMD is anticipating the release of our Medical Missions Module, providing guidance on how to ensure alignment between country health strategies and sending organization expertise. This tool, which was created in partnership with Disaster Ready, Americares and Trent University, will provide essential guidelines for those involved with planning medical missions in an easy-to-use and interactive format. Keep your eyes out for the release of this exciting resource!  

I hope everyone continues to stay safe and enjoys the last weeks of the summer!

PQMD Members Respond to Haiti Earthquake, Afghanistan, Louisiana Hurricane 

PQMD members met on August 18th to discuss their responses to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14, 2021 resulting in at least 2200 deaths and over 12,000 injured. Our members have donated medicines and medical supplies, PPE, food kits, tents for those who lost their homes, distributed  hygiene (WASH) and relief supplies, and provided mental health support. Some members, are even on the ground providing direct medical care, and our corporate members are providing cash and in-kind support.

Additionally, PQMD members discussed their responses to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. Many of our members are monitoring the situation, reaching out to partners and considering product donation requests.

Now, PQMD members will be responding to the Category 4 hurricane which hit Louisiana on August 29th causing flooding rains, heavy winds and electricity outages. 

Our members meet regularly to discuss their responses to disasters and humanitarian crisis and identify opportunities for partnership and collaboration. 

PQMD Welcomes Sarah Shackleford as New Office Manager

We are excited to welcome Sarah Shackelford as the Office Manager at PQMD.’

Sarah is responsible for the daily management of the office as well as coordinating logistics for PQMD events.

Sarah graduated from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She moved to the Washington, DC area in 2003 working for several non-profit organizations; most recently as the Office Manager/ Event planner for Accordia Global Health Foundation.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys running and going on adventures with her family. She lives in Laurel, MD with her husband and their two children.

Two Weeks Left to Register for the Fall Session of
PQMD's Global Health and Development Course! 

PQMD has condensed key elements of a Master’s in Public Health curriculum to create a comprehensive Executive Survey Course on global health, for professionals or students working in the space but lacking relevant formal education. For more information and to register, click HERE

The course compresses much of the MPH curriculum with an emphasis on global concerns; participants gain an improved understanding of health disparities around the world and how they’re measured, health systems in low and lower-middle income countries, the global frameworks and key players providing sustained humanitarian assistance for global health development, and the dynamics and coordination of international disaster response.

The course is structured in 7 modules, and delivered through weekly 120-minute online sessions. Modules are delivered by topic-specific expert guest lecturers, including the course coordinator, a seasoned global health professional with substantial experience in the subject matter and adult education.

Register Now

Save the Date!

PQMD Pillar Talk:
Disaster Response Q&A with Supply Chain Experts


September 28, 2021

11am-12pm EST

NEW on the CoP!

PQMD Member and Guest Expert Curated Resources:
Counterfeit Medicines and Medical Products 

While there is no agreed upon numerical value for the scale of counterfeit medicines on the global market, estimates range from under $100 billion to over $400 billion in annual sales, there is global agreement that the costs to public health are resoundingly detrimental. Not only do mislabeled, weak, inactive, and poisonous counterfeit medicines directly impact the health and well-being of the individuals relying on them for their therapeutic benefits but they also pose a significant danger to global public health by increasing drug resistance to medicines that are fighting infectious diseases – such as tuberculosis, malaria, and pneumonia. Studies estimate that fake anti-malarial and tuberculosis drugs cause up to 700,000 deaths per year and counterfeit pneumonia drugs kill around 150,000 children annually.

With the onset of COVID, counterfeiters have expanded their criminal activity to include fraudulent COVID related medical products, test kits and vaccines. Without effective and vigorous countermeasures these fake products can hinder the world’s effort to emerge from the pandemic.

Visit the CoP here to access a snapshot of what resources PQMD Members and Anti-Falsified Medicine and Procurement experts turn to when looking for regulations, policies, strategies, partnerships, news, and best practices. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but reflects resources utilized by PQMD members. 

Find Resources and Tools
on the CoP!

Did you know that PQMD's Community of Practice (CoP) is growing?

There are new categories, discussion threads, resources, and even a new look. The CoP continues to target growth in areas that are meaningful to our members by providing content and networking opportunities that are uniquely designed to be beneficial to our members. These improvements have spurred our network to grow by almost 20% since the beginning of the year. Don’t be left out of these important discussions. Come join us by clicking here.

Updated USP COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit

In June, USP released an updated (version 4.0) of the COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit. 

The updates include: 

  • Extended storage time for undiluted, thawed Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine vials.
  • Considerations for maximizing doses withdrawn from recently authorized, larger-size Moderna vials.
  • Revised beyond-use date information (12 hours after vial puncture) for the Moderna vaccine.

In addition, USP has recently updated the Toolkit's Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech maximizing doses guides, which can be shared in your practice setting to help safely and consistently maximize doses and address operational efficiency gaps in handling COVID-19 vaccines.

USP COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit

Baxter Launches 2030 Corporate Responsibility Commitment to Advance Environmental, Social and Governance Priorities

On July 8th, Baxter released its 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report. This year’s report details final achievement towards Baxter's 2015-2020 set of corporate responsibility priorities and goals and launches the company’s new 2030 corporate responsibility commitment to advance environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance over the next decade.

Rooted in Baxter’s longstanding focus on corporate responsibility as an integral component of its business strategy, a new set of 10 goals support an overarching commitment to “Empower our Patients,” “Protect our Planet” and “Champion our People and Communities” – the three pillars that will drive the company’s ESG efforts over the next decade.



PQMD Member Collaboration Spotlight:

Giving Zuhrah a Second Chance at Life

Imagine if your child had a heart disease, and she only had a 50/50 chance of living- not because treatment didn't exist, but simply because the resources were too far away and too expensive to reach. As a parent, it would be devastating to be unable to help your child. 

Such was the case for little Zuhrah, age 7. Zurhah was diagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Disease, and also had a problem with one of the valves in her heart. But this little girl from Ghana was one of the lucky ones. She was able to receive surgery from Dr. Yankah and his team in South Africa- a necessary trip because Ghana has no safe facilities in which to perform the open heart surgery that she needed.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the mortality rate for babies born with congenital heart disease is a shocking 48.1%- and if these children are fortunate enough to survive until adulthood, approximately 76% if them will die because of heart failure. 

For most of these children, there are no adequate facilities for treatment, no qualified surgeons, no money to travel somewhere else to have surgery. They are expected to die, and there is nothing their parents can do.

But Dr. Yankah is working to change these dismal statistics. Through a partnership between his organization, PASCaTS (Pan-African Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery), and the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, Dr. Yankah is working to build up the heart health infrastructure of underserved African communities. 

Edwards Lifesciences, one of MAP International's corporate donors, is driven by a passion to help patients. Together, Edwards and MAP are providing heart valves, with supporting devices and equipment, and Patient Care Packages to support humanitarian efforts of those like Dr. Yankah.

When Zuhrah had surgery to fix her heart, she also received a Patient Care Package donated by MAP International. The Patient Care Packages, which are packed by Edwards Lifesciences employees, include items to make sure every patient can fully recover and feel loved. 

Map's mission is to provide medicines and health supplies to people all over the world like Zuhrah who just need to be given the chance to live life to the fullest. It is the same passion that drives Dr. Yankah and his team to help develop sustainable heart health infrastructures for underserved populations in Africa. 

Because of the collaboration and generosity of Edwards Lifesciences, MAP is honored to be a part of this endeavor, and humbled to help give more kids like Zuhrah a second chance at living a full life.

PQMD Member Collaboration Spotlight:

The Baxter Foundation and UNICEF USA Announce Partnership to Improve Water Security in Colombia 

On August 18th, the Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), and UNICEF USA  announced a partnership to improve access to safe water in La Guajira, Colombia, one of the country’s most water-challenged regions. A $1.5 million grant from the Foundation is fueling the three-year initiative aimed at ensuring thousands of children, adolescents, families and communities benefit from basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services through a multifaceted strategy that focuses on rehabilitation, education and collaboration.

The Baxter International Foundation and UNICEF project will help provide access to safe drinking water through rehabilitating water systems, installing solar panels, monitoring water quality, and distributing water filters and hygiene kits to families. The project will also help improve basic sanitation conditions to eliminate open defecation by developing strategies to improve key hygiene practices, including handwashing with soap and safe household water storage, and will support ongoing national and local government work to improve WASH in this region.

Read the full press release on Baxter's website here. Additionally, check out this video about the partnership. 

Upcoming Events

Resolving Today's Global Health Crisis, and Avoiding Future Pandemics - September 1; 5am EDT


Center for Disaster Philanthropy Webinar- Hurricane Ida: Funding Urgent Needs and Long-term Recovery September 2; 2pm EDT


2021 Concordia Annual Summit - Week of September 20th


Applause 2021- Heart to Heart Fundraiser - October 9, Lenexa, Kansas

CUGH Virtual Summit: The Road to COP27: Climate Change and Health Through Three LensesOctober 15, 2021- 11am-3pm EST

The World Health Summit  October 24-26, 2021

AidEx 2021 November 17-18, 2021


ASTMH 2021 Annual Meeting - November 17-21


CUGH 2022 - April 1-3, 2022


PQMD Global Health Policy Forum - Paris, France; April 26-28, 2022

Does your organization have news to share?
Contact
 Beth Haynes for placement in future newsletters.
Next Month's Theme: Disaster Response, Preparedness & Resilience

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