June 2022
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Note from Elizabeth (EJ) Ashbourne, PQMD Executive Director

Happy Summer! This month we kicked off the Summer 2022 session of PQMD’s Global Health and Development Essentials Course. Our new cohort is learning about the global health policy environment in low and lower middle-income countries, global frameworks and key players providing sustained humanitarian assistance and response for global health and health systems. If you are interested in joining our Fall session which begins September 14th, visit our website to learn more.

Earlier this week, we held our June Pillar Talk discussing better evidence and data to transform the way we respond to forced displacement. This conversation with the Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement (JDC) addressed PQMD’s theme this month on refugees and IDPs.

July is Guidelines Month, and we have very exciting things coming up next month! Please stay tuned for opportunities to help us spread the word about the importance of our Guidelines for Quality Medical Donations and to assure that all who donate follow international protocols supplying critical donated medical products, devices and services to those in need across the globe.

Hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather and staying safe!

Global Alliance for Rare Diseases (GARDaccess) Update

GARDaccess recently released its midterm report. The interim report highlights progress to date and outlines activities for the balance of the grant period. 

The report includes an Executive Summary, Objectives and Deliverables, Summary of Activities and Conclusion, Budget Update, and Next Steps. 

Stakeholders involved with the project agreed that there is an overwhelming need to improve access to medicines for rare diseases. This was confirmed based on the responses from interviews.

The interviews were critical in informing the development of the GARDaccess operational framework to manage the collaboration between global partners. A detailed description of the model and governance and operations of the GARDaccess secretariat to administer the alliance is in development.

The interviews also informed the compilation of guidelines and tools to facilitate developing and implementing programs that provide and improve access to medicines for the patients living with rare diseases. The guidelines follow an assessment to implementation program development model. 

The two documents are the key outputs of the grant proposal. The documents are still in draft and were recently disseminated for stakeholder review and feedback. 

The outstanding deliverables will be developed over the next months and the collective outputs constitute the final deliverables for this grant. The project is on track to be completed by the end of Q4, 2022 and project leadership is considering presenting the findings and outputs at the PQMD Educational Forum in Seattle in October, 2022.

Global Health & Development Essentials Course

Fall Session Starts September 14th!  

Fall: September 14 – October 26, 2022

The Fall session includes seven weekly classes scheduled from 12:00-2:00pm (EST)

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.

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.
Register Now!

PQMD Executive Director, Elizabeth Ashbourne, to Participate in Devex World 2022

July 12, 2022; Washington D.C. and Online

PQMD's Executive Director, Elizabeth Ashbourne, will be participating in Session 4 on Innovation during Devex World 2022 at 1pm ET on July 12th. The session titled "Innovation at Scale" will discuss what it means to bring innovation to development. There will be a discussion on how to scale what works and what we can learn from its rapid adoption during Covid-19. They will discuss how to find, fund and operationalize innovation to accelerate progress on the SDGs.

The conversation will be held with Shashi Buluswar, CEO, Global Health Labs and be moderated by Rumbi Chakamba from Devex.

To learn more and register, visit the Devex World website. 
Measuring for Success

PQMD's Measuring for Success Toolkit Highlights Effort through Case Studies

PQMD’s Measuring For Success Toolkit highlights member experiences in designing and implementing M&E efforts through recently developed case studies. Each contains working templates and/or real-world examples utilized effectively to further their work and advance the collective knowledge around metrics for healthcare product donations. Here’s what members are sharing: 

1) MedShare highlights their foundational experience in developing an organizational theory of change and the substantial shift that followed their decision to link program strategy to desired impact,  

2) Americares shares a thought-leading process to deepen impact metrics - which resulted in the development of their Total Reach for donated medicines, 

3) MAP International reflects on how the need to find solutions to real barriers in capturing good data – they share valuable learnings on leveraging fewer effective, targeted programmatic evaluations to boost that same program’s overall effectiveness, 

4) PQMD documents leading a coalition of diverse stakeholders to develop aligned systems of measure and indicators for hygiene distribution kit programs - focus on finding common language and co-creating solutions that work along the data pipeline,  

5) The Max Foundation shares the development and application of an comprehensive results framework, M&E plan and data systems to support and drive an innovative launch of their patient-access initiative.

PQMD Pillar Talk:  Medical Donations- How to be Helpful and Not Harmful

July 21, 2022

11am-12pm ET

Join us for an enlightening discussion with medical product donations experts.

We see others suffering and we want to help. When conflicts, crises, and disasters arise around the world the response is often a generous outpouring of active support to address the suffering that always comes with these devastating and uprooting events. The collective turmoil brought on by COVID-19 coupled with the searing images of civilians devastated by the war in Ukraine has amplified this admirable and innate reaction to assist wherever possible. Now more than ever before – there are plentiful avenues to provide cash assistance, donate product or contribute a multitude of skills to relief efforts. Technology and connectivity are truly shortening the distance between imminent needs and essential resources. Yet the desire to help can cause additional undue burden and stress that can quickly overwhelm recipients and logisticians if not managed properly. Ultimately, not all help is helpful and this is especially true when it comes to medical product donations.

PQMD members have developed effective and strategic approaches which mitigate harm and foster trusted collaboration in any response. Our members are the experts - international companies and nonprofit organizations who self-certify their practices and pledge to adhere to PQMD’s internationally accepted guidelines for medical product donations. While our guidelines are available to everyone, every day, as a resource to support on-going donation efforts, in this discussion, PQMD members will share best practices and pro tips to help navigate the complexities inherent in the timely delivery of critical and lifesaving high quality products to the people who need them.

Confirmed Panelists:

  • Marcia Roeder, Senior Specialist, Strategic Philanthropy and Gifts in Kind, International Medical Corps; Chair, Donation Guidelines, PQMD
  • Adele Paterson, CEO, International Health Partners, UK (Moderator)
Register

Recording Now Available! 

PQMD Pillar Talk: Better evidence and data to transform the way we respond to forced displacement... A conversation with the Joint Data Center

As we marked World Refugee Day in June, PQMD’s founding member Bette Scott held a conversation with Maja Lazic, Deputy Head of the Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement (JDC). Participants learned about the Center, its strategy, and recently released reports and findings. The JDC is jointly institutionalized in the World Bank and UNHCR and works to improve the evidence-base for national policy, development, and humanitarian operations. 

We are all stakeholders in the work of the JDC to understand the challenges of the forcibly displaced – refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and those who are stateless - and their hosts so that the private sector, civil society, governments, aid agencies, and others can help improve their lives through evidence-informed humanitarian and development action.

If you missed this Pillar Talk, you can view the recording.  

Are you considering donating products to help in the Ukraine Crisis?

PQMD’s guidelines will help ensure that donation efforts are as effective as possible.

Learn more about PQMD’s Medical Donation Guidelines which provide best practices and the highest standards to address the sometimes-complicated practice of providing medical donations around the world.

If you are interested in information and resource sharing related to the response to the Ukraine crisis, please contact Victoria Hammond who can give you access to the platform on the CoP. 

One Stop Shop for Tracking Events in Global Health 

If the information age was in the mid-20th century, what are we in now?  The overloaded information age? With so many webinars, conferences, report outs, and events happening on a daily basis to pick from how do you keep track of them all and make sure you are staying abreast of the latest news and innovations?  

To assist, PQMD maintains a Calendar of Events in Global Health on the Community of Practice​.  Here you can take a quick gander on what's happening today and months down the pike.  For PQMD members, member-only events are integrated into their calendars - just click on the calendar icon in the upper right hand of the homepage.  

If you have any upcoming events you would like to add to the calendar, please share them with Sam MacDonald. 

Julie Jenson, Caroline Roan and Niesha Foster represent Pfizer at the Kigali Summit on Malaria and NTDs


Pfizer sets sights on elimination of blinding disease trachoma by 2030

Pfizer on Thursday, June 23rd said it would extend until 2030 a drug donation program aimed at eliminating trachoma, an eye disease responsible for blinding or visually impairing nearly two million people worldwide.

The US pharmaceutical company co-founded the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) in 1998 and has already donated nearly a billion doses of the antibiotic Azithromycin, contributing to a 90 percent reduction in the number of people impacted.

Julie Jenson, PQMD Chair and Director, International Product Donation, Global Health & Social Impact, Pfizer Inc. said "Today I am incredibly proud that Pfizer committed to extend its global antibiotic donation program with the International Trachmoa Initiative (ITI) through 2030." 

"Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness and is both a cause and consequence of inequity. Since 1998, Pfizer has partnered to help prevent and treat trachoma globally (donating nearly 1 billion antibiotic doses to date!), allowing generations of people to live healthier lives." 

"It's an honor to help lead this program as part of Pfizer's Global Health & Social Impact team. Through programs like ITI, we are standing alongside the global public health community to expand equitable healthcare access."

Trachoma is caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and is spread through personal contact (such as through hands, clothes or bedding), and by flies that have been in contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person, according to the World Health Organization.

Africa is the most affected continent, and women are blinded up to four times more often than men, likely as a result of greater contact with infants. Repeated infections draw the eyelashes inward where they rub against the eye, causing pain and permanent damage to the cornea, says the WHO.

Read more here.


VenInformado: Holistic programming for refugees and migrants in Peru  

Since 2017, six million Venezuelans have fled the economic and political crisis crippling their country. Over one million Venezuelans have reached Peru after an arduous journey and are trying to restart their lives despite limited resources on how to navigate Peru’s civil systems and cultural differences.

To help these Venezuelan refugees and migrants flourish in their new home, Lutheran World Relief (LWR) (IMA World Health merged with LWR under Corus International) works to foster their integration into Peruvian society. With the support of UNHCR and funding from the Centre for Disaster Philanthropy and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, LWR established and continues to expand its digital platform VenInformado, which provides migrants with critical, accurate and up-to-date information and personalized virtual legal, psychosocial, health and livelihoods support.

With the integration of technology and extension services, the VenInformado platform is a model for comprehensive, holistic programming. LWR works in close collaboration with local partners Encuentros - Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes (Encuentros SJS) and the Centro de Atención Psicosocial (CAPS) to provide free guidance on topics ranging from COVID-19 protections and regulations, legal requirements for refugee and residency status, mental health resources, gender-based violence support, and mentorship and seed capital for starting new businesses.

Read the full article here.

Gavi launches new partnership to reach "zero-dose" children across marginalized communities

On June 21st, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance launched the Zero-Dose Immunization Programme (ZIP), a new innovative initiative that will provide two consortia of partners with up to US$ 100 million to identify and reach zero-dose children living in displaced communities and fragile and conflict settings. Zero-dose children are those that have not received a single shot of a routine vaccine.

International Rescue Committee (IRC) and World Vision (VW) have been chosen to lead the initiative in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel regions respectively, across 11 countries. As of 2020, there were over 4 million zero-dose children living across the targeted countries.

Both implementing partners were selected following a competitive process including an objective review by Gavi’s Independent Review Committee (IRC). The partners were chosen for their extensive experience in conflict areas and strong footprint in remote areas. They will work closely with governments and local organisations throughout the project, which is set to conclude in December 2025.

To read the article, visit here. 

PQMD Members Respond to Afghanistan Earthquake

PQMD members held a coordination call on June 24th to learn more about the crisis after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit Afghanistan on June 22nd. At least 1,193 people died and more than 3,000 others were injured throughout eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan. At least 10,000 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed. 

The humanitarian needs are great and include clean water, food and medicine. The risk for disease is high.

A number of PQMD members are responding immediately and others are assessing the situation. If you are interested in donating to Afghanistan, please be sure to access our Guidelines for Quality Medical Donations to learn more about international protocols and best practices. 

World Vision releases 2021 Annual Corporate Year in Review

World Vision recently released its 2021 Annual Corporate Year in Review which includes partnerships with other PQMD members, including Merck, Baxter International Inc. Foundation, and Henry Schein Cares.

The report provides program highlights, corporate partnership highlights, and emergency response.

To learn more and download the full report visit World Vision's website here.

Aging and Displaced

ThinkGlobalHealth

Upcoming Events

CDP: Afghanistan's earthquake: When a disaster meets a humanitarian crisis  
July 7, 2022; 12 pm ET

Devex World 2022
July 12, 2022

PQMD Guidelines Week
July 18-22, 2022

PQMD Pillar Talk-Medical Donations- How to be helpful and not harmful

July 21, 2022, 11am-12pm ET

Concordia Annual Summit
September 19-21. 2022; New York & Digital

COR-NTD Meeting
October 4-5, 2022; Virtual

PQMD Educational Forum (Members Only) 
October 17-19, 2022; Seattle, Washington

Development2030- Beyond Aid
November 16-17, 2022; Brussels, Belgium

Does your organization have news to share?
Contact Beth Haynes for placement in future newsletters.
Next Month's Theme: Guidelines Month

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