Read More - FGHL Blog: Analeta Peterson - Gynecology Service in Lusaka, Zambia
The two weeks I spent on the gynecology service were eye-opening and much less pleasurable than working on the maternity wards. On this service we were mostly giving bad news and taking care of chronically ill patients. Of the urgent cases, the majority presented with complaints of bleeding during the first trimester of pregnancy. At least half of these were spontaneous abortions (miscarriages), an average of 12 per 24 hour shift. These patients needed manual vacuum aspiration to empty the uterus of any retained products of conception. Amazingly, the women accepted the news gracefully and were cooperative with this method of treatment. Only their strength carried them through this painful procedure as analgesia was not given.
Read More - Ellie's Run for Africa - May 22, 2010
One of our partners, Ellie's Run for Africa, will host its 6th annual 5K race and family fun day next weekend - Saturday, May 22, 2010 - at Percy Warner Park. Not a runner? No problem. There's something in it for everyone...

Ellie's Run was started by a Nashville teen when she was just ten years old. Responding to a "missionary Sunday" presentation at her church, Ellie knew that she had to do something to help the kids she saw in those pictures whose mothers could not feed them and who had no chance at an education.
Read More - Water=Hope Campaign Launches Mobile Giving
Today we want to announce the launch of our Water=Hope Campaign in partnership with The Brad Paisley H2O World Tour 2010. The tour begins next week, May 21 in Virginia Beach, VA - and we will be there to promote awareness, advocacy, and philanthropy for clean, safe water.

Around the globe, one out of every seven people lacks access to safe drinking water.


TEXT H2O to 25383 to give $10.*

Your investment will build wells, provide water purification systems, and address sanitation issues both in the United States and around the world. Check in to our website in the coming months to watch how your dollars are being spent.
Read More - CGI U Student Grant Competition Extended to April 30
There is exciting and timely news for students looking to make a direct impact in the world. Each year, the Clinton Global Initiative's CGI U sponsors a competitive grant program called the Outstanding Commitment Awards.  These grants are given to students who submit proposals for "Commitments to Action" that are aimed at improving communities and lives in their communities and across the globe.  The grant awards range from $1,000 - $10,000 and applications are open to all currently-enrolled students, both undergraduate and graduate. The applications should be focused on one of CGI U's five global challenge areas: Education, Environment & Climate Change, Peace & Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health, and are awarded to student-led groups focused on these areas.
This is a fantastic opportunity for students to take action in making a difference across the globe, and helping turn their ideas into reality. Time is running out however.  The final deadline has been extended to April 30, 2010, so there are only a coupe days left for you to submit your applications.
I encourage students in Tennessee and across the gobe to take advantage of this funding opportunity by submitting an application before the deadline.  For more information about this exciting project, please visit http://www.cgiu.org/funding/.
The CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards were launched in 2008 to provide financial support to innovative, student-driven initiatives. To see a map of previous award winners and their winning projects, please click here.
Read More - Middle School Students Raise $1,000 for Haiti Relief
Yesterday, I had the chance to visit John F. Kennedy Middle School in Antioch, TN to meet with some incredibly talented students who worked hard to raise $1,000 for Haiti relief efforts. The work they did to raise money for such a worthy cause was inspiring, and I left with a renewed and continued sense of optimism about the future leaders we have in Tennessee.
Read More - FGHL Blog: Analeta Peterson - Experiences on the Maternity Ward: Lusaka, Zambia
I was initially blown away at the number of delivery rooms when first arriving on the labor and delivery ward at University Teaching Hospital (UTH). There were no less than 20 beds for mothers who were in labor or those who were pregnant and very ill. The monitors, such as those used to assess fetal heart rates found in most U.S. hospitals, were absent. As were bedside sitting areas for patient's family and friends, likely as a result of limited space.
Read More - FGHL Blog: Krista Ford - From Tanzania
In Dar es Salaam, March signifies the end of Tanzania's summer which starts somewhere around December. During the summer, the sun is already unbearable by 7 a.m. and the ridiculous humidity means you'll be drenched in sweat before you can even make it from home to the office.
Read More - Frist Wins Lifetime Medical Achievement Award: T.J. Martell Foundation
Last night, Senator Bill Frist was honored by the T.J. Martell Foundation with the Lifetime Medical Achievement Award. Big Kenny Alphin of Nashville and Ross Perot Jr. of Dallas, TX presented the award citing Dr. Frist's contributions to medical science, the field of transplantation, and global health for the past 35 years.
Read More - Presidents Clinton and Bush Travel to Haiti Next Week
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will visit Haiti together on Monday, March 22, 2010. It will be their first joint visit to the area. They will be traveling with several of the board members of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which to date has raised over $31 million from over 200,000 contributions for relief and recovery efforts.
Read More - CSIS Releases Report on Smart Global Health Policy
CSIS Releases Report on Smart Global Health Policy

I have served on the Board of Trustees at the Center for Strategic and International Studies since 2007. The work they are doing has continued to live up to its mission, which is "finding ways for America to sustain its prominence and prosperity as a force for good in the world." Earlier today, CSIS issued a report from their Commission on Smart Global Health Policy, and I think it is well worth the read if you are interested in the issue of Global Health.

The report, entitled "A Healthier, Safer, and More Prosperous World," is the result of nearly a year's worth of work, which looked in detail at the long-term U.S. strategic approach to global health.

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