Dr. Frist Talks Preventable Health Care
Jun 17 2009
Dr. Frist was interviewed on Morning Joe, talking about Preventable Disease in Africa and what we can do to help.
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Saving Children's Lives
Jun 16 2009
Bill Frist, M.D.
The United States is engaged in a historic debate over government's role in reforming health care. But on the continent of Africa, there is little debate that U.S. investment has reaped major rewards. Yet there, too, reforms are necessary.By fighting measles, then AIDS and, more recently, malaria, the United States has partnered with African nations to help save millions of lives since the turn of this century. It's a remarkable achievement, and the American people have led; the American taxpayer should be proud.
Calandra Miller, South Africa
So far things are going well in South Africa. My accommodations are nice and I am starting to become acclimated to the J'oburg suburb lifestyle. My work started here last Monday with a debriefing session with Stefan. We work out of a container that is on the property of a Catholic church. Each day there is a different task scheduled. On Tuesdays, we go to a little Protestant church in the informal settlement to meet with several of the women who are participants in a small savings and loan program called Village Savings Fund (VSF). Mostly all of the women have young children.Engelina and Eva, two local women, lead these meetings and act as interpreters for Glenn and me. With such an attentive audience, it is the perfect venue to do health education. A retired health advisor, Mama Tandi, then discusses the current women's health topic. Last week, it was breast and cervical cancer. After the health talk, we begin the health screening. With the help of Engelina, Eva, and Mama Tandi, Glenn and I record height, weight, BP, and whether the children take breast milk, formula, or solid foods. We will continue to collect the data mostly to asses the health risks of obesity and hypertension.
Glenn Quarles, Munsieville, South Africa
Things are going well down here in the Southern Hemisphere. I've been here now for about 3 weeks and MAN has it flown by! Calandra Miller and I have both been comissioned to design and implement a needs assessment survey over the course of this summer. Project HOPE has about nine Village Savings Fund (VSF) groups set up and are being taught by 3 local volunteer workers (the majority of participants in these groups do not speak English, hence the need for these volunteers). The groups are comprised of about 20 women each, and the purpose is to educate these women on microeconomics. Ultimately, after undergoing the entire education course (which takes about 2 months of one day a week, weekly meetings), these women will have set up amongst themselves a system for both saving and loaning out money to group members. We're about halfway through the program with multiple groups right now, and Calandra and I have been going out with translators to survey these women on their progress. We are also obtaining a baseline survey for the orphans and other vulnerable children (OOVC) under the care of these VSF members with the same survey tool.World Pneumonia Day?
May 12 2009
Last month, to celebrate World Health Day, a group of organizations and activists launched an effort to encourage the United Nations to declare November 2nd as World Pneumonia Day. Pneumonia which is the leading killer of children around the world taking upwards of 2 million lives of children under 5 every year is rarely discussed in the media as a childhood killer and is often thought of only as a disease of the elderly. In communities around the world, it is often unrecognized and untreated - and simple cases become more severe and more costly to treat. Save the Children Artist Ambassador, Hugh Laurie, commented, "I work on a TV show that features the unusual, the bizarre, the unique. But the cases on House are brightly-colored minnows compared to the leviathan of pneumonia. It's so big, you couldn't make a TV show about it. But you could change it. So could I. We can and must change it."
By Jenny Eaton Dyer
The 2009 CMT Music Awards show is coming up June 17.
This year the Lost Trailers have been nominated for Group Video of the Year Award. If they win this fan-based award, they have indicated that their donation will go to HOPE THROUGH HEALING HANDS as their charity of choice for their $2500 award!
Again, this is a fan-voted awards show, and voting has already begun on CMT.com at http://www.cmt.com/cmt-music-awards/index.jhtml and the first round of voting will continue through May 19th.
Please VOTE for THE LOST TRAILERS to win this award for Hope Through Healing Hands! Every vote counts.
We're honored that Ryder Lee and the guys have chosen us this year. Many, many thanks.
By Jenny Eaton Dyer
For years, Third Day has worked with me and the ONE Campaign promoting awareness and advocacy for global HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty. They are a shining example in the Music Community of how artists can educate and activate their fanbase to do good in the world.
Recently, I ran into them at Nashville4Africa concert in Nashville, Tennessee. It was so great to see them and to hear about their latest work.
For years, Third Day has worked with me and the ONE Campaign promoting awareness and advocacy for global HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty. They are a shining example in the Music Community of how artists can educate and activate their fanbase to do good in the world.
Recently, I ran into them at Nashville4Africa concert in Nashville, Tennessee. It was so great to see them and to hear about their latest work.
Now Playing Nashville: HTHH Spring Reception
Apr 17 2009
Senator Bill and Karyn Frist invite you to join them for a Spring Reception fundraiser to celebrate the work of Hope Through Healing Hands, a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to promote improved quality of life for citizens and communities around the world using health as a currency for peace. This event will benefit Global Health Scholars Fellowships.
In 2009-2010, Hopoe Through Healing Hands will sponsor Global Health Scholars from Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Vanderbilt School of Nursing, Meharry Medical College and East Tennessee State University to travel to underserved areas to promote peace through health in communities and clinical settings. These students will spend a semester (or year) focusing on service and training to those in need in order to bolster health care in forgotten corners of the world.
http://www.mcc.gov/media/video-031209-boardmembers.php
The video features the opinions of MCC’s private-sector Board Members, including Senator Bill Frist, on some of the most important issues related to U.S. foreign assistance including country ownership, results and accountability, and the urgent need to combat global poverty. Their voices and experience showcase the unique contributions of MCC’s Board in forging constructive partnerships worldwide and offers further evidence of long-term U.S. foreign assistance as a tool of “smart power.”
Please share with your contacts and friends who follow MCC’s work to reduce poverty through growth.