UNICEF USA Must Reads, December 6

Best of the FieldNotes Blog

Front line report: Central African Republic

• As the Central African Republic faces its worst civil breakdown in decades, UNICEF ramps up its response.
• And Mia Farrow, on a return visit, warns of dire consequences if the conflict-ridden country doesn't not get more aid.

World AIDS Day

• Marking progress towards an AIDS-free generation, with significant strides in Africa.

UNICEF Issues in the News

Rwanda as poster-child in the long-term treatment and control of HIV

• A Partners in Health doctor writes in The Atlantic about Rwanda’s transformation of care for the 200,000 people living with HIV.

Fresh funding for the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

• Donor contributions to the Global Fund for the next three years may be generous, but The New York Times asks: are they enough to ensure eradication efforts?

Low profile or low-impact? Polio vaccination in Pakistan 

• The dangers of vaccination campaigns means big-name advocates are dropped for low-buzz utility.
• But the pressures from hardliners like the Taliban are clearly slowing progress in eradicating the disease. The World Health Organization reports an increase in cases from 58 last year to 72 this year.

A legacy in question

• From the New York Times, not the sort of news item usually featuring UNICEF. Imagine questioning the mental fitness of anyone seeking to donate to programs to help the world’s children?

Orange is the new United

• Global Post presents the social network reach of the UN’s 16 day campaign to roll back violence against women.

Highlights from the Snowflake Gala

• UNICEF Ambassador Danny Glover received the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award at our annual Snowflake Ball.
• And Kary Perry serenaded the audience with “Unconditionally,” inspired by her recent trip to Madagascar. The Mirror agrees that the remake video is even more powerful than the original.

And one more...

The World's Got Talent

• How does a non-Arabic speaker channel the greatest divas of the Arab world? Whether she’s the winner of ‘Arabs Got Talent” on Saturday or not, we love Jennifer Grout’s dedication to the language we all share – music and salute her for communicating across borders and tongues.