USAID Logo - Link to www.usaid.gov
Link to USAID Twitter Link to USAID Facebook Link to USAID Wordpress Link to USAID Flipboard Link to USAID Instagram
Impact Newsletter
Let Girls Learn. Credit: Kendra Helmer, USAID
Dear Friends,

Last week, more than 600 global health leaders from around the world gathered in Washington for the Acting on the Call forum to accelerate progress in ensuring every child survives and thrives. Co-hosted with the Governments of Ethiopia and India and in collaboration with UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the forum advanced the child and maternal survival agenda launched two years ago at the Call to Action.

We heard from leaders like Dr. Kesetebirhan Admasu of Ethiopia and Dr. Harsh Vardhan of India about how nations have stepped forward to lead this movement with energy, focus, and results-oriented action plans. With this leadership, we have been able to mobilize new resources, technical expertise, and robust measurement systems to end preventable child deaths. Committed to this global partnership, our Agency also released a new report detailing how we will align $2.9 billion in 24 priority countries to save up to half-a-million children. At a reception on the Hill, more than a dozen members of Congress from both sides of the aisle expressed their enthusiastic support for this mission, advancing our nation's proud legacy of bipartisan leadership in global health.

On Thursday, I joined Global Citizen and 20,000 activists at a concert with Tiësto to celebrate progress on child survival and announce that we have doubled our commitment to $40 million this year to the Global Partnership for Education, which has already put 22 million children in school, including 10 million girls, over the past decade. Next year, we will work with Congress to increase funding to $50 million if we continue to see results.

Thank you to our many partners from around the world, especially the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Blue Ribbon Panel led by Ray Chambers, who have come together to help achieve this great moral aspiration. We know that the American people take pride in our efforts when we forge strong partnerships, innovate constantly, and deliver meaningful results.

Best,

Raj Shah
Raj Shah
USAID Administrator

USAID.GOV

Link to Acting on the Call Progress Report: Acting on the Call
Link to Videos: Live from Acting on 

the Call Videos: Live from Acting on the Call
Videos: Mom and Baby are Doing Just 

Fine in India Video: Mom & Baby in India
Link to Videos: Mom & Baby are 

Doing Just Fine in Ethiopia Video: Mom & Baby in Ethiopia
Link to Photo Set: Acting on the 

Call Photos: Acting on the Call
Link to Video: Let Girls Learn Video: Let Girls Learn
Link to Blog: Girls Deserve to 

Learn, No Exceptions Blog: Girls Deserve to Learn, No Exceptions
Link to Blog: If You Let Girls 

Learn, You Save Lives Too
Blog: If You Let Girls Learn, You Save Lives Too

USAID In the News

External Link Arrow

Efforts to lower maternal and child deaths fall short, USAID targets 24 high-risk countries


USAID is directing $2.9 billion in funds over two years to 24 countries where mortality is highest, dropping projects in 19 countries and streamlining its programmes to prevent overlap with other donors. Rajiv Shah, head of USAID, said he is confident these changes will help save the lives of up to half a million children over three years. "We set for ourselves the target of getting child mortality down below 20 over 1,000 by 2035 for every country in the world, and we believe we are on track to achieve that goal," Shah said at a news briefing. (REUTERS)
External Link Arrow

With help of private industry, USAID review finds $2.9 billion for maternal, child health


With help of private industry, USAID review finds $2.9 billion for maternal, child health: Ray Chambers, who chaired the USAID advisory panel and is a former private equity investor, said the corporate world�s most valuable asset is its quantitative approach to assessing the impact of initiatives. �If we can�t measure results, then we are not sure we�ve accomplished anything,� said Chambers, who is the United Nations special envoy for financing the Health Millennium Development Goals. (THE WASHINGTON POST)
External Link Arrow

USAID Wants To Save 15 Million Kids by 2020


�We work with governments, we work with local partners and look at why kids are dying�a lot of times they do not have access to basic health care,� said Carolyn Miles, president of Save the Children. (TIME)
External Link Arrow

New Plan Aims to Cut Maternal, Child Deaths By 80 Percent


�[We are] intensifying our efforts, building on our progress to date in strengthening the supply of services and commodities, and, less well-recognized, enhancing demand - increasing the capacity of poor and disadvantaged people to access these services,� said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. (VOICE OF AMERICA)
Credit: Reuters
External Link Arrow

Why USAID is shifting maternal health funds toward Africa, Asia


Ethiopia has managed to more than halve deaths of children under five since 1990, from 204 for every 1,000 live births to 68 per 1,000 in 2012. Its maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births has dropped from 950 to 420 in 2013. It listed the sixth-fastest decline in under-five deaths, and the fourth in childbirth deaths for mothers. (CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR)
Credit: MSNBC
External Link Arrow

Shining a light on child and maternal deaths


�We really believe that it's fantastic that the U.S. government has heard this call, and it's fantastic that Dr. Raj Shah has responded to this call, and now we're really excited about what's in store for the announcements tonight,� said Hugh Evans, CEO of the Global Poverty Project. (MSNBC / ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS)
External Link Arrow

USAID chief: Put maternal and childhood HIV on the map


Deborah Birx, the Obama administration�s new global AIDS coordinator, found Shah�s mapping suggestion so compelling that she promised to leave the panel and get to work on building out PEPFAR�s mapping tools. �We will go back today and work on that,� Birx said, calling the launch of a new mapping effort a �key announce-able� for an event on Wednesday which will highlight other programmatic shifts in USAID�s and its partners� maternal and child health interventions. (DEVEX)
Credit: : James Pursey / Elizabeth 

Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
External Link Arrow

Actors, athletes speak up for girls' education


"An educated girl really is the key to a healthy, more stable, more prosperous country," said Cathy Russell, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. "Educating girls is really one of the best investments we can make." (AP)
Credit: USAID
External Link Arrow

Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner Encourage Education for Young Women in PSA (Video)


The star-studded PSA brings to light atrocities against girls in various parts of the world. The video was organized by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is also providing $231.6 million for educational programs in Nigeria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Jordan and Guatemala. (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
External Link Arrow

'Hey girls, stay in school!' Anne Hathaway and Josh Duhamel among a host of stars in new online video to promote education


�All around the world, people want to change the injustices but often times don't know exactly what they can do about it,� Alicia Keys said in a statement. �I really wanted to participate in this (video) because empowering women changes the course of our world.� (DAILY MAIL)
External Link Arrow

'Let Girls Learn' Is Latest Celebrity Response to Nigerian Kidnapping


�To the girls who are willing to get up every morning and face the possibility of threats and possibly death just to learn: Thank you. And they�re doing it not just for themselves, but for the girls that come after,� said actress Julie Bowen. (YAHOO SHINE)
External Link Arrow
Andrea Mitchell Twitter 

link

Andrea Mitchell

@mitchellreports

.@USAID's @rajshah + @theGPP's @Hughcevans Shining a light on child and maternal deaths #momandbaby http://on.msnbc.com/1qfqdJV

External Link Arrow
Sen. Patrick Leahy 

Twitter link

Sen. Patrick Leahy

@SenatorLeahy

PHOTO: Proud @USAID @USAIDGH fight for the day that all children can have all their childhood BDs. #5thBD #MomAndBaby pic.twitter.com/AyPpMKmBll

External Link Arrow
Twitter Link: Melinda 

Gates

Melinda Gates

@melindagates
Every #MomandBaby deserves to be healthy and happy. We can save 15 million children by 2020: http://gates.ly/VobNdL cc: @USAID
External Link Arrow
Tyler Perry Twitter 

link

Tyler Perry

@tylerperry

A threat to girls' education anywhere is a threat to progress everywhere. #LetGirlsLearn http://ow.ly/yf5Sq

External Link Arrow
Hugh Evans Twitter 

link

Hugh Evans

@Hughcevans

Thank you @RajShah & @Tiesto for your support of the campaign to end extreme poverty! #globalcitizen pic.twitter.com/jaXPGvrttC

External Link Arrow
Save the Children 

Twitter link

Save the Children

@SavetheChildren

A threat to girls� education anywhere is a threat to progress everywhere. #LetGirlsLearn: http://youtu.be/z1B8n_xqB8g

External Link Arrow
Girl Effect link

The Girl Effect

@girleffect

An educated girl has a ripple effect. It's called the #girleffect. Do your part & #LetGirlsLearn: http://1.usa.gov/1yO55g8