In The News
1. President Obama Urges U.S. Congress To Approve Zika Funding Prior To Summer Recess
The Atlantic: Obama Calls for Zika Funding -- Again
"...On Friday, the president urged Congress to pass legislation to combat the Zika virus, ahead of the July 4 recess. ... The president's remarks came after a disappointing week on the Hill, where Senate Democrats and Republicans struggled to reach a consensus on the Zika funding bill..." (Alvarez, 7/1).
Bloomberg: Obama Says Zika Vaccine Is Likely If Congress Funds Research
"President Barack Obama said U.S. researchers can probably develop a vaccine for the Zika virus more quickly if Congress sets aside partisan squabbling and passes legislation to fund programs aimed at combating the spread of the pathogen that's been linked to birth defects..." (Olorunnipa, 7/1).
Christian Science Monitor: Why hasn't Congress passed a Zika funding bill?
"...In a 52-48 vote on [June 28], Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-drafted bill that would have allocated $1.1 billion in emergency funding to fighting Zika. The bill needed 60 votes to pass. Democrats took exception with a provision loosening Environmental Protection Agency restrictions as well as another that prohibited funds from being directed to Planned Parenthood and other women's health clinics..." (Iaconangelo, 7/2).
The Hill: Obama pushes Congress to approve Zika money before summer recess
"... 'Congress should not leave, should not adjourn, until they have this done,' Obama said after receiving a briefing from health officials. Congress is scheduled to leave in mid-July and not return until September, and the fate of any new funding to fight the mosquito-borne virus is seriously in doubt..." (Sullivan, 7/1).
The Hill: Planned Parenthood showdown threatens Zika funding
"A showdown over Planned Parenthood has moved to the center of the battle over funding to battle the Zika virus..." (Sullivan, 7/4).
Reuters: Obama says Congress must end deadlock on Zika funding
"...Obama met with the heads of the Health and Human Services Department, the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss the nation's response to the mosquito-borne virus..." (Rascoe, 7/1).
Roll Call: Obama: Congress Should Delay Summer Break to Pass Zika Bill
"President Barack Obama on Friday said lawmakers should pass a 'good' bill to respond to the Zika virus outbreak before leaving for a lengthy summer recess while again insisting on a nearly $2 billion funding level Republicans have firmly rejected..." (Bennett, 7/1).
Roll Call: Republicans Shocked White House Won't Bite on Zika Funding
"Veteran Republicans are flabbergasted that the Obama administration has not once budged during four months of talks in demanding nearly $2 billion to fight the Zika virus outbreak, a posture that's helped stall emergency legislation..." (Bennett, 7/5).
2. 3 Zika Cases Confirmed In Guinea Bissau; Officials Working To Identify Viral Strain
Associated Press: U.N. health agency confirms 3 Zika cases in Guinea Bissau
"The U.N. health agency says it and national authorities are investigating whether three cases of the Zika virus discovered in Guinea Bissau are of the same strain as the one behind outbreaks linked to head and brain abnormalities in Brazil and elsewhere..." (7/4).
Reuters: Guinea Bissau confirms three cases of Zika virus, government says
"...Experts have feared the tiny nation could become a gateway for Zika's spread to mainland West Africa, after an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus was first recorded in the African island chain of Cape Verde late last year..." (Dabo/Bavier, 7/2).
3. News Outlets Examine Effects Of Sierra Leone’s Ebola Epidemic On Orphans, Women
Al Jazeera: Did the world fail Ebola orphans in Sierra Leone?
"...Although Save the Children's policy restricts her from addressing specific cases, Deanne Evans, the organization's child protection manager, spoke generally, explaining that 'there were a lot of competing demands, and of course in all of that, children fell through the cracks.' 'There are children who suffer today because they didn't get the services they needed and there are children who died because they didn't get the service they needed,' Evans says..." (Inveen, 7/3).
Christian Science Monitor: Ebola's aftermath in Sierra Leone: 'this is how I know women are so strong'
"...When the Ebola virus struck Sierra Leone and neighboring Guinea and Liberia beginning in early 2014, it killed ferociously -- and the majority of both its victims and survivors were women. Ebola struck Sierra Leone's women in large part because they refused to turn away from their loved ones, says Tina Davies, formerly the coordinator for Ebola survivors at Sierra Leone's Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children's Affairs..." (Brown, 7/1).
4. More Investment Needed To Support Haiti’s Health System, UNICEF Official Says In Interview
U.N. News Centre: Interview: Amid progress in fighting cholera, U.N. official urges support to health care system
"While the incidence of cholera in Haiti has decreased by 90 percent since an outbreak that began shortly after the devastating earthquake of 2010, more investment is needed in the country's health care system to fully eliminate the disease and address the country's other health challenges, a top United Nations official [Friday] said. 'A lot of progress has been made in terms of controlling the disease,' said Marc Vincent, U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative for Haiti, in an interview with U.N. News Services. 'But a lot more work needs to be done to eliminate it'..." (7/1).
5. International Day Of Cooperatives Encourages More Partnerships To Achieve Sustainable Development Goals
U.N. News Centre: On World Day, U.N. hails cooperatives as drivers of sustainable future
"Cooperatives are an old idea but more relevant than ever as they can be the drivers of a sustainable future, senior United Nations officials said on the International Day of Cooperatives [on Saturday], urging governments to create an enabling environment for these groups to thrive and grow..." (7/2).
6. Escalating Violence In CAR Hinders Humanitarian Aid Delivery, U.N. Warns
The Guardian: Aid convoy in Central African Republic finds chaos, hunger, and little hope
"...Across CAR, disease is rife, hunger levels are 'staggeringly high' and 2.3 million people need aid, but the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the new spiral of violence is likely to cause additional needs. UNOCHA's interim humanitarian coordinator in CAR, Michel Yao, warns that the increasing insecurity is hampering the work of humanitarian groups..." (Dear, 7/4).
7. U.N., Kenyan Firm Urge Entrepreneurs To Develop Sex Education Tools Using Technology, Social Media
Thomson Reuters Foundation: Kenya seeks tech alternatives to break taboo over sex education in schools
"...Teenagers across Africa urgently need more information about sex to combat soaring rates of HIV and unwanted pregnancies, experts say, as widespread taboos and cultural conservatism prevent discussions in schools and homes. ... The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Nailab, a Kenyan firm that supports technology startups, are behind the latest initiative, which targets entrepreneurs for their ideas on providing sex education through technology and social media..." (Wadekar, 7/4).
8. Tanzanian Men Who Marry School-Aged Girls Face 30-Year Prison Sentences Under Government Crackdown
Thomson Reuters Foundation: Tanzania launches crackdown on child marriage with 30-year jail terms
"Tanzanian men who marry schoolgirls or get them pregnant now face 30 years in prison as the government takes tougher measures to tackle child marriage and teenage pregnancy. The East African nation has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy and birth rates in the world, and 21 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 have given birth, according to a 2015/16 survey conducted by the Tanzania Bureau of Statistics..." (Makoye, 7/4).