For
Immediate Release
GENEVA (Switzerland), MAY 17, 2007
The Power of Partnerships
and the Fight to Reduce Measles Mortality
Statement
by Andrew Dunnett, Director of the Vodafone Group
Foundation
on the Occasion of the World Health Assembly Measles Initiative Reception
“Today we celebrate
the groundbreaking work of the Measles Initiative.
In just five years, hard work by country governments
and the Measles Initiative partners -- including
the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations
Foundation, American Red Cross and UNICEF -- has
reduced measles mortality by 60 percent—an
impressive 2.3 million lives saved.
“The stunning success of the Measles Initiative
demonstrates the power of partnerships. We are
proud to be a part of this amazing effort; but,
there is still more work to do. We must now reach
a new goal of a 90% reduction in measles deaths
by 2010.
“One way to help achieve the new goal for
reducing measles deaths is by strengthening disease
surveillance capabilities in the field. Through
the Measles Initiative and other organizations,
we are bringing new "eyes and ears"
to international public health efforts by expanding
the use of mobile, handheld equipment in Africa.
Loaded with new, free health data surveillance
software, these devices are allowing health workers
to collect information about measles and other
health data in the field, and respond to medical
emergencies more quickly and efficiently.
“At the Vodafone Group Foundation we strive
to identify and nurture new solutions to the world’s
most pressing humanitarian challenges. The Measles
Initiative campaigns and the health data surveillance
efforts are examples of this principle at work.”
###
The Vodafone Group Foundation
was created by Vodafone in 2001 to support charitable
and community work by all Vodafone companies and
their Foundations, as well as funding selected
charitable global initiatives directly. It is
a charitable Foundation with its own board of
trustees. To date, the Foundations have invested
a total of over GBP 60 million in social investments
globally.
The UN Foundation was created
in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted
Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support
UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds
and implements public-private partnerships to
address the world’s most pressing problems,
and also works to broaden support for the UN through
advocacy and public outreach. The UN Foundation
is a public charity. For more information, visit:
www.unfoundation.org.
