Global Health Advocacy Incubator

Our revamped website is officially live! We've spent months revamping our website to make it easier for global health advocates to learn how our advocacy approach works, access advocates' stories, explore our resources and see the progress from a decade of advocacy efforts worldwide. Dive into our: ✔ Case studies from around the world that showcase the road to policy—and impact—in action. ✔ Advocacy tools—covering an array of focus areas, including budget advocacy and the use of law, research and media. ✔ Programs—offering a comprehensive overview of our geographical reach and the impactful work we're involved in. ✔ Team! Our advocacy experts work across disciplines in more than 40 countries. They are passionate about driving positive change and work tirelessly for healthier futures. And more! Your turn: https://lnkd.in/e9aVRVu7

Our partners, Pakistan Youth Change Advocates and CPDI Pakistan organized a Parliamentary Roundtable to initiate a dialogue on PHO ban and advancing policy action to combat iTFA from the food supply. The event was organized in partnership with Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Service and brought together parliamentarians, government ministries, civil society and food regulatory bodies to advance the policy. #TRANSFORMPakistan

Meet our advocate—Marisa Macari! 💫 As Senior Advisor for our Food and Nutrition Advocacy Fund, she supports civil society partners in 16 countries across Latin America, Asia and Africa to develop and implement advocacy strategies that promote healthier food policies. Marisa knows that behind every policy win is a story of advocates’ collaboration, commitment and perseverance. Read more about her story in our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/dHRcMDYb #AdvocateSpotlight

A few weeks ago, the Washington Post (TAG: WaPo ) Editorial Board published an article about the recent data showing a decline in fentanyl-related overdose deaths in the U.S. Anyone in the advocacy community will agree with the Editorial board: the national decline in fentanyl deaths is encouraging, and we must keep doing everything to ensure this progress continues. However, the Editorial Board fails to acknowledge the significant role that treatment for opioid use disorder has in reducing overdose fatalities. Alongside naloxone and other harm reduction interventions, improved access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) - methadone and buprenorphine - have huge potential to continue the decline of these deaths. As an advocate for overdose prevention, I see every single day how critical MOUD is to saving lives and providing a pathway to sustainable, long-term recovery. In recent years, there’s been tangible wins in treatment access. The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act increased the number of health care providers who can prescribe MOUD prescribers from 180,000 to 1.3 million, opening doors for treatment for millions of Americans. Pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities made it easier for individuals with OUD to get treatment from home, on their schedule. The Editorial Board’s suggestion to “keep doing everything” is just not enough. We can and must do more. Overdose deaths will continue to decline only if we commit to removing barriers to effective, evidence-based interventions. Congress must act to expand access to methadone, the most powerful medication we have to combat fatal fentanyl overdose. The Administration has a responsibility to extend the telehealth flexibilities to ensure that thousands of Americans who receive treatment via telehealth do not get cut off. I’m not the only one who feels this way. Leading public health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognize MOUDs as valuable tools for curbing overdose deaths. MOUD prevents overdoses before they occur. No single approach is effective on its own, and sidelining the valuable role that treatment plays in tackling the overdose crisis is irresponsible. If we want to keep this momentum, we must give credit to all responses to the opioid overdose crisis – including treatment opportunities.

“My greatest achievement in life was to get my gender-appropriate birth certificate. It was like a new birth for me. I was able to enroll in college, and to get my passport. This trip to Bangkok is my very first trip using that passport.” - Noor Shekhawat We were energized by our side event at the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+30 Review. Together with our co-hosts Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and our United Nations ESCAP colleagues, we discussed the inclusion of gender diverse communities, such as transgender and non-binary people, in civil registration. Illuminating audience insights enriched the session. #Beijing30 #AsiaPacific

Great opportunity for the Global Health Advocacy Incubator Data4Health team to partner with the Gender Equity Unit at the #Beijing30 Review in Bangkok this week to organize a side event to highlight challenges and opportunities in strengthening inclusion of gender diverse population in civil registration systems. Noor Shekhawat shared her journey towards securing a gender diverse identity in India and inspired many other participants from other countries to share experiences and challenges. Bloomberg Philanthropies Michelle Kaufman Deb Levine Dr. Om Prakash Bera Tanja Brøndsted Sejersen Emily Olivia Bartels-Bland Robert Eckford Kate Wright Jaspreet Kaur Pal

This was a great event and am happy to be part of this super team. Many thanks to Gender Equity Unit, John Hopkins School of Public Health and UNESCAP. Global Health Advocacy Incubator Michelle Kaufman Vandana Shah Tanja Brøndsted Sejersen Kate Wright Deb Levine Madeline Cameron Wardleworth Emily Olivia Bartels-Bland Robert Eckford

We had a terrific time partnering with Global Health Advocacy Incubator and the State Rainbow LGBTQIA+ Society to bring our side event, “Inclusion of Gender Diversity in Gender Equality Efforts: Focus on CRVS and Legal Identity,” to the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the #Beijing30 Review in Bangkok! Many thanks to our wonderful colleagues (l-r in photo 1): Sharita Serrao, Madeline Cameron Wardleworth, Noor Shekhawat, Kate Wright, Deb Levine, Tanja Brøndsted Sejersen, and Dr. Om Prakash Bera for engaging in this critical work with us and to all who attended our side event on the inclusion of gender diversity in civil registration, vital statistics, and identification systems to ensure they are accessible, equitable, and inclusive of everyone. United Nations, United Nations ESCAP, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Bloomberg Philanthropies

Global Health Advocacy Incubator led a coalition of more than 65 organizations in calling on Congress take immediate action to address the overdose crisis by passing the bipartisan Reentry Act (H.R.2400/S.1165) and the Due Process Continuity of Care Act (H.R.3074/S.971). These bills represent one of the strongest opportunities for Congress to increase public safety and improve public health outcomes nationwide. Let's get this done!

When it comes to sugary drink taxes, not all policies are created equal. ⚖ In Colombia, Big Soda successfully delayed the full implementation of an SB tax by pushing for a watered-down version. This delay protected their profits while public health benefits were put on hold. This is just one of the many tactics industries use to weaken tax policies worldwide. To truly impact public health, we need strong, well-designed taxes that can reduce consumption and save lives. Read our latest report to learn how Big Soda manipulates tax policies to their advantage: https://bit.ly/3Y3hrTo