The Optimist: August Highlights

In this month’s newsletter, we explore how a company with an 80% female workforce is manufacturing safer syringes and strengthening Africa’s medical supply chain. The foundation’s CEO Mark Suzman also shares what his recent trip to Ethiopia taught him. Finally, we highlight two researchers: one who’s investigating cancer in the African diaspora, and another working to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses. Read on to learn more about these important topics, and stay up to date with stories, news, events, and more from the Gates Foundation by subscribing to The Optimist today. 

Meet the Kenyan women making syringes for Africa

At the Kenyan company Revital which manufactures a wide variety of medical supplies for the continent, including safer auto-disable syringes, about 80% of the workforce is female. Women are doing everything from microbiology to managing inventory, to assembling millions of needles to, well, hiring even more women. How do we know this? Because we spoke recently with women who work there. Hear more from Lorraine, Roseline, and Tabitha about how their work is making immunizations safer and strengthening their continent’s medical supply chain.

What did Mark Suzman learn in Ethiopia?

What did our CEO Mark Suzman learn on a recent trip to Ethiopia? In a new photo essay, he reveals some of his favorite moments and memories from his trip to Addis Ababa and the Sidama region. This was Mark’s first visit to the country since 2018, and as he observes “…the world has changed so much since then, and perhaps even more so in Ethiopia.” The COVID-19 pandemic, drought, floods, and conflict have posed challenges to Ethiopia’s hard-won gains in health and development. But Mark saw firsthand how the resilience and creativity the country holds in abundance are getting things back on track. He pairs his learnings across health, agriculture, gender equality, and financial inclusion with memorable images of the partners he engaged with during his trip. Take a moment to view Mark's favorite photos and read the stories behind them.

The Ghanaian researcher who came home

Everything was going right for Yaw Bediako. After years of hard work in academia and months of grueling applications, he snagged a prestigious fellowship to fund his research. For Yaw, it was a dream come true, and it offered him the opportunity to study the connection between immunity and cancer, particularly among people of African descent. But then, overnight, the funding for the fellowship vanished. Yaw was faced with a difficult choice: move on or reinvent himself. Learn how this setback sparked a bold pivot that transformed Yaw’s career and diversified cancer research in Africa.   

The researcher versus the mosquitoes

In 1897, British doctor Ronald Ross made a discovery that would change the world. His Nobel Prize-winning research unveiled the crucial link between mosquitoes and malaria, paving the way for opportunities to prevent infection in millions. More than a century later, researchers around the globe continue to build on his groundbreaking work—including Dr. Corine Ngufor, whose research to help develop a recent innovation has the potential to reduce child malaria cases by half. Read to see how Dr. Ngufor’s work is helping to prevent mosquito-borne illness.   

Stay up to date with stories, news, events, and more from the Gates Foundation by subscribing to The Optimist today.

The Optimist is the Gates Foundation’s newsletter with the latest stories, research, and news from across the foundation. Read about this month’s content and subscribe to get weekly updates on the latest in global health, gender equality, education, and more.