On June 3, 2010, over 500 young Seattle-ites donned cocktail attire to attend a Party with a Purpose, an awareness-raising event about the deadly toll of rotavirus. "A party about diarrhea proved to be the hottest summer ticket in Seattle,” said organizer Kristen Eddings in her reflections of the event. Ticket sales generated funds for over 50 ORT corners in Kenya, which provide life-saving rehydration for diarrhea patients. See media coverage.

During a recent speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah emphasized the importance of integration for the success of the President's Global Health Initiative. He also spotlighted ORT corners as a neglected, but necessary, intervention.

On July 22-24, scientists, researchers, and public health experts gathered at the Asia Vaccine Conference (ASVAC) in Manila, Philippines. Under the theme “Ensuring Equity,” the attendees began to dialogue about the best immunization practices and to promote vaccine use in the region.

A year after Project WET launched their WASH pilot program in Northern Uganda, the results are in – and the impacts are dramatic. Read about Project WET’s successful “train-the-trainers” seminar series and its continued impact in schools, homes, and communities.

With five years left to achieve the MDGs, the goals for maternal mortality, child mortality, and sanitation are most off track. Tearfund's timely new report, " Joining the Dots: Why better water, sanitation, and hygiene are necessary for progress on maternal, newborn and child health," outlines why a coordinated approach is needed to enhance progress toward the MDGs.

An estimated 1.2 million children's lives would be saved every year if the majority of mothers exclusively breastfed their children for the first six months of life. That’s why the Mother and Child Health and Education Trust has launched a new website and 10 part video series outlining the safe breastfeeding practices that should be implemented by every clinic. The site was created to support World Breastfeeding Week 2010, which is August 1-7.

PATH and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently completed a study that shows positive uptake in Malawi of WaterGuard, a household water treatment product. The encouraging results suggest that pregnant women and new mothers may be excellent targets for ongoing and future efforts to increase household water treatment behavior in developing countries.

In May, scientists, academics and policymakers gathered at the All-Africa Environmental Health Congress in Lilongwe, Malawi. Participants focused on the need to address diarrheal disease in Africa through a concerted effort that bridges health, environmental and water and sanitation sectors.