On the eve of Women’s History Month, and just a week before International Women’s Day, March 8, I’m reminded of the remarkable women I recently spent time with in Honduras working to reduce childhood mortality. From Dr. Gina Watson, who leads the Pan American Health Organization’s work in Honduras, to Dr. Ida Molina, the Manager of the National Vaccines Program at the Ministry of Health, to the doctors, nurses, community leaders and mothers I met, these women are leading and promoting efforts to ensure that every child in Honduras is vaccinated and gets a shot at a healthy life.
I’m reminded that there are incredible women all over the world who are dedicated to saving the lives of children every day. To honor them, each day for a week leading up to International Women’s Day, Shot@Life will be featuring a “remarkable woman” working to reduce childhood mortality in under-resourced communities in developing countries and/or the U.S.
Guest authors of the Shot@Life blog series this week will include:
• Dr. Gina Watson, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Representative in Honduras
• Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
• Tonya Lewis Lee, Spokesperson, A Healthy Baby Begins with You Campaign
• Jennifer Chow, Director of Global Health, Research!America
• Asmara Sium, Diaspora African Women’s Network, and Chair, African Advisory Board, National Museum of African Art
• Elizabeth McKee Gore, Vice President of Global Partnerships for the United Nations Foundation
Want to get involved? Visit us on Facebook between now and March 8 to tell us about a remarkable woman who has inspired you.
Also, while we’re celebrating women this month, we are excited and honored to announce that Shot@Life has been nominated for Women Deliver 50. Women Deliver spotlights the top 50 inspiring ideas and solutions that are making the world a better place for women and girls.
Out of over 500 submissions, a selection committee of experts and advocates from leading global NGOs and foundations chose 25 per category. Shot@Life was chosen as one of the top 25 in the Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns category.
We hope that you will continue to show your support for global vaccines by voting for Shot@Life on the Women Deliver Facebook page, and then getting your friends to vote too.
Voting ends this Friday, March 2 and the 50 winners (10 per category) will be announced on March 8th, International Women’s Day. Vote now!
Thanks,
Peg