Monthly Archives:: March 2014

Improving access to care for people living with epilepsy in Laos

Posted by & filed under Our Programs, Project Results, What's Happening?.

Epilepsy is one of the most frequently occurring neurological diseases worldwide. There are around 70 million people living with epilepsy (PWE) in the world. The stigmatization and discrimination are very common in PWE. Epilepsy has an important impact on the life of those with PWE and their families. Sufferers from epilepsy may fear what people might think of them if they have a seizure in public. The goal should be to significantly raise awareness about epilepsy among the population. World Epilepsy Day (March 26) is an important event that could improve understanding about epilepsy.

Canadian-supported innovations fight tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries

Posted by & filed under Our Programs, What's Happening?.

TB remains a major global health problem. In 2012, an estimated 8.6 million people developed TB and 1.3 million died from the disease. It is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide that results from a single infectious agent. TB is a leading killer of people living with HIV, causing one fifth of all deaths. Over 95% of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Opening the tap of innovation to fight for safe and healthy water in developing countries

Posted by & filed under Our Programs, What's Happening?.

Next time you open the water faucet, think for a minute about how much we take that flow of drinkable water for granted. If you are reading this in a high-resource country like Canada, the water that pours out of the tap is clean and perfectly safe to drink. Not only that, the water has been delivered right to your door. It is stored and transported in a safe, cost-effective and efficient way, and we focus on conserving our precious water for future generations.

Canada supports bold ideas to tackle family violence in developing countries

Posted by & filed under Our CEO's Desk, What's Happening?.

March 8th is International Women’s Day. We celebrate the economic, political, and social achievements of women, but it is also a moment to raise awareness about the many struggles of women worldwide. Family violence (often a synonym for violence against women) is – unfortunately – still a prevalent universal phenomenon. Our CEO, Dr. Peter A. Singer walks you through Grand Challenges Canada’s portfolio on Family Violence.

We care about what we measure and measure what we care about: Gates Foundation and Grand Challenges Canada partner on Saving Brains

Posted by & filed under Our Programs.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has joined the Saving Brains initiative by launching ‘Develop New Ways to Measure Fetal and Infant Brain Development’. Jeff Murray, Interim Deputy Director in Family Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Karlee Silver, VP Targeted Challenges, Grand Challenges Canada reflect on why investing in the early years of life in an effective way can result in healthy and productive members of our future society.