Throughout the year, PATH’s media relations team seeks out global health coverage across broadcast, print, and digital media. Our criteria: the reporting has to be high quality with a powerful narrative. We send these stories to our staff each week, and at the end of the year, we ask them to share their favorites.
Clearly, our coworkers are an eclectic and inquisitive bunch. We received a variety of stories including a piece about a brave couple addressing the king of Bhutan. Here, in no particular order, are a few of our picks for best 2015 global health reporting.
The more I learn about breast milk, the more amazed I am
Angela Garbes, The Stranger, August 26, 2015
“We liked this story so much, it was emailed around PATH with the subject line ‘Holy awesome breast milk feature in The Stranger!’” says senior communications associate Claire Hudson. “What initially seemed like an irreverent ode ended up being a well-written global perspective on the importance of breastfeeding, especially in low-resource settings.”
We told the king we had AIDS
Candida Beveridge, BBC, July 31, 2015
“For the last few years, Wangda Dorje and Tshering Choden have been the public face of HIV/Aids in Bhutan. They were among a group of five who were the first in the country to come out as HIV-positive—in front of the King, and then on national television.”
“I appreciate that this couple told their own story,” says Laura East, communications associate at PATH. “And they used their HIV-positive status to bring people out of the shadows in Bhutan, an act which can often raise awareness and encourage testing, treatment, and prevention.”
Photo: PATH/Patrick McKern.
Making a more modern diaphragm
Heather Hansman, The Atlantic, August 20, 2015
“There was a time when diaphragms, putty-colored cups used to cover the cervix, were the most frequently prescribed form of birth control. They were a sexual standard for half a decade. In the ‘40s, a third of American married couples were using them, but they fell out of favor when hormonal birth-control methods became reliable and inexpensive.”
“Right from the start, I was drawn in by the ‘everything old is new again’ angle,” says communications officer Tracy Romoser. “It’s true, the diaphragm has been around for decades. But the one-size fits-most Caya is particularly relevant for women and couples looking for nonhormonal family planning options. Plus it’s lilac and comes in its own case.”
#15girls, a special series Teens taking control and changing their fate
Multiple contributors, Goats and Soda blog, NPR, October 7, 2015
“No matter where you live, being a 15-year-old girl can be tough. For some girls, it’s a fight for independence, the fight to be first in class, or even the fight to win a boy’s heart. For others, it’s a fight to stay safe from deadly gang violence, the fight against being trapped in an early marriage, or the fight to play sports considered off limits for girls.”
“I was really moved by this series,” says senior digital policy communications associate, Lippi Doshi. “Beyond the quality, which was superb, NPR coordinated their content across digital platforms and social media in a creative and incredibly effective manner. It provided a platform for a generation of girls, many of whom are just finding their own voice.”
Photo: PATH/Evelyn Hockstein.
In West Africa, a mission to save minds
Benedict Carey, The New York Times, October, 11, 2015
“A growing number of innovative groups have begun experimenting with. . . providing therapy without clinics or doctors, relying instead on mobile nurses, cheap generic drugs and community support systems. In impoverished parts of the world where psychiatry is virtually nonexistent, they say, it is the only way to begin reaching the millions of people in need.”
“This was a fascinating read covering a field of global health that warrants more attention,” says senior digital content strategist Tom Furtwangler. “The ability for people to access high-quality care, and by that I mean the full suite of medical attention and treatment, ends up being a human rights issue that affects more than the individuals and families in need, but entire communities.”
A quiet revolution in the treatment of childhood diarrhea
Don G. McNeil, The New York Times, August 10, 2015
“Far from the world’s fears about Ebola and MERS, a quiet revolution is taking place in the diagnosis of a disease much more prosaic but far more threatening: childhood diarrhea. After pneumonia, diarrhea is the deadliest threat to infants worldwide, killing about 700,000 every year.”
Senior media strategist Kate Davidson loves a good story, especially when it’s bolstered by in-depth research. “This is a great piece that reminds us that we need to constantly reevaluate and evolve how we address persistent global health issues. In this case, it’s a change in guidelines around how diarrheal disease in children is diagnosed and treated. I applaud Donald McNeil and the The New York Times for choosing to cover this small, but important development at a time when many outlets were still focused on Ebola.”
Climate warriors
Cameron Russell, Vogue, November 30, 2015
“Every year, the United Nations holds a summit on climate change, where it works to persuade countries large and small to give up fossil fuels. This annual gathering, now in its 21st year, is called the Conference of the Parties. . . . Here are 13 formidable women leading the way.”
“Dramatic photography always catches my eye. But what kept me glued to this series was the strength in these women’s voices and the human face on this complex and daunting set of challenges,” says Amy MacIver, PATH’s director of communications. “These are empowered women on the frontlines, giving a voice to what it will take to address the global interconnectedness of climate change, agriculture, nutrition and health.”