Simple antibiotic regimens for newborns with severe infections - such as pneumonia and sepsis - in lower income countries is as effective as the standard course of twice daily injections and hospitalization over the course of a week, according to research conducted in Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, and Democratic Republic of Congo.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Thomas H. Staal and USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance's Director Jeremy Konyndyk will accompany U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power who will lead the U.S. Delegation to attend the third High-Level International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria in Kuwait City, Kuwait on March 31.

The White House announced that the U.S. Government will make up to $800 million available to support a New Development Partnership with Afghanistan. The initiative will help Afghanistan achieve self-reliance and reinforce our commitment to results and accountability by linking funds to specific reforms in combating corruption, promoting rule of law, strengthening women’s rights, and enhancing private sector growth.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Assistant Administrator for the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Thomas H. Staal will travel to Sendai, Japan from March 14 to 18 to participate in the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. Staal will lead the U.S. delegation composed of eight U.S. government agencies and participate in high level events and meetings with leaders from foreign governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and major groups.

Today at the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (MFA-NL) announced the third call for groundbreaking innovations underSecuring Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development. This $12.5 million global call for proposals has an increased focus on cutting-edge, advanced technologies and business models, as well as innovations that prioritize the engagement of women. As part of USAID's new Middle East Water Security Initiative, an additional $2.5 million will be available for innovations implemented in the MENA region.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced Ariel Pablos-Mendez as Child and Maternal Survival Coordinator, to focus on the goal of ending preventable child and maternal deaths. Katie Taylor, who has served as interim Coordinator, is named Deputy Coordinator.

The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), launched its next six-year strategy to further reduce malaria deaths and substantially decrease malaria illness, toward the long-term goal of elimination at the White House today.

This Thursday, February 12, Dr. Rajiv Shah will deliver his final speech as Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at an event hosted by the American Enterprise Institute and the Center for American Progress. For the past five years Administrator Shah has led USAID in its mission to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies. During this time Administrator Shah has led key development initiatives, including Feed the Future, Power Africa, the U.S. Global Development Lab, and efforts to end preventable child and maternal deaths. Administrator Shah will discuss his tenure at USAID with John Norris of the Center for American Progress and Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute.

Our nation’s life-saving response to the worst Ebola epidemic in history represents an impressive display of American values, commitment, and ingenuity. Even as the headlines have slowed, the tireless work of thousands of frontline health care workers and disasters responders has not. In a year marked by an unprecedented number of humanitarian crises—from South Sudan to Syria— we remain committed to providing help in an emergency, regardless of danger or difficulty. It is one of the most profound expressions of who we are as the American people.