Bloomberg Philanthropies

#springsocial

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:26:11 -0400

We have a full house today at Bloomberg Philanthropies, as we welcome our arts organization grantees for #springsocial—a full day of presentations and discussions that will provide grantees deep insight into the world of social media.

Vietnam Takes Major Step to Reduce Tobacco Use

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:24:00 -0400

Vietnam Takes Major Step to Reduce Tobacco Use:

Vietnam is home to more than 15 million adult smokers—a staggering one-sixth of the country’s total population. But yesterday, a new law went into effect that will reduce that number, saving lives and reducing Vietnam’s healthcare burden through proven tobacco use reduction strategies.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Releases First Annual Program Update

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:07:26 -0400

The first annual program update and letter by Michael R. Bloomberg provides an in-depth look at the organization’s charitable activities for 2012. The letter lays out Michael Bloomberg’s philanthropic philosophy, and how his experiences as Mayor of New York City and as an entrepreneur inform Bloomberg Philanthropies’ approach to its work.

Read the program update

Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces Launch of www.bloomberg.org

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:51:34 -0400

Bloomberg Philanthropies today launched a new website featuring the first comprehensive look at all programs and initiatives in the organization’s five key focus areas including Public Health, Environment, Education, Government Innovation and the Arts.

Visit the web site

Read the press release

Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use Awards 500 Grants Since 2007

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:48:00 -0400

Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use Grants Program has awarded 500 grants since 2007. The Bloomberg Initiative Grants Program was designed to provide direct funding to governments and non-government organizations located in low- and middle-income countries to support development and implementation of evidence-based tobacco control activities. Since inception, the program has distributed $100 million in grants to more than 70 countries. More than 5 billion people—almost 75 percent of the world’s population—live in a country that has received a grant.

WHO Releases Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013 with Support from Bloomberg Philanthropies

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

According to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report, only 28 countries have comprehensive road safety laws that address all five WHO key risk factors: drinking and driving, speeding, motorcycle helmet use, seat-belt usage, and child restraint device usage. These 28 countries cover only seven percent of the world population.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Announces Mayors Challenge Winners

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced the winners of the Mayors Challenge, a competition to inspire American cities to generate innovative ideas that solve major challenges and improve city life – and that ultimately can be shared with other cities to improve the well-being of the nation. More than 300 cities competed in this inaugural competition. Providence was presented the Mayors Challenge Grand Prize for Innovation and a $5 million implementation award for its cutting-edge early education initiative. Mayors Challenge innovation prizes also were awarded to Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and Santa Monica, all of which will receive $1 million to support implementation. Sculptures created by world-renowned designer Olafur Eliasson were created to commemorate the Mayors Challenge winners.

Bloomberg Philanthropies to Donate $100 Million to Help Global Initiative to End Polio Forever

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Michael R. Bloomberg today announced a $100 million donation to support polio eradication efforts through Bloomberg Philanthropies. The donation will help fund the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) six year plan to eradicate polio.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Launches Fan Favorite Selection for Mayors Challenge

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:32:00 -0500

Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced the launch of the Mayors Challenge Fan Favorite selection. The selection, launched in partnership with The Huffington Post, allows citizens to learn more about the bold and innovative ideas of the 20 Mayors Challenge finalists and vote for their favorite. Each finalist city will showcase its idea through an original video and a blog post from its mayor.

Changing the Conversation on Climate Change (by Rohit T. Aggarwala)

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:20:29 -0500

Politically, environmentalism has had a few good months in the U.S. Hurricane Sandy put the words “climate change” back in the national vocabulary. Republican attempts to attack Democrats for waging a “war on coal” failed to win many votes in states like Virginia and Ohio on Election Day. In his second inaugural address, President Barack Obama made climate action a priority. A climate rally in Washington is being planned for later this month, and the president has committed to conducting a “national conversation” on the subject.

Kelly Henning: Mayor Bloomberg Weighs in on the UN’s new Millennium Development Goals

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:32:00 -0500

The United Nations is formulating its Post-2015 Development Agenda—an update to the organization’s Millennium Development Goals that since 2000, have guided global action on poverty reduction, health, environment, gender equality and education. To help inform the new Agenda, the UN has requested input from institutions, governments, and individuals who are part of the effort to promote development around the world.

In a recent submission to the U.S. representative on the panel drafting the proposed Agenda, Mike Bloomberg provided his perspective on what it will take to achieve meaningful change.

As Mayor of New York City, Mike Bloomberg’s policies have helped add three years to the life of the average New Yorker. The City’s approach is presented in a publication the Mayor brings to the panel’s attention in his brief, which also focuses on three main principles:

Use data and metrics in setting goals, assessing progress, and ensuring accountability;
Make the healthy choice the default by creating policies that encourage individuals to make the choices that will improve their lives; and
Leverage public-private partnerships for social good.

By following these three guidelines, the United Nations, its partner organizations and the governments with which they work can make lasting progress towards solving some of the most stubborn development challenges—particularly the growing burden of non-communicable diseases around the world. Population-wide approaches are necessary complements to Universal Health Coverage, the goal of many in the global health movement. Indeed, population-wide approaches like the ones outlined in the Mayor’s submission are among the most effective and equitable ways to address key health risk factors and save lives.

The full submission can be accessed here.

New $350 Million Grant to Johns Hopkins University

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:17:00 -0500

The grant will be used to support two important transformation goals. $250 million will support the appointment of cross-disciplinary faculty in the areas of water resource sustainability, individualized health care delivery, global health, the science of learning and urban revitalization. And $100 million will be dedicated to need-based financial aid for undergraduate students, ensuring that the most talented and driven students are admitted to the university’s classrooms, regardless of economic circumstance. Over the next 10 years, 2,600 Bloomberg Scholarships will be awarded.

"Johns Hopkins University has been an important part of my life since I first set foot on campus more..."

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:16:39 -0500

“Johns Hopkins University has been an important part of my life since I first set foot on campus more than five decades ago. Each dollar I have given has been well-spent improving the institution and, just as importantly, making its education available to students who might otherwise not be able to afford it. Giving is only meaningful if the money will make a difference in people’s lives, and I know of no other institution that can make a bigger difference in lives around the world through its groundbreaking research—especially in the field of public health.”

- Mike Bloomberg

Mike Bloomberg at Johns Hopkins University in 1964 (photo from...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:01:09 -0500

Mike Bloomberg at Johns Hopkins University in 1964 (photo from the Johns Hopkins University archive).

At $1.1 Billion, Bloomberg Is Top University Donor in U.S.

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:59:52 -0500

At $1.1 Billion, Bloomberg Is Top University Donor in U.S.

"When you look at these great investments that have transformed American higher education, it’s..."

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:59:20 -0500

“When you look at these great investments that have transformed American higher education, it’s Rockefeller, it’s Carnegie, it’s Mellon, it’s Stanford — and it’s Bloomberg.”

- Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels in the New York Times

Mike Bloomberg released the first progress report on...

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:24:00 -0500

Mike Bloomberg released the first progress report on the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Road Safety Program, a five-year, $125 million investment to reduce preventable road traffic deaths and injuries. It is projected that at least 12,670 lives will be saved in five years based on the program’s early accomplishments in target countries: Brazil, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Kenya, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam.

Read the report

Mike Bloomberg and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim participate...

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:23:00 -0500

Mike Bloomberg and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim participate in a panel discussion on “Shaping the Future of Urban Transport” at the 10th Annual Transforming Transportation Conference. The conference was held at the World Bank Campus in Washington, DC.

At the conference, a midway status report was released on Bloomberg Philanthropies groundbreaking Global Road Safety Program. The report demonstrated that the programs work has resulted in 1.6 billion people who are now covered by new or improved road safety laws.

1.6 Billion People Now Covered Globally By New or Improved Road Safety Laws

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:53:00 -0500

Bloomberg Philanthropies Releases Midway Status Report; Evaluates Global Road Safety Program Interventions. To view the complete report from Bloomberg Philanthropies, please click here.

A groundbreaking Global Road Safety Program in ten countries funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies produced results showing that 1.6 billion people are now covered by strengthened road safety laws, Mayor and philanthropist Michael R. Bloomberg announced today. The initiatives include increased seat-belt and helmet usage, reduced speed limits, drinking and driving enforcement, and improvements in road infrastructure and sustainable transport.

Bloomberg Philanthropies released its first progress report on its Global Road Safety Program, a five-year, $125 million investment to reduce preventable road traffic deaths and injuries. It is projected that at least 12,670 lives will be saved in five years based on the program’s early accomplishments in target countries: Brazil, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Kenya, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam.

The Association for Safe International Road Safety (ASIRT), EMBARQ, Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH), World Bank Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF), and World Health Organization (WHO) are all partners in the Global Road Safety Program.

Each year, road traffic crashes kill 1.3 million people and between 20-50 million suffer severe injuries. By 2030, the World Health Organization estimates that road traffic fatalities will be the fifth leading cause of death globally.

“The success we have had through our road safety program is saving lives around the world, but there is still more work to be done,” said Michael R. Bloomberg. “We look forward to spreading our efforts and contributing to the Decade of Action to reduce preventable road traffic deaths and injuries.”

In 2010, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 in a landmark Resolution co-sponsored by 100 countries to “stabilize and then reduce” global road traffic fatalities. The Bloomberg Global Road Safety Program strives to accelerate progress on the Decade of Action. Results suggest the program initiatives are a major step forward toward global progress on road safety.

2010-2012 Bloomberg Program Highlights from 10 focus countries:

1. 1.6 billion people now covered by new or strengthened road safety laws

2. 13,300 police and public health officials trained on road safety interventions

Police officers are trained on enforcement of road safety laws and how to set up safe checkpoints
Health professionals are trained on trauma response
Police forces and hospital staff are trained on proper data collection

3. $440 million committed by governments to make road improvements

4. 5,500 miles of high-risk roads have been assessed with improvements recommended to governments

5. 12 media campaigns were initiated reaching 65 million people

Examples of early successes include:

Seat-Belts: Wearing a seat-belt reduces the risk of fatality among passengers in the front seat by 40-50% and 25-75% for those in the back seat. One target country where Bloomberg has been working to increase seat-belt usage is Turkey, where federal law does not require commercial or government vehicle drivers to wear seat-belts.

However, the Governor of Afyon, Turkey issued a local decree in 2012 mandating all drivers to wear seat-belts. Seat-belt usage in Afyon jumped from 4% in 2011 to 49% in 2012.

Speed: Higher speeds lead to an increased risk of a crash and greater probability that someone will be killed or seriously injured.

Following a strong social marketing campaign and increased police enforcement, speeding rates decreased from 32% in 2011 to 9% in 2012 in Dalian, China, and from 47% in 2011 to 33% in 2012 in Lipetsk, Russia.

Drinking and Driving Enforcement: Drinking and driving increases both the risk of a crash and the likelihood that a death or serious injury will occur. The risk of involvement in a crash increases significantly with a blood alcohol concentration above .04%.

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, following a strong social media campaign and increased police enforcement, drinking and driving rates dropped from 10% in 2010 to nearly 0% in 2012.

Helmets: Wearing a helmet is the single most effective way of reducing head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle crashes, as it decreases the risk of injuries by 70% and deaths by 40%.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards has recently adopted internationally recognized motorcycle helmet quality standards, another critical component of helmet wearing laws.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is committed to creating healthier, safer lives across the globe, and the road safety program focuses on 10 low-and middle-income countries that account for close to half of the 1.3 million road traffic deaths each year. Ninety percent of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries and globally half of all deaths are among pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists.

Bloomberg’s program is rooted in the belief that road traffic deaths are preventable with effective, evidence-based interventions, such as increased seat-belt and helmet use, speed reduction, and decreased drinking and driving. The program also focuses on safe sustainable urban transport – achieved by reducing car travel and moving people through safely designed mass transportation and improving high-risk roads through infrastructure improvements including widening shoulder lanes, installing medians, crosswalks and lane markings. Strategies also include support for public efforts to implement effective road safety laws, enhance professional training to enforce laws, create resources for advocacy and hard-hitting mass media campaigns.

"Bloomberg Philanthropies is committed to creating healthier, safer lives across the globe. Reducing..."

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:51:00 -0500

“

Bloomberg Philanthropies is committed to creating healthier, safer lives across the globe. Reducing preventable road traffic deaths and injuries is a key component of our work. Without intervention, road traffic crashes will kill 1.3 million people this year alone, and cause 20-50 million severe injuries. This is unacceptable.

Fortunately, proven interventions to reduce deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes exist. In 2010, we partnered with six organizations to develop and promote proven policies to reduce road traffi c deaths and injuries. These interventions include increased seat-belt and helmet use, speed reduction, improved drinking and driving laws, safe sustainable urban transport, and improved road infrastructure. Through our strategic partnerships and a $125 million investment, we are helping governments in ten low- and middle-income countries implement these interventions.

Over the last three years, we’ve seen a number of positive outcomes through our work with nongovernmental organizations and governments. We estimate that at least 12,670 lives will be saved based on our early accomplishments. But there is still much work to be done. The United Nations has declared 2011–2020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety, and we look forward to contributing to continued success around the world in the years ahead

”

- Mike Bloomberg