MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières

January 17, 2014
South Sudan: MSF Forced to Suspend Activities in Malakal
Thousands of people are going without desperately needed medical care after MSF was forced to suspend activities in Malakal, South Sudan, following the looting of its compound yesterday. Read more »

Doctors w/o Borders ‏@MSF_USA Jan 13
In the #WestBank, MSF provides psycho-medical-social care to help patients deal with the stress of ongoing violence http://bit.ly/1d1sM6f 
12:46 PM – 13 Jan 2014

Doctors w/o Borders @MSF_USA Jan 13
At Ehiopia’s Bole airport MSF is providing care to tens of thousands of returnees recently deported from Saudi Arabia http://bit.ly/1j44DEb 
12:43 PM – 13 Jan 2014

MSF UK @MSF_uk Jan 17
In the last month we have carried out 41,899 consultations amidst the #SouthSudanCrisis pic.twitter.com/zIu29FRJjV
3:54 AM – 17 Jan 2014

MSF UK @MSF_uk Jan 14
Our latest video update from the #CentralAfricanRepublic http://msf.me/1dnHhFL  #MSF #CARcrisis
8:56 AM – 14 Jan 2014 ·

ICRC United Kingdom @ICRC_uk Jan 13
ICRC & @MSF_uk surgical teams working continuously at #Bangui hospital, where some 60 wounded have arrived since Fri pic.twitter.com/OCjExXkyNl
Retweeted by MSF UK
3:35 AM – 13 Jan 2014 ·

Partners In Health

Jan 18, 2014
The Drum Major Instinct: A Reflection on Martin Luther King Day
In “To Repair the World,” Dr. Paul Farmer reflects on Dr. Martin Luther King’s work to create a more just world.

Partners In Health ‏@PIH Jan 17
.@JacobKushner on the importance of medical education at University Hospital in #Haiti via @GlobalPost http://ow.ly/sHaYz 
11:08 AM – 17 Jan 2014

Partners In Health @PIH Jan 15
Expansion of specialty services at University Hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti. Learn more: http://ow.ly/sBYYM  pic.twitter.com/eMun4zhpUs
7:49 AM – 15 Jan 2014 ·

Partners In Health ‏@PIH Jan 13
University Hospital is decentralizing #healthcare and economic activity in #Haiti http://ow.ly/sx0kj  pic.twitter.com/FUTzPtFZGc
7:13 AM – 13 Jan 2014

PATH

Announcement | January 17, 2014
PATH names director of strategic initiatives for International Development
Global health and development leader Katharine Kreis to guide strategic geographic presence

Press release | January 14, 2014
PATH names former White House advisor Grant Colfax as leader of its HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Program
Former Obama administration public health expert and leading clinical scientist will oversee program and advise PATH’s translational science policy

PATH @PATHtweets Jan 16
New PATH article: “Prioritizing investments in innovations to protect women from leading causes of maternal death” http://bit.ly/1a4Ay51 
3:15 PM – 16 Jan 2014 ·

Steve Davis @SteveDavisPATH Jan 16
A warm welcome to former White House advisor Grant Colfax, the new leader of PATH’s HIV/AIDS & TB program: http://bit.ly/1iPAPZi  #OnePATH
Retweeted by PATH
5:31 AM – 16 Jan 2014

SOS-Kinderdorf International

Children’s Villages ‏@sos4children Jan 17
Children able to play again after Typhoon #Haiyan at SOS Child Care Space in Bisleng http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/typhoon-haiyan-emergency-appeal-2013/children-play-again-after-typhoon-haiyan … #Philippines
2:20 AM – 17 Jan 2014

Children’s Villages @sos4children Jan 13
SOS Village Bangui acts as a refuge for thousands of displaced people amid violence in #CentralAfricanRepublic http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/sos-village-acts-as-a-refuge-amid-CAR-violence …
2:30 AM – 13 Jan 2014

Tostan
Tostan @Tostan Jan 17
Awa Diop leads awareness-raising activities encouraging the modernization of Koranic schools. Find out why here: http://bit.ly/1fF95Jb 
7:03 AM – 17 Jan 2014

Tostan @Tostan Jan 16
102 solar kits provide electricity to two communities in Senegal – http://bit.ly/1daeOPo  @TostanFrance @barefootpower
8:35 AM – 16 Jan 2014

Tostan @Tostan Jan 13
Our founder @MollyMelching went to buy fish & got a lesson in brain development from a participant in our program! http://bit.ly/1ahlf6o 
8:46 AM – 13 Jan 2014

UNICEF [to 18 January 2014]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_71508.html

UNICEF statement on the loss of staff members in the Kabul bombing
NEW YORK , 18 January 2014 – Less than one year ago, UNICEF paid tribute to colleagues who have lost their lives for the sake of a better future for all children, with a memorial at UNICEF House. Today, with great sadness and anger, we must add two more names to that list of heroes.

‘Breaking Views with UNICEF’ hits the airwaves
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa/NAIROBI, Kenya/FLORENCE, Italy, 16 January 2014 – UNICEF today launched a groundbreaking new TV series: Breaking Views with UNICEF. The series of 26 interviews will air on prime time television from Thursday 16 January, on E News Channel Africa, ENCA, across East and Southern Africa, and on BSkyB in the UK.

UNICEF: Child combatants reported in South Sudan conflict
JUBA, South Sudan, 17 January 2014 – UNICEF today expressed its deep concern about the use of children as combatants in the ongoing armed conflict in South Sudan.

Central African Republic: 23 children released from armed groups
BANGUI, Central African Republic/DAKAR, Senegal/GENEVA, 17 January 2014 – Twenty-three children between 14 and 17 years old were released from armed groups in Bangui on Thursday, with many more identified for release in the coming days.

ECHO and UNICEF join forces for crisis affected children to go back to school
BAMAKO/BRUSSELS, 15 January 2014 – The Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department of the European Commission (ECHO) is providing EUR 3 million for children’s education in crisis affected in Mali.

Candidates sit for primary school graduation exams while sheltering at UN compounds in Juba
JUBA, 14 January 2014 – Hundreds of students in the capital of South Sudan are this week sitting their primary school graduation exam at the United Nations compounds where they have been living since violence erupted in the city almost a month ago.

UNICEF participates in 2nd High Level International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, January 15, 2014
Media Advisory: UNICEF participates in 2nd High Level International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, January 15, 2014

UNHCR [to 18 January 2014]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

17 January 2014
Turkey hosts Ministerial Coordination Meeting of Major Host Countries for Syrian Refugees

15 January 2014
UNHCR invites journalists, journalist organizations to nominate candidates for the 2014 Nansen Refugee Award

UNOCHA [to 18 January 2014]
http://www.unocha.org/
Latest Press Releases

17 Jan 2014
Central African Republic: Emergency Relief Coordinator’s key messages on the Central African Republic 17 January 2014 – Issue Number 1
Key Messages
The political crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) worsened over the last year, leading to a breakdown of law and order and brutal inter-communal violence in December 2013. The extreme poverty, lack of governance, insecurity, and a range of complex political, religious and human rights issues have contributed to a major humanitarian crisis in the country,…

17 Jan 2014
Chad: Revue de Presse Humanitaire au Tchad Du 11 au 17 janvier 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Central African Republic, Chad

17 Jan 2014
Sudan: Central Emergency Response Fund allocates US$86 million to support aid efforts in ten chronically neglected crises

17 Jan 2014
Syrian Arab Republic: “How Much Longer?”

16 Jan 2014
Central African Republic: Time is running out to prevent a genocide

16 Jan 2014
Central African Republic: OCHA Operations Director, John Ging Opening remarks to the Press on Central African Republic – Press conference, Geneva, 16 January 2014

16 Jan 2014
Philippines: Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos Statement on the Philippines: Two months on

15 Jan 2014
Syrian Arab Republic: Donors pledge $2.4 billion for Syrians in need

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Country: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey

(Kuwait City, 15 January 2014): International donors today in Kuwait pledged more than $2.4 billion to support aid organizations’ response to the massive humanitarian needs generated by the crisis in Syria.
Latest Map
Philippines: Summary of Partner Organizations in Region VI (as of 13 Jan 2014)

UNESCO [t0 18 January 2014]
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/for-the-press/all-news/

17 Jan 14
Empowerment of rural women in Jordan through heritage conservation for sustainable development

16 Jan 14
UNESCO is seeking nominations for UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2014

15 Jan 14
UNESCO advocates for increased investment in quality education for Syrian youth

15 Jan 14
Science-Policy Workshop on Climate Change Impacts in Major Mountainous Regions of the World

14 Jan 14
Reducing our CO2 emissions is the only possible response to ocean acidification

USAID [to 18 January 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/

USAID Administrator Calls for Immediate and Unconditional Humanitarian Access throughout South Sudan
January 18, 2014
Since its independence, South Sudan has made modest but important steps on the path to development. But today, fighting between government and rebel forces puts that progress at risk, wreaking havoc on a people who have faced more than their share of suffering and denial. Recent violence in South Sudan has left thousands dead and has driven nearly half a million people from their homes.

USAID and Partners to Boost U.S.-Africa Apparel Trade
January 17, 2014
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and the African Cotton & Textile Industries Federation (ACTIF) have entered into a memorandum of understanding to expand trade and investment linkages between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa in the cotton textile and apparel sectors.

World Bank [to 18 January 2014]

Region/Global actions and announcements
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Will Water Constrain Our Energy Future?
January 16, 2014
Energy and water security are crucial to human and economic development. The two resources are now more interconnected than ever — significant amounts of water are needed in almost all energy generation processes, from generating hydropower, to cooling and other purposes in thermal power plants, to extracting and processing fuels. Conversely, the water sector needs energy – mainly in the form of electricity – to extract, treat and transport water. Both energy and water are used in the production of crops, including those used to generate energy through biofuels .But energy and water resources are under unprecedented pressure, and there is growing competition for their use from people, industries, ecosystems, and growing economies. As the world’s population reaches 9 billion, demand will require a 50 percent increase in agricultural production and a 15 percent increase in already-strained water withdrawals. By 2035, the world’s energy consumption will increase by 35 percent…

BMC Public Health
(Accessed 18 January 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content

Research article
Influenza vaccines and influenza antiviral drugs in Africa: are they available and do guidelines for their use exist?
Jazmin Duque, Meredith L McMorrow and Adam L Cohen
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/41/abstract

Abstract (provisional)
Background
Influenza viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality in Africa, particularly among high-risk groups, but influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs may not be commonly available and used. The main aim of this study was to determine the availability and use of influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs as well as to describe existing related guidelines and policies in Africa.

Methods
A self-administered survey was distributed among key influenza experts in 40 African countries.

Results
Of the 40 countries surveyed, 31 (78%) responded; 14/31 (45%) reported availability of seasonal influenza vaccine, and 19/31 (65%) reported availability of antiviral drugs for the treatment of influenza. Vaccine coverage data were only available for 4/14 (29%) countries that reported availability of seasonal influenza vaccine and ranged from <0.5% to 2% of the population.

Conclusions
Influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs are available in many countries in Africa but coverage estimates are low and remain largely unknown. Describing the local burden of disease and identifying funding are essential to encourage countries to use influenza vaccine more widely.

Conflict and Health
http://www.conflictandhealth.com/
[Accessed 18 January 2014]

Research
A national population-based assessment of 2007-2008 election-related violence in Kenya
Johnson K, Scott J, Sasyniuk T, Ndetei D, Kisielewski M, Rouhani S, Bartels S, Mutiso V et al. Conflict and Health 2014, 8:2 (18 January 2014)

Abstract (provisional)
Background
Following the contested national elections in 2007, violence occurred throughout Kenya. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and health consequences of the 2007-2008 election-related violence.

Methods
A cross-sectional, national, population-based cluster survey of 956 Kenyan adults aged >= 18 years was conducted in Kenya in September 2011 utilizing a two-stage 90 x 10 cluster sample design and structured interviews and questionnaires. Prevalence of all forms of violence surrounding the 2007 election period, symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and morbidity related to sexual and physical violence were assessed.

Results
Of 956 households surveyed, 916 households participated (response rate 95.8%). Compared to pre-election, election-related sexual violence incidents/1000 persons/year increased over 60-fold (39.1-2370.1; p < .001) with a concurrent 37-fold increase in opportunistic sexual violence (5.2-183.1; p < .001). Physical and other human rights violations increased 80-fold (25.0-1987.1; p < .001) compared to pre-election. Overall, 50% of households reported at least one physical or sexual violation. Households reporting violence were more likely to report violence among female household members (66.6% vs. 58.1%; p = .04) or among the Luhya ethnic group (17.0% vs. 13.8%; p = 0.03). The most common perpetrators of election-related sexual violence were reported to be affiliated with government or political groups (1670.5 incidents/1000 persons per year); the Kalenjin ethnic group for physical violations (54.6%). Over thirty percent of respondents met MDD and PTSD symptom criteria; however, symptoms of MDD (females, 63.3%; males, 36.7%; p = .01) and suicide ideation (females, 68.5%; males, 31.5%; p = .04) were more common among females. Substance abuse was more common among males (males, 71.2%; females, 28.8%; p < .001).

Conclusion
On a national level in Kenya, politically-motivated and opportunistic sexual and physical violations were commonly reported among sampled adults with associated health and mental health outcomes

Global Public Health
Volume 8, Issue 10, 2013
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current#.UqNd7eKy_Kc

Cervical cancer and the global health agenda: Insights from multiple policy-analysis frameworks
Justin O. Parkhurst & Madhulika Vulimiri
pages 1093-1108
Open access  DOI:10.1080/17441692.2013.850524  Published online: 18 Nov 2013

Abstract
Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women globally, with an estimated 88% of deaths occurring in the developing world. Available technologies have dramatically reduced mortality in high-income settings, yet cervical cancer receives considerably little attention on the global health policy landscape. The authors applied four policy-analysis frameworks to literature on global cervical cancer to explore the question of why cervical cancer may not be receiving the international attention it may otherwise warrant. Each framework explores the process of agenda setting and discerns factors that either facilitate or hinder policy change in cases where there is both a clear problem and a potential effective solution. In combination, these frameworks highlight a number of crucial elements that may be needed to raise the profile of cervical cancer on global health agendas, including improving local (national or sub-national) information on the condition; increasing mobilisation of affected civil society groups; framing cervical cancer debates in ways that build upon its classification as a non-communicable disease (NCD) and an issue of women’s rights; linking cervical cancer screening to well-funded services such as those for HIV treatment in some countries; and identifying key global policy windows of opportunity to promote the cervical cancer agenda, including emerging NCD global health discussions and post-2015 reviews of the Millennium Development Goals.

Global Public Health
Volume 8, Issue 10, 2013
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current#.UqNd7eKy_Kc

Listening to the rumours: What the northern Nigeria polio vaccine boycott can tell us ten years on
Isaac Ghinai, Chris Willott, Ibrahim Dadari & Heidi J. Larson
pages 1138-1150  DOI:10.1080/17441692.2013.859720  Published online: 03 Dec 2013

Abstract
In 2003 five northern Nigerian states boycotted the oral polio vaccine due to fears that it was unsafe. Though the international responses have been scrutinised in the literature, this paper argues that lessons still need to be learnt from the boycott: that the origins and continuation of the boycott were due to specific local factors. We focus mainly on Kano state, which initiated the boycotts and continued to reject immunisations for the longest period, to provide a focused analysis of the internal dynamics and complex multifaceted causes of the boycott. We argue that the delay in resolving the year-long boycott was largely due to the spread of rumours at local levels, which were intensified by the outspoken involvement of high-profile individuals whose views were misunderstood or underestimated. We use sociological concepts to analyse why these men gained influence amongst northern Nigerian communities. This study has implications on contemporary policy: refusals still challenge the Global Polio Eradication Initiative; and polio remains endemic to Nigeria (Nigeria accounted for over half of global cases in 2012). This paper sheds light on how this problem may be tackled with the ultimate aim of vaccinating more children and eradicating polio.

Journal of International Development
January 2014  Volume 26, Issue 1  Pages 1–154
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jid.v26.1/issuetoc

ANALYSING THE GENDER GAP IN EDUCATION ATTAINMENT: A SIMPLE FRAMEWORK WITH APPLICATION TO GHANA (pages 59–76)
Minh Cong Nguyen and Quentin Wodon
Article first published online: 22 JAN 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.2894

WHO GETS WHAT? DETERMINANTS OF LOAN SIZE AND CREDIT RATIONING AMONG MICROCREDIT BORROWERS: EVIDENCE FROM NICARAGUA (pages 77–90)
David R. Mason
Article first published online: 13 FEB 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.2899 Abstract

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTANCE AND MORAL HAZARD IN MICROCREDIT: EVIDENCE FROM COLOMBIA (pages 91–108)
Andrea F. Presbitero and Roberta Rabellotti
Article first published online: 25 FEB 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.2901 Abstract

POWER AND INTERESTS IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT: EXOGENOUS AND ENDOGENOUS DISCOURSES IN CONTENTION (pages 109–127)
Robin Mansell
Article first published online: 10 JUL 2011 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.1805 Abstract

AN ISLAND DRIFTING APART. WHY HAITI IS MIRED IN POVERTY WHILE THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FORGES AHEAD (pages 128–148)
Ewout Frankema and Aline Masé
Article first published online: 29 MAY 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.2924 Abstract

Knowledge Management for Development Journal
September 2013 issue now online (27 November)
http://journal.km4dev.org/journal/index.php/km4dj/index

[PDF] Changing our ways: making sense of complex multi-stakeholder systems change by using the four quadrant model
H Walters
Abstract
This case study systematises the experiences of the ICCO Alliance in introducing a multi-stakeholder approach in all of its relations with partner organisations and in its development cooperation practice. Using Ken Wilber’s framework of institutional change, the author presents the internal as well as external influences that need to take place at the organisational level, the level of individual staff in these organisation as well as between organisations in the ICCO Alliance for the ICCO Alliance to be able to change. The change involves processes in which the ICCO Alliance changes from an organisation that works only through bilateral cooperation with partners to an organisation that seeks to work in multi-stakeholder arrangements with partners, that tries to do so herself in the ICCO Alliance and intends to promote this inter-organisational cooperative form for other organisations that are addressing the same issues in their work. The dynamics between the changes required at personal, relational, organisational culture and organisational systems levels are analysed in order to discover if, how and to what effect these dynamics have positive effects on the intended change, or are constraints or obstacles in really implementing the change towards working with a multi-stakeholder approach. Insights gained will help in identifying solutions for identified constraints, and also in identifying practices that have a positive effect that can be shared more widely with others. The author thinks that the experiences of the ICCO Alliance are worthwhile for others who intend to walk the pathway of change through promoting multi-stakeholder processes in the context of a much regulated development sector and strong practices that are not always conducive to good cooperative processes and creating shared added value.

Correspondence
Prioritizing investments in innovations to protect women from the leading causes of maternal death
Tara M Herrick*, Claudia M Harner-Jay, Alice M Levisay, Patricia S Coffey, Michael J Free and Paul D LaBarre
Author Affiliations: PATH, PO Box 900922, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2014, 14:10  doi:10.1186/1471-2393-14-10

Abstract
PATH, an international nonprofit organization, assessed nearly 40 technologies for their potential to reduce maternal mortality from postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia and eclampsia in low-resource settings. The evaluation used a new Excel-based prioritization tool covering 22 criteria developed by PATH, the Maternal and Neonatal Directed Assessment of Technology (MANDATE) model, and consultations with experts. It identified five innovations with especially high potential: technologies to improve use of oxytocin, a uterine balloon tamponade, simplified dosing of magnesium sulfate, an improved proteinuria test, and better blood pressure measurement devices. Investments are needed to realize the potential of these technologies to reduce mortality.

IOM: Including Health in Global Frameworks for Development, Wealth, and Climate Change – Workshop Summary
In the spring of 2013, the IOM held three webinars which examined frameworks for global development goals and connections to health indicators, the role for health in the context of novel sustainable economic frameworks, and scenarios to project climate change impacts and health outcomes. The webinars were based on themes identified by the IOM Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine’s Global Environmental Health and Sustainable Development Innovation Collaborative.

Read the Report >>

MICROFINANCE THROUGH SELF HELP GROUPS: A WAY TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Manpreet Arora, Swati Singh
International Journal of Entrepreneurship & Business Environment Perspectives, Vol 2, No 4 (2013)

Abstract
Sustainable Development has been one of the key agenda for discussion in recent times. Sustainability is a wider term. It does not mean taking care of environment only, it encompasses variety of issues. For achieving Sustainable Development, it is necessary that each sector should develop taking into consideration certain issues like poverty, unemployment, social, economic and political development.
Sustainable Development is a broad term having various dimensions benefitting the future generations. Rural development has always been at priority in developing countries. People in rural areas were denied access to banking services due various types of risk involved to the banking institutions. Thus, the concept of Microfinance emerged as the catalyst to boost up the economic growth of the country. Microfinance has proved to be development tool helping the developing countries to tackle various issues, which hampers the growth and the sustainable development. Disbursing Microfinance through Self Help Groups Banking has been a successful programme in India that is leading the country towards Sustainable Rural Development.
This conceptual paper aims at discussing the role of Self Help Groups and Bank Linkage Programme in attaining a way towards Sustainable Development through lending credit to the sustainable projects, which not only support the rural people but also take care of future generations by preserving and conserving the natural resources.