UNOCHA [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.unocha.org/

Latest Press Releases
31 Jan 2014
occupied Palestinian territory: United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator calls for halt to the displacement of Palestinians in the Jordan Valley
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: occupied Palestinian territory The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator James W. Rawley today expressed concern over the Israeli authorities’ demolition of 36 Palestinian-owned structures in the Jordan Valley community of Ein al Hilwe yesterday. The demolitions resulted in the displacement of 66 people, including 36 children. “I am deeply concerned about the ongoing displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in…

31 Jan 2014
Syrian Arab Republic: Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos Statement on Syria
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Syrian Arab Republic (New York, 31 January 2014): I am deeply frustrated and disappointed that the Geneva II talks concluded today without agreement on humanitarian pauses to bring relief to hundreds of thousands of people blockaded in towns and cities in Syria. More than three million people in Syria are trapped in areas where heavy fighting continues or that are besieged by Government or Opposition forces…

29 Jan 2014
World: Director of OCHA Geneva Rashid Khalikov opening remarks at the League of Arab States workshop: “Advancing humanitarian effectiveness in the Arab region”
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: World It is a great pleasure to be here today in Cairo for the League of Arab States’ workshop on “Advancing Humanitarian Effectiveness in the Arab Region: challenges and ways forward.” The Arab region is vulnerable to numerous natural and man-made hazards, and has been dealing with the challenges of population growth, rapid urbanization and water scarcity amongst others, often in the context of a weak economic environment…

29 Jan 2014
South Sudan: Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos Press Remarks on South Sudan – Juba, 29 January 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: South Sudan Good afternoon, I am coming to the end of a three-day visit to South Sudan where I have had an opportunity to see for myself the impact of the conflict on people over the last six weeks. I have also had an opportunity to discuss the situation with the President [Salva Kiir], the Ministers of Humanitarian and Cabinet Affairs, donors, UN agencies, and partner organizations in the country. In just over six weeks…

Latest Map
Yemen: Yemen – Center West Region – District Priority – People in Need,…

UNDP  United Nations Development Program [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.us.undp.org/content/undp/en/home.html

30 Jan 2014
Use HIV lessons to fend off new regional health threats, urges UNDP
Many of the policies and approaches used to reduce new HIV infections in Asia and the Pacific could be effective in stemming the growing threat of diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other emerging development issues, says a new UN Development Programme (UNDP) report.

30 Jan 2014
Better and more timely data can transform development, experts agree
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is hosting a three-day conference, Data and Accountability for the Post-2015 Development Framework, which brings together data experts and statisticians from around the world to discuss how development practitioners can make the call for a ‘data revolution’ real.

29 Jan 2014
Rebeca Grynspan: Introductory Statement at the Presentation of the Strategic Framework of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS
United Nations, New York

29 Jan 2014
Helen Clark: Launch of UNDP Report, “Humanity Divided: Confronting Inequality in Developing Countries”
Diplomat Ballroom, Millennium Hotel, New York

29 Jan 2014
Humanity remains deeply unequal despite impressive progress, says UNDP report
A sustained reduction in inequality requires a shift to more inclusive growth patterns – supported by redistributive polices and changes in social norms – says a report launched today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark.

28 Jan 2014
Marta, Gattuso and Vieri among the nine new players joining the 11th annual Match Against Poverty
Brazilian female football striker Marta Vieira da Silva joins the Match for the second time, with proceeds to support recovery efforts in the Philippines.

27 Jan 2014
Global Easy Water project joins Business Call to Action by providing low-cost irrigation systems for rural farmers
Global Easy Water Products (GEWP), a leading social enterprise has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) with plans to provide low-cost micro irrigation systems for smallholder farmers in India. The company expects to reach 300,000 families and small hold farmers with its innovative technology by 2018.

27 Jan 2014
Helen Clark: First Regular Session of the UNDP Executive Board
Statement of Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator to the First Regular Session of the UNDP Executive Board 2014.

27 Jan 2014
New Constitution a Historic Landmark on Journey to Democracy for Tunisia
First democratic constitution in ‘cradle of Arab Spring’ hailed for strong commitment to human rights, promotion of gender equality

UN Women  [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.unwomen.org/

31/01/2014
At AU Summit, girls and young women demand attention of world leaders

30/01/2014
Sowing seeds, reaping income and independence, in Timor-Leste

29/01/2014
At African Union Summit, UN Women Executive Director to call for women’s full participation to accelerate peace and sustainable development

29/01/2014
UN Women and Mara Foundation announce partnership to support women entrepreneurs – See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/#sthash.rZD159NB.dpuf

UNFPA  United Nations Population Fund [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.unfpa.org/public/

31 January 2014 – Press Release
UNFPA Official Hails Heroism of Haiyan Health Workers
LEYTE, Philippines — UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, acknowledged the heroism of health workers in Typhoon Haiyan-affected areas who continued to serve their communities, despite having been affected by the disaster themselves. more

29 January 2014 – Statement
Statement by the Executive Director to the Executive Board
In his statement to the Executive Board, Dr. Osotimehin laid out the priorities for UNFPA in the year ahead. Topics discussed in his statement include the ICPD beyond 2014 and MDG post 2015 process, thematic areas such as gender equality and women’s empowerment, health, adolescents and youth, governance and accountability.

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.fao.org/home/en/

FAO warns of potential food security crisis as security situation in the Central African Republic worsens
31-12-2013

UNESCO  [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/for-the-press/all-news//

30 Jan 14
After Typhoon Haiyan: Smart Climate Change Education more important than ever

30 Jan 14
PERSIST: UNESCO Digital Strategy for Information Sustainability

30 Jan 14
“Our future depends on the relation we build between science and policy,” says Irina Bokova at the launch the Scientific Advisory Board

30 Jan 14
Newly trained Egyptian heritage rescue team intervenes rapidly at the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo

29 Jan 14
Climate Change Impacts in Major Mountainous Regions of the World

29 Jan 14
UNESCO discusses challenges facing citizen journalists at Oxford University

29 Jan 14
Global learning crisis is costing $129 billion a year

28 Jan 14
Director-General launches the United Nations Scientific Advisory Board in Berlin, hosted by UNESCO

UNCTAD  [to 1 February 2014]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/Home.aspx

31 January 2014
Comprehensive new reports examine impact of “eco-labels”
The average annual growth rate of products certified under “eco-labels” or voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) across all commodity sectors except biofuels in 2012 was a stunning 41%….
The State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) Review 2014 found that growth in VSS-compliant production was strongest in palm oil, which experienced 90% growth in 2012; sugar (74%), cocoa (69%) and cotton (55%).
The report is being launched alongside the first Measuring Sustainability Report of the Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA). Together these major reports provide the most comprehensive review to date of market trends, system performance and impact research on popular sustainability standards, and ask how sustainability initiatives actually affect farmers, communities and the environment in low and middle-income countries…

CBD (Convention of Biological Diversity) [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.cbd.int/

31 Jan 2014
Three new ratifications edge landmark treaty on genetic resources towards entry into force
Three new ratifications to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization provide significant momentum towards its entry into force. The recent ratifications by Benin, Burkina Faso and Myanmar bring the total number of ratifications to the ground-breaking treaty under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to 29. This means that only 21 more ratifications are needed for the Protocol to enter into force

USAID [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/

USAID and GE Partner with Kenya Commercial Bank to Open Health Financing
January 28, 2014
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and GE, in conjunction with Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), today announced a new partnership that will make up to $10 million in local financing available to small and medium enterprises for the development of private health facilities, including small clinics, diagnostic centers, and hospitals in Kenya.

DFID  [to 1 February 2014]
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development

UK provides airlift support to UN Mission in South Sudan
31 January 2014  DFID, FCO and MOD   Press release

Greening: UK will focus on frontier economic development
27 January 2014  DFID  Press release

ECHO  [to 1 February 2014]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

The Caribbean: Better prepared to face disasters
31/01/2014 – The European Union is reaffirming its commitment towards disaster risk reduction in the Caribbean with the launch of the new Disaster Preparedness (DIPECHO) action plan 2013-2014…
[Read more]

European Commission launches Gender-Age Marker Toolkit
30/01/2014 – Does one size fit all when providing life-saving assistance in a humanitarian crisis? The needs and risks faced by women, girls, boys and men can be very different. Gender and age are key factors in determining the vulnerabilities and capacities of those hit by disasters or conflicts, both during and after the emergency situations….
[Read more]

OECD  [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.oecd.org/

OECD forecasts during and after the financial crisis: a post-mortem Presentation in London on 11 February 2014
31 Jan 14
Forecasting was extremely challenging during the economic crisis. Projections repeatedly over-estimated growth, failing to properly assess the extent of the slowdown and the weak pace of the recovery.

France must do more to promote quality jobs for older workers, says OECD
30 Jan 14
Promoting quality employment for older workers is crucial to boosting growth and ensuring a financially sustainable pension system, according to a new OECD report on ageing and

World Bank [to 1 February 2014]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

Region/Global actions and announcements
Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Building More Inclusive Cities to Lift the Urban Poor
With 5 million people moving to cities every month, urban poverty is an increasingly complex problem for policy makers around the world.  At the World Bank Group, urban experts are looking at innovative ways to help cities reduce poverty and include the urban poor in the opportunities offered by growing cities. “In the past, our work on inclusive cities has primarily focused on slum upgrading, the ‘bricks and mortar’ interventions, to deliver infrastructure and improve services,” said Sameh Wahba, acting director for the Bank’s Urban and Disaster Risk Management Department. “But with the rapid growth of cities, it’s clear that it’s not enough to just go fix existing slums – cities need to plan for a growing population and deliver affordable housing to prevent new slums from forming.” “We can’t continue to run after the problem to solve it,” he said.  “We need to get in front of it. In other words, couple the curative with the preventive. “Exclusion Exacerbates Po Show Less –
Date: January 30, 2014

Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye – Inclusion Matters: The Foundation For Shared Prosperity
Welcome and thank you for joining us today for the launch of The World Bank’s report “Inclusion Matters: The Foundation for Shared Prosperity” here in Uganda. “Inclusion Matters” is a global report but its messages have direct applicability to and relevance for Uganda today. So I am proud that this event here in Kampala is the first launch of the report in Africa and, in fact, the first in a World Bank client country. Let me start by introducing the World Bank team.  I have great pleasure in welcoming our Country Director, Philippe Dungier to this event.  We also have here Maitreyi Das, the lead author of the report who will provide first-hand insights from the report and set the stage for the panel discussion. In addition, Juan Carlos Parra, Lisa Schmidt and Johanna Suurpaa, members of the core team for the report are also present.  I would like to record my appreciation for the Uganda team – Sheila Byiringiro Gashishiri, Annette Nabisere Byansansa, Constance Nekessa-Oum Show Less –
Date: January 28, 2014

PRESS RELEASE
More Productive Jobs for Africa’s Youth Vital for the Region’s Economic Progress, says New WB Report
January 27, 2014
WASHINGTON, January 27, 2014 – With more than half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population now under the age of 25, and as many as 11 million young Africans expected to join the labor market every year for the next decade, creating millions of productive, well-paying jobs will be vital to boost economic growth, significantly cut poverty, and create shared prosperity in Africa, according to a new World Bank report on youth employment in Africa.

While many African economies have registered impressive economic growth in recent years, poverty levels across the region have not fallen as much as expected and young people looking for better-paying work have been at a great disadvantage. This is partly because many African countries rely heavily on oil, gas, and mineral extraction which boosts economic growth but does little to create new jobs for the region’s fast-growing youth population or reduce overall rates of poverty.

In a new comprehensive regional report on the subject, ‘Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa’ notes that close to 80 percent of the workforce will continue to work on small farms and in household businesses in the near future. While the modern wage sector is growing very fast in some countries, it cannot create enough jobs to meet the youth employment challenge now preoccupying governments in every corner of the continent…
Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa Report

BMC Public Health
(Accessed 1 February 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content

Research article  
Timeliness of childhood vaccine uptake among children attending a tertiary health service facility-based immunisation clinic in Ghana
Dennis Odai Laryea, Emmanuel Abbeyquaye Parbie, Ebenezer Frimpong BMC Public Health 2014, 14:90 (29 January 2014)
Abstract |

Background
Childhood immunisation is a cost-effective activity in health. Immunisation of children has contributed to reducing child morbidity and mortality. In the last two decades, global deaths from vaccine-preventable illnesses have decreased significantly as a result of immunisation. Similar trends have been observed in Ghana following the introduction of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation. The administration of vaccines is based on the period of highest susceptibility among others. Ghana has long used the proportion of children receiving vaccines and the trends in vaccine preventable illness incidence as performance indicators for immunisation. The addition of timeliness of vaccine uptake as an additional performance indicator has been recommended. This study evaluated the timeliness of vaccine uptake among children immunised at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.

Methods
The study was conducted at the Maternal and Child Health clinic of the hospital between February and March 2012. A representative sample of 259 respondents was selected by simple random sampling. Data collection was by a structured questionnaire and included the examination of Child Health records booklet. Data was entered into a Microsoft Office Access database and analysed using Epi Info Version 3.5.1 2008.

Results
The majority of mothers attended antenatal clinics during pregnancy. An overwhelming majority of babies (98.8%) were delivered in a hospital. About 85% of babies were less than 12 months of age. Mean time taken to reach the clinic was 30 minutes. Vaccine uptake was generally timely for initial vaccines. The proportion of children receiving the vaccines later increased with latter vaccines. Overall, 87.3% of babies received vaccines on time with only 5.3% receiving vaccines beyond 28 days of the scheduled date. Children receiving immunisations services in the same facility as they were born were more likely to receive the BCG vaccine on time.

Conclusions
Vaccine uptake is mostly timely among respondents in the study. The BCG vaccine in particular was received on time among children born in the same facility as the immunisation clinic. There is the need to further examine the timeliness of vaccine uptake.

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
February 2014  Volume 10, Issue 2
http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/vaccines/toc/volume/10/issue/2/

Review
Japanese encephalitis: The virus and vaccines
Sang-Im Yun and Young-Min Lee http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/hv.26902

Abstract 
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an infectious disease of the central nervous system caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a zoonotic mosquito-borne flavivirus. JEV is prevalent in much of Asia and the Western Pacific, with over 4 billion people living at risk of infection. In the absence of antiviral intervention, vaccination is the only strategy to develop long-term sustainable protection against JEV infection. Over the past half-century, a mouse brain-derived inactivated vaccine has been used internationally for active immunization. To date, however, JEV is still a clinically important, emerging, and re-emerging human pathogen of global significance. In recent years, production of the mouse brain-derived vaccine has been discontinued, but three new cell culture-derived vaccines are available in various parts of the world. Here we review current aspects of JEV biology, summarize the four types of JEV vaccine, and discuss the potential of an infectious JEV cDNA technology for future vaccine development.

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
February 2014  Volume 10, Issue 2
http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/vaccines/toc/volume/10/issue/2/

Commentary
Adult immunization: The need to address
Bharti Mehta, Sumit Chawla, Vijay Kumar, Harashish Jindal and Bhumika Bhatt http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/hv.26797

Abstract 
Vaccination is recommended throughout life to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases and their sequel. The primary focus of vaccination programs has historically been directed to childhood immunizations. For adults, chronic diseases have been the primary focus of preventive and medical health care, though there has been increased emphasis on preventing infectious diseases. Adult vaccination coverage, however, remains low for most of the routinely recommended vaccines. Though adults are less susceptible to fall prey to traditional infectious agents, the probability of exposure to infectious agents has increased manifold owing to globalization and increasing travel opportunities both within and across the countries. Thus, there is an urgent need to address the problem of adult immunization. The adult immunization enterprise is more complex, encompassing a wide variety of vaccines and a very diverse target population. There is no coordinated public health infrastructure to support an adult immunization program as there is for children. Moreover, there is little coordination among adult healthcare providers in terms of vaccine provision. Substantial improvement in adult vaccination is needed to reduce the health consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases among adults. Routine assessment of adult patient vaccination needs, recommendation, and offer of needed vaccines for adults should be incorporated into routine clinical care of adults.

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
February 2014  Volume 10, Issue 2
http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/vaccines/toc/volume/10/issue/2/

Commentary
Tuberculosis vaccine: Time to look into future
Sumit Chawla, Dinesh Garg, Ram Bilas Jain, Pardeep Khanna, Satvinder Singh Choudhary, Soumya Sahoo and Inderjeet Singh
http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/hv.27108

Abstract
Global burden of tuberculosis is nearly 12 million. As per the WHO Global TB Report 2013, there were an estimated 8.6 million incident cases of TB globally in 2012. Tuberculosis is an issue that affects development through its effect on the health of individuals and families. In humans, neither prior latent infection nor recovery from active TB confers reliable protection against reinfection or reactivation disease. The power of vaccines as a public health intervention lies in their ability to reduce onward transmission of disease as much as in their ability to protect vaccinated individuals; a feature generally referred to as “herd immunity.” MVA85A is a booster vaccine, used in con-junction with BCG as part of a prime-boost strategy. BCG serves as the prime vaccination and MVA85A as the boost, operating under the theory that the addition of MVA85A will produce a better immune response and more protection against TB than BCG vaccination alone. There is a critical need to raise the profile of TB vaccine research at the community, national, regional, and global levels in order to generate support and political will, increase investment, create an enabling and supportive environment for clinical trials, and lay the groundwork for acceptance and adoption of new TB vaccines once licensed.

Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 1 February 2014]

Commentary
In an interconnected world: joint research priorities for the environment, agriculture and infectious disease
Bianca Brijnath, Colin D Butler, Anthony J McMichael Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2014, 3:2 (28 January 2014)
http://www.idpjournal.com/content/3/1/2/abstract

Abstract
In 2008 the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) commissioned ten think-tanks to work on disease-specific and thematic reference groups to identify top research priorities that would advance the research agenda on infectious diseases of poverty, thus contributing to improvements in human health. The first of the thematic reference group reports – on environment, agriculture and infectious diseases of poverty – was recently released. In this article we review, from an insider perspective, the strengths and weaknesses of this thematic reference group report and highlight key messages for policy-makers, funders and researchers.

Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 209 Issue 4 February 15, 2014
http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES
Massive Benefits of Antiretroviral Therapy in Africa
Sten H. Vermund1,2
http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/209/4/483.extract

Extract
One of the most positive, life-affirming, and transformational public health efforts in modern history is the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) [1–4]. This bilateral program (which involves the United States and individual partner nations) has had an unprecedented $44.3 billion appropriated from the US Congress from fiscal year 2004 through fiscal year 2012 (as of 31 March 2013), including over $7 billion to its multilateral partner, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria [5]. Additional funds have been provided by other donor nations, typically through the Global Fund, and by national governments of low- and middle-income countries. These resources have gone toward the global effort to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and to offer lifesaving antiretroviral therapy (ART)-based care to HIV-infected persons [6]. With its many partners, PEPFAR has directly supported >6 million persons, most in sub-Saharan Africa, among the >10 million persons estimated to have begun ART as of 2013. Since South African legal rulings and the change in government in 2009, the Government of South Africa has been an enthusiastic partner—with its people and with the global community—making up for lost time in the effort to address the epidemic and cooperate with its neighbors in southern Africa [7–9]. No nation has a higher number of infected persons than South Africa, and the southern African nations have the highest prevalence of HIV infection in the world, ranging to over half of the adult population in certain venues and age groups [10]. The Government of South Africa, with support from PEPFAR and the Global Fund, has supported the Herculean efforts of health workers, activists, and patients to reverse the …

Editor’s choice: The Survival Benefits of Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa
Michael D. April, Robin Wood, Bethany K. Berkowitz, A. David Paltiel, Xavier Anglaret, Elena Losina, Kenneth A. Freedberg, and Rochelle P. Walensky
J Infect Dis. (2014) 209 (4): 491-499 doi:10.1093/infdis/jit584
Abstract
Full Text (HTML)
Full Text (PDF)
Supplementary Data

Abstract
Background.  We sought to quantify the survival benefits attributable to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa since 2004.

Methods. We used the Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications–International model (CEPAC) to simulate 8 cohorts of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected patients initiating ART each year during 2004–2011. Model inputs included cohort-specific mean CD4+ T-cell count at ART initiation (112–178 cells/µL), 24-week ART suppressive efficacy (78%), second-line ART availability (2.4% of ART recipients), and cohort-specific 36-month retention rate (55%–71%). CEPAC simulated survival twice for each cohort, once with and once without ART. The sum of the products of per capita survival differences and the total numbers of persons initiating ART for each cohort yielded the total survival benefits.

Results.  Lifetime per capita survival benefits ranged from 9.3 to 10.2 life-years across the 8 cohorts. Total estimated population lifetime survival benefit for all persons starting ART during 2004–2011 was 21.7 million life-years, of which 2.8 million life-years (12.7%) had been realized by December 2012. By 2030, benefits reached 17.9 million life-years under current policies, 21.7 million life-years with universal second-line ART, 23.3 million life-years with increased linkage to care of eligible untreated patients, and 28.0 million life-years with both linkage to care and universal second-line ART.

Conclusions.  We found dramatic past and potential future survival benefits attributable to ART, justifying international support of ART rollout in South Africa.

The Lancet  
Feb 01, 2014  Volume 383  Number 9915   p383 – 486  e9 – 10
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Series
Health in the Arab world: a view from within
Changing therapeutic geographies of the Iraqi and Syrian wars
Omar Dewachi, Mac Skelton, Vinh-Kim Nguyen, Fouad M Fouad, Ghassan Abu Sitta, Zeina Maasri, Rita Giacaman
Preview | Summary | Full Text | PDF

The health consequences of the ongoing US-led war on terror and civil armed conflicts in the Arab world are much more than the collateral damage inflicted on civilians, infrastructure, environment, and health systems. Protracted war and armed conflicts have displaced populations and led to lasting transformations in health and health care. In this report, we analyse the effects of conflicts in Iraq and Syria to show how wars and conflicts have resulted in both the militarisation and regionalisation of health care, conditions that complicate the rebuilding of previously robust national health-care systems.

Health and ecological sustainability in the Arab world: a matter of survival
Abbas El-Zein, Samer Jabbour, Belgin Tekce, Huda Zurayk, Iman Nuwayhid, Marwan Khawaja, Tariq Tell, Yusuf Al Mooji, Jocelyn De-Jong, Nasser Yassin, Dennis Hogan
Preview | Summary | Full Text | PDF
Discussions leading to the Rio+20 UN conference have emphasised the importance of sustainable development and the protection of the environment for future generations. The Arab world faces large-scale threats to its sustainable development and, most of all, to the viability and existence of the ecological systems for its human settlements. The dynamics of population change, ecological degradation, and resource scarcity, and development policies and practices, all occurring in complex and highly unstable geopolitical and economic environments, are fostering the poor prospects.

Viewpoint
Health and contemporary change in the Arab world
Samer Jabbour
Preview | Full Text | PDF
In the past 10 years, but especially since the desperate act by Mohamed Bouazizi (a 26-year-old street vendor who set himself on fire on Dec 17, 2010, in protest against the confiscation of his cart and his humiliation by police) sparked popular uprisings in Tunisia that toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January, 2011, huge ongoing changes have gripped several countries in the Arab world and affected almost all others. From the invasion and occupation of Iraq to the empowerment of previously silenced masses (claiming new spaces for dissent, toppling presidents, and redrafting constitutions), the separation of South Sudan, and persistent insecurities and violence in some countries, these changes affect every domain of social life and have important effects on health.

Essay
State formation and underdevelopment in the Arab world
Tariq Tell
Preview | Full Text | PDF
A revisionist view of Arab underdevelopment has gained popularity because of the hegemony of neoliberal beliefs over development policy in the region. It stresses the inadequacies of the Arab state and the shortcomings of the dirigiste (state-led) development policies associated with so-called Arab socialism, and was given popular support by President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt who dominated the politics of the Arab world from 1952 to 1970.1,2 Little effort has been made to understand the historical forces that produced this turn to the state, and an internalist explanation of the lack of Arab progress is offered instead.

Importance of research networks: the Reproductive Health Working Group, Arab world and Turkey
Rita Giacaman, Asya Al-Ryami, Hyam Bashour, Jocelyn DeJong, Noha Gaballah, Atf Gherissi, Belgin Tekce, Huda Zurayk
Preview | Full Text | PDF
A meeting of the Reproductive Health Working Group’s Consultative Committee was due to take place at the Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, on June 17–18, 2013. This Committee plans the activities of the Reproductive Health Working Group, Arab World and Turkey, a 25-year-old capacity-building research network for the Arab countries and Turkey. The Consultative Committee members are based in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey, where, with the exception of Oman, conflicts, wars, military occupation, insecurity, and uncertainty seem to be the norm these days.