DFID [to 19 April 2014]
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development

UK development bonds will combat global poverty
16 April 2014 DFID Press release
The UK will launch its first ever development impact bond to improve healthcare in Africa by bringing together private and public investment.
The UK will launch its first ever development impact bond to improve healthcare in Africa by bringing together private and public investment, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced.
Ms Greening will launch the new bond to invest in the prevention of sleeping sickness in Uganda while attending the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation summit in Mexico.
The UK will also launch a new “roadmap” for increasing further private investment into frontier developing economies. In addition new development cooperation hubs in Nigeria, Mozambique and Kenya will bring together governments, aid agencies and businesses on the ground…

ECHO [to 19 April 2014]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

EU steps up efforts to prevent a humanitarian tragedy in South Sudan
14/04/2014 – Due to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Sudan, the European Commission is ready to boost its life-saving assistance by €45 million to prevent an appalling tragedy in the country which is affecting the whole region.

ODI  [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.odi.org.uk/

Research: Lost in intermediation: how excessive charges undermine the benefits of remittances for Africa
16 April 2014
Kevin Watkins and Maria Quattri
Full Report: http://www.odi.org.uk/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8901.pdf
Africans living abroad face some of the highest fees in the world to send money home, costing their families approximately $1.8 billion a year in lost income. This report, funded by Comic Relief and Unbound Philanthropy, analyses global charges on money sent to sub-Saharan Africa, and estimates that reducing charges to global average levels would generate enough income to put 14 million children into school and provide safe water to 21 million people…
…This is because workers are paying an average of 12% in fees to transfer money back to relatives in sub-Saharan Africa. To put that in context, a worker sending $200 home to provide for a relative’s education would incur a $25 fee.
The global community pledged to cut remittance charges to 5% by 2014, yet this ‘super tax’ shows there is a long way to go.
Our report urges governments to increase competition in money transfer remittances and to establish greater transparency on how fees are set by all market operators.

OECD  [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.oecd.org/

16 April 2014
Governments endorse new OECD Guidelines on applying VAT across borders
The governments of 86 countries have taken a key step towards preventing value added tax from weighing on trade while also safeguarding state revenues by endorsing the first internationally agreed framework for applying national VAT rules to cross-border transactions.

16 April 2014
The Netherlands must do more to make working at an older age more attractive, says OECD
Encouraging more people to work later in life would help the Netherlands meet its growing challenges of a rapidly ageing population and rising social spending, according to a new OECD report.

World Trade Organisation  [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news13_e/news13_e.htm
15 April 2014
15 April marks the 20th anniversary of the WTO’s founding agreements
Twenty years ago today, 15 April 1994, the WTO agreements were signed in Marrakesh, Morocco. They were the result of the 1986–94 Uruguay Round negotiations, and are the basis for the multilateral trading system in its present form. They also created the WTO. At that time, most of the 123 participating governments signed the agreement, concluding the largest trade negotiation ever, and most probably the largest negotiation of any kind in history. Now, the number has reached 159. The WTO’s creation on 1 January 1995 marked the biggest reform of international trade since after the Second World War. It also brought to reality — in an updated form — the failed attempt in 1948 to create an International Trade Organization.

World Bank [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

April 16, 2014
Christoph Pusch: Working to Reduce Risks Related to Disasters
Christoph Pusch, the Africa Disaster Risk Management Group Practice Leader, is helping to lead the World Bank Africa Region’s effort to further intensify the focus on the reduction of risks related to disaster events. Working with regional partners, the Group aims to reduce the vulnerability and economic impact of the poorest populations through increased disaster resilience. Christoph believes that In order to achieve the World Bank Group’s goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, implementing disaster risk management strategies at every level of society is paramount. This includes promoting regional integration and cooperation on disaster risk management, strengthening preparedness and modernizing facilities to improve weather, climate and hydrological forecasting. He spoke with the Bank’s Amelody Lee recently to discuss disaster risk management challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa and how the Bank is responding.What types of disaster affect Africa?…

April 15, 2014
Strengthening Global Collaboration to Support Urban Resilience
Nine institutions including the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) announced a new global collaboration at the World Urban Forum in Medellin, Colombia, expressing their collective commitment to help cities improve resilience to disaster and climate risks, as well as to economic and other systemic shocks. “This collaboration across organizations is a significant step towards facilitating the flow of additional financing to cities and ultimately ensuring that shocks to the urban system don’t undermine decades of economic growth and prosperity,” said Sameh Wahba, acting director of the World Bank’s Urban Development and Resilience Department. Strengthened collaboration among partners – UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Inter-American Development Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, and its 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership…

BMC Health Services Research
(Accessed 19 April 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content

Research article
Young people’s perception of sexual and reproductive health services in Kenya
Pamela M Godia, Joyce M Olenja, Jan J Hofman and Nynke van den Broek
Author Affiliations
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:172 doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-172
Published: 15 April 2014
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/14/172/abstract
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Addressing the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) needs of young people remains a big challenge. This study explored experiences and perceptions of young people in Kenya aged 10-24 with regard to their SRH needs and whether these are met by the available healthcare services.
Methods
18 focus group discussions and 39 in-depth interviews were conducted at health care facilities and youth centres across selected urban and rural settings in Kenya. All interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Data was analysed using the thematic framework approach.
Results
Young people’s perceptions are not uniform and show variation between boys and girls as well as for type of service delivery. Girls seeking antenatal care and family planning services at health facilities characterise the available services as good and staff as helpful. However, boys perceive services at health facilities as designed for women and children, and therefore feel uncomfortable seeking services. At youth centres, young people value the non-health benefits including availability of recreational facilities, prevention of idleness, building of confidence, improving interpersonal communication skills, vocational training and facilitation of career progression.
Conclusion
Providing young people with SRH information and services through the existing healthcare system, presents an opportunity that should be further optimised. Providing recreational activities via youth centres is reported by young people themselves to not lead to increased uptake of SRH healthcare services. There is need for more research to evaluate how perceived non-health benefits young people do gain from youth centres could lead to improved SRH of young people.

British Medical Journal
19 April 2014 (Vol 348, Issue 7954)
http://www.bmj.com/content/348/7954

The impact of antibiotics on growth in children in low and middle income countries: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
BMJ 2014;348:g2267 (Published 15 April 2014)
Editorial
Excerpt
Worth studying in highly selected children, with a close eye on potential harms
Overt infections are a leading cause of death worldwide in children under 5,1 and strategies to prevent and treat infections are a cornerstone of child survival programmes. Recent assessments suggest that despite a net increase in the size of birth cohorts, the number of children dying before their fifth birthday has fallen to 6.6 million (uncertainty range 6.3-7.0 million) per year, a 45% reduction from almost 12 million deaths in 1990.2 In contrast, the fall in undernutrition has been modest at best. An estimated 165 million children under 5 were stunted in 2011 and an estimated 52 million severely wasted; almost 45% of the current burden from child mortality in under 5s can be attributed to malnutrition.3 Although many risk factors for early child mortality are well recognised, the mechanisms underlying chronic enteropathy and growth failure among children in low and middle income countries remain uncertain.4
In a linked paper, Gough and colleagues (doi:10.1136/bmj.g2267) report a systematic review of 10 trials looking for associations between antibiotics, given for a variety of indications, and growth in childhood.5 The review included 4316 children (age range 1 month to 12 years) from low and middle income countries. The authors’ analysis using random effects models suggests that antibiotic use was associated with increased mean height or linear growth (extra linear growth 0.04 cm/month, 95% confidence interval 0.00 to 0.07) and an extra 23.8 g weight gain per month (95% confidence interval 4.3 to 43.3 g). The authors recommend further evaluation of the growth promoting effect of antibiotics and speculate that the effects may operate through reduction in subclinical infections and beneficial effects on intestinal microbiota…
…There is a clear need for further research in this area to help us understand precisely how antibiotics might promote growth in children. Researchers could start by characterising high risk groups of children who might benefit, such as those with clearly defined subclinical or overt infections, HIV, or severe acute malnutrition. Further trials should be done to confirm the interesting findings from Malawi.7 But extending trials of antibiotics to other categories of children, such as those at risk of malnutrition and growth failure, may not be justifiable at this stage. Researchers should instead exploit existing observational cohorts to explore the relation between infections, antibiotic treatment, and nutrition outcomes, including growth patterns, where data are available. The large multicentre Mal-ED studies assessing patterns of growth among infants 0-24 months of age across eight countries (www.fnih.org/work/key-initiatives/mal-ed) are an excellent example of an opportunity to assess the potential impact of antibiotic treatment on linear growth and weight gain using standardised data and definitions. In the interim, continued focus on the 10 recommended evidence based nutrition interventions to promote growth15 must be prioritised.

Abstract
Objectives To determine whether antibiotic treatment leads to improvements in growth in prepubertal children in low and middle income countries, to determine the magnitude of improvements in growth, and to identify moderators of this treatment effect.
Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Data sources Medline, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane central register of controlled trials, and Web of Science.
Study selection Randomised controlled trials conducted in low or middle income countries in which an orally administered antibacterial agent was allocated by randomisation or minimisation and growth was measured as an outcome. Participants aged 1 month to 12 years were included. Control was placebo or non-antimicrobial intervention.
Results Data were pooled from 10 randomised controlled trials representing 4316 children, across a variety of antibiotics, indications for treatment, treatment regimens, and countries. In random effects models, antibiotic use increased height by 0.04 cm/month (95% confidence interval 0.00 to 0.07) and weight by 23.8 g/month (95% confidence interval 4.3 to 43.3). After adjusting for age, effects on height were larger in younger populations and effects on weight were larger in African studies compared with other regions.
Conclusion Antibiotics have a growth promoting effect in prepubertal children in low and middle income countries. This effect was more pronounced for ponderal than for linear growth. The antibiotic growth promoting effect may be mediated by treatment of clinical or subclinical infections or possibly by modulation of the intestinal microbiota. Better definition of the mechanisms underlying this effect will be important to inform optimal and safe approaches to achieving healthy growth in vulnerable populations.

British Medical Journal
19 April 2014 (Vol 348, Issue 7954)
http://www.bmj.com/content/348/7954

Global, regional, and national consumption levels of dietary fats and oils in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis including 266 country-specific nutrition surveys
BMJ 2014;348:g2272 (Published 15 April 2014)
Abstract
Objectives To quantify global consumption of key dietary fats and oils by country, age, and sex in 1990 and 2010.
Design Data were identified, obtained, and assessed among adults in 16 age- and sex-specific groups from dietary surveys worldwide on saturated, omega 6, seafood omega 3, plant omega 3, and trans fats, and dietary cholesterol. We included 266 surveys in adults (83% nationally representative) comprising 1 630 069 unique individuals, representing 113 of 187 countries and 82% of the global population. A multilevel hierarchical Bayesian model accounted for differences in national and regional levels of missing data, measurement incomparability, study representativeness, and sampling and modelling uncertainty.
Setting and population Global adult population, by age, sex, country, and time.
Results In 2010, global saturated fat consumption was 9.4%E (95%UI=9.2 to 9.5); country-specific intakes varied dramatically from 2.3 to 27.5%E; in 75 of 187 countries representing 61.8% of the world’s adult population, the mean intake was <10%E. Country-specific omega 6 consumption ranged from 1.2 to 12.5%E (global mean=5.9%E); corresponding range was 0.2 to 6.5%E (1.4%E) for trans fat; 97 to 440 mg/day (228 mg/day) for dietary cholesterol; 5 to 3,886 mg/day (163 mg/day) for seafood omega 3; and <100 to 5,542 mg/day (1,371 mg/day) for plant omega 3. Countries representing 52.4% of the global population had national mean intakes for omega 6 fat ≥5%E; corresponding proportions meeting optimal intakes were 0.6% for trans fat (≤0.5%E); 87.6% for dietary cholesterol (<300 mg/day); 18.9% for seafood omega 3 fat (≥250 mg/day); and 43.9% for plant omega 3 fat (≥1,100 mg/day). Trans fat intakes were generally higher at younger ages; and dietary cholesterol and seafood omega 3 fats generally higher at older ages. Intakes were similar by sex. Between 1990 and 2010, global saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and trans fat intakes remained stable, while omega 6, seafood omega 3, and plant omega 3 fat intakes each increased.
Conclusions These novel global data on dietary fats and oils identify dramatic diversity across nations and inform policies and priorities for improving global health.

Globalization and Health
[Accessed 19 April 2014]
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/

Debate
Challenges faced by multi-disciplinary new investigators on addressing grand challenges in global health
Logie C, Dimaras H, Fortin A and Ramón-García S Globalization and Health 2014, 10:27 (15 April 2014)
Abstract (provisional)
Background
The grand challenges approach aims to spark innovative and transformative strategies to overcome barriers to significant global health issues. Grand Challenges Canada endorses an ‘Integrated InnovationTM’ approach that focuses on the intersection of scientific/technological, social and business innovation. In this article we explore themes emerging from a dialogue between the authors, who are multi-disciplinary recipients of the ‘Rising Stars in Global Health’ award from Grand Challenges Canada, regarding benefits of engaging in integrated innovation research, and recommendations for how this approach may develop in the future.
Discussion
Our dialogue followed a semi-structured interview format that addressed three topics: 1) reflections on applying an Integrated InnovationTM approach for global health; 2) thoughts on participation in the Grand Challenges 2012 meeting; and 3) authors’ visions of Grand Challenges Canada and the Grand Challenge movement towards 2020. The dialogue was transcribed verbatim and we used thematic analysis techniques to identify, analyze and report themes in the data. Benefits of working using the Grand Challenges approach centered on two themes: a) the potential for scientific breakthrough and b) building interdisciplinary collaborations and a community of scholars. Challenges and opportunities for Grand Challenges in moving forward included: a) capacity building, particularly regarding Integrated InnovationTM and scale-up planning; b) interdisciplinary and international mentorship for new investigators; and c) potential for future commercialization.
Conclusions
Our discussion highlighted that Integrated InnovationTM offers the opportunity to develop new theories, methods and approaches to global health while simultaneously fostering a collaborative spirit grounded in international, interdisciplinary collaborations. However, the arguable over-emphasis on corporatization poses a major challenge for new investigators. We propose a more balanced way forward that can harness technology to foster mentorship across time and space to support the development of such skills and ideas among new investigators.

The Lancet
Apr 19, 2014 Volume 383 Number 9926 p1359 – 1436
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Editorial
Water and sanitation: addressing inequalities
The Lancet
“Water is life”, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, at the opening session of the high-level meeting on sanitation and water for all, in Washington, DC, on April 11, 2014. Yet lack of access to safe drinking water, and poor sanitation and hygiene in many parts of the world, often leads to death. The Lancet Series on childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea estimated that in 2011 around 700 000 child deaths occurred from diarrhoeal disease alone. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7c target to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water by 2015 has been declared on track, yet 768 million people globally are still without access to safe drinking water. In a letter in today’s Lancet, Mira Johri and colleagues argue that the indicator does not consider water quality, and should be reconsidered. Progress for sanitation is alarmingly off track. An estimated 2•5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation (functioning toilets and safe means to dispose of human faeces). A shocking 1 billion people practice open defecation, with one in nine living in rural areas. The high-level meeting gathered ministers and representatives of finance, health, and water and sanitation from 46 countries, donors, international organisations, and civil society to discuss how to reach water and sanitation targets. Margaret Chan and Jim Kim were both in attendance. The UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking—Water (GLAAS) project, led by WHO, simultaneously released a preliminary report – Investing in Water and Sanitation: Increasing Access, Reducing Inequalities Special Report for the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-Level Meeting (HLM). The report comprehensively analysed whether an enabling environment (governance, monitoring and evaluation, financing) for reaching water and sanitation targets exists for each country. The full report will be released in September, 2014, with data from 90 countries.

The good news is that there is progress. Cambodia for example, has increased access to safe water and sanitation in urban areas for all quintiles by implementing pro-poor policies. 7% of the population in urban areas practice open defecation, reduced from 28% in 2005. 75% of countries analysed have pro-poor universal access to water and sanitation policies, and three-quarters of countries have constitutions or legislation recognising the human right to water and sanitation. The alarming news is that although many countries have established policies for disadvantaged groups (poor individuals, populations with disabilities, urban slums, and remote communities), only 30% have financed implementation plans, and household contributions range from 6—97% of water, sanitation, and hygiene financing. More than 50% of the unserved population for water and sanitation live in middle-income countries .
Access to safe water and sanitation is essential to all development outcomes across the life course. It ensures healthy growth and prevention of water-borne and food-borne diseases causing diarrhoea, which contributes to stunting in children. Contaminated and stagnant water also contribute to the global burden of trachoma, and vector-borne diseases. 165 million children worldwide with stunted growth risk compromised cognitive development, physical capabilities, and future school performance; resulting in a less productive generation, with unfulfilled potential to contribute to the workforce and the economy.

Beyond direct health outcomes, investing in water and sanitation is essential to achievement of post—2015 sustainable development goals. The Lancet highlights four areas going forward. First, the poor must remain central to all planning, because they pay the highest individual cost in health and finances in efforts to access safe drinking water and sanitation. Donors and governments must target and urgently address open defecation in particular. Second, girls and women must be prioritised. They travel long distances to fetch water, and the lack of private sanitation facilities at schools to ensure their dignity and safety risks absenteeism and drop out. Third, in fragile states and situations, access to health services, clean water, and sanitation must be secured, rapidly and without question. The supply of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities can be the difference between life and death, not to mention risks to personal security. Fourth, and finally, with the rapid and uncontrolled growth of urban slums, climate change, conflict over water resources, and growing global demand for products and food that require water for production, all sectors beyond health must develop governance mechanisms to ensure that access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, is a right for all. Only then can the global community return to the notion of water as life.

The Lancet
Apr 19, 2014 Volume 383 Number 9926 p1359 – 1436
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Classification of mental disorders: a global mental health perspective
Prof K S Jacob a, Prof Vikram Patel b c d
Excerpt
Mental disorders are common in all countries, affect every community and age group, contribute substantially to the overall burden of disease, and have major economic and social consequences and effects on human rights. However, the greatest inequities are cross-national: 80% of people affected by mental disorders live in low-income and middle-income countries, which benefit from scarcely 10% of global mental health resources. Global mental health initiatives attempt to improve the availability of, access to, and quality of services for people with mental disorders worldwide. Diagnostic categories and a classification of mental disorders, which are essential to achieve objectives of global mental health, are needed for a range of stakeholders: for health-care practitioners to make treatment decisions and implement clinical guidelines; for policy makers to make decisions about allocation of resources; and for patients and their families to gain an understanding of their disorders. But can contemporary psychiatric classifications meet these needs?

Non-specialist health professionals working in routine health-care settings deliver more than 90% of mental health care worldwide. Psychiatric disorders are frequently diagnosed in epidemiological surveys in community and primary care populations, in particular the common mental disorders of depression, anxiety, somatoform, and stress-related disorders (all of which are distinct categories in contemporary classifications). However, a large gap often exists between the numbers reported in surveys and those recorded by primary care workers. The response of psychiatry has traditionally been to assume that these workers are not well informed about contemporary psychiatric concepts. Many strategies, such as the use of simple diagnostic algorithms, straightforward management guidelines, training programmes to improve skills, and advocacy campaigns, were developed and implemented to address this gap.1 However, these approaches did not seem to substantially change primary care worker behaviour, or improve detection rates or outcomes in developed nations or low and middle-income countries.2—4 Indeed, one of us (VP) had proposed that even the term “mental” needed to be dropped altogether from such training.4…

…Global mental health needs a pragmatic classification that addresses the prevalent disorders in primary care and community settings, acknowledges both the dimensional and categorical nature of common mental health symptoms, addresses contextual issues, and that can easily be incorporated into routine health-care platforms across diverse settings. This aim does not just mean reduction in the number of labels or in their complexity, but the creation of categories relevant to and frequently seen in primary care. The fact that labels will vary across languages and cultures should be explicitly acknowledged, and diagnostic practices must be adapted to suit these variations. Put bluntly, if very few patients report feeling depressed, then the value of imposing the label “depression” is questionable; unsurprisingly, most global mental health interventions targeting depression in low-income and middle-income countries avoid the use of the label altogether.18
Many narratives of mental distress and disorder across settings exist that argue against one authentic version of these complex accounts. Their diversity and contradictions are a testimony to the pluralism of mental health-care traditions. Consequently, primary care needs to consider its own reality and devise a classification for mental distress and disorder that is usable in routine clinical practice, rather than work with a handed-down, diluted version of specialist approaches. Mental disorders in primary care need to be understood and theorised independently of specialist perspectives.19 The process of the identification of common presentations and development of a classification system and management protocols in primary care needs to be led and owned by primary care workers, and this process needs to engage with communities, donors, or policy makers who are major stakeholders for global mental health

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
March 2014
http://www.plosntds.org/article/browseIssue.action

Electronic Data Capture Tools for Global Health Programs: Evolution of LINKS, an Android-, Web-Based System
Alex Pavluck mail, Brian Chu, Rebecca Mann Flueckiger, Eric Ottesen
Excerpt
Introduction
The rapid expansion of mobile networks globally, coupled with the decreasing cost of mobile equipment [1], is allowing global health programs increasingly to utilize mobile- and cloud-based technology in their efforts to target important challenges to public health. Our initial electronic data collection system employed personal digital assistants (PDAs) [2], [3], but these proved to have significant cost and scalability limitations. The present report describes a second-generation, more efficient, cloud-based, smartphone-based system and the key elements that lead to its greater efficiency.
The LINKS System
While there are a number of tools available for data collection (EpiCollect, FormHub, EpiInfo, and others), these tools were not ideal for our purposes because of either license restrictions or other challenges. The starting point for the new mobile application, called the LINKS system (Figure 1), was the open source project Open Data Kit (ODK) [4], [5]. ODK allows the collection of a wide range of data using only the internal components of smartphone devices, such as the built-in GPS and the camera that can be used as a barcode scanner.
Data flow from the point of entry (cellular phones/tablets), to encrypted transmission to the cloud, to access and management of the data through a web interface.
A server-based application (app) processes incoming data and writes those data to a database. A dynamic web interface was developed to present the collected data to the user in the form of tables, graphs, maps, and downloadable datasets. The system was deployed on Ubuntu Linux, running on Amazon.com’s Elastic Cloud (AWS EC2, http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/) infrastructure. Geotrust secure certificates were installed to encrypt the data during transmission and between the user’s browser and the server. Data are managed through a web interface or downloaded for offline use outside of the system.
The LINKS system was initially developed to address shortcomings of the earlier PDA-based data-capture systems and to support the interests of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) community in employing an integrated approach to the NTDs using shared technical platforms. The LINKS system can support mobile technology running on a wide range of locally accessible hardware be used in both highly connected (internet) and connection-poor settings have a mechanism to deploy additional surveys to equipment already in the field be built entirely with industry-standard open source software to avoid costly licensing fees be cloud-based to allow for centralized management and increase scalability for large, highly dispersed projects
Since its launch in June of 2011, the LINKS system has been deployed to over 20 countries by multiple partner organizations (Table 1)…

Science
18 April 2014 vol 344, issue 6181, pages 225-332
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

Editorial
Influenza and the Live Poultry Trade
George F. Gao
George F. Gao is director of the CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology at the Institute for Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; vice president of the Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Beijing; president of the Chinese Society for Virology, Beijing; and deputy director general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing.
Preview
Live poultry trade at local markets has long been a part of China’s national identity. From small villages to big cities, the gathering and selling of different birds in this vibrant atmosphere is at the heart of the country’s cuisine culture. Unfortunately, the backdrop to this tradition has changed. Last year, the H7N9 virus, a new strain of influenza A, jumped from birds to humans, causing 144 cases of human infection and 47 deaths in China. Now a second wave of this flu is coursing through the country, with 258 confirmed cases and 99 deaths as of 8 April 2014. Scientific evidence points to a connection between the conditions at these live markets and the spread of flu, suggesting that until other means are found to prevent the transmission of or effectively treat the illness, China must shut down live poultry markets to prevent further spread of the virus and a possible global pandemic.
Read the Full Text

Systematic Reviews
2014, 3:34

Protocol
Psychosocial interventions for children exposed to traumatic events in low- and middle-income countries: study protocol of an individual patient data meta-analysis
Marianna Purgato12*, Alden L Gross3, Mark JD Jordans45, Joop TVM de Jong6, Corrado Barbui1 and Wietse Tol2
1 World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy
2 Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Hampton House, N. Broadway 624, 21205 Baltimore, USA
3 Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Monument St. 2024 E, 21231 Baltimore, USA
4 Department of Research & Development, HealthNet TPO, Lizzy Ansinghstraat 163, 1072RG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
5 Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, De Crespigny Park 16, SE5 8AF London, UK
6 Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, OZ Achterburgwal 185, 1012 DK Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Abstract
Background
The burden of mental health and psychosocial problems in children exposed to traumatic events in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries is substantial. An increasing number of randomized studies has shown promising effects of psychosocial interventions, but this evidence has shown complexity with regard to setting, conflict-phase, gender, and age. These complex findings raise the need of a detailed evaluation of the specific factors which influence size and direction of intervention effects.
Individual patient data meta-analysis is a specific type of meta-analysis that allows the collection of exact information at an individual patient level, and to examine whether intervention and socio-demographic characteristics, trauma-related variables, environmental conditions, and social support may act as moderators and mediators of intervention effect.
The aim of the present study is to carry out an individual patient data meta-analysis using data from all available randomized controlled trials (either published or unpublished) comparing psychosocial intervention with waiting list or no intervention arms in children exposed to traumatic events living in low- and middle-income countries.
Methods/Design
All randomized trials comparing selective preventive psychosocial intervention versus waiting list or no treatment conditions in children (0–18 years) living in low- and middle-income countries will be included. Studies will be identified in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. There will be no restrictions on publication type, status, language, or date of publication. The primary outcome measures will be psychological symptoms (post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression). Secondary outcomes will be positive mental health outcomes (coping methods, social support, self-esteem), and function impairment.
Discussion
We are expecting that some variables, like socio-demographic characteristics, trauma-related variables, environmental conditions, and social support will act as moderators/mediators of intervention effect. The investigation of the role of these factors on the intervention effects will help in the appropriate selection, development, implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based programs in low- and middle-income countries.
Trial registration
This protocol has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (registration number: CRD42013006960).

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Volume 8, In Progress (June 2014)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22124209

Evaluations of disaster education programs for children: A methodological review
Review Article
Victoria A. Johnsona, Kevin R. Ronanb, 1, David M. Johnstona, 2, Robin Peacec,
Available online 15 April 2014
Abstract
The purpose of this methodological literature review was to investigate how scholars and practitioners currently measure and judge the effectiveness of disaster education programs for children through evaluation. From a systematic search of the published and grey literature, 35 studies were identified and analyzed to develop a categorization of the operational components of the existing body of research, including the types and sources of evaluations, research methods and designs, research participants, outcome indicators, approaches to analysis, and research limitations. A significant finding is that most of what is known about the effectiveness of disaster education programs for children is based on the results of quantitative studies with children that generally focused on measuring children’s knowledge of disaster risks and protective actions and child reports of preparedness actions. The majority of descriptive and quasi-experimental studies concluded that programs were effective based on the portion or positive change in children’s correct answers on surveys, and most correlational studies concluded positive outcomes such as household preparedness were associated with children’s participation in disaster education programs. However, many of the studies had significant methodological limitations. While there is evidence of valuable knowledge change, there is still very limited empirical evidence of how disaster education programs facilitate children’s roles in household preparedness, their self-protective capacities, or their likelihood of preparing for disasters as adults. In addition to the need to identify and refine program theory and meaningful outcome indicators, the authors suggest several other opportunities for future research.

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Volume 8, In Progress (June 2014)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22124209

Implementing a Web-Based Decision Support System for Disaster Logistics: A Case Study of an Evacuation Location Assessment for Indonesia
Rika Ampuh Hadigunaa, 1, Insannul Kamila, 2, , Azalika Delatia, 3, , Richard Reedb, 4,
Abstract
Decision support systems have increasingly played a critical role in disaster logistics. This study outlines the processes required to build an effective and reliable decision support system to assess the feasibility of public facilities during an evacuation after a disaster has occurred. The purpose of this study is to build a model of a web-aided decision support system to assess the extent to which public facilities can be used as evacuation centers for the victims of an earthquake and/or tsunami. An outcome from this research is an innovative system with direct web-based accessibility, involves many decision-makers and employs multiple criteria and inputs. Even though the system has been specifically designed for evacuation scenarios in Indonesia, the system can be used for disaster scenarios in other countries as well. There are several stages in this study where the first stage identifies and selects attributes, assembles a comprehensive computer application, and employs object-oriented programming (OOP), verification and validation of the system. The role of information systems and decision support systems are critical when informing decision-makers about evacuation location alternatives and to assess their feasibility immediately after a disaster occurs. The results from this study confirm that this system can provide critical and timely insights into complex evacuation scenarios. An additional benefit of this system is the user-friendly web-based application ensuring data access from any global location with internet access.

Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling
Spring 2014, Vol. 45 Issue 1, p3-10. 8p.

National Module for Helping Individuals with Physical Disabilities In Disaster Events.
Author(s): Kettaneh, Amani A.; Slevin, John R.
Abstract:
Disasters can have potentially devastating consequences that may result in injury and loss of life for those who are unprepared for such emergencies. Preparation for sudden disasters is very important to protect the lives and health of people in any location. For individuals with mobility disabilities, disasters create more challenges and physical barriers in the resulting environment. Recent catastrophic events have demonstrated a disproportionate effect of emergency evacuations on individuals with physical disabilities. Most of the existing evacuation procedures are unfortunately not taking people with disabilities into consideration. This paper provides a national module with four stages (protective, preventive, rescue, and reconstructive) to serve individuals with physical disabilities in disaster events.

Social Psychological and Personality Science
May 2014; 5 (4)
http://spp.sagepub.com/content/5/4.toc

Personality Resilience Following a Natural Disaster
Petar Milojev1, Danny Osborne1, Chris G. Sibley1
1School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract
We examine changes in the Big Six personality markers (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Openness to Experience, and Honesty–Humility) before and after the 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquakes in a longitudinal study of New Zealand residents (N = 3,914). Results show remarkable stability in personality, save for one exception: Those who were affected by the earthquakes evidenced a slight decrease in Emotional Stability over the 2-year test–retest period relative to those unaffected by the earthquakes. These findings indicate that most aspects of personality are resilient following a major natural disaster. The slight decrease in Emotional Stability, however, points to a possible increase in vulnerability to depression and anxiety for those affected by the earthquakes. Our study provides important insights into a central question about stability and change in personality following major life events.

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Volume 4 issue 1 – Latest Issue
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=2042-6747&show=latest&PHPSESSID=k818vdn8jsdimapja0vpia3ag6

Meeting needs: Value chain collaboration in stabilisation and reconstruction operations
Sebastiaan Rietjens, (Netherlands Defence Academy), John Goedee, (Tilburg University), Stijn Van Sommeren, (Tilburg University), Joseph Soeters, (Netherlands Defence Academy)
Abstract
Purpose – From the perspective of value chains this article analyses the organisation of stabilisation and reconstruction operations, most notably in Afghanistan, with the intention to improve the way the beneficiaries are involved.
Design/methodology/approach – Case study. The article first develops a theoretical framework that draws upon value chain literature. To gather empirical data fieldwork was done within the Dutch Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan. Methods that were used include interviews, participatory observation and desk study.
Findings – • In the value chain process six steps are identified: early warning, file and analysis, appraisal/qualification, assignment/management, execution and evaluation. • Different categories of personnel (military, reservists, civilians) bring with them different backgrounds. This led to different opinions on who can be considered as the customer of the value chain. Moreover, personnel received different signals in the early warning step as to what needed to be done. From there on, different values and perspectives developed during the sequence of the various stages in the value chain that were not easily aligned. • The formal structure of the work activities in the PRT was clear but did not match with the everyday reality. This showed another, much more fuzzy picture. Many mutual contacts were needed to overcome the coordination problems, but that required considerable additional efforts.
Originality/value – The article applies value chain literature to stabilization and reconstruction operations and focuses on the customers. It uses unique data and demonstrates the usefulness of a multidisciplinary approach