PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
(Accessed 15 November 2014)
http://www.plosntds.org/

Review
The Global One Health Paradigm: Challenges and Opportunities for Tackling Infectious Diseases at the Human, Animal, and Environment Interface in Low-Resource Settings
Wondwossen A. Gebreyes mail, Jean Dupouy-Camet, Melanie J. Newport, Celso J. B. Oliveira, Larry S. Schlesinger, Yehia M. Saif, Samuel Kariuki, Linda J. Saif, William Saville, Thomas Wittum, Armando Hoet, Sylvain Quessy, Rudovick Kazwala, [ … ], Lonnie J. King , [ view all ]
Published: November 13, 2014
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003257
Abstract
Zoonotic infectious diseases have been an important concern to humankind for more than 10,000 years. Today, approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonoses that result from various anthropogenic, genetic, ecologic, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. These interrelated driving forces make it difficult to predict and to prevent zoonotic EIDs. Although significant improvements in environmental and medical surveillance, clinical diagnostic methods, and medical practices have been achieved in the recent years, zoonotic EIDs remain a major global concern, and such threats are expanding, especially in less developed regions. The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an extreme stark reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health and reinforces the urgent need for globally operationalizing a One Health approach. The complex nature of zoonotic diseases and the limited resources in developing countries are a reminder that the need for implementation of Global One Health in low-resource settings is crucial. The Veterinary Public Health and Biotechnology (VPH-Biotec) Global Consortium launched the International Congress on Pathogens at the Human-Animal Interface (ICOPHAI) in order to address important challenges and needs for capacity building. The inaugural ICOPHAI (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011) and the second congress (Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, 2013) were unique opportunities to share and discuss issues related to zoonotic infectious diseases worldwide. In addition to strong scientific reports in eight thematic areas that necessitate One Health implementation, the congress identified four key capacity-building needs: (1) development of adequate science-based risk management policies, (2) skilled-personnel capacity building, (3) accredited veterinary and public health diagnostic laboratories with a shared database, and (4) improved use of existing natural resources and implementation. The aim of this review is to highlight advances in key zoonotic disease areas and the One Health capacity needs.

Achieving Population-Level Immunity to Rabies in Free-Roaming Dogs in Africa and Asia
Michelle K. Morters mail, Trevelyan J. McKinley, Daniel L. Horton, Sarah Cleaveland, Johan P. Schoeman, Olivier Restif, Helen R. Whay, Amelia Goddard, Anthony R. Fooks, I. Made amriyasa,
James L. N. Wood
Published: November 13, 2014
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003160
Abstract
Canine rabies can be effectively controlled by vaccination with readily available, high-quality vaccines. These vaccines should provide protection from challenge in healthy dogs, for the claimed period, for duration of immunity, which is often two or three years. It has been suggested that, in free-roaming dog populations where rabies is endemic, vaccine-induced protection may be compromised by immuno-suppression through malnutrition, infection and other stressors. This may reduce the proportion of dogs that seroconvert to the vaccine during vaccination campaigns and the duration of immunity of those dogs that seroconvert. Vaccination coverage may also be limited through insufficient vaccine delivery during vaccination campaigns and the loss of vaccinated individuals from populations through demographic processes. This is the first longitudinal study to evaluate temporal variations in rabies vaccine-induced serological responses, and factors associated with these variations, at the individual level in previously unvaccinated free-roaming dog populations. Individual-level serological and health-based data were collected from three cohorts of dogs in regions where rabies is endemic, one in South Africa and two in Indonesia. We found that the vast majority of dogs seroconverted to the vaccine; however, there was considerable variation in titres, partly attributable to illness and lactation at the time of vaccination. Furthermore, >70% of the dogs were vaccinated through community engagement and door-to-door vaccine delivery, even in Indonesia where the majority of the dogs needed to be caught by net on successive occasions for repeat blood sampling and vaccination. This demonstrates the feasibility of achieving population-level immunity in free-roaming dog populations in rabies-endemic regions. However, attrition of immune individuals through demographic processes and waning immunity necessitates repeat vaccination of populations within at least two years to ensure communities are protected from rabies. These findings support annual mass vaccination campaigns as the most effective means to control canine rabies.
Author Summary
Canine-mediated rabies is a horrific disease that claims tens of thousands of human lives every year, particularly in Asia and Africa. The disease can be effectively controlled through mass vaccination of dogs with high-quality vaccines; however, questions remain over the effectiveness of vaccination where the health status of free-roaming dogs may be compromised and the life expectancy and access to these dogs may be limited. This study evaluated rabies-vaccine induced immune responses and vaccine delivery in previously unvaccinated, free-roaming dog populations in two rabies endemic regions in Asia and Africa, to better understand the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns. We found that the majority of dogs seroconverted to the vaccine regardless of health status. Excellent vaccination coverage was achieved through community engagement and door-to-door vaccine delivery, even where the majority of the dogs needed to be caught by net for vaccination. However, attrition of immune individuals through demographic processes and waning immunity reinforces the importance of frequent and regular vaccination campaigns to ensure effective vaccination coverage is maintained.

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
(Accessed 15 November 2014)
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/

Effects of temperature and precipitation variability on the risk of violence in sub-Saharan Africa, 1980–2012
John O’Loughlina,1, Andrew M. Linkea, and Frank D. W. Witmerb
Author Affiliations
Edited by B. L. Turner, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, and approved October 9, 2014
Significance
A robust debate about the effects of climate change on conflict occurrences has attained wide public and policy attention, with sub-Saharan Africa generally viewed as most susceptible to increased conflict risk. Using a new disaggregated dataset of violence and climate anomaly measures (temperature and precipitation variations from normal) for sub-Saharan Africa 1980–2012, we consider political, economic, and geographic factors, not only climate metrics, in assessing the chances of increased violence. The location and timing of violence are influenced less by climate anomalies than by key political, economic, and geographic factors. Overall, the temperature effect is statistically significant, but important inconsistencies in the relationship between temperature extremes and conflict are evident in more nuanced relationships than have been previously identified.
Abstract
Ongoing debates in the academic community and in the public policy arena continue without clear resolution about the significance of global climate change for the risk of increased conflict. Sub-Saharan Africa is generally agreed to be the region most vulnerable to such climate impacts. Using a large database of conflict events and detailed climatological data covering the period 1980–2012, we apply a multilevel modeling technique that allows for a more nuanced understanding of a climate–conflict link than has been seen heretofore. In the aggregate, high temperature extremes are associated with more conflict; however, different types of conflict and different subregions do not show consistent relationship with temperature deviations. Precipitation deviations, both high and low, are generally not significant. The location and timing of violence are influenced less by climate anomalies (temperature or precipitation variations from normal) than by key political, economic, and geographic factors. We find important distinctions in the relationship between temperature extremes and conflict by using multiple methods of analysis and by exploiting our time-series cross-sectional dataset for disaggregated analyses.

The ecology of religious beliefs
Carlos A. Boteroa,b,1, Beth Gardnerc, Kathryn R. Kirbyd, Joseph Bulbuliae, Michael C. Gavinf, and Russell D. Grayg,h,iAuthor Affiliations
Edited by Ara Norenzayan, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and accepted by the Editorial Board October 10, 2014 (received for review May 11, 2014)
Significance
Here we show that the spatial prevalence of human societies that believe in moralizing high gods can be predicted with a high level of accuracy (91%) from historical, social, and ecological data. Using high-resolution datasets, we systematically estimate the relative effects of resource abundance, ecological risk, cultural diffusion, shared ancestry, and political complexity on the global distribution of beliefs in moralizing high gods. The methods presented in this paper provide a blueprint for how to leverage the increasing wealth of ecological, linguistic, and historical data to understand the forces that have shaped the behavior of our own species.
Abstract
Although ecological forces are known to shape the expression of sociality across a broad range of biological taxa, their role in shaping human behavior is currently disputed. Both comparative and experimental evidence indicate that beliefs in moralizing high gods promote cooperation among humans, a behavioral attribute known to correlate with environmental harshness in nonhuman animals. Here we combine fine-grained bioclimatic data with the latest statistical tools from ecology and the social sciences to evaluate the potential effects of environmental forces, language history, and culture on the global distribution of belief in moralizing high gods (n = 583 societies). After simultaneously accounting for potential nonindependence among societies because of shared ancestry and cultural diffusion, we find that these beliefs are more prevalent among societies that inhabit poorer environments and are more prone to ecological duress. In addition, we find that these beliefs are more likely in politically complex societies that recognize rights to movable property. Overall, our multimodel inference approach predicts the global distribution of beliefs in moralizing high gods with an accuracy of 91%, and estimates the relative importance of different potential mechanisms by which this spatial pattern may have arisen. The emerging picture is neither one of pure cultural transmission nor of simple ecological determinism, but rather a complex mixture of social, cultural, and environmental influences. Our methods and findings provide a blueprint for how the increasing wealth of ecological, linguistic, and historical data can be leveraged to understand the forces that have shaped the behavior of our own species.

Brothers in arms: Libyan revolutionaries bond like family
Harvey Whitehousea,1, Brian McQuinna, Michael Buhrmestera, and William B. Swann, Jr.b
Author Affiliations
Edited by Susan T. Fiske, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved October 9, 2014
Significance
The human propensity to sacrifice one’s life for genetic strangers has puzzled scientists since Darwin. Here, we sought answers to this puzzle by embedding ourselves within groups of individuals prepared to die for one another—Libyan revolutionary battalion members who fought against Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. We found striking evidence of extraordinarily tight, familial-like bonds among those who put themselves directly in harm’s way (i.e., frontline combatants). In fact, for nearly half of combatants, their bonds to each other were stronger than bonds to their own families. Moreover, these kin-like bonds to one another predispose them to extreme self-sacrifice.
Abstract
What motivates ordinary civilians to sacrifice their lives for revolutionary causes? We surveyed 179 Libyan revolutionaries during the 2011 conflict in Libya. These civilians-turned-fighters rejected Gaddafi’s jamahiriyya (state of the masses) and formed highly cohesive fighting units typical of intense conflicts. Fighters reported high levels of “identity fusion”—visceral, family-like bonds between fighters and their battalions. Fusion of revolutionaries with their local battalions and their own families were extremely high, especially relative to Libyans who favored the revolution but did not join battalions. Additionally, frontline combatants were as strongly bonded to their battalion as they were to their own families, but battalion members who provided logistical support were more fused with their families than battalions. Together, these findings help illuminate the social bonds that seem to motivate combatants to risk their lives for the group during wartime.

Stability: International Journal of Security & Development
[accessed 15 November 2014]
http://www.stabilityjournal.org/articles

An Uncertain Future for Afghanistan’s Security Sector
Mark Sedra
Abstract
Western powers may have espoused accountability, civil society, and good governance, but their Afghan operations have largely emphasized training and equipping for security. Military capacities are higher now but those forces are not necessarily balanced, well-managed, or sustainable. A paramilitarized police has alienated communities. Ministries of Defense and Interior are imperiled by lacks in planning, civilian oversight, and budget sufficiency. To stabilize gains of the last decade, donors need to renew their commitments to major (but more discerning) assistance.

UN Chronicle
Vol.LI No. 2 2014 September 2014
http://unchronicle.un.org/

Illegal Wildlife Trade
This issue takes a closer look at poaching and illegal wildlife trade, with a focus on causes and possible solutions.

World Heritage Review
n°73 – November 2014
http://whc.unesco.org/en/review/73/

World Heritage and our protected planet
The IUCN World Parks Congress meets every ten years, and its November 2014 meeting may prove to be a turning point for protected areas in offering and implementing solutions for the challenges faced by the planet.

Taken together, the national parks, reserves and designated protected areas of every kind (including the World Heritage natural and mixed natural/cultural sites) now cover 14 per cent of the land surface, and nearly 3 per cent of the seas and oceans. The principles of conservation they apply serve to perpetuate a precious biodiversity. The World Heritage List includes the world’s most outstanding protected areas in terms of biodiversity, ecosystems and natural features, warranting the inclusion of World Heritage as a cross-cutting theme at the World Parks Congress. World Heritage sites are the litmus test for measuring success of the global protected area movement. At the same time, these sites have the potential to be a learning laboratory and a source of inspiration for protected areas.

This issue takes a look at the role of World Heritage in the conservation of protected areas worldwide, its contribution to the protection of wilderness areas globally, while examining how World Heritage can and does support species conservation. We look at how Indigenous peoples play an integral role in protected areas in Australia, and discuss the global conservation agenda and how World Heritage can be part of finding solutions to global challenges in an interview with Zhang Xinsheng, President of IUCN, and Ernesto Enkerlin Hoeflich, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.

The exceptional relevance of the 2014 World Parks Congress, in which World Heritage is an active participant, is primarily its global impact in helping to address the gap in the conservation and sustainable development agenda which should, in turn, prove beneficial to individual protected areas. For there is reason to hope that concerted action in this domain may give a much-needed impetus to issues of conservation and biodiversity worldwide, even beyond the range of the protected areas.

WHO: Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)
Situation report – 14 November 2014 – ‘WHO Roadmap’
HIGHLIGHTS
:: There have been 14,413 reported Ebola cases in eight countries since the outbreak began, with 5177 reported deaths.
:: Case incidence continues to increase in Sierra Leone, and transmission also remains intense in Guinea and Liberia.
:: A total of 4 cases, including 3 deaths, have been reported in Mali.

WHO: Ebola situation assessments
:: Mali confirms its second fatal case of Ebola virus disease
12 November 2014

WHO Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee on Ebola Experimental Interventions – Briefing note
13 November 2014, Geneva, Switzerland
Following the emergence of Ebola virus disease (EVD) as a severe public health emergency for which no effective therapeutic or prophylactic interventions are available, the scientific community has proposed numerous experimental interventions, including: vaccines; convalescent blood and plasma; and medicines. None of these interventions have been evaluated for efficacy against EVD and therefore clinical studies to assess their safety and efficacy are required.
To facilitate and accelerate the appropriate clinical testing and generation of quality data of potential therapeutic interventions for EVD, WHO convened a meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee for Ebola Experimental Interventions (STAC-EE) in Geneva, on 11-12 November 2014. The meeting was attended by experts in Ebola virus, preclinical and clinical testing, pharmacologists, sociologists, public health experts and regulators, as well as representatives from countries in West Africa…

UNMEER [UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response] @UNMEER #EbolaResponse
UNMEER’s website is aggregating and presenting content from various sources including its own External Situation Reports, press releases, statements and what it titles “developments.” We present a composite below from the week ending 15 November 2014.

UNMEER External Situation Reports
UNMEER External Situation Reports are issued daily (excepting Saturday) with content organized under these headings:
– Highlights
– Key Political and Economic Developments
– Human Rights
– Response Efforts and Health
– Logistics
– Outreach and Education
– Resource Mobilisation
– Essential Services
– Upcoming Events
The “Week in Review” will present highly-selected elements of interest from these reports. The full daily report is available as a pdf using the link provided by the report date.

14 November 2014 |
Key Political and Economic Developments
1. UNMEER SRSG Anthony Banbury warned the UN General Assembly that EVD is an elusive disease that has just reappeared in Mali where it was thought to be under control, demonstrating the threat that the virus still poses to the region. He said the international community is having enough challenges trying to mobilize resources to respond to the crisis in hardest-hit Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and any outbreaks in other countries would be “truly devastating.” He added that “Ebola is a fearsome enemy and we will not win by chasing it. We must get ahead of it.”
2. In a broadcast to the nation, the president of Liberia has announced that she will not renew the state of emergency. Nonetheless, many current measures will remain in place for now. The curfew will be reduced. The areas affected by EVD will continue to have tighter restrictions.
Human Rights
4. The Guinean government announced on 12 November the withdrawal of the troops that had been deployed in Womey (Nzérékoré prefecture) following the murders in September of an eight-member EVD education team by angry locals. In response, a group of human rights defenders, lawmakers and civil society activists confirmed the end of the hunger strike they had initiated to request the demilitarization of Womey and to demand the safe return of thousands of villagers they say have fled their homes because of it. The opposition may stage a new round of demonstrations in case its remaining grievances are not addressed by the government. Foremost among the opposition’s demands is the signing of the conclusion of the political dialogue process launched four months ago.
Response Efforts and Health
5. MSF says its treatment centres in Guinea will host three separate clinical trials. One involves using the blood of recovered EVD patients to treat sick people, and another will test two antiviral drugs. These are all experimental drugs that have not been through the usual lengthy process of testing on animals and healthy people. Trials will start next month, with initial results expected in February.
7. A representative of striking healthcare workers in Sierra Leone said about a quarter of them returned to work in an EVD clinic after health officials pledged to pay their allowances later this week. A full-scale strike would resume if the payments were not made by Friday, he said.
Essential Services
18. According to a UNDP study on the socio-economic impact of EVD, households’ purchasing power has decreased 20 per cent in Sierra Leone and 25 per cent in Liberia. This is caused by food price increases resulting from a slowdown in agricultural activities and reduced trade because of closed borders. Many farmers have deserted their fields because of movement restrictions and are unable to sell their produce, which is directly affecting their livelihoods. In Guinea, the government has been importing food, stemming potential price fluctuations and protecting people’s purchasing power.

13 November 2014 |
Key Political and Economic Developments
1. UNMEER SRSG Anthony Banbury has told the New York Times that, considering the changing situation on the ground, “we need to be more nimble and flexible. Instead of trying to build 100-bed facilities, I believe we need smaller facilities, more geographically dispersed, and to rely more on trained national medical professionals to provide the clinical care”, he said in the interview.
2. Some 600 EVD workers surrounded Liberia’s Ministry of Health Monday demanding back payment of salaries and entitlements dating from early September. The enraged workers, whose labors are essential to stemming the epidemic, shouted angrily for hours. In Sierra Leone, more than 400 health workers at the only Ebola treatment unit in the south of the country went on strike on Wednesday over unpaid risk allowances the government is meant to fund.
3. Liberia urged the United Nations on Wednesday not to reduce its peacekeeping force in the country, warning that the EVD epidemic is threatening peace and social cohesion. Liberia’s UN Ambassador Marjon Kamara appealed to the Security Council to extend the mission’s mandate for a year and put off consideration of a reduction in the force, which had just over 4,500 military personnel at the end of September. UN peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous said the United Nations supports extending the mission’s mandate until September 2015 and deferring a reduction of troops until health authorities report that the Ebola crisis is over.
4. In Mali, a doctor has tested positive for EVD. He works in the same private clinic in Bamako as the nurse that died of EVD on Tuesday. 186 contacts have been identified so far and are being monitored. Contact identification will continue. Around 20 MINUSMA troops that are being treated in the clinic for injuries sustained during their mission in the north of Mali are also being monitored for the virus. The likely source of the Bamako outbreak, a man from the town of Kouremale on the border with Guinea, was never tested for EVD. In a series of ceremonies that may have exposed many mourners to the virus, his highly contagious body was washed in a Bamako mosque and returned to Guinea for burial without precautions against EVD.
5. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called on Asian countries to step up efforts in the global fight against EVD. He noted that Asia has more than half the world’s population. While the continent has not publicly recorded any cases, experts worry that border control measures and other preparations are insufficient and that Asian countries should be doing more to fight the outbreak in West Africa. He urged governments to help fill huge gaps in funding, equipment and medical personnel.
6. UN Special Envoy David Nabarro on Wednesday encouraged people to maintain travel and tourism to the EVD affected countries in West Africa. “It is not appropriate to say ‘Do not travel there because there is Ebola'”, he said. The United Nations have repeatedly urged airlines to maintain flights to the three countries to allow desperately-needed teams of doctors, nurses and health workers to travel there. Nabarro also made an appeal to combat stigmatization surrounding EVD by calling for a global social media campaign to express solidarity and prevent discrimination.
Response Efforts and Health
9. The Pentagon no longer plans to deploy the full 4,000 US troops to Liberia. The current 2,200 troops will grow to nearly 3,000 by mid-December. But the military does not expect more soldiers on the ground will be necessary.
10. In Liberia, UNMEER staff reported concern over an emerging repetitive pattern of violent EVD-outbreaks in remote communities – three locations in the bordering area between the Bong and Gbarpolu counties over a period of two weeks. Reaching these locations requires 3-4 hours trekking through the deep forest area and canoeing a river. It is expected that residents of the affected communities might become

12 November 2014 |
Key Political and Economic Developments
2. The United States on Tuesday proposed that the International Monetary Fund write off some $100 million in debt it is owed by Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to free up more resources for those countries, the hardest hit by the EVD outbreak. The debt relief should enable the three impoverished West African countries to spend more on government services and to support their economies as they cope with the epidemic, officials said on condition of anonymity. The countries now owe the IMF a combined $372 million, of which $55 million comes due over the next two years.
4. The Canadian government is tightening restrictions on travellers from the affected countries in West Africa by imposing self-monitoring and quarantine measures. The policy announced Monday applies to all travellers from the affected countries. But because Canada had already stopped issuing visas to residents and nationals of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the policy will mostly apply to returning healthcare workers and international staff who work for humanitarian aid groups.
Human Rights
6. Sierra Leone’s attorney general has defended as lawful and justified last week’s arrest of a prominent radio journalist who criticized the government’s handling of the EVD crisis. He accused the radio host David Tam-Baryoh of undermining the effort to stop the disease’s spread by making “disparaging and inflammatory statements” about the government’s work, that were likely “to incite public hatred, disaffection and instability.”
7. A group of Guinean politicians, civil society activists and private citizens went on hunger strike Tuesday to demand the safe return of thousands of villagers they say have fled their homes amid EVD-related unrest in the south. The action follows the murders in September of an eight-member EVD education team attacked by angry locals in Womey, a town at the epicentre of the deadly outbreak. The army has been deployed in the town since the killings and has been accused of human rights violations there. Many inhabitants are said to have fled to the surrounding forests in fear.
Response Efforts and Health
9. Sierra Leone will make a one-off payment of US$ 5,000 to the family of any health worker who dies as a result of treating an EVD patient, authorities said on Tuesday, as a sixth doctor in the country tested positive for the virus. The National Ebola Response Centre said the benefit would be paid retroactively to relatives of the more than 100 health workers who have died from the disease in Sierra Leone. That figure includes all five doctors who had previously tested positive.
Outreach and Education
20. MSF has launched an online training programme aimed at helping aid workers involved in fighting the EVD outbreak. The organization said its training platform was available to anyone wishing to gain a basic understanding of the virus and how it can be contained.
Essential Services
21. The rate of women dying in childbirth in West African countries hit by EVD is soaring, with as many as one in seven at risk of death as fear of contact with bodily fluids prevents people from helping them. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that 800,000 women in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are due to give birth in the next 12 months. Of these, some 120,000 could face life-threatening complications if they do not get the emergency care they need.
22. Security forces in Liberia have been weakened by the EVD epidemic. Several police stations in the poorest parts of Monrovia have closed after officers became ill and/or died of EVD, while armed attacks and opportunistic crime have increased in the cities. In Nimba county, the crime rate has increased significantly.
23. The EVD outbreak erupted at a crucial period in the agricultural season for rice and other important food crops in Sierra Leone. Up to 40% of farms have been abandoned in the most affected areas, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development. About 47% of surveyed farmers in Sierra Leone claimed that EVD is having considerable adverse effects on farming activities. Experts expect serious food shortages to hit the country in early 2015.

11 November 2014 |
Key Political and Economic Developments
1. Senegal has decided to reopen its border with Guinea and resume flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone. President Macky Sall said his country’s decision had come in line with the recommendations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to reopen borders with states affected by EVD. However, he did not give a date for reopening the border with neighboring Guinea or resuming flights with Liberia or Sierra Leone.
2. The United Nations and leading international transport, trade and tourism organizations today expressed concern about the reported denial of medical care for ill seafarers on board ships that had previously called at ports in EVD-affected countries. The Travel and Transport Task Force called for international cooperation of governments and the transport sector in following the recommendations of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Ebola, convened by WHO.
Human Rights
3. Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has ordered four soldiers and their commanding officer to be punished for their actions during a protest over an Ebola quarantine in August, in which one boy was shot dead and others were injured. The government also agreed to pay the boy’s family compensation.
4. On Saturday citizens in Coyah, Guinea, began protesting against contact tracers. Several incidents of vandalism were reported, and sensitization activities in this area were suspended. Protests also took place in Kaloum (Conakry) after the death of a woman thought to have EVD; youths started vandalizing the vehicle of Red Cross workers that had come to remove the body of the woman. The gendarmerie intervened to restore order and protect the officials of the Red Cross.
5. In Guinea, several deputies and human rights activists have begun a hunger strike at the Palais du Peuple. They are demanding the demilitarization of the town of Womey, where a group of EVD sensitizers were killed last September by angry residents.
Response Efforts and Health
6. MSF is calling for a change of strategy in the fight against EVD in Liberia, focusing on funding rapid response teams rather than large isolation units. It said that priority should be given to a more flexible approach that allows for rapid isolation and contact tracing in the case of new outbreaks, and that gets the regular healthcare system safely up and running again.
Essential Services
26. According to WFP, all areas of Liberia are affected by food insecurity. Households in the central zone that includes the counties of Nimba, Bong and Margibi are most frequently affected. This zone accounts for the bulk of EVD cases outside the capital, Monrovia. According to recent inter-agency assessments, food demand and supply has diminished due to quarantine measures. The price of imported rice in Liberia has increased since April, influenced by exchange rate depreciation. Cassava prices have remained stable.

10 November 2014
Key Political and Economic Developments
1. In an op-ed published by the Washington Post, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cautions that even with reports of the rate of new cases beginning to slow down, we are still a long way off from ending this crisis. He stressed that the outbreak remains active, and that outbreak patterns often fluctuate. People are dying every day, and new infections continue. And no one can say with certainty what the coming weeks might bring. The Secretary-General went on to state that each day’s delay in intensifying the response adds greatly to the toll in lives, the cost of ending the outbreak, the social and economic impact, and the risk of the disease spreading to other countries. EVD, he said, will be beaten through a resolute and coordinated effort. We have initial evidence to prove that this can happen. But we must speed up efforts to first get the crisis under control and then bring it to an end.
Logistics
9. In Liberia, the humanitarian response is still being hampered by a shortage of funds for fuel, as well as by poor roads that have worsened due to the current heavy rains. Lack of sufficient vehicles is also complicating the distribution of relief supplies and transportation of EVD patients. Travel restrictions due to the EVD crisis have significantly increased food prices and prices of drugs in private drugstores, thus limiting access to food, health care and essential drugs.
Essential Services
18. In the three affected countries, many children are left with no supervision after their parents have succumbed to EVD. Orphaned children in Sierra Leone face harsher conditions than during the civil war, the Guardian reports. The minister of social welfare, gender and children’s affairs estimates the number of orphans at 2,600. UNICEF, however, puts the figures at 7,000 orphans.
19. There is a continuing need for food and livelihood assistance for people affected by EVD, as well as for the distribution of animal feeds. Food distribution to EVD affected communities under the health emergency response in Liberia is continuing to scale up. In addition to food distribution, partners are providing agricultural inputs and tools (such as rice, cassava sticks, pepper seeds and pesticides) and conducting trainings to increase awareness and improve hygiene and sanitation practices.

UNMEER site: Press Releases
:: Amid signs of new Ebola cases, UN health official tells Liberians ‘you must hunt the virus’
14 November 2014
A senior United Nations World Health Organization official warned reported that the number of Ebola cases in Liberia, which had recently shown some signs of decline, is starting to pick up again, most likely because “people are relaxing their guard.”

Defeating Ebola, ‘a fearsome,’ elusive enemy, requires scaling up response on the ground – UN
13 November 2014
There has been important progress made in the global fight against Ebola but a scaling-up in the overall response remains necessary if the deadly outbreak is to be fully stopped, top United Nations officials told the UN General Assembly today as they cautioned against complacency in tackling the disease.

Ebola: UN special envoy says combating stigma integral to overall crisis response
12 November 2014
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro, today made a passionate appeal to combat stigmatization surrounding the disease by calling for a global social media campaign to “express solidarity and to show we are anti-discrimination.”

Stopping Ebola as fast as possible is ‘number one priority’ – UN envoy
11 November 2014
The number one priority is to stop Ebola as fast as possible and “get ahead of the virus,” the chief of the United Nations emergency response mission said as the UN health agency today reported that efforts to contain the outbreak in West Africa are being hampered by cumbersome diagnostic tests.

West Africa ‘on brink’ of major food crisis in wake of Ebola outbreak – UN expert
11 November 2014
As Ebola continues to ravage West Africa, leaving more than 4,000 people dead, the region is now on the brink of a major food crisis, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food has warned today.

Ebola: reported denial of medical care on ships from West Africa draws UN concern
10 November 2014
United Nations and other leading international transport, trade and tourism organizations today expressed concern about the report denial of medical care for ill seafarers on board ships that had previously called at ports in Ebola-affected countries.

Ebola: UN chief hails progress in fight against virus, urges intensified response
9 November 2014
The world is on the “right track” to defeating Ebola as the infection rate of the deadly virus shows some signs of slowing in West Africa’s most affected areas, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared today as he urged the international community to remain constant in fighting the disease until it is completely extinguished.

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 8 November 2014

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortiums and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor &
Founding Managing Director
GE2P2 – Center for Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

pdf verion: The Sentinel_ week ending 8 November 2014

blog edition: comprised of the 35+ entries posted below on 9 November 2014

IPCC: Climate Change 2014 – Synthesis Report
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change http://www.ipcc.ch/
November 2014

The Synthesis Report distils and integrates the findings of the three working group contributions to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report — the most comprehensive assessment of climate change yet undertaken, produced by hundreds of scientists — as well as the two Special Reports produced during this cycle.

Headline statements from the Summary for Policymakers
:: Observed Changes and their Causes
Human influence on the climate system is clear, and recent anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases are the highest in history. Recent climate changes have had widespread impacts on human and natural systems….

:: Future Climate Changes, Risks and Impacts
Continued emission of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and long-lasting changes in all components of the climate system, increasing the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems. Limiting climate change would require substantial and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions which, together with adaptation, can limit climate change risks….

:: Future Pathways for Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable Development
Adaptation and mitigation are complementary strategies for reducing and managing the risks of climate change. Substantial emissions reductions over the next few decades can reduce climate risks in the 21st century and beyond, increase prospects for effective adaptation, reduce the costs and challenges of mitigation in the longer term, and contribute to climate-resilient pathways for sustainable development…

:: Adaptation and Mitigation
Many adaptation and mitigation options can help address climate change, but no single option is sufficient by itself. Effective implementation depends on policies and cooperation at all scales, and can be enhanced through integrated responses that link adaptation and mitigation with other societal objectives….

UNHCR announces push to end statelessness worldwide by end-2024
Excerpts from Press Releases, 4 November 2014
UNHCR is today launching a global “I Belong” campaign aimed at ending within 10 years the problem of statelessness – a devastating legal limbo for the millions of people worldwide who lack any nationality and the human rights protections that go with it. The goal of eradicating statelessness is looking increasingly possible thanks to dramatic recent progress in the number of States acceding to two key UN human rights treaties.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie and more than 20 celebrities and world opinion-leaders today published an Open Letter, saying that 60 years after the United Nations first agreed to protect stateless people, “now it’s time to end statelessness itself.”

At least ten million people worldwide are currently stateless and a baby is born stateless every ten minutes. Not allowed a nationality, they are often denied the rights and services that countries normally offer their citizens.

“Statelessness can mean a life without education, without medical care or legal employment… a life without the ability to move freely, without prospects or hope,” the Open Letter said. “Statelessness is inhuman. We believe it is time to end this injustice.”…

…UNHCR’s campaign is being launched amid signs of a shift in international attitudes surrounding statelessness. Just three years ago, there were barely 100 States parties to the two statelessness treaties – the 1954 UN Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Today the number of accessions stands at 144, bringing critical mass within reach…
UNHCR also released today a Special Report on Statelessness which highlights the human impact of the phenomenon, and a ten-point Global Action Plan to End Statelessness which aims both to resolve major existing crises and to ensure no child is born stateless in the future.

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4 November 2014
SG/SM/16313-HR/5225-REF/1204
‘It Is Time to End Statelessness’ Says Secretary-General, Calling for 10 Million Signatures Supporting United Nations Refugee Agency Campaign
Following is Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message in support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) campaign to end statelessness in 10 years, in Geneva today..

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UNHCR’s Open Letter to End Statelessness
[Full text; Text bolding as in original]
#IBELONG to a world where everyone has the right to a nationality.

Across the world today more than ten million people are told they don’t belong ANYWHERE.

They are called ‘stateless’. They are denied a nationality. And with it, they are denied their basic rights.

Statelessness can mean a life without education, without medical care, or legal employment.

It can mean a life without the ability to move freely, without prospects, or hope.

Statelessness is inhumane.

The main reason people are stateless is because of discrimination. Because of their ethnicity. Because of their religion. Because in some countries women cannot pass their nationality on to their children.

We believe it’s time to end this injustice.

With enough courage we know it is possible. Governments can change their laws and procedures, and give stateless people their rights and a place to belong.

Within ten years, we can ensure everyone has a nationality.

Because if we don’t this injustice will only get worse. A child is born stateless every ten minutes.

By the time you finish reading this letter another person may have started life without a nationality.

We are ready to make our voices heard. We believe that if we take a stand, others will join us. And if enough of us stand up we will end this inhumanity.

That is why UNHCR is launching the Campaign to End Statelessness in ten years.

Sixty years ago, the world agreed to protect stateless people. Now it’s time to end statelessness itself.

A World that Counts – Mobilising the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development
Report prepared at the request of the United Nations Secretary-General, by the Independent Expert Advisory Group on a Data Revolution for Sustainable Development.
November 2014 :: 32 pages
[Excerpt from Executive Summary]

An urgent call for action: key recommendations
The strong leadership of the United Nations (UN) is vital for the success of this process.

The Independent Expert Advisory Group (IEAG), established in August 2014, offers the UN Secretary-General several key recommendations for actions to be taken in the near future, summarised below:
1. Develop a global consensus on principles and standards: The disparate worlds of public, private and civil society data and statistics providers need to be urgently brought A data revolution for sustainable development together to build trust and confidence among data users. We propose that the UN establish a process whereby key stakeholders create a “Global Consensus on Data”, to adopt principles concerning legal, technical, privacy, geospatial and statistical standards which, among other things, will facilitate openness and information exchange and promote and protect human rights.

2. Share technology and innovations for the common good: To create mechanisms through which technology and innovation can be shared and used for the common good, we propose to create a global “Network of Data Innovation Networks”, to bring together the organisations and experts in the field. This would: contribute to the adoption of best practices for improving the monitoring of SDGs, identify areas where common data-related infrastructures could address capacity problems and improve efficiency, encourage collaborations, identify critical research gaps and create incentives to innovate.

3. New resources for capacity development: Improving data is a development agenda in its own right, and can improve the targeting of existing resources and spur new economic opportunities. Existing gaps can only be overcome through new investments and the strengthening of capacities. A new funding stream to support the data revolution for sustainable development should be endorsed at the “Third International Conference on Financing for Development”, in Addis Ababa in July 2015. An assessment will be needed of the scale of investments, capacity development and technology transfer that is required, especially for low income countries; and proposals developed for mechanisms to leverage the creativity and resources of the private sector. Funding will also be needed to implement an education program aimed at improving people’s, infomediaries’ and public servants’ capacity and data literacy to break down barriers between people and data.

4. Leadership for coordination and mobilisation: A UN-led “Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data” is proposed, to mobilise and coordinate the actions and institutions required to make the data revolution serve sustainable development, promoting several initiatives, such as:
:: A “World Forum on Sustainable Development Data” to bring together the whole data ecosystem to share ideas and experiences for data improvements, innovation, advocacy and technology transfer. The first Forum should take place at the end of 2015, once the SDGs are agreed;
:: A “Global Users Forum for Data for SDGs”, to ensure feedback loops between data producers and users, help the international community to set priorities and assess results;
:: Brokering key global public-private partnerships for data sharing.

5. Exploit some quick wins on SDG data: Establishing a “SDGs data lab” to support the development of a first wave of SDG indicators, developing an SDG analysis and visualisation platform using the most advanced tools and features for exploring data, and building a dashboard from diverse data sources on ”the state of the world”.

Never again should it be possible to say “we didn’t know”. No one should be invisible.

This is the world we want – a world that counts.

More information on the composition, terms of reference and work of the IEAG, see www.undatarevolution.org

Humanitarianism in the Age of Cyber-warfare: Towards the Principled and Secure Use of Information in Humanitarian Emergencies
OCHA POLICY AND STUDIES SERIES
October 2014 | 011 :: 22 pages
KEY MESSAGES: [p.2]
1. New information and communication technologies in humanitarian response create opportunities for improved humanitarian response as well as risks to the privacy and security of affected communities.

2. The current system tends to restrict sharing of relatively harmless data, while not sufficiently protecting information that could be used to identify individuals and communities.

3. The information that humanitarians can collect will be shaped in the future by factors that include:
a) privacy laws and any appropriate exceptions for disasters and crisis.
b) ethical considerations, such as the need for practices that ensure information is used responsibly, particularly when obtaining consent is not practical.
c) the extent to which political or criminal groups target humanitarian operations, as well as the level of government surveillance.

4. To respond to these emerging issues, humanitarian organizations should:
a) prioritize transparency and evidence based humanitarianism and ensure that scarce resources for data security are focused only on truly sensitive information.
b) support ethical innovation, ensuring that projects using new or untested systems are held to a higher standard of oversight, and codes of conduct are regularly updated and enforced.
c) adopt codes of conduct and operational procedures for the ethical and principled use of information, in particular personal data, at the organizational level, and consider adopting universal guidelines for the use of information in humanitarian crisis.
d) invest in risk analysis and information security, including ensuring basic data security training for staff, and where needed, affected communities, and working with experts to better understand, prevent and respond to attacks.
e) promote the idea of a “humanitarian cyberspace” that humanitarian information systems should be off-limits for attacks and advocate that in some cases cyber-attacks on humanitarian actors are violations of international humanitarian law.
f) advocate for the co-creation of legal frameworks with affected communities to protect their data in emergencies.

Part VII: Conclusion and recommendations [p. 18-19]
A more connected, data-driven humanitarian system creates an opportunity to save lives and reduce suffering, even as it raises concerns for privacy and security. On one hand, in a humanitarian crisis, in which any delay can cost lives, privacy concerns and consent may be justifiably ignored in the service of the greater good. At the same time, humanitarian principles demand greater moral accountability and consideration of potential harm. Humanitarians also need to address concerns that technologies are being tested without public debate or ability to opt-out.

The bulk of international assistance goes to long-term, complex crises and conflicts,[45 World Humanitarian Data and Trends 2013, OCHA] often in areas with weak governance and little regard for human rights, and in which sophisticated surveillance by governments and cyber-warfare by armed groups is increasingly the norm. By modelling best practices in the principled use of information and respect for privacy, humanitarian organizations can set a positive example and allay concerns about their neutrality.

Below are some suggested initial steps:
1. Prioritize transparency and Evidence Based Humanitarianism
By increasing the use of open data platforms, information sharing and organizational transparency humanitarian organizations can model best practices and prioritize resources to protecting only the most sensitive information. Organizations should consider joining the International Aid Transparency Initiative, adopting open data standards and supporting initiatives to facilitate information sharing, such as the Humanitarian Data Exchange and the Open Humanitarian Initiative. Organizations should also consider “off-line” and “low tech” ways to share their data, making sure that the very people they collect data from, the affected communities, can perform their right to access data regardless of their literacy rate and technological access.
2. Support ethical innovation
As information technologies continue to develop, humanitarian organizations need to stay ahead of emerging risks to privacy. Projects using new or untested systems or technologies should be held to a higher standard of oversight, such as through ethical review boards, and full
consideration should be given to the concerns of affected people and communities. Codes of conduct and other guidance should be regularly updated to reflect new developments and should have clear systems of monitoring and enforcement.
3. Adopt codes of conduct and procedures for the ethical use of information
All humanitarian organizations should have clear codes of conduct or policies for the responsible use of information, with a focus on the principled use of personal data. Beyond the agency level, humanitarian organizations and stakeholders should consider adopting a consensus set of principles or guidance for responsible use of information in humanitarian crisis. Codes of conduct at all levels should be supported with clear internal procedures and
capacities for managing information, including anonymization, obtaining or waiving informed consent, and privacy impact assessments and other tools to determine what data should be collected.
4. Invest in risk analysis and information security
Humanitarian organizations need to invest in assessing and classifying data to determine what they need to collect and to hold based on potential risks. Organizations need to invest in strengthening their cyber-security, working with experts as needed, including through active
checks for security breaches. All staff should be trained in basic data security practices. Evaluations of threats from cyber-groups in different countries should be factored into the design of programs. Humanitarian organizations should look to other sectors, such as human rights, to see what tools and protocols have already been developed.
5. Advocate for a “humanitarian cyberspace”
Organizations should investigate ways to engage with online communities and other groups to promote the idea of a “humanitarian cyberspace” and to encourage recognition of humanitarian principles. Humanitarian organizations should advocate that cyber-attacks on humanitarian actors and information systems, as well as civilians, be considered violations of international humanitarian law where appropriate.
6. Advocate for legal frameworks for sharing data in emergencies
Humanitarian organizations should advocate for clear legal frameworks at both the national or international level to govern when and how information from affected populations is shared. Humanitarians should also consider partnering with private sector companies and industry
associations, particularly in the telecommunications, internet and social media areas, to develop clear terms of use and agreements for when and how data is released in a crisis.

World Disasters Report – Focus on culture and risk [2014]
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
November 2014 ::: 276 pages
pdf: http://www.ifrc.org/Global/Documents/Secretariat/201410/WDR%202014.pdf
Introduction
[Full text]
This year, the World Disasters Report takes on a challenging theme that looks at different aspects of how culture affects disaster risk reduction (DRR) and how disasters and risk influence culture. The report asks, for example, what should be done when people blame a flood on an angry goddess (River Kosi, India, in 2008) or a volcanic eruption on the mountain god (Mount Merapi). After the tsunami in 2004, many people in Aceh (Indonesia) believed that Allah had punished them for allowing tourism or drilling for oil, and similar beliefs were widespread in the United States regarding Hurricane Katrina, showing God’s displeasure with aspects of the behaviour of the people who live in or visit New Orleans.

Most people who live in places that are exposed to serious hazards are aware of the risks they face, including earthquakes, tropical cyclones, tsunami, volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides and droughts. Yet they still live there because, to earn their living, they need to or have no alternative. Coasts and rivers are good for fishing and farming; valley and volcanic soils are very fertile; drought alternates with good farming or herding. Culture and beliefs, for example, in spirits or gods, or simple fatalism, enable people to live with risks and make sense of their lives in dangerous places.

Sometimes, though, unequal power relations are also part of culture, and those who have little influence must inevitably cope with threatening environments. Together with other organizations that engage in DRR, we in the Red Cross Red Crescent know about people’s beliefs and cultures and their different interpretations of risk. However, we find it challenging to fit these seamlessly into our organizational framework and funding models. Instead we tend to assume (or hope) that the people we want to support use the same logic and rationality as we do and that they will want to reduce the disaster risk. Sometimes there is also an institutional reluctance to deal with the issues of inequality and power that make people vulnerable in the places where they make a living.

The one thing that is certain is that we will have less sustained impact if we do not adequately take account of people’s cultures, beliefs and attitudes in relation to risk. With climate change leading to damaged livelihoods, and therefore more vulnerability, and making hazards more extreme and/or frequent, we have to get this right.

One important goal of this edition of the World Disasters Report is to bring these complex issues and clashes of cultures into the open for discussion, so that they can be much better incorporated into DRR work.
This publication does not provide all the answers to these complex issues, which vary a great deal around the world. But it shows where the starting points are. It gives some indications of the direction in which we need to go and draws on examples of good integration of traditional and ‘modern’ ideas for achieving effective vulnerability reduction. Recognizing the significance of the different ways of believing and behaving will increase the effectiveness of DRR and development initiatives generally and pave the way for greater impact in our responses to the challenges stemming from climate change.

Transparency in corporate reporting: assessing the world’s largest companies (2014)
Transparency International
5 November 2014 :: 40 pages
pdf: http://files.transparency.org/content/download/1839/12366/file/2014_TransparencyInCorporateReporting_EN.pdf
[Excerpt from Introduction]

This Transparency International report…evaluates the transparency of corporate reporting by the world’s 124 largest publicly listed companies. The report assesses the disclosure practices of companies with respect to their anti-corruption programmes, company holdings and the disclosure of key financial information on a country-by-country basis. It follows on from a 2012 report which focused on the world’s 105 largest publicly traded companies. The report is part of a series of studies based on a similar methodology aimed at assessing the transparency practices of companies, the most recent being a 2013 report on leading emerging market companies…

…Transparency International believes that public reporting by companies on their anti-corruption programmes allows for increased monitoring by stakeholders and the public at large, thereby making companies more accountable. Global companies themselves increasingly understand the benefits of corporate reporting on a range of corporate responsibility issues, including their anti-corruption programmes, as an essential management tool rather than a burdensome and costly exercise that is carried out to satisfy stakeholders. The use of voluntary sustainability reporting guidelines such as those provided by the Global Reporting Initiative is on the rise. According to a 2013 survey by KPMG, close to 80 per cent of the largest 100 companies in 41 countries worldwide issuing corporate responsibility reports now use the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The report notes as well that an impressive 93 per cent of the world’s largest 250 companies issue a corporate responsibility report. The introduction in recent years of corporate reporting regulation in Denmark, France and South Africa has also acted as a major driver for company reporting in those countries….

[The report includes action recommendations focused to global companies, investors, governments and regulatory bodies, and civil society organizations.]

Crime and Corruption Top Problems in Emerging and Developing Countries
Most National Institutions Respected, Especially Military
Pew Research | 6 November 2014 :: 45 pages
pdf: http://www.pewglobal.org/files/2014/11/Pew-Research-Center-Country-Problems-and-Institutions-Report-FINAL-November-6-2014.pdf

About this report
This report examines public opinion on top country problems, such as crime, corruption and poor quality schools in emerging and developing nations. It also looks at the influence of national institutions and organizations, such as the military, media and religious leaders in these countries. It is based on 38,620 face-to-face interviews in 34 countries with adults 18 and older, between March 17, 2014 and June 5, 2014. For more details, see survey methods and topline results.

[Excerpt From introductory content]
Crime and corruption, common scourges of modern societies, top the list of problems cited by publics in emerging and developing nations. A median of 83% of people across 34 emerging and developing economies say crime is a very big problem in their country, and 76% say the same about corrupt political leaders. Many also worry about issues such as health care, poor quality schools, water and air pollution, and food safety.

Generally, electricity shortages and traffic are seen as less pressing issues.

People in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East all see crime and corruption as the greatest problems in their countries, according to the Pew Research Center survey.

Moreover, crime and corruption as well as poor quality schools are considered growing problems in these emerging and developing countries. Taking the median across the 20 countries surveyed in 2007/2008 and 2014, the number of people citing these three issues as a very big problem has jumped from 64% to 74% for crime, 63% to 73% for corruption and 38% to 51% for poor quality schools.

In nearly all these countries, the list of key challenges exist alongside economic problems including jobs, rising prices and public debt (see Global Public Downbeat about Economy, published September 9, 2014).
When asked to rate key institutions in their countries, people generally assign high marks to the military, with a median of 79% saying it has a good influence on the way things are going in their country. But most major national organizations and groups, such as the media, religious leaders, banks, corporations, the national government and civil servants also get positive marks. Emerging and developing publics are less enamored with their court systems – the only institution polled which receives support from less than half of respondents.

Overall, there have been only slight changes in views of these national groups and institutions since 2007…