HelpAge International [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.helpage.org/newsroom/press-room/press-releases/.

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Latest news
Nepal earthquake: HelpAge first to provide cash assistance to survivors
More than 2,100 older people aged 60 or over in Nepal have been given US$75 each to spend on urgently needed items in distributions by HelpAge International working with local partners.
Posted: 08 May 2015

Nepal earthquake: HelpAge set to reach 10,000 older people and their families
We’re working with our local partners to support older people affected by the Nepal earthquake. The huge earthquake, which struck on 25 April, has killed over 7,000 people and affected over 8 million.
Posted: 05 May 2015

ICRC [to 9 May 2015]
https://www.icrc.org/en

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Syria: More access needed as situation deteriorates
News release
07 May 2015
The ICRC’s director of operations, Dominik Stillhart, has said the humanitarian situation in Syria has deteriorated sharply during the past few weeks and the need for food, water and medical supplies is more urgent than ever. On a two-day visit to the Syrian capital, Damascus, Mr Stillhart appealed for more access to areas affected by the fighting…

Nigeria: Aid reaches hundreds found in Sambisa Forest
News release
07 May 2015
Abuja/Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nigerian Red Cross have delivered aid to a group of 275 people, mainly women and children, who had been found in Sambisa Forest, in north-east Nigeria. The group was found during military operations in the region last week.

Yemen: ICRC and MSF alarmed by attacks on country’s lifelines
News release
04 May 2015
Joint statement – Sana’a/Geneva (ICRC/MSF) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are extremely concerned about the severe damage caused by recent Coalition attacks on airports in Sana’a and Hodeida, obstructing delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance and movement of humanitarian personnel.
“Yemen depends almost completely on imports of food and medication, especially for the treatment of chronic diseases,” says Cedric Schweizer, who heads a team of 250 ICRC staff in Yemen. “Sana’a airport was an essential piece of civilian infrastructure, and the main lifeline for supplying essential humanitarian goods and services. The harsh restrictions on importations imposed by the Coalition for the past six weeks, added to the extreme fuel shortages, have made the daily lives of Yemenis unbearable, and their suffering immense,” Mr Schweizer added.
The disruption of the key logistic infrastructure, including airports, sea ports, bridges and roads, is having alarming consequences on the civilian population, and the humanitarian situation has now become catastrophic. Checkpoints operated by the different armed factions have obstructed the delivery of urgent medical supplies to hospitals and have prevented patients and casualties from accessing essential health care.
“The current conflict has already caused extreme hardship for the population across the country,” said Marie Elisabeth Ingres, who heads the MSF mission in Yemen. “The destruction of the runway at Sana’a means that countless lives are now more at risk, and we can no longer afford to stand and watch as people are forced to drink unsafe water and children die of preventable causes,” Ms. Ingres added.
MSF and the ICRC demand that robust and unobstructed channels for the provision of humanitarian assistance are opened and respected by all parties to the conflict in this increasingly desperate situation. We call for an end to attacks on these vital lifelines and for the Yemeni civil aviation authority to be given the chance to repair the airports, so that humanitarian assistance can be sent to Yemen.

Jordan: Humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees swell
News release
03 May 2015
As the Syrian crisis enters its fifth year, the hardships endured by millions of people in Syria and neighbouring countries continue to grow. According to recent figures, the number of Syrian refugees in Jordan stands at almost 680,000, with approximately 85% of them living in host communities.
In an effort to address the humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees in Jordan, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has continued providing the newly arriving Syrians, who stay initially at four ICRC-supported transit facilities in the north-eastern border area, with often daily essential assistance, including three cooked meals per day, drinking water, blankets, mattresses, hygiene items and basic medical supplies.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases

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Press release
Yemen: ICRC and MSF Alarmed By Attacks on Country’s Lifelines
May 04, 2015
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and MSF are extremely concerned about the severe damage caused by recent Coalition attacks on airports in Sana’a and Hodeida, obstructing delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance and movement of humanitarian personnel.

Press release
Syria: Major Aleppo Hospital Suspends All Activities After Bombings
May 04, 2015
One of the main hospitals in Aleppo has suspended all activities after it was bombed at least twice last week, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said today, while calling for an end to attacks on civilians and medical services.

Press release
MSF and MOAS Save Hundreds of People in Mediterranean
May 04, 2015
More than 6,000 people making a treacherous crossing from Libya to Europe were rescued over the weekend in several operations in the Mediterranean Sea, among them 369 people rescued May 3 by a search and rescue vessel run in partnership by the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS).

Save The Children [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6150563/k.D0E9/Newsroom.htm

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American Moms More Likely to Die Than Peers in Developed Countries: U.S. Slips to 33rd Spot in Save the Children’s Global Motherhood Ranking
May 4, 2015

Among 25 Wealthy Capital Cities, Washington D.C. Has Highest Infant Mortality Rate Despite City’s Recent Progress in Reducing the Death Rate
May 4, 2015

For Babies in Big Cities, It’s Survival of the Richest
May 4, 2015
New Save the Children Report Reveals a Growing Divide in Child Survival between the Urban Rich and Poor
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 4, 2015) — As more and more mothers seek better opportunities for their children in urban areas, Save the Children’s new report, State of the World’s Mothers 2015: The Urban Disadvantage, looks at the real story behind the bright lights of the big city. Focusing on the health and survival of urban children, the findings, released today, uncover a hidden truth.
“Our new report reveals a devastating child survival divide between the haves and have-nots, telling a tale of two cities among urban communities around the world, including the United States,” said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children. “For babies born in the big city, it’s survival of the richest.”..

SOS-Kinderdorf International [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/about-sos/press/press-releases

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Why are Child Friendly Spaces important for Nepal recovery?
01.05.2015 – Child Friendly Spaces are a central pillar of SOS Children’s Villages’ emergency response plan in Nepal, as in most of the 125 emergencies where we have helped families recover from catastrophe.

At SOS Child Friendly Space Nepali children draw out earthquake trauma
01.05.2015 – An SOS Child Friendly Space in Bhaktapur is giving Nepali children whose families have lost everything in the earthquake a safe haven in which to play, relax and express their trauma through drawing and other activities.

The Elders [to 9 May 2015]
http://theelders.org/news-media

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Opinion 1 May 2015
Returning a normal life to Gazans
At the press conference concluding The Elders’ trip to Israel and Palestine, Gro Harlem Brundtland delivers a statement urging a complete paradigm shift on Gaza and explains how the two-state solution would benefit both countries.

Press release 1 May 2015
Peace and justice in Israel and Palestine: the need for a two-state solution
“Eight months after a devastating war, not one destroyed house has been rebuilt.”
Gro Harlem Brundtland and Jimmy Carter say the people of Gaza deserve peace and dignity.

Hilton Prize Laureates [to 9 May 2015]
http://prizelaureates.charity.org/about-us/

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May 5, 2015
PRESS RELEASE
Hilton Prize Laureates Focus on Disaster Relief, Recovery and Resiliency in the Wake of Nepal Earthquake

ODI [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.odi.org/media

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The price of vegetables jumps by up to 91% while the cost of some processed foods drops by up to 20%, driving obesity – new report
News | 5 May 2015
Press release | Embargoed until 11 May 2015 00:01The price of vegetables jumps by up to 91% while the cost of some processed foods drops by up to 20%, driving obesity – new report People in newly-rich countries struggle to eat a healthy diet…

Women’s voice and leadership: assessing the evidence
Research reports and studies | May 2015 |
Pilar Domingo; Rebecca Holmes; Tam O’Neil; Nicola Jones; Kate Bird; Anna Larson; Elizabeth Presler-Marshall and Craig Valters
This report reviews the global evidence on what enables women and girls to have substantive voice and leadership in decision-making, and whether this improves gender equity for women more broadly.

Understanding humanitarian action in South Asia: responses to famine and displacement in nineteenth and twentieth century India
Research reports and studies, Working and discussion papers | May 2015 |
Joanna Simonow
This Working Paper explores the concepts and practices underpinning humanitarian action in South Asia, looking at responses during British colonial rule up until independent India.

Competitive or complementary? Industrial crops and food security in sub-Saharan Africa
Research reports and studies | May 2015 |
Steve Wiggins, Giles Henley and Sharada Keats
This paper asks what has been the impact of industrial crop production on food and nutrition security.

BMGF (Gates Foundation) [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases

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:: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Fund Disease Surveillance Network in Africa and Asia to Prevent Childhood Mortality and Help Prepare for the Next Epidemic
SEATTLE (May 6, 2015) – At its Global Partners Forum, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will announce the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance Network (CHAMPS), a network of disease surveillance sites in developing countries. These sites will help gather better data, faster, about how, where and why children are getting sick and dying. This data will help the global health community get the right interventions to the right children in the right place to save lives. The network will also be invaluable in providing capacity and training in the event of an epidemic, such as Ebola or SARS. The Gates Foundation plans an initial commitment of up to $75 million on the effort.

“The world needs better, more timely public health data not only to prepare for the next epidemic, but to save children’s lives now,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Over the past 15 years, deaths of children in developing countries have been dramatically reduced, but to continue that trend for the next 15 years, we need more definitive data about where and why children are dying. This will also better position us to respond to other diseases that may turn into an epidemic.”

This network of disease surveillance sites in areas with high childhood mortality rates in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia will offer a long-term approach to information management, laboratory infrastructure and workforce capacity – vital resources in geographies lacking sufficient public health infrastructure. This network could be repurposed quickly in the event of an epidemic, as in Nigeria where the national polio program’s Emergency Operations Center was mobilized to fight Ebola.

A lead partner in the effort will be the Emory Global Health Institute, which houses the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide technical assistance with laboratory infrastructure. Each site will have trained staff and technology capabilities.

“We are excited by and committed to this extraordinary opportunity to make a major contribution to children’s health,” said Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, vice president for Global Health at Emory University.

“A disease threat anywhere is a threat everywhere,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Strong networks such as CHAMPS will help us find, stop, and prevent outbreaks and will not only save children in Africa and Asia, but will help to make the world a safer, healthier place for everyone.”

CHAMPS is a minimum twenty-year project to gather more accurate data about how, where and why children are dying in developing countries. It will help ensure that the right vaccines and treatments are delivered to the people who need them most and that the global health community invests in crucial new drugs and health tools.

The announcement will be made at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Partners Forum held in Seattle. The forum is a one-time event taking place in a milestone year for global health and development. Research and development, delivery, and advocacy partners are meeting to exchange perspectives on major global health challenges facing the world over the next 15 years. The event is expected to draw more than 1000 attendees including partners, high-level representatives from governments and organizations across the globe.

Clinton Foundation [to 9 May 2015]
https://www.clintonfoundation.org/press-releases-and-statements

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Press Release
CGI Middle East & Africa Attendees Make New Commitments to Action to Positively Impact Lives of More Than 800,000 People
May 7, 2015
Marrakech – Today, President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton concluded the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Middle East & Africa Meeting in Marrakech, where regional and global leaders from business, government, philanthropy, and NGOs highlighted regional successes and addressed pressing challenges by creating Commitments to Action, including ones focused on investing in youth; securing access to energy, food, and water; and expanding infrastructure for communities throughout the Middle East and Africa.
Participants developed and announced 29 new Commitments to Action – new, specific, and measurable plans to address a significant global challenge, which will positively impact the lives of more than 800,000 people. When fully funded and implemented, these efforts by CGI commitment makers will positively impact more than 132,000 girls and women through a variety of programs to improve quality of education and increase access to employment and skills development opportunities; more than 123,000 people through access to training programs; and more than 60,000 students who will become enrolled in school…

Kellogg Foundation [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.wkkf.org/news-and-media#pp=10&p=1&f1=news

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Experts advance solutions for healing relationships between law enforcement and communities of color
May 6, 2015
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In the wake of multiple deaths of unarmed youths and people of color from encounters with the police, leading experts on policing and community building proposed ways to improve law enforcement-community relationships during a plenary session at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s (WKKF) 2015 America Healing Conference.
This week, more than 500 civil rights, social justice and community-based leaders gathered to discuss ways that Americans of all races, ethnicities and religions can heal divisiveness and work toward racial equity so children can thrive. Mistrust between communities and police, as well as health, economic and environmental conditions fashioned by a legacy of racism, are frequently cited for curtailing opportunities and creating unrest in communities of color…

Skoll Foundation [to 9 May 2015]
http://www.skollfoundation.org/latest-news/

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Indigenous Reserve in Colombia Quintupled in Size
May 6, 2015 by Amazon Conservation Team
After 20 years of diligent work, conservationists, human rights activists and indigenous communities are celebrating a massive achievement in southwest Colombia: the expansion of the Inga people’s Yunguillo Indigenous Reserve—an area of extraordinary cultural and environmental importance—from 10,675 to 55,341 acres (more than 85 square miles).
The Yunguillo Indigenous Reserve is home to many sacred sites for the Inga people, as well as many threatened species including spectacled bears and jaguars. The expansion also protects the headwaters of the Caquetá River—a major tributary of the Amazon River whose watershed covers 250,000 square kilometers…

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
May 2015; 92 (5)
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/current

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Editorial
Malaria Control: Tortoises and Hares
Steven R. Meshnick*
Author Affiliations
Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
How long will it take to effectively control and then eliminate malaria in sub-Saharan Africa? Is it a sprint to the finish line or a crawl? Will the tortoise or hare win the malaria race?

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Malaria Transmission, Infection, and Disease at Three Sites with Varied Transmission Intensity in Uganda: Implications for Malaria Control
Moses R. Kamya, Emmanuel Arinaitwe, Humphrey Wanzira, Agaba Katureebe, Chris Barusya,
Simon P. Kigozi, Maxwell Kilama, Andrew J. Tatem, Philip J. Rosenthal, Chris Drakeley, Steve W. Lindsay, Sarah G. Staedke, David L. Smith, Bryan Greenhouse, and Grant Dorsey
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015 92:903-912; Published online March 16, 2015, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.14-0312
Abstract.
The intensification of control interventions has led to marked reductions in malaria burden in some settings, but not others. To provide a comprehensive description of malaria epidemiology in Uganda, we conducted surveillance studies over 24 months in 100 houses randomly selected from each of three subcounties: Walukuba (peri-urban), Kihihi (rural), and Nagongera (rural). Annual entomological inoculation rate (aEIR) was estimated from monthly Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light trap mosquito collections. Children aged 0.5–10 years were provided long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and followed for measures of parasite prevalence, anemia and malaria incidence. Estimates of aEIR were 2.8, 32.0, and 310 infectious bites per year, and estimates of parasite prevalence 7.4%, 9.3%, and 28.7% for Walukuba, Kihihi, and Nagongera, respectively. Over the 2-year study, malaria incidence per person-years decreased in Walukuba (0.51 versus 0.31, P = 0.001) and increased in Kihihi (0.97 versus 1.93, P < 0.001) and Nagongera (2.33 versus 3.30, P < 0.001). Of 2,582 episodes of malaria, only 8 (0.3%) met criteria for severe disease. The prevalence of anemia was low and not associated with transmission intensity. In our cohorts, where LLINs and prompt effective treatment were provided, the risk of complicated malaria and anemia was extremely low. However, malaria incidence was high and increased over time at the two rural sites, suggesting improved community-wide coverage of LLIN and additional malaria control interventions are needed in Uganda.

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Rotavirus Seasonal Distribution and Prevalence Before and After the Introduction of Rotavirus Vaccine in a Peri-Urban Community of Lima, Peru
Millie R. Chang, Grace Velapatiño, Miguel Campos, Elsa Chea-Woo, Nelly Baiocchi, Thomas G. Cleary and Theresa J. Ochoa*
Author Affiliations
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Department of Mathematics, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Department of Pediatrics, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru; Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas
Abstract.
We evaluated the monthly distribution of rotavirus diarrhea in a cohort of children 12–24 months of age followed as part of a diarrhea clinical trial in a peri-urban community of Lima. We observed a peak of rotavirus diarrhea in the winter months and a decrease in rotavirus prevalence after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in Peru.

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 9 May 2015)

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Research article
Ethics-sensitivity of the Ghana national integrated strategic response plan for pandemic influenza
Amos Laar1* and Debra DeBruin2
Author Affiliations
BMC Medical Ethics 2015, 16:30 doi:10.1186/s12910-015-0025-9
Published: 7 May 2015
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Many commentators call for a more ethical approach to planning for influenza pandemics. In the developed world, some pandemic preparedness plans have already been examined from an ethical viewpoint. This paper assesses the attention given to ethics issues by the Ghana National Integrated Strategic Plan for Pandemic Influenza (NISPPI).
Methods
We critically analyzed the Ghana NISPPI’s sensitivity to ethics issues to determine how well it reflects ethical commitments and principles identified in our review of global pandemic preparedness literature, existing pandemic plans, and relevant ethics frameworks.
Results
This paper reveals that important ethical issues have not been addressed in the Ghana NISPPI. Several important ethical issues are unanticipated, unacknowledged, and unplanned for. These include guidelines on allocation of scarce resources, the duties of healthcare workers, ethics-sensitive operational guidelines/protocols, and compensation programs. The NISPPI also pays scant attention to use of vaccines and antivirals, border issues and cooperation with neighboring countries, justification for delineated actions, and outbreak simulations. Feedback and communication plans are nebulous, while leadership, coordination, and budgeting are quite detailed. With respect to presentation, the NISPPI’s text is organized around five thematic areas. While each area implicates ethical issues, NISPPI treatment of these areas consistently fails to address them.
Conclusions
Our analysis reveals a lack of consideration of ethics by the NISPPI. We contend that, while the plan’s content and fundamental assumptions provide support for implementation of the delineated public health actions, its consideration of ethical issues is poor. Deficiencies include a failure to incorporate guidelines that ensure fair distribution of scarce resources and a lack of justification for delineated procedures. Until these deficiencies are recognized and addressed, Ghana runs the risk of rolling out unjust and ethically indefensible actions with real negative effects in the event of a pandemic. Soliciting inputs from the public and consultation with ethicists during the next revision of the NISPPI will be useful in addressing these issues.

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Research article
Clinical trialist perspectives on the ethics of adaptive clinical trials: a mixed-methods analysis
Laurie J Legocki, William J Meurer, Shirley Frederiksen, Roger J Lewis, Valerie L Durkalski, Donald A Berry, William G Barsan, Michael D Fetters BMC Medical Ethics 2015, 16:27 (3 May 2015)

British Medical Journal
09 May 2015  (vol 350, issue 8007)
http://www.bmj.com/content/350/8007

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Editor’s Choice
Towards a better epidemic
BMJ 2015; 350 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h2419 (Published 07 May 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h2419
Tony Delamothe, deputy editor, The BMJ
The consensus seems to be that no one had a particularly good Ebola epidemic, with the exception of the charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). This begs the question of who makes these judgment calls, and what was the last “good” epidemic you can remember?
The World Health Organization got it in the neck for delivering too little, too late, and its own report last week joined in the criticisms, listing lessons learnt and actions planned (doi:10.1136/bmj.h2144). MSF thought the problems went wider than WHO. The international response had been a “global coalition of inaction,” its report concluded (doi:10.1136/bmj.h1619). “For the Ebola outbreak to spiral this far out of control required many institutions to fail,” said its director. MSF also noted that the affected countries hadn’t always made the right choices—not easy for some of the poorest countries on earth.
In The BMJ Christian Gericke continues the generally critical line, saying that the epidemic attracted medical ethics commentators “like bees to a honey pot” (doi:10.1136/bmj.h2105). Were they of any use? He thinks that the short term use of experimental drugs (and their complex ethical challenges) attracted far more attention than it deserved and distracted from the urgent business of controlling the epidemic. He quotes approvingly the bioethicist Udo Schüklenk’s criticism of WHO’s recommendation to provide access to experimental drugs as “pointless grandstanding in the face of a pandemic that requires a public health response.”
In her feature this week Sophie Arie considers WHO’s support of clinical trials for experimental drugs as a bottle half full rather than empty (doi:10.1136/bmj.h1938). A year after the first case of Ebola virus disease was reported, several phase II and III trials of vaccines and other treatments are under way—“a process that normally can take as long as 10 years was compressed into a year.”
At least a dozen other neglected infectious disease pathogens have the potential to pose a similar threat to Ebola, and Arie describes how an international group of scientists has argued for fast tracking experimental vaccines and treatments for these, so that they’re available at the beginning of a disease outbreak. Such long range thinking comes as a welcome alternative to the attention deficit that usually afflicts the disasterazzi, as they flit from one trouble spot to the next…

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Editorials
Ebola and ethics: autopsy of a failure
BMJ 2015; 350 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h2105 (Published 23 April 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h2105
Christian A Gericke, chief executive and director of research
Author affiliations
Thousands died while we argued over the wrong questions

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Feature – Vaccines
Ebola: a game changer for vaccines, or a scare that will soon be forgotten?
BMJ 2015; 350 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h1938 (Published 06 May 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;350:h1938
Sophie Arie
Scientists say that it is only a matter of time before another neglected infectious disease causes a global public health emergency. So will the world now make these diseases a priority? Sophie Arie reports

Chronicle of Philanthropy
May 4, 2015 Volume 27, Issue 9
https://philanthropy.com/issue
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Cover Story
May 01, 2015
Online Giving’s Time Has Come, Like It or Not
Many nonprofits see online giving as little more than a gimmick. But it may hold the key to strengthening ties with donors.
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May 04, 2015
A ‘Yelp’ for Migrant Workers
Rachel Micah Jones’s small charity is helping laborers fight back online against exploitation.
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May 04, 2015
Unicef Builds a Bridge Fund
The group’s system for making short-term internal loans while it waits for pledges to come through helps it fulfill needs as they arise.

Complexity
May/June 2015 Volume 20, Issue 5 Pages C1–C1, 1–76
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cplx.v20.5/issuetoc

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The Simply Complex
Ebola—challenge and revival of theoretical epidemiology: Why Extrapolations from early phases of epidemics are problematic
Peter Schuster*
Article first published online: 28 APR 2015
DOI: 10.1002/cplx.21694
[Initial text]
At the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, there was a widespread belief that science and in particular medicine had progressed so far that Nature could be brought under complete control. It seemed that healthcare and pharmacology were in the position to prevent or to cure almost all diseases. In the 1980s, for example, the pharmaceutical industry stopped the search for new antibiotic drugs that would be badly needed nowadays in the light of the universal capabilities of bacteria to develop resistance factors. At about the same time previously unknown or unnoticed virus transmitted infectious human diseases appeared: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Ebola caused by Ebola virus (EBOV) and four related other strains of filoviridae, as well as severe acquired respiratory syndrome (SARS) brought about by SARS coronavirus. Caused by prions and not by a virus is been bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Nevertheless, it gave rise to an equally serious new epidemic. These and other cases as well as the consequences of the “antivaccination movement” [1, 2], for example, the recent reoccurrence of pertussis and measles, revived a need of reliable models in epidemiology. In particular, the recent Ebola epidemic starting in December 2013 in West Africa [3] initiated a new boom in theoretical work on infectious disease dynamics [4]. In PLoS Currents Outbreaks I counted 27 articles between the first publication on the recent Ebola epidemics on May 02, 2014 until March 09, 2015. In December 2014, researchers became aware that the predictions made 3 months earlier, in Fall 2014, apparently overstated the numbers of cases and deaths. A recent theoretical paper aims at an analysis of the prediction errors and provides suggestions how to make better forecasts [5]. In this essay, we shall be concerned with the predictive power of one frequently used model denoted as susceptible-exposed-infectious-removed (SEIR) model, and try to analyze typical general problems of predictions from early stages of exponentially growing systems to the final outcomes of the processes. In the focus are the model inherent limitations of reliabilities and not the lack of information or external problems like insufficient data or the uncertainty about the effectiveness of intervention strategies or countermeasures…

Conflict and Health
[Accessed 9 May 2015]
http://www.conflictandhealth.com/

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Letter to Editor
Access to healthcare for the most vulnerable migrants: a humanitarian crisis
Kevin Pottie1*, Jorge Pedro Martin2, Stephen Cornish3, Linn Maria Biorklund4, Ivan Gayton5, Frank Doerner6 and Fabien Schneider3
Author Affiliations
Conflict and Health 2015, 9:16 doi:10.1186/s13031-015-0043-8
Published: 7 May 2015
Abstract (provisional)
A series of Médecins Sans Frontières projects over the past decade have consistently documented high rates of physical and sexual trauma, extortion and mental illness amidst severe healthcare, food, and housing limitations. Complex interventions were needed to begin to address illness and barriers to healthcare and to help restore dignity to the most vulnerable women, children and men. Promising interventions included mobile clinics, use of cultural mediators, coordination with migrant-friendly entities and NGOs and integrating advocacy programs and mental health care with medical services. Ongoing interventions, research and coordination are needed to address this neglected humanitarian crisis.

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 9 May 2015]

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Research
Medicines availability for non-communicable diseases: the case for standardized monitoring
Jane Robertson12*, Cécile Macé1, Gilles Forte1, Kees de Joncheere1 and David Beran34
Author Affiliations
Globalization and Health 2015, 11:18 doi:10.1186/s12992-015-0105-0
Published: 7 May 2015
Abstract (provisional)
Background
In response to the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a Global Action Plan that includes a voluntary medicines target of 80% availability and affordability of essential medicines for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease both in public and private health facilities. Reliable measures of medicines availability are needed to track progress towards meeting this target. The results of three studies measuring the availability of medicines for hypertension and diabetes conducted in Tanzania in 2012–2013 were compared to assess the consistency of the results across the studies.
Methods
Availability was defined by observation of the medicine (no minimum quantity) on the day of the survey. The three studies involved 24, 107 and 1297 health facilities. Estimates of the availability of medicines for hypertension and diabetes were compared for medicines availability overall, by managing authority (government, mission/faith-based, private-for-profit), by facility level (hospital, health centre, dispensary) and by setting (urban, rural).
Results
Comparisons of the availability of medicines were limited by differences in the definitions of the medicines and the classifications of the facilities surveyed. Metformin was variously reported as available in 33%, 39%, 46%, and 57% of facilities. Glibenclamide availability ranged from 19% to 52%. One study reported low levels of insulin availability (9-16% depending on insulin type) compared to 34% in a second study. Captopril (or angiotensin converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitor) availability ranged from 13% to 48%while availability of calcium channel blockers was 29% to 57% and beta-blockers 15% to 50%. Trends were similar across studies with lower availability in government compared to mission or private facilities, in dispensary and health centres compared to hospitals, and in rural compared to urban facilities.
Conclusions
All three studies showed suboptimal availability of NCD medicines, however the estimates of availability differed. Regular monitoring using reproducible methods and measuring key medicines must replace ad-hoc studies, small selected samples and differences in definitions. Low and middle-income countries need to implement monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress towards meeting the NCD medicines target and to inform country-level interventions to improve access to NCD medicines.

Health Policy and Planning
Volume 30 Issue 5 June 2015
http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

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Innovations in communication technologies for measles supplemental immunization activities: lessons from Kenya measles vaccination campaign, November 2012
William B Mbabazi1,*, Collins W Tabu2, Caleb Chemirmir3, James Kisia3, Nasra Ali3, Melissa G Corkum4 and Gene L Bartley5
Author Affiliations
1American Red Cross International Response and Programs, PO Box 41275-00100, Nairobi, Kenya, 2Division of Vaccines and Immunization, Ministry of Health, PO Box 30016, Nairobi, Kenya, 3Kenya Red Cross, PO Box 40712-00100, Nairobi, Kenya, 4UNICEF East and Southern African Regional Office, United Nations Complex, Gigiri, PO Box 44145-00100, Nairobi, Kenya and 5Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PO Box 45335-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Accepted April 20, 2014.
Abstract
Background
To achieve a measles free world, effective communication must be part of all elimination plans. The choice of communication approaches must be evidence based, locally appropriate, interactive and community owned. In this article, we document the innovative approach of using house visits supported by a web-enabled mobile phone application to create a real-time platform for adaptive management of supplemental measles immunization days in Kenya.
Methods
One thousand nine hundred and fifty-two Red Cross volunteers were recruited, trained and deployed to conduct house-to-house canvassing in 11 urban districts of Kenya. Three days before the campaigns, volunteers conducted house visits with a uniform approach and package of messages. All house visits were documented using a web-enabled mobile phone application (episurveyor) that in real-time relayed information collected to all campaign management levels. During the campaigns, volunteers reported daily immunizations to their co-ordinators. Post-campaign house visits were also conducted within 4 days, to verify immunization of eligible children, assess information sources and detect adverse events following immunization.
Results
Fifty-six per cent of the 164,643 households visited said that they had heard about the planned 2012 measles vaccination campaign 1–3 days before start dates. Twenty-five per cent of households were likely to miss the measles supplemental dose if they had not been reassured by the house visit. Pre- and post-campaign reasons for refusal showed that targeted communication reduced misconceptions, fear of injections and trust in herbal remedies. Daily reporting of immunizations using mobile phones informed changes in service delivery plans for better immunization coverage. House visits were more remembered (70%) as sources of information compared with traditional mass awareness channels like megaphones (41%) and radio (37%).
Conclusions
In high-density settlements, house-to-house visits are easy and more penetrative compared with traditional media approaches. Using mobile phones to document campaign processes and outputs provides real time evidence for service delivery planning to improve immunization coverage.