ICRC [to 18 July 2015]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new

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Mandela Day: Improving the lives of detainees
Article
17 July 2015
Nelson Mandela sits beneath his former cell during a visit to Robben Island prison. © Reuters
Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first black President, is commemorated every year on 18 July, his birthday, also known as Nelson Mandela International Day. Mr Mandela was visited several times by ICRC staff during his 27 years in prison. He subsequently said: “What matters is not only the good the ICRC brings but the evil it prevents.” To understand more about the process and purpose of our visits to those held in detention, have a look at the animated video below.

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Helping mothers improve child nutrition in Somalia
Article
17 July 2015
Somalia has been ravaged by decades of armed conflict which has disrupted livelihoods and thrown the social fabric into disarray. Seasonal occurrences of drought and floods deepen the crisis by creating an acute food shortage in parts of the country. Children, especially those under five, are susceptible to the resulting inadequate diet and associated diseases; left unchecked, such malnutrition can be fatal.

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Rwanda / Burundi: Free phone calls help refugees stay in touch
Article
15 July 2015
A surge in arrivals of Burundian refugees in reception centres near the Rwanda-Burundi border prompted the Rwandan government in April to open a new refugee camp in Mahama, Eastern Province. A major concern for the refugees is keeping in touch with friends and loved ones left behind.

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Health Care in Detention
A practical guide
14-05-2015 Publication Ref. 4213
DownloadPDF 907 KB
This booklet contains practical advice for assessing public health and its determinants in laces of detention throughout the world. It draws heavily on the ICRC’s extensive experience in this field. The booklet will be of great assistance to health authorities, prison authorities and all those responsible for the provision of health care in prisons who seek to maintain or improve the health of people deprived of their freedom.

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Srebrenica 20 years on: Let us not forget
Article
11 July 2015

IRCT [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.irct.org/

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News
Scientific Symposium: Call for abstracts and launch of website
10-07-2015
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) is pleased to announce that the Call for Abstracts for the 2016 Global Scientific Symposium in Mexico is now open.

The Symposium, titled Delivering on the promise of the right to rehabilitation, has three major themes that focus on trends and developments in research on rehabilitation methods, key challenges to implementation of the right to rehabilitation, and learning from other health and human rights sectors.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 1 October 2015, with the review process taking place between 1 October and 20 November. To ensure a Symposium that delivers a broad range of research, the IRCT is inviting authors across disciplines and sectors to submit their abstracts.

For abstract submissions, the IRCT has set up an online submission, registration and review system available through the newly launched Global Scientific Symposium website www.irctsymposium2016.irct.org. Here, you will also find the latest news and updates as well as all the necessary information, including the preliminary conference agenda…

Islamic Relief [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/

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How we’re fighting cancer in Africa
July 18, 2015
This Nelson Mandela International Day, our CEO, Dr Mohamed Ashmawey, explains why we’re stepping up the fight against childhood cancer in Africa…

…in 2014, the Islamic Relief family officially pledged USD $10 million to fund the oncology unit of the ground-breaking Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, which is being built in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Islamic Relief Oncology Centre of Excellence is now constructed, and work to complete the interior is underway. It will include bone marrow transplant facilities and a laboratory, surgeries and theatres, intensive care and high care beds, radiology facilities, and a dedicated pharmacy. The Centre will offer 14 day care wards and 18 oncology wards.

When it opens in 2016, the Centre of Excellence will provide children battling cancer across the continent with intensive paediatric care and specialist care. It will also develop clinical excellence through training for clinical staff and health professionals, and exciting research programmes….

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases

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Field news
Italy: MSF Rescue Ship Carrying Nearly 700 People Unable to Land in Sicily
July 17, 2015
Italian authorities have refused to allow a search and rescue ship operated by MSF to disembark almost 700 people in Sicily.

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Field news
Ebola: “We must finish the job”
July 17, 2015
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began its response to the largest Ebola outbreak in history in March 2014 and, despite progress made in the fight against the virus, Ebola stubbornly lives on in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, where more than 27,678 people have been infected and 11,276 have died.
For the past eight weeks, the number of cases in the region has held at around 30 new infections per week, a number that would be considered a disaster in normal circumstances.

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Field news
Critical Situation in Niger as Hunger Gap and Malaria Period Approach
July 14, 2015
The already precarious situation of the population in southern Niger’s Diffa region has recently become further aggravated by the escalation of the ongoing armed conflict near the border with Nigeria. This area is facing new waves of displaced people and refugees fleeing violence raging around Lake Chad, which has intensified since last February, when the conflict arrived in Niger. The living conditions of the displaced population—with little access to health care and safe water—are dire.

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Field news
South Sudan: MSF Opens Cholera Treatment Center in Juba
July 13, 2015
In collaboration with local health authorities, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has opened a cholera treatment center (CTC) in Juba, South Sudan, in response to an outbreak of the disease declared by the Ministry of Health (MoH) on June 23.

Mercy Corps [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases

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A U.S. Humanitarian, Development and Peacebuilding Statement on the U.S. Global Countering Violent Extremism Agenda
July 20, 2015
Mercy Corps and 40 colleague agencies express concern that the Obama administration’s new nine-point Action Agenda to counter violent extremism will repeat the same mistakes as post-9/11 stabilization initiatives, mainly prioritizing military funding over investments in solutions addressing the root causes of instability. The coalition urges the administration to modify the strategy ahead of September’s global summit on countering violent extremism.
Full statement (PDF): 20July2015_Statement_U.S.GlobalCounteringViolentExtremismAgenda.pdf.

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Diversified Resilience Approach Key to Overcoming Cycles of Crisis
Uganda, July 17, 2015
New report warns against single-sector programs as solution to vulnerability
Washington, DC— As world leaders gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week to discuss how to better meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, a new report by the global humanitarian organization Mercy Corps highlights the possible drawbacks of working through markets to combat poverty. More Than Markets: Building Resilience in Northern Uganda chronicles crisis and vulnerability in Uganda, concluding that long-term, coordinated approaches with local communities, governments, the private sector and other development actors are needed for countries to overcome lingering hardships and build resilience to crisis…

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Mercy Corps: Conflict Between Nigerian Rural Communities Takes Enormous Economic Toll
Nigeria, July 16, 2015
New research finds violent conflict in Nigeria costs the country nearly $14 billion annually in economic progress
Washington, DC – The growth of Africa’s largest economy is being stymied by decades-long disputes between farmers and pastoralists in Nigeria’s ethnically and religiously diverse Middle Belt region, according to new research by the global organization Mercy Corps. Nigeria would stand to gain up to US$13.7 billion annually in total macroeconomic progress if peace were maintained in four Middle Belt states alone. Skirmishes between Nigeria’s farmers and herders typically arise from disputes over the use of resources such as farmland, grazing areas and water. As conflicts escalate, often along identity lines, they feed into a deadly cycle of retaliation…

Norwegian Refugee Council [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.nrc.no/

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Fire safety
Refugees better prepared to face the elements
Jihane Kazoun (15.07.2015)
With fires sweeping through tented settlements and collective shelters in Lebanon, the Norwegian Refugee Council has been providing camp representatives with fire safety training to prevent exposure to the deadly flames and damage to their homes…

Liberia
Leaving Liberia
Hanne Eide Andersen (15.07.2015)
After 12 years of assisting refugees and internally displaced people in Liberia, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has closed down its operations in the country. “It has been twelve remarkable years”, says country director Sheila Donaghy.
“We arrived in a broken country. Liberia was in the midst of the enormous humanitarian crisis caused by years of disastrous civil war. Then followed the first critical years of recovery, reconciliation and rebuilding the country”, says Sheila Donaghy.
June 30th, she closed the doors to the facilities that have been housing the NRC office in Liberia’s capital Monrovia for the last time…

PATH [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.path.org/news/index.php

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Press release | July 13, 2015
:: 30 innovations that could transform global health: introducing the Innovation Countdown 2030 report
PATH leads global initiative to crowdsource and assess innovations with the potential to save millions of lives by 2030

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, July 13, 2015—The PATH-led Innovation Countdown 2030 initiative (IC2030) today launched its inaugural report, Reimagining Global Health, at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development. The report features 30 innovations selected by international experts for their lifesaving potential and can be downloaded at http://www.ic2030.org.

2015 marks a seminal moment in global health as world leaders coalesce around new global goals that will determine the international development agenda and health investments over the next 15 years. Innovative technologies and approaches that make health care more affordable, more effective, and easier to access are key to reaching the new health goals by 2030.

Reimagining Global Health is the result of a yearlong process to identify, evaluate, and showcase some of those high-potential health technologies and ideas, with the goal of catalyzing investment and support.
Two innovations found to have exceptional potential are a simple, low-cost antiseptic to prevent newborn infections and new technologies for small-scale water treatment at the community level. These two innovations alone, with expanded use, could save the lives of 2.5 million newborns and children by 2030.

Tapping innovation around the world
PATH sought ideas from experts, innovators, and technology developers worldwide, crowdsourcing solutions with great promise to accelerate progress toward reaching the 2030 health targets.

People in nearly 50 countries nominated more than 500 innovations for consideration. Dozens of independent health experts then assessed and ranked them, selecting the 30 innovations featured in the report.

“Innovation is the essential ingredient in empowering communities with solutions they can use to transform their own health,” said Steve Davis, PATH President and CEO. “To achieve the 2030 health targets, we must focus our brightest minds, collective resources, and shared aspirations on accelerating innovations with the most potential for impact.”
“World leaders are coming together in 2015 around new global goals that can ensure good health and equal opportunity for all. By prioritizing and coordinating investments in innovations that can deliver the greatest health value for money, we can create financially sustainable solutions that reach the millions of people who have yet to share in the gains of our progress,” said Mr. Borge Brende, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway.

The initiative is supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the US Agency for International Development.

Innovations to tackle the world’s most urgent health issues
The 30 selected innovations cover four health areas:

:: Maternal, newborn, and child health, an area featuring innovations such as a uterine balloon tamponade to manage excessive bleeding after childbirth, the leading cause of maternal death; portable devices that measure oxygen levels in the blood to improve detection of pneumonia, the top killer of young children; and new treatments for severe diarrhea, another major cause of child deaths.

:: Infectious diseases, where key innovations include malaria vaccine candidates, long-acting injectable drugs to treat HIV infection, and a novel multidrug treatment regimen to shorten the treatment for tuberculosis.

:: Reproductive health, where new injectable contraceptives and expanded access to long-acting, reversible contraceptives such as intrauterine devices may have great impact.
:: Noncommunicable diseases, where potentially transformative innovations include the use of a low-cost polypill to prevent cardiovascular disease and the use of mobile devices for chronic disease prevention and management.

“IC2030 identifies health solutions that have the potential to make a catalytic impact in global health over the next 15 years,” said Chris Elias, President of Global Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “By finding and amplifying promising ideas and strengthening the capacity of low-resource countries to develop, introduce, and share innovation, we can accelerate progress so that every person has an equal chance for a healthy and productive life.”..

Save The Children [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6150563/k.D0E9/Newsroom.htm

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Save the Children Report Finds U.S. Children Still at Risk 10 Years After Hurricane Katrina
July 14, 2015

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Save the Children, Save the Children Action Network Commend Global Finance Conference for Prioritizing Health Needs of Mothers and Children
July 13, 2015

GAVI [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.gavialliance.org/library/news/press-releases/

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:: Global consensus on financing development provides platform for sustainable development goals
Gavi highlighted at Addis Ababa meeting.
Geneva, 17 July 2015 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance today welcomed progress towards financing the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that world leaders are due to adopt in New York in September during the United Nations General Assembly.

The Addis Ababa Action Agenda, endorsed by the world’s governments at the Financing for Development conference yesterday, highlights key areas of development financing with the ultimate goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. These include increases in domestic resources, urging donors meet their aid commitments and the use of innovative financing mechanisms and multi stakeholder partnerships to maximise impact of development funding.

In September, countries are expected to finalise the SDGs, which will replace the Millennium Development Goals. The agreement in Addis Ababa underpins the crucial need to fund health interventions such as immunisation.

The Action Agenda commits the world’s governments to “support research and development of vaccines and medicines, as well as preventive measures and treatments for the communicable and non-communicable diseases, in particular those that disproportionately impact developing countries”. It adds, “We will support relevant initiatives, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which incentivizes innovation while expanding access in developing countries…

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:: Alwaleed Philanthropies to support childhood immunisation with US$ 1 million pledge
Funding will cover the costs of vaccines in six countries
Geneva, 13 July 2015 – Alwaleed Philanthropies today committed to protecting the lives of children through immunisation by signing an agreement worth US$ 1 million with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The agreement, which was negotiated at the Gavi Pledging Conference in January, marks the first time Alwaleed Philanthropies has provided support to Gavi. The contribution will support all projected vaccine needs in Timor Leste, Kiribati, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Guyana for the 2016-2020 period…

Global Fund [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/mediacenter/newsreleases/

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:: Ethiopia Moves Forward with Major New Grants
16 July 2015
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The Government of Ethiopia and the Global Fund partnership today signed four new grants for US$551.6 million to fight HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria and to build resilient and sustainable systems for health.
The financial resources provided through the Global Fund come from many sources and partners, represented today by the UK Department for International Development, the European Union, the Italian Development Cooperation, the United States, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and WHO, among others.
“With a focus on equity and quality, going forward, Global Fund resources will be used, as in the past, to fulfil our vision for healthy, productive and prosperous Ethiopians… a population free of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis,” said Kesetebirhan Admasu, Ethiopia’s Minister of Health…

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:: Linking Health and Education
15 July 2015
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Global development partners meeting at the Financing for Development conference today called for stronger linkages between investments in health and education in low- and middle-income countries.
In an event, co-hosted by the governments of Ethiopia and the United States together with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNAIDS and the Global Partnership on Education, participants called for ambitious investments that strive for a world where everyone has access to quality health and education…

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:: Results Show Strong Progress Against HIV, TB and Malaria
15 July 2015
GENEVA – As world leaders met in Addis Ababa to discuss financing for the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Fund announced mid-year results that demonstrate strong progress against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
The results show that 8.1 million people are receiving antiretroviral treatment for HIV through programs supported by Global Fund grants, a 22 percent increase since the same time last year.
For malaria, 548 million mosquito nets have been distributed to protect children and families from the disease, an annual increase of 32 percent. The number of tuberculosis cases detected and treated increased by 11 percent, with 13.2 million people assisted.
The Global Fund partnership values the strong contributions to these results made by governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by HIV, TB and malaria.
Other key results of Global Fund-supported programs include:
:: A 55 percent increase in the number of people treated for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, rising to 210,000 treatments.
:: A 20 percent increase in the number of HIV-positive pregnant women receiving medication to prevent transmission to their child, or 3.1 million women.
:: The number of people receiving counselling and testing for HIV increased by 18 percent, to 423 million.
:: The number of tuberculosis cases successfully treated increased 12 percent to 10.7 million, while the number of malaria cases treated was up 19 percent to 515 million…

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:: Accelerating Domestic Investments in Health
13 July 2015
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Efforts to increase domestic investment in health programs have taken a prominent spot at the Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week.
African leaders, including Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, addressed a session today focused on the need to invest more in health, attended by Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chair of the Africa Union Commission, and others.
“African countries must find more ways to invest more into health,” said Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. “This is fundamental. The transformation of our economies and our countries will never be complete without claiming victory over diseases.”…

Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/

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The World Humanitarian Summit: Making financing work for crisis-affected people
Charlotte Lattimer
July 2015 :: 10 pages
Background
The World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) brings together a range of stakeholders to set an agenda for the future of humanitarian action. Thematic and regional consultations have been ongoing since 2014 and will culminate in a meeting in Istanbul in May 2016. Development Initiatives (DI) has contributed to the consultation process, primarily with a focus on financing through membership of the Humanitarian Effectiveness Thematic Team, and will continue to remain engaged for the duration of discussions as well as the follow-up.
This paper outlines the actions that we believe are necessary to ensure that financing improves the lives of people affected by crisis. It draws on the extensive data and analysis presented in this year’s GHA report, as well as GHA’s 2014 WHS think piece. Rather than replicate these or other key papers on humanitarian financing, this paper presents a short summary of an overall vision and three key areas for action for the WHS. Not only should these points be reflected in the WHS synthesis report and the UN Secretary General’s report, but they are relevant for all actors engaging in the summit and the delivery of recommendations thereafter…

ODI [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.odi.org/media

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QUOTE: Response to Addis aid finance outcome
News | 16 July 2015
Romilly Greenhill, team leader for development finance at the Overseas Development Institute reacts at the end of the Addis Ababa Financing For Development conference:
‘The litmus test of this agreement is: will it deliver for the world’s poor?
‘The accord includes a commitment to a new social compact – a ground-breaking pledge for a basic minimum standard of living for the poorest.
‘This is a major step forward, although it’s disappointing that there has been no new money to fund it. Governments and donors will have to work hard to turn this ambitious vision into a reality.’

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Anti-separatist businessman keeps people alive in rebel-held Ukraine
News | 15 July 2015
Aid from Ukraine’s richest oligarch is saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Eastern Ukraine – according to new research from the Overseas Development Institute and IRIN.

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Uncommon bedfellows: local response to the crisis in Ukraine
Briefing papers | July 2015 | Christina Bennett and Kristina Jovanovski
This IRIN/HPG Crisis Brief looks at how a Ukrainian oligarch, local organisations and Russian aid are providing a lifeline in rebel-held parts of eastern Ukraine.

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Why investing in disaster risk management pays off
Briefing papers | July 2015 | Thomas Tanner, Emma Lovell, Emily Wilkinson, Francis Ghesquiere, Robert Reid and Sumati Rajput
This briefing provides seven key messages that should be addressed by the Third Conference on Financing for Development to ensure that disaster risk does not hamper the progress of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Humanitarian cash transfers: cost, value for money and economic impact
Briefing papers | July 2015 | Sarah Bailey and Sophie Pongracz
This background note discusses the cost efficiency of different transfer modalities, their comparative effectiveness in meeting defined objectives and the impact on local economies and markets.

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Humanitarian cash transfers and the private sector
Briefing papers | July 2015 | Sarah Bailey and Laura Gordon
In a series of background notes on humanitarian cash transfers, this paper discusses the role of the private sector in relation to transfers.

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Risk and humanitarian cash transfer programming
Briefing papers | July 2015 | Laura Gordon
This background note provides a summary on the risks associated with cash transfers programmes and how they compare to other types of aid.

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Can emergency cash transfers ‘piggyback’ on existing social protection programmes?
Briefing papers | July 2015 | Rachel Slater, Sarah Bailey and Paul Harvey
This background note focuses on the current discussion among actors in the humanitarian and social protection sectors regarding the use of existing social protection programmes to provide an emergency response.

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.hewlett.org/newsroom/search

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Stephen C. Neal Named Board Chair of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Jul 15, 2015
Press Release
MENLO PARK, Calif. – Veteran attorney Stephen C. Neal has been named board chair of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the foundation announced today. Neal, a board member since 2006 and chairman of the global law firm Cooley LLP, succeeds Walter B. Hewlett, who has served as interim chair since Harvey Fineberg stepped down when he became president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in January. Both Fineberg and Hewlett, who earlier served as chair for nearly twenty years, will remain on the board…

Kellogg Foundation [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.wkkf.org/news-and-media#pp=10&p=1&f1=news

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100,000 Opportunities Initiative to create meaningful employment
July 13, 2015
Earlier today 17 leading companies in the U.S. announced their partnership on the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, an employer-led coalition designed to create meaningful employment for America’s young people.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is supporting the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative through the Aspen Institute’s Forum for Community Solutions, which will act as an intermediary for the larger 100,000 Opportunities Initiative.

“We are pleased to support the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative to put more young people on a promising road toward economic security,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “Partnering with employers to build strong pathways to quality jobs and important supports like employment training and employee wellbeing policies is essential. We believe this will help more young people — especially those disconnected from opportunity who have been continuously and structurally left out of the economic engine — move up the career ladder and provide a better future for their families.”…

MacArthur Foundation [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Publication
Report Concludes Mexican Military Executed Civilians Under Order
Published July 15, 2015
A report by the MacArthur-supported Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Center (Center Prodh) documents how the Mexican military had orders to “take out criminals” in Tlatlaya, Mexico when soldiers killed 22 people on June 30, 2014. According to official accounts, the soldiers were patrolling the area when they came under attack by alleged kidnappers, causing a shootout that left 22 dead. However, forensic analysis shows many of the victims were executed, corroborating eyewitness testimony. The report sheds light on a systemic practice by which security forces resort to illegal use of force against civilians under the auspices of fighting organized crime. The report also points to the need to broaden the investigation to identify the military chain of command and identify those responsible…

Pew Charitable Trusts [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases

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Pew Analysis Shows $968 Billion State Public Pension Funding Gap in FY 2013
July 14, 2015 Press Release Public Sector Retirement Systems
State-run retirement systems faced a $968 billion shortfall in 2013 between pension benefits promised to government workers and the funding needed to meet those obligations, a $54 billion increase from the previous year, according to a brief released today by The Pew Charitable Trusts…

Rockefeller Foundation [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/newsroom

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Human activities are jeopardizing Earth’s natural systems and health of future generations
[undated] NEW YORK—A new report released today by The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on Planetary Health, calls for immediate, global action to protect the health of human civilization and the natural systems on which it depends. The report, Safeguarding Human Health in the Anthropocene Epoch, provides the first ever comprehensive examination of evidence showing how the health and well-being of future generations is being jeopardised by the unprecedented degradation of the planet’s natural resources and ecological systems.…

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IIX’s Women’s Livelihood Bond to Improve Lives of Half a Million Women
[undated] SINGAPORE—Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX) has kicked-off a first-of-its-kind Women’s Livelihood Bond due to be launched in early 2016, as part of its commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative… Supported by key partners that include The Rockefeller Foundation, Japan Research Institute Limited, Center for High Impact Philanthropy of the University of Pennsylvania, and Shearman and Sterling LLP, IIX’s Women’s Livelihood Bond is en route to becoming listed on the Impact Exchange, the world’s first Social Stock Exchange started by IIX…

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [to 18 July 2015]
http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/news-releases.html

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New Research: Children With Strong Social Skills in Kindergarten More Likely to Thrive as Adults
20-year study links early skills to future outcomes in education, employment and criminal justice.
July 16, 2015
Princeton, N.J.—A new 20-year study shows a link between children’s social skills in kindergarten and their well-being in early adulthood, according to the findings published today in the American Journal of Public Health.

Children who were more likely to “share” or “be helpful” in kindergarten were also more likely to obtain higher education and hold full-time jobs nearly two decades later, the study found. Students who lacked these “social competence” skills were more likely to face more negative outcomes by the age of 25, including substance abuse problems, challenges finding employment or run-ins with the law.

“This study shows that helping children develop social and emotional skills is one of the most important things we can do to prepare them for a healthy future,” said Kristin Schubert, program director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the research. “From an early age, these skills can determine whether a child goes to college or prison, and whether they end up employed or addicted.”…

American Journal of Public Health
Volume 105, Issue 8 (August 2015)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

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Addressing Complexities in Global Health and Inequities in Global Health Education
Julie D. Rosenberg, Keri J. Wachter, Abby C. Campbell, Joseph J. Rhatigan, Rebecca L. Weintraub, Global Health Delivery Project at Harvard University Case Writing Team
American Journal of Public Health: August 2015, Vol. 105, No. 8: e1–e1.

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Searching the Web for Influenza Vaccines: HealthMap Vaccine Finder
Jane E. Huston, Sumiko R. Mekaru, Sheryl Kluberg, John S. Brownstein
American Journal of Public Health: August 2015, Vol. 105, No. 8: e134–e139.
Abstract
Objectives. The goal of the HealthMap Vaccine Finder is to provide a free, comprehensive, online service where users can search for locations that offer immunizations. In this article, we describe the data and systems underlying the HealthMap Vaccine Finder (HVF) and summarize the project’s first year of operations.
Methods. We collected data on vaccination services from a variety of providers for 2012–2013. Data are used to populate an online, public, searchable map.
Results. In its first year, HVF collected information from 1256 providers representing 46 381 locations. The public Web site received 625 124 visits during the 2012–2013 influenza vaccination season.
Conclusions. HVF is a unique tool that connects the public to vaccine providers in their communities. During the 2012–2013 influenza season, HVF experienced significant usage and was able to respond to user feedback with new features.

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Editorials
Evolving Challenges and Research-Needs Concerning Ebola
Robert Klitzman
American Journal of Public Health: August 2015, Vol. 105, No. 8: 1513–1515.

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Assessing Proposals for New Global Health Treaties: An Analytic Framework
Steven J. Hoffman, John-Arne Røttingen, Julio Frenk
American Journal of Public Health: August 2015, Vol. 105, No. 8: 1523–1530.
Abstract
We have presented an analytic framework and 4 criteria for assessing when global health treaties have reasonable prospects of yielding net positive effects.
First, there must be a significant transnational dimension to the problem being addressed. Second, the goals should justify the coercive nature of treaties. Third, proposed global health treaties should have a reasonable chance of achieving benefits. Fourth, treaties should be the best commitment mechanism among the many competing alternatives.
Applying this analytic framework to 9 recent calls for new global health treaties revealed that none fully meet the 4 criteria. Efforts aiming to better use or revise existing international instruments may be more productive than is advocating new treaties.

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HIV Treatment Scale-Up and HIV-Related Stigma in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Longitudinal Cross-Country Analysis
Brian T. Chan, Alexander C. Tsai, Mark J. Siedner
American Journal of Public Health: August 2015, Vol. 105, No. 8: 1581–1587.

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 18 July 2015)

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Research article
Determinants of maternal health services utilization in Uganda
Gideon Rutaremwa, Stephen Wandera, Tapiwa Jhamba, Edith Akiror, Angela Kiconco BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:271 (17 July 2015)
Abstract
Background
Uganda’s poor maternal health indicators have resulted from weak maternal health services delivery, including access to quality family planning, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care, and postnatal care for mothers and newborns. This paper investigated the predictors of maternal health services (MHS) utilization characterized as: desirable, moderate and undesirable.
Methods
We used a sample of 1728 women of reproductive ages (15–49), who delivered a child a year prior to the 2011 UDHS survey. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the relative contribution of the various predictors of ideal maternal health services package utilization. Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Utilization guided the selection of covariates in the regression model.
Results
Women with secondary and higher education were more likely to utilize the desirable maternal health care package (RRR=4.5; 95 % CI=1.5-14.0), compared to those who had none (reference=undesirable MHS package). Women who lived in regions outside Kampala, Uganda’s capital, were less likely to utilize the desirable package of maternal health services (Eastern – RRR=0.2, CI=0.1-0.5; Western – RRR=0.3, CI=0.1-0.8; Central – RRR=0.3, CI=0.1-0.8; Northern – RRR=0.4, CI=0.2-1.0). Women from the richest households were more likely to utilize the desirable maternal health services package (RRR=1.9; 95 % CI=1.0-3.7). Residence in rural areas, being Moslem and being married reduced a woman’s chances of utilizing moderate maternal health care services.
Conclusions
Utilization of maternal health services varied greatly by demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Women with a secondary and higher education, and those of higher income levels, were more likely to utilize the ideal maternal health services package. Therefore, there is need to formulate policies and design maternal health services programs that target the socially marginalized women.