Science
17 April 2015 vol 348, issue 6232, pages 257-368
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

Sanitation
For toilets, money matters
Jocelyn Kaiser
About 1 billion people in the developing world still walk out to a field, the bushes, or an open waterway to defecate instead of using a latrine. That has contributed to high rates of diarrheal disease. The problem is particularly acute in India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to build 111 million toilets as part of a plan to end open defecation by October 2019. But exactly how to get there is surprisingly controversial. Now, a large, controlled experiment, conducted in India’s neighbor Bangladesh and published online this week in Science, finds that the key to getting people to build hygienic latrines is to subsidize the cost. Although other experts say these results are important, some caution that building toilets doesn’t always mean people will use them or be healthier.

SANITATION SUBSIDIES
Encouraging sanitation investment in the developing world: A cluster-randomized trial
Raymond Guiteras1, James Levinsohn2, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak2,*
Author Affiliations
1Deptartment of Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
2School of Management, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Abstract
Poor sanitation contributes to morbidity and mortality in the developing world, but there is disagreement on what policies can increase sanitation coverage. To measure the effects of alternative policies on investment in hygienic latrines, we assigned 380 communities in rural Bangladesh to different marketing treatments—community motivation and information; subsidies; a supply-side market access intervention; and a control—in a cluster-randomized trial. Community motivation alone did not increase hygienic latrine ownership (+1.6 percentage points, p=0.43), nor did the supply-side intervention (+0.3 percentage points, p=.90). Subsidies to the majority of the landless poor increased ownership among subsidized households (+22.0 percentage points, p<.001) and their unsubsidized neighbors (+8.5 percentage points, p=.001), which suggests investment decisions are interlinked across neighbors. Subsidies also reduced open defecation by 14 percentage points (p<.001).

Infectious Disease
Combating emerging viral threats
Elena Bekerman, Shirit Einav
Author Affiliations
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Although hundreds of viruses are known to cause human disease, antiviral therapies are approved for fewer than 10. Most approved antiviral drugs target viral enzymes, most commonly proteases and polymerases. Such direct acting antivirals (DAAs) have shown considerable success in the treatment of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. However, this approach does not scale easily and is limited particularly with respect to emerging and reemerging viruses against which no vaccines or antiviral therapies are approved.

TORTURE Journal
Volume 25, Nr. 1, 2015
http://www.irct.org/torture-journal

Follow-up study of the treatment outcomes at a psychiatric trauma clinic for refugees
Cæcilie Buhmann, Erik Lykke Mortensen, Merete Nordentoft, Jasmina Ryberg, Morten Ekstrøm

Cognitive behavioral psychotherapeutic treatment at a psychiatric trauma clinic for Refugees: description and evaluation
Cæcilie Buhmann, Ida Andersen, Erik Lykke Mortensen, Jasmina Ryberg, Merete Nordentoft, Morten Ekstrøm

“After all the traumas my body has been through, I feel good that it is still working.” – Basic Body Awareness Therapy for traumatised refugees
Kajsa Stade, Signe Skammeritz, Charlotte Hjortkjær, Jessica Carlsson

The DSM 5 and the Istanbul Protocol: Diagnosis of psychological sequels of torture
Thomas Wenzel, Andreas Frewer, Siroos Mirzaei

Statement on Virginity Testing
Independent Forensic Expert Group

UN Chronicle
Vol. LI No. 3 2014 December 2014
http://unchronicle.un.org/

Beyond 2015
The report of the Open Working Group of the United Nations General Assembly on Sustainable Development Goals, submitted to the Assembly in August 2014, contained 17 goals with 169 targets covering a broad range of sustainable development issues. In this issue, the UN Chronicle takes a closer look at those proposed Sustainable Development Goals.

Goal 1—End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere
Charles Kenny
If we’re going to set a zero goal for global poverty in the post-2015 development agenda, it has to be an absolute goal, and not one set relative to national poverty lines, and the process of setting the new global poverty line should be open, transparent and participatory.

Goal 2—Creating New Paths for Nutrition, Agriculture and Food Systems
Anna Lartey
Recent trends in industrialization, globalization and commercialization have profound implications for what foods are being produced, the degree to which they are being processed, and how people are consuming them.

Goal 3—The SDGs and a Healthier 2030
Lauren Barredo, Irene Agyepong, Gordon Liu and Srinath Reddy
Health is fundamental to human development. All people, regardless of social status, consistently rank good health as a top priority, and healthy people are critical to sustaining societies. It is therefore not surprising that four of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) directly relate to health.

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 11 April 2015

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 11 April 2015

blog edition: comprised of the 35+ entries to be posted below on 12 April 2015

Global Religious and Faith-Based Organization Leaders Issue Call and Commitment to End Extreme Poverty by 2030
PRESS RELEASE
“Ending Extreme Poverty: A Moral and Spiritual Imperative”

April 9, 2015—Over 30 leaders from major world religions and heads of global faith-based organizations today launched a clarion call to action to end extreme poverty by 2030, a goal shared by the World Bank Group.

Ending Extreme Poverty: A Moral and Spiritual Imperative notes that remarkable progress has been made in reducing extreme poverty. Over 25 years the world has gone from nearly 2 billion people to fewer than 1 billion living in extreme poverty. Now, for the first time in human history there exists both the capacity and moral responsibility to ensure that no one has to live in extreme poverty’s grip.

“We have ample evidence from the World Bank Group and others showing that we can now end extreme poverty within fifteen years,” the Moral Imperative statement notes. “In 2015, our governments will be deciding upon a new global sustainable development agenda that has the potential to build on our shared values to finish the urgent task of ending extreme poverty.”
“We in the faith community embrace this moral imperative because we share the belief that the moral test of our society is how the weakest and most vulnerable are faring. Our sacred texts also call us to combat injustice and uplift the poorest in our midst.”
The Moral Imperative statement seeks to generate the necessary social and political will by inspiring greater commitments from others to join in this cause, tapping into many of the shared convictions and beliefs that unify the world’s major religions around the call and responsibility to combat poverty.
The announcement today from global faith leaders arose from the World Bank’s “Faith Based and Religious Leaders Roundtable” held on February 18, the first high-level meeting between World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and faith leaders…

…World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim responded to the launch of this moral imperative, stating, “Faith leaders and the World Bank Group share a common goal – to realize a world free of extreme poverty in just 15 years. The moral imperative can help drive the movement to end poverty by 2030 by inspiring large communities to act now and to advocate for governments to do the same. These commitments from religious leaders come at just the right time – their actions can help hundreds of millions of people lift themselves out of poverty.

The statement closes by framing the imperative in stark terms: “Poverty’s imprisonment of more than a billion men, women and children must end. Now is the time to boldly act to free the next generation from extreme poverty’s grip.”..

Statement: Ending Extreme Poverty: A Moral and Spiritual Imperative
08 April 2015
Faith2EndPoverty: https://www.rebelmouse.com/faith2endpoverty/

OUR COMMON UNDERSTANDING
As leaders from diverse religious traditions, we share a compelling vision to end extreme poverty by the year 2030. For the first time in human history, we can do more than simply envision a world free of extreme poverty; we can make it a reality. Accomplishing this goal will take two commitments: to act guided by the best evidence of what works and what doesn’t; and to use our voices to compel and challenge others to join us in this urgent cause inspired by our deepest spiritual values.

The world has achieved remarkable progress in the past two decades in cutting in half the number of people living in extreme poverty. We have ample evidence from the World Bank Group and others showing that we can now end extreme poverty within fifteen years. In 2015, our governments will be deciding upon a new global sustainable development agenda that has the potential to build on our shared values to finish the urgent task of ending extreme poverty.

We in the faith community embrace this moral imperative because we share the belief that the moral test of our society is how the weakest and most vulnerable are faring. Our sacred texts also call us to combat injustice and uplift the poorest in our midst. No one, regardless of sex, age, race, or belief, should be denied experiencing the fullness of life.

OUR SHARED MORAL CONSENSUS
This is why the continued existence of extreme poverty in a plentiful world offends us so deeply. Our faith is tested and our hearts are broken when, in an age of unprecedented wealth and scientific advancement, so many still live in degrading conditions. We know too well that extreme poverty thwarts human purpose, chokes human potential, and affronts human dignity. In our increasingly interconnected world, there is enough to ensure that no one has to fight for their daily survival.

Ending extreme poverty will require a comprehensive approach that tackles its underlying causes—including preventable illness, a lack of access to quality education, joblessness, corruption, violent conflicts, and discrimination against women, ethnic minorities and other groups. It will also necessitate a change in the habits that cause poverty—greed and waste, numbness to the pain of others, and exploitation of people and the natural world. It calls for a holistic and sustainable approach that transforms cultures and institutions, and hearts as well as minds.

In too many parts of the world, women and girls are consigned to second class status, denied access to education and employment, and victimized by violence, trafficking, and rape. Until each and every person is afforded the same basic rights, none of us can truly flourish.

We must also state unequivocally that ending extreme poverty without mitigating climate change and combating inequality will be impossible. Climate change is already disproportionately hurting people living in poverty. Extreme inequality, within and between countries, contradicts our shared religious values, exacerbates social and political divisions, and will impede progress. What is needed is a new paradigm of socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic growth.

OUR CALL TO ACTION
We believe that now is the time to end the scourge of extreme poverty—by restoring right relationships among people, affirming human dignity, and opening the door to the holistic development of all people. If we were more committed to living these common values there would be less poverty in the world.

Our shared convictions call us to empower and uplift— not denigrate—those living in poverty, so that they can become agents of their own transformation. We must abandon a politics that too often marginalizes their voices, blames them for their condition, and exacerbates extremes of inequality. Now is the time to turn fatigue into renewed commitment, indifference into compassion, cynicism into hope, and impotence into a greater sense of agency that we can and will end extreme poverty by 2030.

We commit to working together to end the scandal of extreme poverty. We will act, advocate, educate, and collaborate, both among ourselves and with broader initiatives. And we commit to holding all levels of leadership accountable—public and private, domestic and international.
Our approach to this staggering need must be holistic, rooted in the spiritual visions of our respective faiths, and built on a shared recognition of the intrinsic dignity and value of every life on Earth.

Realizing this shared goal will require a revolution in social and political will, as well as new innovations and greater collaboration across sectors. We call on international organizations, governments, corporations, civil society, and religious communities, to play their essential parts and join with us in this critical cause.

Poverty’s imprisonment of more than a billion men, women and children must end. Now is the time to boldly act to free the next generation from extreme poverty’s grip.

ENDORSERS*
Actalliance, General Secretary, Dr. John Nduna
American Jewish Committee, International Director of Interreligious Affairs, Chief Rabbi David Rosen
American Jewish World Service, President, Ms. Ruth Messinger
Anglican Alliance, Joint Executive Director, Rev. Rachel Carnegie
Bibliotheca Alexandria, Founding Director, Dr. Ismail Serageldin
Baha’i International Community, Principle Representative to the United Nations, Ms. Bani Dugal
Buddhist Global Relief, Chairperson, Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi
Bread for the World, President, Rev. David Beckmann
Caritas Internationalis, Secretary General, Mr. Michel Roy
Catholic Relief Services, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Carolyn Woo
Church World Service, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rev. John McCullough
Community of Protestant Churches of Europe, President, Rev. Dr. Thomas Wipf
EcoSikh, Board Member, Mr. Suneet Singh Tuli
Forum for Peace in Islamic Societies, President, H.E. Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah
Indigenous People Ancestral Spiritual Council, President, Priestess Beatriz Schulthess
Islamic Relief International, Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mohamed Ashmawey
Islamic Society of North America, Office of Interfaith & Community Alliances Director, Dr. Sayyid Syeed
Interfaith WASH Alliance, Co-Founder, H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji
Joint Distribution Committee, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alan Gill
Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue, Director, Rabbi Dr. Burt Visotzky
Muhammadiyah, President, Dr. Din Syamsuddin
Organization of African Instituted Churches, General Secretary, Rev. Nicta Lubaale
Religions For Peace, Secretary General, Dr. William Vendley
Rissho Kosei-Kai, President-Designate, Rev. Kosho Niwano
Religious Action Center, Director, Rabbi Jonah Pesner
Sojourners, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rev. Jim Wallis
Salvation Army, General, General Andre Cox
Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, General Secretary, Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne
World Council of Churches, General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit
World Evangelical Alliance, Secretary General and CEO, Bishop Efraim Tendero
World Relief, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Stephan Bauman
World Vision International, President, Mr. Kevin Jenkins
– Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Grand Mufti, H.E. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje
* For the initial launch we have focused on global faith-inspired organizations. Moving forward more endorsers from countries and regions around the world will be joining the initiative.

GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES & NGOS URGED TO INVEST IN SOCIAL PROGRESS TO “UNLEASH ECONOMIC SUCCESS”
April 9, 2015
Social Progress Imperative and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (Deloitte Global)
– Inclusive growth must be focused on delivering economic + social progress
– World earns “a failing grade” on progress say experts
– Norway ranks top in this year’s Index, Canada is top of G7; Brazil is the top BRIC nation

The most effective way to improve people’s quality of life across the world, in both rich and poor countries, is to invest in social progress. This is according to the Social Progress Index 2015 published today by US-based nonprofit, the Social Progress Imperative, and released at the 2015 Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. The Index, ranked 133 countries based on their social and environmental performance and, including countries for which partial data was found, measured the social progress of 99% of the world’s population – using 52 separate indicators to arrive at a ranking for the issues that matter most to people.

The Index found that the world performs strongest in the areas of ‘nutrition’ and ‘basic medical care’ but weakest in ‘access to advanced education’ and ‘ecosystem sustainability’. The findings also show that many aspects of social progress improve with income. Wealthier countries, such as Norway – which achieves the top ranking this year – generally deliver better social outcomes than lower income countries.

But researchers say that GDP is far from being the sole determinant of social progress.
“Inclusive growth requires achieving both economic and social progress. A striking finding is that GDP is far from being the sole determinant of social progress. The pitfalls of focusing on GDP alone are evident in the findings of the 2015 Social Progress Index,” Professor Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School, who chairs the Index’s Advisory Board, said. “Countries must invest in social progress, not just economic institutions, to create the proper foundation for economic growth.”

Costa Rica (28th ranking) with a GDP per capita of $13,431 achieves a much higher level of social progress than both Italy and South Korea, which have more than twice Costa Rica’s GDP per capita ($34,167 and $32,708 respectively). On the other hand the US, with a GDP per capita of $51,340, scores relatively poorly across many of the components measured by the Index, including on ‘health and wellness’, finishing behind countries with a lower GDP per capita including Canada (6th) and the UK (11th).

Sally Osberg, President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation, said: “This year’s Social Progress Index reported the world’s progress, rolling up the collective results from 133 countries. Sadly, as a whole, the world earned a failing grade, ranking in the bottom 40 percent of countries. Of particular concern is the world’s performance on ‘opportunity’, which very closely correlates to personal well-being. This is a wake-up call rich and poor countries alike should heed!”

OECD: Development aid stable in 2014 but flows to poorest countries still falling

08/04/2015 – Development aid flows were stable in 2014, after hitting an all-time high in 2013, but aid to the poorest countries continued to fall, according to official data collected by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

Net official development assistance (ODA) from DAC members totalled USD 135.2 billion, level with a record USD 135.1 billion in 2013, though marking a 0.5% decline in real terms. Net ODA as a share of gross national income was 0.29%, also on a par with 2013. ODA has increased by 66% in real terms since 2000, when the Millennium Development Goals were agreed.

Bilateral aid to the least-developed countries fell by 16% in real terms to USD 25 billion, according to provisional data. Much of this drop is explained by exceptionally high debt relief for Myanmar in 2013, but even excluding debt relief ODA to the poorest countries fell by 8%. Bilateral aid is channelled directly by donors to partner countries and equates to roughly two-thirds of total ODA.

“I am encouraged to see that development aid remains at a historic high at a time when donor countries are still emerging from the toughest economic crisis of our lifetime,” said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. “Our challenge as we finalise post-2015 development goals this year will be to find ways to get more of this aid to the countries that need it most and to ensure we are getting as much as we can out of every dollar spent.”

Thirteen countries reported a rise in net ODA, with the biggest increases in Finland, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. Fifteen DAC members reported lower ODA, with the biggest declines in Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

Looking in addition at several non-DAC members who also reported their aid flows to the OECD body, the United Arab Emirates posted the highest ODA/GNI ratio in 2014 at 1.17%.

ODA makes up more than two thirds of external finance for least-developed countries. The OECD will call at the International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa in July for more of this money to be used as a lever to generate private investment and domestic tax revenues in poor countries. OECD work on combatting tax avoidance and illicit financial flows out of least-developed countries also aims to reduce dependence on aid.

UNESCO: Education for All 2000-2015: Only a third of countries reached global education goals
08.04.2015
Paris/New Delhi, – Just one third of countries have achieved all of the measurable Education for All (EFA) goals set in 2000. Only half of all countries have achieved the most watched goal of universal primary enrolment. An extra $22 billion a year is needed on top of already ambitious government contributions in order to ensure we achieve the new education targets now being set for the year 2030.

These are the key findings of the 2015 EFA Global Monitoring Report (GMR) “Education for All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges”, produced by UNESCO which has tracked progress on these goals for the past 15 years.

“The world has made tremendous progress towards Education for All,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. “Despite not meeting the 2015 deadline, millions more children are in school than would have been had the trends of the 1990s persisted. However, the agenda is far from finished. We need to see specific, well-funded strategies that prioritize the poorest – especially girls – , improve the quality of learning and reduce the literacy gap so that education becomes meaningful and universal.”

Released today, one month before the World Education Forum in Incheon (Republic of Korea), the Report reveals the following findings:

Goal 1. Expand early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable children.
Forty seven percent of countries reached the goal and another eight percent were close. Twenty percent were very far from the goal. Yet, in 2012, nearly two-thirds more children were enrolled in early childhood education than in 1999.

Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education, particularly for girls, ethnic minorities and marginalized children.
Fifty-two percent of countries achieved this goal; ten percent are close and the remaining thirty-eight percent are far or very far from achieving it. This leaves almost 100 million children not completing primary education in 2015. A lack of focus on the marginalized has left the poorest five times less likely to complete a full cycle of primary education than the richest and over a third of out of school children living in conflict affected zones. There have been important successes: Around 50 million more children are enrolled in school now than were in 1999. Education is still not free in many places, but cash transfer and school feeding programmes have had a positive impact on school enrolment for the poor.

Goal 3. Ensure equal access to learning and life skills for youth and adults.
Forty-six percent of countries reached universal lower secondary enrolment. Globally, numbers in lower secondary education increased by 27% and more than doubled in sub-Saharan Africa. Nonetheless, one third of adolescents in low income countries will not complete lower secondary school in 2015.

Goal 4. Achieving a 50 per cent reduction in levels of adult illiteracy by 2015.
Only 25% of countries reached this goal; 32% remain very far from it. While globally the percentage of illiterate adults fell from 18% in 2000 to 14% in 2015, this progress is almost entirely attributed to more educated young people reaching adulthood. Women continue to make up almost two-thirds of the illiterate adult population. Half of sub-Saharan African women do not have basic literacy skills.

Goal 5. Achieve gender parity and equality
Gender parity will be achieved at the primary level in 69% of countries by 2015. At secondary level, only 48% of countries will reach the goal. Child marriage and early pregnancy continue to hinder girls’ progress in education as does the need for teacher training in gender sensitive approaches and curriculum reform.

Goal 6. Improve the quality of education and ensure measurable learning outcomes for all
The numbers of pupils per teacher decreased in 121 of 146 countries between 1990 and 2012 at the primary level, but 4 million more teachers are still needed to get all children into school. Trained teachers remain in short supply in one third of countries; in several sub-Saharan African countries, less than 50 percent are trained. However, education quality has received increased attention since 2000; the number of countries carrying out national learning assessments has doubled.

Funding and political will
Since 2000 many governments significantly increased their spending on education: 38 countries increased their commitment to education by one percentage point or more of GNP. However funding remains a major obstacle at all levels.

“Unless concerted action is taken and education receives the attention that it failed to get during the past 15 years, millions of children will continue to miss out and the transformative vision of the new Sustainable Development agenda will be jeopardized,” said GMR Director, Aaron Benavot. “Governments must find ways to mobilize new resources for education. International partners must ensure that aid is distributed to those most in need.”

The GMR makes the following recommendations:
Complete the EFA agenda:
Governments should make at least one year of pre-primary education compulsory. Education must be free for all children: fees for tuition, textbooks, school uniforms and transport must be abolished. Policy makers should identify and prioritize skills to be acquired by the end of each stage of schooling. Literacy policies should link up with the needs of communities. Teacher training should be improved to include gender-focused strategies. Teaching styles should better reflect student needs and the diversity of classroom contexts.

Equity:
Governments, donors and civil society must develop programmes and target funding to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged so no child is left behind. Governments should close critical data gaps in order to be able to direct resources to those most in need.
Post-2015: Future education targets for education must be specific, relevant and realistic. At current rates, only half of all children in low-income countries are expected to complete lower secondary education by 2030. In many countries even the core goal of achieving universal primary education will remain out of reach without concerted efforts.

Close the finance gap:
The international community, in partnership with countries, must find the means to bridge the US$22 billion annual finance gap for quality pre-primary and basic education for all by 2030. Clear education finance targets must be established within the Sustainable Development Goals where none currently exist.

ILO – Older workers: What age means for the labour force
International Labour Organization
07 April 2015
The global economy is moving into a new period which will see unemployment continuing to rise over the coming years.

By 2019, more than 212 million people will be out of work, up from the current 201 million, according to the World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2015, a publication of the International Labour Organization. Part of what’s causing this is the slowdown in the supply of labour — and that — is partly affected by the world’s ageing population.

ILO senior economist Ekkehard Ernst explains: “The number of older people is rising everywhere in the world. The share of older workers aged 55 or above in the world’s workforce expanded from 10.5 per cent in 1990 to an as yet unseen 14.3 per cent in 2014.”

Ekkehard suggests that by 2030, the number of older workers in the labour force is likely to increase by a further 270 million to almost 750 million workers. That translates into more than 18 per cent of the total labour force.

The older a workforce gets, the higher the likelihood of slowdowns in economic growth. But it’s not the age of the labour force per se that’s the issue…but rather it’s the ageing of the labour force that makes an economy more vulnerable to slackening economic growth.

Ekkehard explains the difference: “Actually, economies that have a labour force that is older on average are likely to have accelerations in growth. Older workers are seen as giving a boost to an economy because of their greater work experience and that might help them to judge more accurately for instance whether a new technology will be beneficial to work processes. But, when the labour force itself is rapidly ageing, there might be skill mismatches that cost more to deal with, as companies need to shift the workplace to the needs of older workers.”

In general, older workers may be inclined to adopt new technologies given that technological progress often works in their favour, letting them replace physically demanding jobs with cognitive tasks, and they may be better suited to these than younger colleagues.

So how will countries offset their ageing supply of labour? Ekkehard says older workers should be enticed to stay in jobs. And another part of the solution lies in employing more women.

Ekkehard: “Economies with higher labour force participation rates of women experience fewer growth downturns. More women workers not only make economies more resilient to adverse economic shocks but a labour force with more women also presents a powerful anti-poverty device.”

For women, policy incentives include things like flex-time, maternity and childcare benefits. For older workers, they mean such policies as lifting tax penalties for pensioners.

Listen to ILO senior economist Ekkehard Ernst tease out the difference between the age and the ageing of the labour market and how it affects economic growth. Audio: https://soundcloud.com/international-labour-organization/what-age-means-for-the-labour-force

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive

.
9 Apr 2015
Urban resilience goes on-line
Disaster risk reduction has entered the exciting world of E-learning with the launch of an on-line course aimed at officials and practitioners working to strengthen urban resilience.

UNICEF [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html

Survey shows sharp drop in childhood stunting in Tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, 10 April 2015 – The results of a National Nutrition Survey released in Tanzania show that between 2010 and 2014, chronic malnutrition – stunting, or low height for age – among children under five in the country fell from 42 per cent to 35 per cent.

Medical supplies for children being unloaded now at Sana’a Airport
SANA’A/AMMAN, 10 April 2015 – A first airlift of urgent medical and other supplies from UNICEF is being unloaded now on the tarmac at Sana’a International Airport, as the conflict in Yemen continues to exact a heavy toll on children and their families.

Sudan: Children abducted in Abyei released after UN mediation
KHARTOUM, Sudan, 9 April, 2015 – UNICEF confirms that a group of four children recently abducted by an armed group in Abyei has been released.

Airstrike on Al Rasheedi school in Yemen – Statement
SANA’A/AMMAN, 8 April 2015 – “Yesterday’s airstrike on Al Rasheedi school in Yemen’s Ibb governorate, which left at least two children dead and two injured, is a stark reminder of the appalling risks facing children as the conflict in Yemen intensifies.

Increasing violence in Yemen taking intolerable toll on children: UNICEF
SANA’A/AMMAN, 6 April 2015 – With conflict escalating in many parts of Yemen, children continue to be killed, injured, displaced and put at increasing risk from disease, UNICEF said today.

WHO & Regionals [to 11 April 2015]
:: WHO responds to urgent health needs in Yemen
April 2015 — WHO is responding to increasing shortages in medicines and medical supplies in Yemen as a result of the ongoing conflict. Health facilities in affected governorates are reporting critical shortages in trauma and surgical medicines and supplies for the treatment of injured patients, and shortages are also reported in medicines for chronic diseases.

:: Building a global emergency workforce ready to go
8 April 2015 — WHO’s new registration system will help build a global roster of foreign medical response teams ready to deploy for emergencies. The Global Foreign Medical Teams Registry sets minimum standards for international health workers and allows teams to clearly outline their services and skills. This new system helped ensure a fast and efficient international response to the cyclone in Vanuatu and help create better coordination between aid providers and recipients.
More on the Global Foreign Medical Teams Registry

:: Guidance for immunization programmes in the African Region in the context of Ebola
WHO information note
Publication date: updated 30 March 2015 Number of pages: 3 Languages: English
WHO reference number: WHO/IVB/14.08.rev2
Overview
The specific purpose of this document is to assist countries to:
– Maintain and/or restart immunization services.
– Continue to disseminate educational and social mobilization messages and contribute to Ebola surveillance.
– Provide guidance on infection prevention and control during vaccination.
As the situation evolves, this guidance will be revised if necessary.

:: The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 10 April 2015, vol. 90, 15 (pp. 149–160) includes:
– Progress towards measles elimination, Philippines, 1998–2014

:: Global Alert and Response (GAR) – Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
– 9 April 2015 – Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia
:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Dr Moeti: Strong health systems critical in addressing health threats in the African Region
Brazzaville, 8 April 2015 – The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti has called on the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Republic of Congo to advocate with their national governments to strengthen health systems to be able to address the health challenges facing the African Region. She briefed the diplomats about the on-going Ebola epidemic in West Africa, current and emerging health threats in the WHO African Region, progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the strategic priorities for WHO’s work in the Region for 2015-2020…

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: Caesarean sections should only be performed when medically necessary (04/10/2015)
:: Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio joins PAHO/WHO campaign to prevent foodborne diseases (04/07/2015)
:: Unsafe foods cause over 200 illnesses (04/06/2015)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
No new digest content identified.

WHO European Region EURO
No new digest content identified.

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: Sudan receives 2 million doses of measles vaccines in response to the outbreak  8 April 2015
:: WHO deplores deaths of health care workers in Yemen  6 April 2015
:: Lack of funding and vaccines challenges measles outbreak response in Sudan  6 April 2015

WHO Western Pacific Region
No new digest content identified.

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/

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Global agencies call for urgent action to avoid irreversible groundwater depletion
FAO, UNESCO, the World Bank, GEF and the International Association of Hydrogeologists have today called for action by the global community to manage the increasingly urgent depletion and degradation of limited groundwater resources.
10-04-2015

Emergency cattle vaccination campaign underway along Syria-Lebanon border
Concerns over the spread of high impact transboundary animal diseases are mounting in Lebanon and neighbouring countries as some of the 1.5 million refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria have brought with them large numbers of unvaccinated sheep, goats, cattle, and other animals.
9-04-2015

Learn about FAO’s strategic objectives and progress towards achieving them
FAO’s work is driven by five cross-cutting strategic objectives that are closely aligned with the most relevant and urgent development problems faced by our member countries and the development community. Learn more via this brochure.
9-04-2015

For developing countries, new opportunities in geothermal energy
Geothermal energy, the flow of heat energy radiating from the earth’s core, provides unique opportunities for cost efficient, sustainable food production and processing in developing countries, says a new report published by FAO today.
7-04-2015

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/pressrelease.aspx

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ICAO Goes Live With New Online Conflict Zone Information Repository
MONTRÉAL, 10 April 2015 – The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) launched its prototype conflict zone risk information repository last week, responding directly to Member State recommendations which came out of the UN agency’s High-level Safety Conference in February.

The new repository is accessible via ICAO’s public website homepage for representatives from States, airlines and the general public. As it becomes populated with submissions, it will provide up-to-date information on potential risks to civil aviation arising from armed conflict.

“This centralized repository is meant to enhance the existing global framework whereby each State is responsible for assessing risks to civil aviation in their airspace, and for making that information promptly available to other States and airlines,” stressed ICAO’s Council President, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. “But while it does not alter these essential State responsibilities, it very much does respond to the strong international consensus we have seen around the proposal that the safety of our worldwide network would benefit from greater information sharing on conflict zone risks.”…

UNESCO [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/for-the-press/press-releases

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10.04.15
International community supports UNESCO’s #Unite4Heritage campaign in Timbuktu
Ambassadors and representatives of Morocco, South Africa, the European Union, France, Germany, Switzerland and the World Bank brought their support to UNESCO’s #Unite4Heritage campaign in a visit to the World Heritage site of Timbuktu.
The reconstruction of the Timbuktu’s World Heritage monuments has entered its final stage. Launched in March last year, the rehabilitation of the 14 mausoleums that were destroyed by armed groups in 2012, is scheduled to be completed in July 2015…

USAID [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

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White House announces new USAID programs supporting Youth Development in Central America, the Caribbean
April 10, 2015
The White House announced at the Seventh Summit of the Americas that starting this year, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will invest $35 million in a new higher education program designed to strengthen the capacity of technical training institutions in the region to provide market-relevant training for disadvantaged populations in Central America and the Caribbean.

The African Development Bank Group [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/

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AfTra and CBI join forces in spreading market information for African exporters on 25 EU sectors
10/04/2015 – The Africa Trade Fund (AfTra) will support the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI), in providing and disseminating critical European market information to African exporters. The market information, which is produced and periodically updated by CBI makes it easier for African exporters and Business Support Organizations to identify business opportunities in more than 25 European market sectors

ASEAN [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.asean.org/news

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ASEAN, Germany Launch Programme on Biodiversity
on Thursday, 09 April 2015.
JAKARTA, 9 April 2015 – A programme that will protect the biological diversity, promote the sustainable management of natural ecosystems, and improve the livelihoods of local population in the ASEAN region was launched on 7 April by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and Germany in Jakarta, Indonesia. Titled “Protection of Biological Diversity in the ASEAN Member States in Cooperation with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity,” the launch coincided with the programme’s planning workshop on 7-10 April.

IMF [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.imf.org/external/news/default.aspx
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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World Economic Outlook (WEO) – Uneven Growth: Short- and Long-Term Factors
April 2015
Analytical Chapters 3 & 4 Released:

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Chapter 3. Where Are We Headed? Perspectives on Potential Output
This chapter finds that potential output growth across advanced and emerging market economies has declined in recent years. In advanced economies, this decline started as far back as the early 2000s and worsened with the global financial crisis. In emerging market economies, in contrast, it began only after the crisis. The chapter’s analysis suggests that potential output growth in advanced economies is likely to increase slightly from current rates as some crisis-related effects wear off, but to remain below precrisis rates in the medium term. The main reasons are aging populations and the gradual increase in capital growth from current rates as output and investment recover from the crisis. In contrast, in emerging market economies, potential output growth is expected to decline further, owing to aging populations, weaker investment, and lower total factor productivity growth as these economies catch up to the technological frontier.

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Chapter 4. Private Investment: What’s the Holdup?
Private fixed investment in advanced economies contracted sharply during the global financial crisis, and there has been little recovery since. Investment has generally slowed more gradually in the rest of the world. Although housing investment fell especially sharply during the crisis, business investment accounts for the bulk of the slump, and the overriding factor holding it back has been the overall weakness of economic activity. In some countries, other contributing factors include financial constraints and policy uncertainty. These findings suggest that addressing the general weakness in economic activity is crucial for restoring growth in private investment.

World Bank [to 11 April 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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World Bank Group, IDB and CAF United to Protect Social Gains in Latin America and the Caribbean
At the 7th Summit of the Americas, International Development Organizations Commit Efforts and Resources to Promote Inclusive Economic Growth
Panama City, April 10, 2015 – On the eve of the Seventh Summit of the Americas, the main international financial institutions of the region, the World Bank Group (WBG), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and CAF – Development Bank of Latin America, today reiterated their commitment to support countries in the region in their efforts to preserve and expand the economic and social gains of the last decade, at a time when the external factors that contributed to those gains have changed. “Multilateral organizations are ready to help them respond to the call coming from the main theme of this historic Summit, ‘Prosperity with Equity: The Challenge of Cooperation in the Americas,’ by contributing global knowledge, financing and convening capacity,” said Jorge Familiar, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Date: April 10, 2015

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Global Agencies Call for Urgent Action to Avoid Irreversible Groundwater Depletion
New Vision and Global Framework for Action on Groundwater Governance
DAEGU, April 10, 2015— The FAO, UNESCO, World Bank, GEF and International Association of Hydrogeologists this week called for action by the global community to manage the increasingly urgent depletion and degradation of limited groundwater resources. Ahead of the 7th World Water Forum in Daegu and Gyeongbuk next week, the group proposed a set of principles governments can use for better groundwater management. The 2030 Vision and Global Framework for Action represents a bold call for collectively responsible action among governments and the global community to ensure sustainable use of groundwater. For too long, groundwater governance has been an area of policy neglect, resulting in its degradation and depletion. Global groundwater abstraction has tripled over the past half century. More than a fourth of current withdrawal is non-sustainable. Widespread groundwater pollution is threatening humans and the environment.
Date: April 10, 2015
Type: Press Release

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Equal Opportunities for Europe’s Roma: An Economic Imperative in an Ageing Europe
The countries of Central Europe stand out within the European Union with populations that are ageing and shrinking faster and differently compared to their neighbors. Unlike in Western Europe where ageing has been driven mainly by increases in longevity, countries in Central Europe (and the Baltics) have been ageing largely as a result of low fertility and emigration. Demographic change is significant: For example, Bulgaria has seen its population shrink by more than 15 percent since 1990, Romania and Hungary by more than 5 percent. UN population projections show that this trend is expected to continue and even accelerate. Shrinking labor forces put economic growth at risk and contribute to fiscal pressures. A recent World Bank report argues that countries in Central Europe can respond to these challenges by promoting active, healthy and productive ageing. The heart of the policy response is to invest in people to ensure that current and future cohorts are well skilled and healthy…
Date: April 9, 2015
Type: Opinion