DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news.html
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Valuing the environment – from sustained to sustainable growth
18 February 2015, New York
Growth has, for a long time, been seen as a crucial enabler in fighting poverty and the social injustices that come with it. In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the desired growth pattern was set to be sustained, inclusive and equitable. However, when looking at the post-2015 era and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mr. Pingfan Hong, Director of UN DESA’s Development Policy and Analysis Division, saw the need for a new kind of growth pattern where sustained growth has to be replaced by sustainable growth, whereby the value of the environment is fully considered.

The sustained, inclusive and equitable growth pattern has been an effective path towards reaching the MDGs. During the MDG era, 700 million people were freed from extreme poverty. Hunger was reduced, access to healthcare was improved, more people were afforded primary education and there was an increase in the political participation of women.
In a Development Policy Seminar on 11 February, Mr. Hong presented his analysis of growth patterns and their role in the transition from MDGs to SDGs. He explained that while the strife for equitable and inclusive growth still will be effective in the SDGs era, the concept of sustained growth will not be sufficient in reaching the objectives.

“From the lens of sustainable development, a horizon of two or three decades is myopia,” Mr. Hong said, referring to the shortsightedness of a sustained growth pattern and its impact on the environment as well as some economies.

“The current pattern of growth in the world economy is not sustainable. For instance GDP per capita growth has been closely associated with increase in carbon dioxide emission.”
Mr. Hong also explained how in some countries, the cost of environmental damage is contracting the GDPs of many developing countries, so that the aim to reduce poverty with a sustained economic growth actually becomes counterproductive.

“The environmental toll in many developing countries has reached three to ten percent of their GDP. So, if the economy grows less than three percent in developing countries, there is no gain, if you take into account the cost of the environment.”

In Mr. Hong’s view, the desired growth pattern must change from sustained into sustainable. “Sustainable growth means that growth still needs to be robust and stable but this growth should not compromise environmental sustainability.”

In the seminar, Mr. Hong presented some important steps in transforming sustained growth into sustainable growth. “The first important thing is to count the full value of the environment in the measurement of the national wealth. We have to include the true value of the environment.”

Mr. Hong suggested mainstreaming SEEA (System of Environmental-Economic Accounting) a multipurpose conceptual framework for understanding the interactions between the environment and the economy. He also stressed the need for governmental action in acknowledging environmental costs, in order to change the behavior of businesses and consumers.

“Markets alone cannot price environmental goods and services properly because environmental goods and services have the nature of public goods and high degree of externality. It is up to the government to use taxes and regulations to get the prices of environmental goods and services right so that the businesses and consumers will take these prices into account in their decision-making. Change their behavior and change an unsustainable pattern of production and consumption.”…

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/
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Agriculture must change
FAO Director-General speaks at International Forum on Agriculture and Climate Change
20 February 2015, Paris – The model of agricultural production that predominates today is not suitable for the new food security challenges of the 21st century, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today.
While the numbers of the chronically hungry have been reduced by 100 million over the past decade, 805 million still go without enough to eat on a regular basis, he noted in remarks to ministers, scientists, farmers, and representatives of civil society gathered in the French capital for a government-organized International Forum on Agriculture and Climate Change.
Increasing production has long seen as the natural pathway to ending hunger – but today, even though the world produces enough food to feed everyone, hunger remains a problem, he pointed out.
“Since food production is not a sufficient condition for food security, it means that the way we are producing is no longer acceptable,” said Graziano da Silva.
“What we are still mostly seeing is a model of production that cannot prevent the degradation of soils and the loss of biodiversity – both of which are essential goods, especially for future generations. This model must be reviewed. We need a paradigm shift. Food systems need to be more sustainable, inclusive and resilient,” he added…

Management of Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
Some 64 percent of the oceans’ surface lies beyond national jurisdictions, meaning that effective management of fisheries in such areas poses a number of challenges. This workshop aims to foster an open policy dialogue on to address those challenges.
18-02-2015

Ebola-ravaged rural communities in Guinea to benefit from new food security initiatives
The funding is a much needed contribution towards building the resilience of communities whose already precarious situation of chronic food insecurity has been exacerbated by Ebola-related disruptions to farm labour, agricultural production and food markets.
17-02-2015

Fertilizer Use to Surpass 200 Million Tonnes in 2018
Global fertilizer use is likely to rise above 200.5 million tonnes in 2018, 25 percent higher than recorded in 2008. World fertilizer consumption will grow by 1.8% a year through 2018, according to FAO’s new report “World fertilizer trends and outlook to 2018”. At the same time “the global capacity of fertilizer products, intermediates and raw materials will increase further,” the report said.
16-02-2015

USAID [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.usaid.gov/
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Remarks by Administrator Shah at the American Enterprise Institute
USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah Reflects on a Half-Decade of Development Leadership
Thursday, February 12, 2015 – 2:30pm [As Delivered]

As I reflect on five years in the role as Administrator of USAID, I am really proud to have had the opportunity to reflect, and represent, the best of what America’s about, the values that Jeff talked about—enterprises that started in the fight against the earthquake and started the recovery of Haiti, to the more immediate effort to stop Ebola in its tracks in West Africa. I am deeply proud of efforts that so many of you have partnered with myself and our teams on in the past years to build bold new public-private partnerships to end hunger, to eliminate preventable child death, to deliver electricity to hundreds of millions of people who still live in the dark, and to create an opportunity for justice and basic human aspirations. There’s so many people around the world that still, incredibly, live and subsist in conditions that—despite our thoughtfulness—we can hardly empathize with, and hardly experience ourselves….

ECHO [to 21 February 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news
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€4 million in EU aid to tackle food insecurity in Central America
19/02/2015
More than 2.5 million people in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua are reported to be facing severe or moderate food insecurity. The European Commission is providing €4 million in humanitarian aid to assist those in need.

EU provides assistance to conflict and malnutrition-affected Malians
17/02/2015
Three years after the start of the conflict, renewed violence and persistent food scarcity are creating urgent humanitarian needs in Mali. The EU is providing €32 million in humanitarian aid to assist people affected by the conflict…

Over €150 million in EU aid to meet Sahel’s growing food needs
16/02/2015
In Africa’s Sahel, close to 20 million people don’t know where their next meal will come from. The EU is giving €156 million in humanitarian funding for 2015 to the Sahel region to address the recurrent food crises and increasing needs.

World Bank [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]
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Powerful Partnerships for Collaborative Governance
The GPSA awards grants ranging from $500,000 to $1 million for three- to five-year periods to CSOs based in countries that have agreed to participate in the GPSA. To date, 40 countries have opted-in. Before issuing calls for proposals, the GPSA organizes consultations with government, civil society, and other donor agencies to define the key governance issues in each country that CSO proposals should address. GPSA Program Manager Roby Senderowitsch said, “Our program works to ‘close the loop’ by empowering citizens with a voice, helping governments to listen, and supporting public institutions to respond to citizen feedback. ”After two calls for proposals in 2013 and 2014, the GPSA has awarded over $16 million in grants to 23 CSOs for projects in 17 developing countries, with another 57 organizations involved directly as project partners and more than 125 local – often grassroots – organizations benefiting from the grants as mentees. Date: February 18, 2015

China, World Bank and WHO Collaborate to Support ‘Deep Water’ Phase of Health Reforms
Joint World Bank-WHO-government health reform study launched in Beijing
On February 12, 2015, the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new collaboration with the Government of China to support the next phase of China’s health system reforms. Over the last five years, China has undertaken the biggest health reform in history – with remarkable results: 95 per cent of China’s 1.39 billion citizens now have access to a basic health insurance package, up from 30 per cent in 2003. Yet, for China to build a strong, sustainable, equitable, and cost- effective health system equipped to meet current and future challenges, deepening of reforms is needed. At the request of senior government officials, the World Bank and the World Health Organization are collaborating with China’s Ministry of Finance, National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation… Date: February 17, 2015

BRAC [to 21 February 2015]
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Over a million Bangladeshis sign the petition Up For School
17 February 2015, Dhaka. BRAC collected over 1.2 million signatures to support the petition Up For School initiated by the global movement-A World at School campaign. There are more than 58 million children out of school in the world. The campaign aims to mobilise global population to make sure the world leaders keep their promises to secure every child’s right to education by the end of 2015. Celebrating this achievement BRAC’…

Microfinance Leaders Welcome Two New Members to Join Working Group
12 February 2015, WASHINGTON, DC – The Microfinance CEO Working Group welcomes two new members to their international collaboration: Lauren Hendricks, Executive Director of CARE’s Access Africa program, and Shameran Abed, Director of BRAC’s microfinance program. Tanzania-based Hendricks and Bangladesh-based Abed join the Working Group’s efforts to support the positive development of the microfinance industry, so the field can reach its full potential…

IRCT [to 21 February 2015]
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Announcement
Scientific symposium: Delivering on the Promise of the Right to Rehabilitation, Mexico City, Mexico
SAVE THE DATE 14 TO 16 MARCH, 2016
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The IRCT is hosting a global interdisciplinary scientific symposium from 14 to 16 March, 2016 in Mexico City. This is a unique opportunity for the global torture rehabilitation movement to come together to exchange experiences and research on developments in the rehabilitation of survivors of torture. This is the first global event to look in detail across disciplines at how to deliver on the promise of the right to rehabilitation as set out in the Convention against Torture and elaborated in General Comment 3 of the UN Committee against Torture.

Over 140 IRCT member centers from over 70 countries will gather in Mexico City to attend this symposium that will be held in connection with the IRCT General Assembly. We hope that you will be able to join this international gathering.

An open call for abstract submission and registration to the symposium will be launched on our website and other communication channels in the coming weeks.
If you have any questions please contact Leanne MacMillan (lm@irct.org) or Lars Døssing Rosenmeier (ldr@irct.org) of the Research Development team.

OXFAM [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases
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Villagers seek refuge from renewed violence in Darfur
19 February 2015
A new wave of violence in Darfur has forced more than 50,000 people to flee their homes since the start of the year. Thousands of families are facing limited access to food, adequate water supply and shelter. Oxfam has launched an immediate response, aiming to reach more than 20,000 people with clean water, emergency latrines and hygiene supplies.

As the cycle of crisis continues in Somalia, vital remittance pipelines risk being cut
19 February 2015
Somalia’s financial lifeline remains under threat as banks in US, UK, Australia, and elsewhere have broken ties with the money transfer operators that make remittances possible, NGOs warn.

Targeted agricultural policies need to seize the chance of eradicating global hunger, says IFAD, Oxfam
16 February 2015
The real possibility of eradicating global hunger and poverty in our lifetime is dependent upon the international community getting more serious in supporting smallholder agriculture…

Save The Children [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6150563/k.D0E9/Newsroom.htm

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Ebola Crisis: Save the Children Supports Safe Reopening of One in Five Liberian Schools
Monrovia, Liberia (Feb. 16, 2015) — Save the Children is actively supporting the long-anticipated re-opening of hundreds of schools in Liberia today following a six-month educational hiatus due to the Ebola crisis.

The move comes after weeks of steady declines in the number of new Ebola cases in Liberia, which, at the peak of the epidemic in mid-2014, was reporting more than 300 cases a week, but recorded only three new cases for the week ending February 8, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“This is obviously a time for much celebration for a country that has been ravaged by the worst Ebola outbreak in history,” said Save the Children’s Liberia country director, Greg Duly.

“However, we must be sure that schools re-open safely so that students and parents won’t fear a flare-up of the disease. It is more important than ever to remain vigilant as we send Liberia’s most precious resource back to school.”

The Government of Liberia has established strict guidelines to ensure that school children return to an Ebola-free environment, including the provision of hand washing facilities; accurate non-contact thermometers; a small space for the temporary isolation of any suspected Ebola case; and a robust referral system with a nearby health facility.

Save the Children has been working closely with the Liberian Ministry of Education, and other local partners, to provide intensive Ebola-prevention training for teachers and community members in more than 840 schools, including helping to set up local Ebola safety committees and reliable patient transfer systems.

In 546 of these schools, the agency is also distributing hundreds of safety kits comprising of digital thermometers, chlorine, soap, buckets, brooms, educational posters, and rubber gloves and rain boots, as well as providing hand washing facilities and reliable water supplies….

China, World Bank and WHO Collaborate to Support ‘Deep Water’ Phase of Health Reforms
Joint World Bank-WHO-government health reform study launched in Beijing
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On February 12, 2015, the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new collaboration with the Government of China to support the next phase of China’s health system reforms.

Over the last five years, China has undertaken the biggest health reform in history – with remarkable results: 95 per cent of China’s 1.39 billion citizens now have access to a basic health insurance package, up from 30 per cent in 2003.

Yet, for China to build a strong, sustainable, equitable, and cost-effective health system equipped to meet current and future challenges, deepening of reforms is needed.
At the request of senior government officials, the World Bank and the World Health Organization are collaborating with China’s Ministry of Finance, National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to analyze current constraints within the health reform process and identify practical solutions.

“In 2009, the Government of China launched an ambitious national health reform program to provide affordable, equitable and effective health care for all by 2020,” said Bert Hofman, World Bank Country Director for China.

“Impressive progress has been made in that time: health insurance coverage has increased, and access to health care has greatly improved. But the increasing rates of non-communicable disease like diabetes, hypertension and cancer coupled with an ageing population—and worryingly high prevalence rates key risk factors such as smoking—mean that pressing challenges for the health service delivery system remain,” Hofman said.

“China is now entering the ‘deep water’ phase of the health reform project, where crossing the river will require more than just feeling the stones,” said Dr. Vivian Lin, Director Health Systems in the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with the World Bank to support the Government of China as it navigates this crucial next phase of health reform. China now has an unprecedented opportunity to innovate and develop new models of health service delivery that are truly people-centered and meet the needs and demands of China’s vast population,” Dr. Lin said.

The World Bank-WHO collaboration with China’s Ministry of Finance, NHFPC, and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security will deliver recommendations to the government on the practical and concrete actions required to build a health care system for the future later this year.

GAVI [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.gavialliance.org/library/news/press-releases/
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Immunisation leaders call for increased political support for immunisation in Pakistan
High-level mission shines spotlight on challenges facing immunisation services in Pakistan

19 February 2015 – Childhood immunisation in Pakistan is at a crossroads and strong political will is required to ensure that the lives of millions of children are not put at risk, three global health leaders warned today.

Almost three million children miss out on a full course of the most basic vaccines every year in Pakistan, leaving them vulnerable to life-threatening diseases. Immunisation coverage rates across the country vary widely with some districts seeing very few children protected against diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles and bacterial pneumonia….

A high-level mission including Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Dr Ala Alwan, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean region at the World Health Organization, and Dr Geeta Rao Gupta, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF is meeting with leaders in Islamabad to set out their concerns and offer their support to Pakistan moving forwards….

Global Fund [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/mediacenter/newsreleases/
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17 February 2015
Global Fund Supports “All In” to End the AIDS Epidemic among Adolescents
[Excerpt]
While major advances have been made in almost every area of the response to HIV, progress for adolescents is falling behind, said leaders in the global response to end the AIDS epidemic.

AIDS has become the leading cause of death for adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally. Just one in four children and adolescents under the age of 15 have access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment. Deaths are declining in all age groups, except among 10–19 year olds.

New HIV infections among adolescents are not declining as quickly as among other age groups. Adolescent girls, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, are most affected. In South Africa in 2013, more than 860 girls became infected with HIV every week, compared to 170 boys.

To address this inequity, UNAIDS, UNICEF and partners have launched All In, a new platform for action to drive better results for adolescents by encouraging strategic changes in policy and engaging more young people in the effort.

Leaders from around the world met today in Nairobi, Kenya, where President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the new platform, which will help address one of the most pressing gaps in the AIDS response.

“By including adolescents in decision-making processes that have a direct effect on their lives, this initiative will be a catalyst for change,” said President Uhuru Kenyatta. “Kenya is proud to support this new initiative.”

All In focuses on four key action areas: engaging, mobilizing and empowering adolescents as leaders and actors of social change; improving data collection to better inform programming; encouraging innovative approaches to reach adolescents with essential HIV services adapted to their needs; and placing adolescent HIV firmly on political agendas to spur concrete action and mobilize resources

“HIV is the leading cause of death among adolescents in Africa and young women are most affected. This is a moral injustice. I am calling on young people to lead the All In movement, alongside the United Nations, public and private partners, and countries themselves, to end the adolescent AIDS epidemic,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

ODI [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.odi.org/media
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Developmental regimes in Africa: synthesis report
Research reports and studies, February 2015
David Booth, Ton Dietz, Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, Ahmad Helmy Fuady, David Henley, Tim Kelsall
This report brings together work done as part of the Developmental Regimes in Africa project, which explores how developmental regimes might emerge and be sustained in Africa in the 21st century.

The Sphere Project [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.sphereproject.org/news/
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Sphere Board unveils strategic plan 2015-2020
19 February 2015 | Sphere Project
Sphere 2020, the Sphere Project strategic plan for the coming six years, has just been published. The plan defines an ambitious agenda for Sphere to continue fulfilling its unique role within the humanitarian sector.

Building on nearly two decades of organic growth, Sphere 2020 sets about to transform Sphere into a vigorous, deeply connected network of practitioners and organisations which will act as a global catalyst for humanitarian quality and accountability.

Four strategic priorities will enable this ambitious goal:
Priority 1: The establishment of a robust, inclusive network of Sphere practitioners will allow humanitarian actors and first responders to develop greater capacity to put humanitarian principles and standards into practice.
Priority 2: The collective ability of the Sphere network to carry out training and advocacy will be strengthened, targeting first responders, traditional and new humanitarian actors, international systems as well as local and national authorities.
Priority 3: A revision of the Sphere Handbook will offer the opportunity to sharpen the relevance and usability of Sphere standards by consolidating the evidence base and aligning them with innovative best practice in the sector.
Priority 4: The progressive formalisation of a Global Standards Alliance will improve coordinated action, allowing humanitarian standards to better influence humanitarian response, building greater ownership by individuals, communities and organisations.

In support of its strategic priorities, Sphere 2020 makes a point of developing dynamic communications and fundraising strategies.
– Download Sphere 2020 (English, French, Spanish).

Start Network [Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies] [to 21 February 2015]
http://www.start-network.org/news-blog/#.U9U_O7FR98E
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Developing a Joint Emergency Contingency Plan after Floods in Mid-Western Nepal:
Summary of report following the Learning Activities led by Handicap International and Plan in December, 2014

In August 2014, floods and landslides affected the western part of Nepal. The Start Fund was alerted on September 8 and responded in 71 hours. Two projects addressed WaSH, health, shelter, education, protection and food security & livelihood needs, mostly implemented through local partners of Handicap International and Plan – such as Forum for Human Rights and Disabled Nepal, Centre for Victims of Torture and Radha Krishna Tharu Jana Sewa Kendra (Bardiya).

The response to the disaster, in which government, UN and INGOs were involved, was disjointed and slow, despite years of investment in disaster risk management at local and national level. This realisation led different stakeholders involved to critically reflect what went wrong and why. There was a learning event for Clusters and Resident Coordinator s Office in November 2014 resulting in a document called “Reflection Exercise of the Cluster Response”. In parallel, a separate consultation in the areas affected engaged communities and DIPECHO partners working in the flood areas with findings captured in the report “Learning lessons from disaster in Mid and Far Western Region”.

The Start Fund followed up on these learning exercises through its 1% learning budget, which Handicap International and Plan accessed jointly to help bring partners together to develop a joint emergency contingency plan….

…Conclusion
These two events allowed the humanitarian community to reflect critically on years of work on disaster risk management and to analyse key gaps, especially in assessment skills and tools, understanding vulnerability, government capacity to respond and thinking collectively when preparing and responding to disasters in Nepal. The INGOs, under the umbrella of the Association of International NGOs, will continue to meet and strengthen joint action for preparedness and response.

MacArthur Foundation
http://www.macfound.org/
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From the field
Building Consensus for Criminal Justice Reform
Published February 19, 2015
The Coalition for Public Safety, which brings together organizations of diverse philosophies and interests, is the largest national effort to make the U.S. criminal justice system safer, fairer, and more cost effective. The MacArthur-supported Coalition aims to build consensus around common sense justice reforms at the federal, state, and local levels.
The U.S. is home to five percent of the world’s population but makes up 25 percent of the world’s prison population – and 60 percent of those in prison are racial and ethnic minorities.
View the Coalition for Public Safety press release

Press release
MacArthur Launches $75M Initiative to Reduce America’s Use of Jails
Published February 10, 2015
MacArthur today announced an initial five-year, $75 million investment that seeks to reduce over-incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails. The Safety and Justice Challenge will support cities and counties across the country seeking to create fairer, more effective local justice systems that improve public safety, save taxpayer money, and lead to better social outcomes. Jail populations have more than tripled since the 1980s, as have cumulative expenditures related to building and running them.

“For too long America has incarcerated too many people unnecessarily, spending too much money without improving public safety,” said Julia Stasch, MacArthur’s President. “Jails are where our nation’s incarceration problem begins; there are nearly 12 million jail admissions every year, and jails too often serve as warehouses for those too poor to post bail, nonviolent offenders, or people with mental illness. With this substantial, long-term commitment and investment, MacArthur hopes to support and demonstrate alternatives to incarceration as usual, and to create demand and momentum for change across the country.”…

Wellcome Trust
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/2015/index.htm
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Wellcome Trust-funded vaccines company acquired by GSK
GlycoVaxyn, a Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company, which has received funding from the Wellcome Trust Innovations division, has been acquired by global pharma firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for $190 million (approximately £124 million).
20 February 2015

American Journal of Disaster Medicine
Vol. 9, No. 3–Summer 2014
http://www.pnpco.com/pn03000.html
[No abstracts available]
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Original Articles
Superficial and invasive infections following flooding
James H. Diaz, MD, MPH&TM, DrPH, FCCM
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Public health aspects of nuclear and radiological incidents
Seth K. Katz, MD, Steven J. Parrillo, DO, FACOEP-D, FACEP, Doran Christensen, DO, Erik S. Glassman, MS, CCEMT-P, Kimberly B. Gill, PhD
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Deployable, portable, and temporary hospitals; one state’s experiences through the years
Randy D. Kearns, DHA, MSA, Mary Beth Skarote, NREMT-P, LPN, Jeff Peterson, NREMT-P, BS, Lew Stringer, MD, FACA, Roy L. Alson, MD, PhD, FACEP, FAAEM, Bruce A. Cairns, MD, FACS, Michael W. Hubble, PhD, MBA, NREMT-P, Preston B. Rich, MD, MBA, FACS, Charles B. Cairns, MD, FACEP, FAHA, James H. Holmes IV, MD, FACS, Jeff Runge, MD, FACEP, Sean M. Siler, DO, MBA, FACEP, FAAEM, James Winslow, MD, MPH
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Ethical and clinical dilemmas in patients with head and neck tumors visiting a field hospital in the Philippines
Tal Marom, MD; David Segal, MD; Tomer Erlich, MD; Erez Tsumi, MD; Ofer Merin, MD, MHA; Guy Lin, MD

American Journal of Public Health
Volume 105, Issue 3 (March 2015)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

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The Case for the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health to Address Gender Identity
Frank Pega, PhD, MSc, and Jaimie F. Veale, PhD, MSc
Abstract
We analyzed the case of the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health, which did not address gender identity in their final report.
We argue that gender identity is increasingly being recognized as an important social determinant of health (SDH) that results in health inequities. We identify right to health mechanisms, such as established human rights instruments, as suitable policy tools for addressing gender identity as an SDH to improve health equity.
We urge the World Health Organization to add gender identity as an SDH in its conceptual framework for action on the SDHs and to develop and implement specific recommendations for addressing gender identity as an SDH.

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 21 February 2015)

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Research article
Community health workers improve diabetes care in remote Australian Indigenous communities: results of a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial
Robyn A McDermott, Barbara Schmidt, Cilla Preece, Vickie Owens, Sean Taylor, Ming Li, Adrian Esterman
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:68 (19 February 2015)
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Research article
The impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) service scale-up on mechanisms of accountability in Zambian primary health centres: a case-based health systems analysis
Stephanie M Topp, Jim Black, Martha Morrow, Julien M Chipukuma, Wim Van Damme
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:67 (18 February 2015)
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Research article
An innovation for improving maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) service delivery in Jigawa State, northern Nigeria: a qualitative study of stakeholders’ perceptions about clinical mentoring
Ekechi Okereke, Jamilu Tukur, Amina Aminu, Jean Butera, Bello Mohammed, Mustapha Tanko, Ibrahim Yisa, Benson Obonyo, Mike Egboh
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:64 (15 February 2015)
Abstract | Full text | PDF