PLoS Pathogens
http://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/
(Accessed 31 October2015)

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Effectively Communicating the Uncertainties Surrounding Ebola Virus Transmission
Andy Kilianski, Nicholas G. Evans
Opinion | published 29 Oct 2015 | PLOS Pathogens
10.1371/journal.ppat.1005097
Abstract
The current Ebola virus outbreak has highlighted the uncertainties surrounding many aspects of Ebola virus virology, including routes of transmission. The scientific community played a leading role during the outbreak—potentially, the largest of its kind—as many of the questions surrounding ebolaviruses have only been interrogated in the laboratory. Scientists provided an invaluable resource for clinicians, public health officials, policy makers, and the lay public in understanding the progress of Ebola virus disease and the continuing outbreak. Not all of the scientific communication, however, was accurate or effective. There were multiple instances of published articles during the height of the outbreak containing potentially misleading scientific language that spurred media overreaction and potentially jeopardized preparedness and policy decisions at critical points. Here, we use articles declaring the potential for airborne transmission of Ebola virus as a case study in the inaccurate reporting of basic science, and we provide recommendations for improving the communication about unknown aspects of disease during public health crises.
Author Summary
Basic scientific research is now considered an integral component of the fight against emerging infectious diseases like Ebola virus. The recent Ebola outbreak, however, demonstrates how the ineffective communication of basic science can stoke public panic more than it provides helpful tools to responders; basic science trades in probabilities and uncertainty, while public communication tends to favor more categorical claims. Here, we discuss the ethics of communicating scientific results, using, as a case study, the recent controversy over whether basic life sciences research demonstrates that Ebola could become transmissible via airborne respiratory droplet nuclei—popularly known as a virus becoming “airborne.” We show how the science does not demonstrate this possibility, despite claims made in the popular and scientific press. We then recommend that uncertain scientific results in the context of public health crises ought to be communicated with humility, an emphasis on what is unknown, and a clear outline of the kinds of evidence that would give proof to controversial claims.

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
(Accessed 7 November 2015)

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Accurate market price formation model with both supply-demand and trend-following for global food prices providing policy recommendations
Marco Lagi, Yavni Bar-Yam, Karla Z. Bertrand, and Yaneer Bar-Yam
PNAS 2015 ; published ahead of print October 26, 2015, doi:10.1073/pnas.1413108112
Significance
Recent increases in food prices are linked to widespread hunger and social unrest. The causes of high food prices have been debated. Here we rule out explanations that are not consistent with the data and construct a dynamic model of food prices using two factors determined to have the largest impact: corn-to-ethanol conversion and investor speculation. We overcome limitations of equilibrium theories that are unable to quantify the impact of speculation by using a dynamic model of trend following. The model accurately fits the data. Ethanol conversion results in a smooth price increase, whereas speculation results in bubbles and crashes. These findings significantly inform the discussion about food prices and market equilibrium and have immediate policy implications.
Abstract
Recent increases in basic food prices are severely affecting vulnerable populations worldwide. Proposed causes such as shortages of grain due to adverse weather, increasing meat consumption in China and India, conversion of corn to ethanol in the United States, and investor speculation on commodity markets lead to widely differing implications for policy. A lack of clarity about which factors are responsible reinforces policy inaction. Here, for the first time to our knowledge, we construct a dynamic model that quantitatively agrees with food prices. The results show that the dominant causes of price increases are investor speculation and ethanol conversion. Models that just treat supply and demand are not consistent with the actual price dynamics. The two sharp peaks in 2007/2008 and 2010/2011 are specifically due to investor speculation, whereas an underlying upward trend is due to increasing demand from ethanol conversion. The model includes investor trend following as well as shifting between commodities, equities, and bonds to take advantage of increased expected returns. Claims that speculators cannot influence grain prices are shown to be invalid by direct analysis of price-setting practices of granaries. Both causes of price increase, speculative investment and ethanol conversion, are promoted by recent regulatory changes—deregulation of the commodity markets, and policies promoting the conversion of corn to ethanol. Rapid action is needed to reduce the impacts of the price increases on global hunger.

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
(Accessed 7 November 2015)

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Social Sciences – Economic Sciences:
Commentary: Impact of bed capacity on spatiotemporal shifts in Ebola transmission
Jeffrey P. Townsend,
Laura A. Skrip,
and Alison P. Galvani
PNAS 2015 ; published ahead of print October 30, 2015, doi:10.1073/pnas.1518484112
Extract
The unprecedentedly devastating Ebola epidemic in West Africa brought international attention to the challenges faced by resource-constrained nations in curtailing outbreaks. As the epidemic tapers in Sierra Leone and Guinea, the focus of epidemiologists has shifted from emergency response toward retrospection. Lessons learned from this outbreak will be fundamental for establishing preparedness strategies and for averting future epidemics. In a masterful data-driven modeling study in PNAS, Kucharski et al. (1) quantified the extent to which the international effort to provide more treatment beds prevented new infections across the 12 districts of Sierra Leone, as well as the incremental benefit that could have been achieved if the provision had been earlier in the epidemic.

Reproductive Health
http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/content
[Accessed 7 November 2015]

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Review
Behaviour change techniques and contraceptive use in low and middle income countries: a review
Mwelwa Phiri, R. King, J. Newell
Reproductive Health 2015, 12:100 (30 October 2015)
Abstract
We aimed to identify effective behaviour change techniques to increase modern contraceptive use in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Literature was identified in Global Health, Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Popline, as well as peer reviewed journals. Articles were included if they were written in English, had an outcome evaluation of contraceptive use, modern contraceptive use, contraceptive initiation/uptake, contraceptive adherence or continuation of contraception, were a systematic review or randomised controlled trial, and were conducted in a low or middle income country. We assessed the behaviour change techniques used in each intervention and included a new category of male partner involvement. We identified six studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The most effective interventions were those that involve male partner involvement in the decision to initiate contraceptive use. The findings also suggest that providing access to contraceptives in the community promotes their use. The interventions that had positive effects on contraceptive use used a combination of behaviour change techniques. Performance techniques were not used in any of the interventions. The use of social support techniques, which are meant to improve wider social acceptability, did not appear except in two of the interventions. Our findings suggest that when information and contraceptives are provided, contraceptive use improves. Recommendations include reporting of behaviour change studies to include more details of the intervention and techniques employed. There is also a need for further research to understand which techniques are especially effective.

Risk Analysis
October 2015 Volume 35, Issue 10 Pages 1765–1956
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/risa.2015.35.issue-10/issuetoc

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Introduction to the Special Series on Risk, Perception, and Response (pages 1766–1769)
Lisa A. Robinson and James K. Hammitt
Article first published online: 22 OCT 2015 | DOI: 10.1111/risa.12520

Risk Communication, Values Clarification, and Vaccination Decisions (pages 1801–1819)
Holly O. Witteman, Selma Chipenda Dansokho, Nicole Exe, Audrey Dupuis, Thierry Provencher and Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher
Article first published online: 20 MAY 2015 | DOI: 10.1111/risa.12418

Science
30 October 2015 vol 350, issue 6260, pages 481-596
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

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Review
The realities of risk-cost-benefit analysis
Baruch Fischhoff
BACKGROUND
Synthetic biology, nanotechnology, geoengineering, and other innovative technologies share a property: Their effects must often be inferred long before they are experienced. If those inferences are sound, then informed decisions are possible. If not, then decision-makers may incur risks and costs far greater than any expected benefits. Risk, cost, and benefit analysis can offer transparent ways to assemble and integrate relevant evidence to support complex decision-making All forms of analysis have the same logic: Decompose complex systems into manageable components and then calculate how they might perform together. All require scientific judgment to bound the set of components and assess the limits to those bounds. All require ethical judgment to determine which outcomes to predict and to extract the policy implications of the results. The usefulness of any analysis depends on how well its underlying assumptions and their implications are understood by those hoping to use its results. The present review uses historical examples to illustrate the roles of judgment in analyses that address four basic questions: (i) How large are the risks from a single technology?(ii) Which risks merit the greatest attention? (iii) Which technology produces the least risk per unit of benefit? (iv) Are a technology’s expected benefits acceptable, given its risks and other expected costs?
ADVANCES
Analyses are always incomplete. They neglect concerns that are hard to quantify. They define terms in ways that serve some interests more than others. They consider some sources of uncertainty but not others. Advances in the science of analysis have often occurred after critics unhappy with the results of an analysis challenged the legitimacy of its assumptions. Awareness of the role of judgment in analysis has grown over time, in parallel with improvements in the sophistication of analytical calculations. Progress has been made in some areas, but more is needed, to include developing better ways to model human behavior, elicit expert judgments, articulate decision-makers’ preferences, characterize the robustness of conclusions, and communicate with decision-makers. The practice of analysis draws on the sciences of public participation and science communication, both shaped by the challenges faced in securing a fair hearing for science in issues where it plays a central role.
OUTLOOK
The pace of advances will depend on the degree of collaboration among the sciences relevant to these problems, including not only the sciences underlying the technology in question but social, behavioral, and economic science as well. How well the science of analysis aids its practice will depend on how well analysts collaborate with decision-makers so as to produce the estimates that decision-makers need and ensure that analytical results are properly understood. Over time, those interactions will help decision-makers understand the capabilities and limitations of analysis while helping analysts become trusted allies, dedicated to producing relevant, properly qualified estimates of cost, risk, and benefit.

Launch of the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council Action against Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes
Video: 1:11
23 Oct 2015 – Making the Security Council fit for the next 70 years.
Organized by the PM of Liechtenstein to the UN. 104 states have signed the Code of Conduct.
H.E. Dr. Aurelia Frick, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein
H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly
Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Mr. Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International

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Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes
October 23, 2015 in Statements
Address by Mr Mogens Lykketoft, , President of the 70th session of the General Assembly, at Launch of Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes

23 October
Her Excellency Ms Aurelia Frick, High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, distinguished ministers, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to address this meeting today, taking place as it does as our Organization celebrates the 70th anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter. A Charter which captures so simply and effectively the ideals of peace, human rights, justice, and social progress that we continue to strive for.

The United Nations was founded “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. Nevertheless, we have seen that on several occasions, we collectively have failed to prevent or act in the face of mass atrocities. And the UN Security Council – holding the primary responsibility for international peace and security – in particular has failed in this regard.

It is my pleasure therefore to be present today as the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes is launched here at the UN. An initiative which seeks to ensure that past atrocities are not repeated on our watch; an initiative targeted at making the Security Council fit for the next 70 years.

This initiative has caught my attention especially because of its unique appeal to all UN Member States emphasizing our shared responsibility to prevent mass atrocities. Indeed, all states have a role to play in improving the Security Council’s response to atrocity crimes and share ownership of this important issue.

I believe this voluntary political commitment, which contains a pledge to support timely and decisive Security Council action in situations involving atrocity crimes, as well as a pledge not to vote against credible draft Security Council resolutions aimed at preventing or ending these crimes – is an important step in gathering political momentum and commitment to the idea of voluntary restraint of the use of the veto in situations involving mass atrocity crimes.

I would like to congratulate the members of the cross-regional Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group and in particular Liechtenstein for spearheading this initiative. I am also pleased to see that 92 Member States so far have given their commitment to the Code of Conduct and I am sure that many more will follow suit in the months ahead.

Ladies and gentlemen, you have provided us with an excellent example of how member states can work together to improve the overall functioning and effectiveness of the UN’s systems and organs. In this anniversary year, I encourage you all to continue to work together, to find common cause and to bridge differences so that we can move ever closer to the vision at the heart of the UN Charter.

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Explanatory Note on a Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes
1 September 2015
UN Member States are increasingly expressing support for the idea that permanent members of the Security Council should voluntarily agree to refrain from using their veto in situations involving mass atrocity crimes. This initiative is actively being pursued by France, which is seeking the support of other permanent members.

Members of the ACT (Accountability, Coherence, Transparency) Group have consistently advocated for such a Code of Conduct to be concluded. With a view to supporting this effort, and bearing in mind that the 70th anniversary of the United Nations would provide an ideal platform for the launch of such a Code of Conduct, the ACT Group herewith submits the final text of the Code of Conduct, as set out in the annex. The Code of Conduct has been elaborated informally by the ACT subgroup on the veto and has been further adjusted following extensive informal consultations with Member States and other interested stakeholder.

[ACT reports that as of 23 October 2015, 104 states have signed the Code]
It is currently supported by 25 Members of ACT (Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Gabon, Ghana, Hungary, Ireland, Jordan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Maldives, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Portugal, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay) as well as Belize, the Netherlands, Spain and Ukraine.

Member States are herewith invited to formally support it, i.e. to agree to be included in the list of States that expressed their commitment to the Code of Conduct.

The main features of the draft Code of Conduct are the following:
:: The crimes in question are referred to as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes – all well defined in international law.

:: The Code is not only for permanent members of the Security Council, but for any member of the Council, as well as for any other State that may, at some point, become a member of the Council. Security Council action in response to these crimes requires the support of all Council members, not just permanent members. This Code of Conduct is thus not just about the veto, but represents a broader pledge to support timely and decisive Security Council action in such situations.

:: The Code contains a general and positive pledge to support Security Council action against certain crimes (OP1) – both to prevent or end these crimes.

:: The general pledge in OP1 is complemented by a more specific pledge not to vote against credible draft SC resolutions that are aimed at preventing or ending genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes (OP2) – no distinction is made here between permanent and non-permanent members.

:: There is no procedural trigger for the code to apply. Instead, the Code would be triggered by any situation involving these crimes – in other words, the facts on the ground would be the trigger and lead to Security Council action.

:: The application of the Code of Conduct is subject to the assessment of a particular situation by a State that has expressed its commitment to the Code of Conduct. However, the Secretary-General would serve as an important authority to bring such situations to the attention of the Council, and her or his assessment of the situation would carry great weight.

World’s MPs commit to action on digital freedom and fairer migration
Inter Parliamentary Union
Geneva, 21 October 2015
Parliamentarians from 137 countries have committed to action aimed at tackling two of the most challenging issues facing the world today – migration and the protection of digital freedoms – as they concluded a global parliamentary conference in Geneva.

Adopting a resolution on democracy in the digital era at the 133rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the MPs have set new standards on protecting democracy and digital freedoms in an age of mass surveillance.

The resolution urges parliaments to review national laws to prohibit the interception, collection, analysis and storage of personal data without informed consent of concerned individuals or valid court order.

It underscores the need for privacy protection to be consistent across domestic and international borders, and calls on parliaments to ensure national law cannot be bypassed by data-sharing agreements with foreign States or multinationals.

The 25 point resolution emphasizes the importance of striking a balance between national security and individual freedoms in ensuring that measures taken in the name of national security and counter-terrorism don’t undermine democracy or threaten human rights.

Parliaments are urged to make sure that attempts to curb democratic voices online, including those of journalists and human rights defenders through imprisonment, censorship, hacking or other repressive means are strictly forbidden in national legislation.
Coherent and comprehensive laws to protect whistleblowers in line with international standards are also strongly recommended.

The IPU Assembly, which focused on identifying parliamentary action for a fairer, smarter and more humane migration against a backdrop of a global migration and refugee crisis, outlined a set of measures that MPs could take to protect migrants and maximize the full potential of the world’s oldest human phenomenon.

In a statement adopted at the conclusion of the Assembly, the MPs committed to working towards the ratification of various international conventions that protect migrants’ and refugee rights.

Addressing global and national legislative gaps or grey areas, including the responsibility for searching and rescuing people found in distress at sea or laws on the responsibility for people fleeing environmental disasters was encouraged.
The revision of national laws to ensure access to basic services for all migrants and refugees irrespective of their status, the regulation of the informal sector, particularly the recruitment of low-skilled migrant workers, and the promotion of safe, regular channels for migration, are amongst a wide-ranging set of actions identified by the MPs.
To tackle the growing xenophobia around the world, the MPs acknowledged their responsibility to lead by example in combating stereotypes against migrants, promoting anti-discrimination legislation and in communicating rationally and factually on migration.

“Migration is ultimately an opportunity to positively transform lives, society and economies. We have seen that throughout history. But it has never been easy or without price for the migrant, or the countries of origin and destination,” said IPU President Saber Chowdhury. “This is the most complex challenge of our time. We as parliamentarians must get it right. The potential for positive change that success would bring is incalculable.”…

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Resolutions
:: Democracy in the digital era and the threat to privacy and individual freedoms
[Excerpted clauses]
4. Calls on parliaments to review their national frameworks and State practices with a view to promoting and increasing public participation and involvement in the digital era, free exchange of information, knowledge and ideas and equal access to the Internet and, with a view to enhancing democracy in the 21st century, encourages parliaments to remove all legal limitations on freedom of expression and the flow of information and to uphold the principle of Net neutrality;

5. Urges parliaments to carefully review national laws and the practices of government agencies and/or surveillance organizations acting on their behalf so as to make sure that they comply with international law and human rights, especially as they relate to the right to privacy, and calls on parliaments to guarantee, as part of that review, that private and public companies will not be forced to cooperate with the authorities on practices that impair their customers’ human rights, with the exceptions provided for in international human rights law;

6. Calls on parliaments to ensure that national legal frameworks comply fully with international human rights law when applied to interception, analysis, collection, storage and commercial use of data and to share reviews and information from individual States and the IPU on related cases;

7. Urges parliaments to review their legislation in order to prohibit the interception, collection, analysis and storage of personal data, including when those actions are of an extraterritorial or bulk nature, without the informed consent of the individuals concerned or a valid order granted by an independent court on grounds of reasonable suspicion of the targets’ involvement in criminal activity;

8. Underscores that privacy protections must be consistent across domestic and international borders and calls on parliaments to make sure that privacy protections in national law cannot be bypassed by reliance on secretive and informal data-sharing agreements with foreign States or multinationals;

9. Calls on parliaments to enact comprehensive legislation on data protection, for both the public and private sectors, providing, at the minimum, for strict conditions regarding permission to intercept, collect, analyse and store data, for clear and precise limitations on the use of intercepted and collected data, and for security measures that ensure the safest possible preservation, anonymity and proper and permanent destruction of data; and recommends the establishment of independent and effective national data-protection bodies with the necessary power to review practices and address complaints, while further urging parliaments to ensure that their national legal frameworks on data protection are in full compliance with international law and human rights standards, making sure that the same rights apply to both offline and online activities;

10. Also calls on parliaments to ensure through legal means that all collaboration on various surveillance programmes between governments and companies, entities and all other organizations is subject to parliamentary oversight, insofar as it does not hamper the conduct of criminal investigations;

11. Further calls on national parliaments and governments to encourage the private technology sector to honour its obligations to respect human rights, bearing in mind the Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Business, as customers of these companies must be fully informed of how their data is being gathered, stored, used and shared with others, and further calls on parliaments to promote both global norms on user agreements and more development of user-friendly data-protection techniques which counter all threats to Internet security;

12. Urges parliaments to reject the interception of telecommunications and espionage activities by any State or non-state actor involved in any action, which negatively affects international peace and security, as well as civil and political rights, especially those enshrined in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence” and that “everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks”;

13. Recognizes the need for parliaments to specify, in relative detail, the circumstances under which any interference with the right to privacy may be permitted, to establish strict judicial procedures for the authorization of communications surveillance and to monitor the implementation of those procedures, limits on the duration of surveillance, security and storage of the data collected, and safeguards against abuse;…

Leaders Unite in Calling for a Price on Carbon Ahead of Paris Climate Talks
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, Oct 19, 2015 – For the first time, an unprecedented alliance of Heads of State, city and state leaders, with the support of heads of leading companies, have joined forces to urge countries and companies around the globe to put a price on carbon.

The call to price carbon comes from the Carbon Pricing Panel – a group convened by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde – to spur further, faster action ahead of the Paris climate talks. They are joined in this effort by OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria.

The panel includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, French President François Hollande, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Philippines President Benigno Aquino III, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Governor Jerry Brown of California, and Mayor Eduardo Paes of Rio de Janeiro.

These global leaders are calling on their peers to join them in pricing carbon to steer the global economy towards a low carbon, productive, competitive future without the dangerous levels of carbon pollution driving warming. Through strong public policy they are providing certainty and predictability to the private sector so they can make long-term investments in climate smart development.

Private sector support comes from US Institutional Investor CalPERS, ENGIE of France, Mahindra Group of India, and Netherlands-based Royal DSM, who will help link business needs with public policies through the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, an action based platform that will be officially launched in Paris on November 30, 2015.

“There has never been a global movement to put a price on carbon at this level and with this degree of unison. It marks a turning point from the debate on the economic systems needed for low carbon growth to the implementation of policies and pricing mechanisms to deliver jobs, clean growth and prosperity,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said. “The science is clear, the economics compelling and we now see political leadership emerging to take green investment to scale at a speed commensurate with the climate challenge.”

“Finance ministers need to think about reforms to fiscal systems in order to raise more revenue from taxes on carbon-intensive fuels and less revenue from other taxes that are detrimental to economic performance, such as taxes on labor and capital. They need to evaluate the carbon tax rates that will help them meet their mitigation pledges for Paris and accompanying measures to help low-income households vulnerable to higher energy prices,” said Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund…

Women, Business and the Law 2016: Getting to Equal
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank
October 2105 :: 272 pages
Overview
Getting to Equal measures legal and regulatory barriers to women’s entrepreneurship and employment in 173 economies. It provides quantitative measures of laws and regulations that affect women’s economic opportunities in seven areas: accessing institutions, using property, getting a job, providing incentives to work, going to court, building credit and protecting women from violence.

Highlights from Women, Business and the Law 2016
:: Legal gender differences are widespread: 155 of the 173 economies covered have at least one law impeding women’s economic opportunities.

:: The total number of legal gender differences across 173 economies is 943.

:: In 100 economies, women face gender-based job restrictions.

:: 46 of the economies covered have no laws specifically protecting women from domestic violence.

:: In 18 economies, husbands can legally prevent their wives from working.

:: Lower legal gender equality is associated with fewer girls attending secondary school relative to boys, fewer women working or running businesses and a wider gender wage gap.

:: Over the past two years, 65 economies carried out 94 reforms increasing women’s economic opportunities.

New prize competition seeks innovative ideas to advance open science
20 October 2015
The Open Science Prize invites applicants to develop new products or services that harness the power of “big data” to improve health.
The Wellcome Trust has partnered with the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to launch a global science competition for new products or services to advance “open science”, a movement to make scientific research data broadly accessible to the public.

Up to six teams of technology experts and researchers stand to win $80,000 each to develop their ideas into a prototype or to advance an existing early stage prototype. The prototype judged to have the greatest potential to further open science will receive $230,000.

“As an early advocate of open access and data sharing, the Wellcome Trust believes passionately in the power of freely available, reusable research outputs,” said Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust. “With the Open Science Prize, we hope to tap into the innovative spirit of the global open science community to use open data to deliver global health benefits.”

NIH Director Francis S. Collins said: “Research is a global, data-driven enterprise and our ability to improve health increasingly hinges on our ability to manage and make sense of the enormous amounts of data being produced by scientific research. I expect the Open Science Prize to generate innovative ideas to improve data access and establish new international collaborations that will illustrate the transformative power of sharing research data.”

The volume of digital information generated by biomedical research often called “big data” is growing at a rapidly increasing pace. Researchers’ ability to derive knowledge from data is hindered by their ability to find, access and use it. The goal of the Open Science Prize is to support the development and prototyping of services, tools and platforms to overcome these hurdles to ensure data can be used to advance discovery and spur innovation.

The first phase of the competition is accepting applications until 29 February 2016. Based on the advice of a panel of experts, six teams will be selected to receive the prize money to advance their ideas to prototypes, and will be required to submit their prototypes by 1 December 2016. The overall winner is expected to be selected on 28 February 2017.

More information can be found on the Open Science Prize website, the NIH press release and the Wellcome Trust Blog.

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 24 October 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

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Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage
23 October 2015
GA/SHC/4142
Restrictive State Policies Trigger Greater Risks for Migrants, Special Rapporteur Cautions Third Committee as Human Rights Debate Continues
The overall effect of restrictive State law enforcement policies had put migrants at a greater risk, rendering them more vulnerable to human rights abuses and violations, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as six United Nations human rights experts presented reports on issues spanning from the right to food to trafficking.

22 October 2015
GA/DIS/3530
Speakers Express Outrage in First Committee at Present-Day Chemical Weapons Use, as Some Stress Need to Avert Acquisition by Non-State Actors
The world was currently witnessing the renewed use of chemical weapons, and there was no reason to think that a moral line would be drawn at the use of biological weapons, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as it concluded its thematic debate on nuclear weapons and took up its consideration of other weapons of mass destruction.

22 October 2015
SC/12092
Leaders of Israel, Palestine Must Take Public Stand against Extremism, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Security Council
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict had entered a “dangerous” phase amid a fresh wave of violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, the Deputy Secretary-General told the Security Council today as he pressed leaders from both sides to publicly take a stand against extremism and incitement, as failure to do so left the door open to promote destructive extremist agendas.

22 October 2015
DSG/SM/910-SC/12093
Israeli-Palestinian Violence Rooted in Absence of ‘Genuine Political Narrative and Political Horizon’, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Security Council
Following is Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, in New York today.

21 October 2015
GA/SHC/4140
Human Rights-Based Approaches ‘Urgently’ Needed to Mitigate Global Crisis of Migration Governance, High Commissioner Tells Third Committee
More effective, human rights-based approaches were urgently needed to address the global crisis of migration governance, the top United Nations human rights official told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it continued debating the issue in a series of interactive dialogues.

20 October 2015
SC/12088
Speakers Focus on Veto Power, Appointment of Next Secretary-General, Cooperation among UN and Regional Bodies as Security Council Debates Working Methods
The use of the veto, cooperation with the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, as well as with regional organizations and troop- and police-contributing countries, and procedures to appoint the new Secretary-General were among topics addressed by speakers at today’s Security Council’s open debate on that body’s working methods.

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 24 October 2015]
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Selected Press Releases/Announcements
Children also have the right to freedom of religion or belief, and that must be protected
10/23/2015

“Using force will not stop the global migration crisis” – UN experts call for “smart mobility solutions”
10/23/2015

“Silence is too often the only safe option left” – New UN report on sources and whistleblowers
10/23/2015

Zeid urges Czech Republic to stop detention of migrants and refugees
10/23/2015

UN OCHA [to 24 October 2015]
http://www.unocha.org/media-resources/press-releases

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23 Oct 2015
Cameroon: In Cameroon, Emergency Relief Coordinator calls for increased support to families fleeing conflicts and for their hosts

23 Oct 2015
World: US$1 billion for UNICEF from CERF since 2006 for life-saving assistance and protection for millions of children and their communities

22 Oct 2015
Central African Republic: UN Emergency Response Fund releases additional US$12 million for life-saving assistance in the Central African Republic

22 Oct 2015
Central African Republic: Emergency Relief Coordinator calls for greater protection of civilians in Central African Republic

22 Oct 2015
Syrian Arab Republic: Syria: Flash Update 1 – Az-Zabdani, Madaya, Bqine, Foah, Kafraya Operation, 20 October 2015
Syrian Arab Republic Highlights
Three convoys departed to deliver humanitarian assistance from Damascus to Az-Zabdani and Madaya/Bqine, and simultaneously from Turkey to Foah and Kafraya. 20,000 beneficiaries were served in Az-Zabdani, Madaya, and Bqine by UN agencies, ICRC and SARC. 10,000 beneficiaries were served in Foah and Kafraya through a cross-border delivery from Turkey under the framework of UN Security Council…

UNICEF [to 24 October 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html

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Selected press releases
World Polio Day: Fewer children than ever with polio
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 23 October 2015 – Never before in the history of polio have so few children in so few countries contracted the crippling virus – but we cannot rest until the number of cases is zero, UNICEF said on the eve of World Polio Day.

UN calls for immediate access to conflict-affected areas to prevent catastrophe in South Sudan
JUBA, South Sudan, 22 October 2015 – Three UN agencies today warned that extreme hunger is pushing people to the brink of a catastrophe in parts of South Sudan, as a new analysis found that 3.9 million people nationwide now face severe food insecurity.

UNICEF applauds joint call from four main religions in Myanmar for religious tolerance for the sake of children
YANGON, Myanmar 21 October 2015 – UNICEF welcomes the joint statement released by Interfaith for Children, calling for the respect of religious freedom and tolerance as essential conditions for every child to grow and develop to her/his full potential, regardless of their or their parents’ religions. The call was made within the inter-faith consensus that children’s needs and rights must be put at the centre of the 2015 elections, and as attempts to promote religious divides for political gains are reported.

UNICEF concerned about children in unreached areas affected by Typhoon Koppu, appeals for $2.8 million USD
MANILA, Philippines, 19 October 2015 — UNICEF is on high alert after Typhoon Koppu (local name Lando) made landfall in the Philippines on Sunday morning. The slow moving typhoon has brought torrential rain and strong winds, causing floods, landslides, flying debris, power outages, downed communication lines, and damaged roads and bridges

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [to 24 October 2015]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=&comid=4a0950336&cid=49aea93a7d&scid=49aea93a40

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Pledging conference raises Euro 94 million to help Somali refugees return home
14 October 2015
Representatives from more than 40 countries and organizations have pledged Euro 94 million (or USD 105 million) to support Somali refugees in Kenya and help them to voluntarily return to Somalia in safety and dignity. At today’s pledging conference hosted by the European Commission and UNHCR, the international community committed resources to a plan of action designed to improve socio-economic conditions in Somalia and support refugees preparing for return from the Dadaab camps in Kenya. In addition, a pledge was made to provide training and job opportunities in Somalia for 10,000 returnees…

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 24 October 2015]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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Selected Press Releases
High Level Geneva Conference on Migrants and Cities
10/23/15
Switzerland – IOM will bring together ministers, mayors and high level officials in Geneva next week to debate for the first time in a global policy forum Migrants and Cities.

Greece Records Highest Weekly Migration Inflows in 2015 So Far
10/23/15
Greece – This week IOM Greece recorded the highest migration inflows since the beginning of 2015, despite deteriorating weather conditions.

IOM, Partners Deliver Aid to Besieged Areas in Rural Damascus, Aleppo and Idleb
10/23/15
Syria – IOM took part in an inter-agency operation that delivered much needed humanitarian supplies to 30,000 people in Idleb and Rural Damascus governorates.

IOM El Salvador Launches Online Course on Protection of Vulnerable Young Migrants
10/23/15
El Salvador – IOM El Salvador has launched an introductory online course: Protection of Migrant Vulnerable Populations: Unaccompanied and/or Separated Children and Adolescents to promote the fundamental rights of migrant children and adolescents in Central America.

IOM Mobilizes to Aid Over 100,000 Filipinos Displaced by Typhoon Koppu
10/20/15
Philippines – IOM is gearing up to help over 100,000 people on the Philippine island of Luzon displaced by Typhoon Koppu (locally known as Lando).

ACP-EU Migration Programme Expands to Include Trafficking, Smuggling
10/20/15
Belgium – IOM announced today that the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) –European Union (EU) Migration Action programme has enlarged the scope of its activities to include human trafficking and smuggling.

IOM Responds to Growing Human Trafficking Threat in Ukraine
10/20/15
Ukraine – IOM has marked the 9th European Union (EU) Anti-Trafficking Day (18/10) by warning of the growing vulnerability of Ukrainians to human trafficking, as an increasing number admit to working abroad unofficially or say that they are willing to accept risky job offers.

UN Women [to 24 October 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

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Selected Press Releases
Executive Director addresses young women and girls at World YWCA Council
Date : October 19, 2015
On 16 October 2015, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka attended a remarkable event in Bangkok organized by the YWCA to expand the advocacy on gender equality and women’s rights and symbolically pass the torch to the next generation of feminists.

WHO & Regionals [to 24 October2015]
Disease Outbreak News (DONs)
:: Zika virus infection – Brazil and Colombia 21 October 2015
:: Cholera – United Republic of Tanzania 21 October 2015
:: Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China 19 October 2015

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:: WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Statement by the WHO Regional Director for Africa on World Polio Day 2015: A tribute to polio successes in Africa
Brazzaville, 24 October 2015 – Today, we celebrate a very special World Polio Day and a historic moment in the WHO African Region, one without a case of wild polio virus in over a year. The day comes just days before the official ceremony with the President of Nigeria to take the country off the polio endemic list. The day is a true testament of what political will, government leadership and the collective efforts of partners can achieve when united behind a global public health good. The successes in Africa demonstrate that strategies for eradication of vaccine preventable diseases work…
:: WHO ramps up response to cholera outbreak in two regions – 22 October 2015
:: WHO scales up efforts to detect and control the spread of influenza viruses in Africa – 19 October 2015

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
No new digest content identified.

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: Act tough against tobacco 20 October 2015

WHO European Region EURO
:: Towards domestic funding of HIV and TB response in eastern Europe and central Asia 23-10-2015
:: Day 2 of Life-course Conference: Minsk Declaration signed 23-10-2015
:: World Polio Day highlights progress and concerns in the final stretch to polio eradication 23-10-2015
:: Day 1 of Life-course Conference: synergies between Health 2020 and sustainable development goals 21-10-2015
:: Nationwide polio immunization campaign under way in Ukraine 21-10-2015

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO responds to deteriorating health situation in Taiz, Yemen
20 October 2015, Sana’a, Yemen – Ongoing violence and insecurity continue to limit the delivery of aid in Taiz, Yemen, where more than 3.3 million people, including 300,585 internally displaced persons, are in critical need of health assistance. WHO has provided 30 metric tonnes of medicines and medical supplies to Taiz and is distributing almost one million litres of water. It urgently needs US$ 60 million to continue life-saving response operations across the country until the end of 2015.
:: Mass polio immunization campaign aims to reach 3 million children in Syria
18 October 2015

WHO Western Pacific Region
:: World Polio Day: Fewer children than ever with polio

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 24 October 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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Selected Press Releases
UNDP celebrates Asian women leaders for peace
Oct 23, 2015
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) honored ten peace advocates from six Asian countries at the N-Peace Awards 2015. Since 2011, the N-Peace Awards have recognized the tireless efforts of women peace activists in Asia as well as male partners who progress gender equality and the inclusion of women in peace processes in their own countries.

Helen Clark: Speech at N-Peace Awards Ceremony Honouring the Achievements of Women Peacebuilders and their Male Allies
Oct 23, 2015
One UN Hotel – New York, USA

Fourth International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities
Oct 22, 2015
The Fourth International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities (NEC) will take place in Bangkok on 26-30 October 2015 and bring together governments, non-State actors and institutional organizations to discuss the importance of national evaluation capacities in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a poverty-free world. The event will be conducted along with the 2015 International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) Global Assembly.