Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 19 September 2015]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/

.
Displacement in Colombia
Report Synopsis
Date: 2015/09/18
On 16 September 2015 we responded to a funding alert in response to displacement in the departments of Norte de Santander, Arauca, La Guajira and Vichada in Colombia.

Due to political disputes between Venezuela and Colombia, an approximately 21,434 people are thought to have been deported or returned to Colombia since 21 August. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates a further 19,952 Colombians have returned without having registered as deported. A total of 1,482 are registered as deported to Colombia at crossings.

According to the UN OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service (FTS), donors have committed or contributed US$49.5 million of humanitarian assistance to Colombia so far in 2015. The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) department is the top donor, having contributed or committed US$23.6 million to the crisis.

So far in 2015, US$3 million has been disbursed to the affected Norte de Santander, Arauca and Vichada departments of Colombia, of which 13% is for assistance to displaced populations. Out of total funding in 2015, US$9.9 million is allocated to support displaced populations elsewhere in the country…

Read our full analysis of the current funding situation.

ODI [to 19 September 2015]
http://www.odi.org/media

.
Give people cash, not goods, to make humanitarian aid more effective
News | 13 September 2015
Humanitarian assistance could be more effective, more efficient and more transparent if aid was given in the form of cash directly to people struggling to survive in crises, according to a high-level panel of experts in a new report published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Center for Global Development (CGD).

Providing cash means that limited humanitarian aid can go further to help more people in need. That means greater value for money for taxpayers. Cash is also less wasteful as it means aid recipients can decide for themselves exactly what they most need.

The panel found that cash-based aid programmes can improve accountability and transparency of aid while also helping to support local markets and industries.

“Humanitarian organisations owe it to aid recipients and taxpayers to deliver the best possible aid programmes. As the report outlines, cash transfers have the potential to reduce vulnerability, help rebuild lives, and deliver value for money. As part of a broader menu that includes partnerships with the private sector, investment in digital technology, and the development of a more inclusive humanitarian system, cash transfers can transform the effectiveness of humanitarian aid at a time of unprecedented need,” said Kevin Watkins, Executive Director of ODI…

MacArthur Foundation [to 19 September 2015]
http://www.macfound.org/

.
Publication
Assessing American Attitudes on Foreign Policy
Published September 17, 2015
American public opinion on foreign policy, including on issues like immigration, climate change, and advancing U.S. global interests, is sharply divided among Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, according to a survey from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The survey shows that despite historic differences on issues that even a decade ago were more bipartisan, the American public remains committed to engagement in the world, with 64 percent of Americans supporting an active U.S. role in world affairs.

.
Publication
Identifying Evidence Gaps in Secondary Education
Published September 17, 2015
Research by 3ie, supported by MacArthur in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, identifies evidence gaps in the application of transferable skills programs in low- and middle-income countries. Transferable skills provide youth with critically needed tools for success in employment, health, and personal well-being. The scoping paper and report reveal needs for evidence in several categories, including teacher training programs and curriculum reform, learner-centered teaching, and institutional management and capacity building.

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation [to 19 September 2015]
https://www.moore.org/newsroom/press-releases

.
Sustainable ranching program receives 11.5 million Euros to reduce deforestation in Brazil
September 17, 2015
Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV) has announced that Novo Campo, a sustainable cattle ranching initiative in Brazil’s Mato Grasso state, received an investment of 11.5 million Euros from the Althelia Climate Fund to support the program’s efforts to increase economic, social and environmental performance of local ranches…

.
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation awards $2.3M for plant disease resistance
September 15, 2015
PALO ALTO, Calif. Sept. 15, 2015 — The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation awarded $2.3M to the Two Blades Foundation (2Blades), a charitable organization that supports the development of durable disease resistance in crop plants and their deployment in agriculture.
Four well-recognized research teams will investigate plant immunity…

Open Society Foundation [to 19 September 2015]
http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/termsearch/8175/listing?f[0]=type%3Anews

.
European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture Endorsed by Council of Europe
September 16, 2015News
The 47 member states of the Council of Europe will join the initiative to establish a European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture. This decision means that the Council of Europe will be a cofounder of the Institute, next to the Open Society Foundations and the Alliance for the European Roma Institute, a coalition of Roma civil society organizations, activists, and artists.
Zeljko Jovanovic, director of the Open Society Roma Initiatives Office, said, “The European Roma Institute will be a place to encourage the resilience and creative power of Roma communities across Europe; it will help create a sense of pride among Roma and respect for Roma among all Europeans.”…

Pew Charitable Trusts [to 19 September 2015]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases

.
Pew Scholar Stephen Elledge Wins 2015 Lasker Award
September 17, 2015
Stephen Elledge, Ph.D., an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, professor at Harvard Medical School and 1991 Pew scholar, has been named co-winner of the 2015 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for his groundbreaking work to uncover how cells respond to damaged DNA. First given in 1945, the Lasker Award is considered one of the world’s highest scientific honors and is given to scientists who have made significant contributions to the “understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of human disease.”

Elledge, who shares the prize with Evelyn Witkin of Rutgers University, discovered that cells have a massive signaling network for sensing and repairing DNA damage. Human cells encounter damaged DNA every day, and if the damage is not repaired quickly it can lead to mutations in genes that typically protect us from diseases such as cancer. Elledge’s work identified the mechanisms for response that keep our genes intact, and his discoveries pave the way to a greater understanding of how these diseases occur…

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [to 19 September 2015]
http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/news-releases.html

.
Three Lessons on Improving Quality of Care in Communities
Sep 15, 2015, 10:16 AM, Posted by Anne Weiss
Aligning Forces for Quality not only transformed care in 16 communities, but it provided insights to help shape efforts building a national Culture of Health through high value care.

Wellcome Trust [to 19 September 2015]
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/2015/index.htm

.
Wellcome Trust announces three Engagement Fellows for 2015
Three new Engagement Fellows will be taking up Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellowships in September 2015. Bella Starling, Delia Muir and Steve Cross have been awarded the-two year Fellowships, with plans to work on projects that will take the field of public engagement in new and exciting directions.
17 September 2015.

American Journal of Disaster Medicine
Spring 2015, Volume 10, Number 2
http://pnpcsw.pnpco.com/cadmus/testvol.asp?year=2015&journal=ajdm

.
Article
Assessment of the accuracy of the Medical Response to Major Incidents (MRMI) course for interactive training of the response to major incidents and disasters
Kristina Lennquist Montán, RN; Per Örtenwall, MD, PhD; Sten Lennquist, MD, PhD
Spring 2015; pages 93-107
Abstract
Background and aims:
The benefit of simulation models for interactive training of the response to major incidents and disasters has been increasingly recognized during recent years and a variety of such models have been reported. However, reviews of this literature show that the majority of these reports have been characterized by significant limitations regarding validation of the accuracy of the training related to given objectives. In this study, precourse and postcourse self-assessment surveys related to the specific training objectives, as an established method for curriculum validation, were used to validate the accuracy of a course in Medical Response to Major Incidents (MRMI) developed and organized by an international group of experts under the auspices of the European Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery.
Methods:
The studied course was an interactive course, where all trainees acted in their normal roles during two full-day simulation exercises with real time and with simultaneous training of the whole chain of response: scene, transport, the different functions in the hospital, communication, coordination, and command. The key component of the system was a bank of magnetized casualty cards, giving all information normally available as a base for decisions on triage and primary management. All treatments were indicated with attachments on the cards and consumed time and resources as in reality. The trainees’ performance was recorded according to prepared protocols and a measurable result of the response could be registered. This study was based on five MRMI courses in four different countries with altogether 235 participants from 23 different countries. In addition to conventional course evaluations and recording of the performance during the 2 exercise days, the trainees’ perceived competencies related to the specific objectives of the training for different categories of staff were registered on a floating scale 1-10 in self-assessment protocols immediately before and after the course. The results were compared as an indicator of to which extent the training fulfilled the given objectives. These objectives were set by an experienced international faculty and based on experiences from recent major incident and disasters.
Results:
Comparison of precourse and postcourse self-assessments of the trainees’ perceived knowledge and skills related to the given objectives for the training showed a significant increase in all the registered parameters for all categories of participating staff. The average increase was for prehospital staff 74 percent (p < 0.001), hospital staff 65 percent (p < 0.001), and staff in coordinating/administrative functions 81 percent (p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
The significant differences in the trainees’ self-assessment of perceived competencies between the precourse and postcourse surveys indicated that the methodology in the studied course model accurately responded to the specific objectives for the different categories of staff. DOI:10.5055/ajdm.2015.0194

.

Article
Modernizing stockpiles of medical countermeasures against smallpox: Benefits, risks, and knowledge gaps
Martin B. Oleksiewicz, DVM, PhD; Nina R. Steenhard, DVM, PhD; John-Erik Stig Hansen, MD, DMSc
Spring 2015; pages 109-120
Abstract
Objective: New smallpox medical countermeasures are entering the marketplace, offering the opportunity to modernize existing stockpiles. However, new smallpox countermeasures are developed under the animal rule, meaning that human efficacy data are lacking, and human safety data may be limited. Also, stockpile modernization would require prioritization of increasingly limited public funds. Approaches to address these issues are needed. Methods: Smallpox vaccine data were gathered by literature search. The financial value of vaccination in the face of an outbreak was evaluated using a threat-based cost/benefit analysis model, involving i) estimation of the efficacy of new smallpox vaccines based on available clinical data on virus-neutralizing seroconversion in vaccinees, ii) estimation of the likelihood for a smallpox outbreak in Denmark, and iii) estimation of the expected life-saving effects of postevent vaccination. Results: The authors estimated that i) the likelihood of a smallpox outbreak in Denmark is very low (one event in 200,000 years), ii) the expected efficacy of currently available and new vaccines is 95 and 75 percent, respectively, iii) the expected frequency of serious side effects from vaccination is between 100 and 10,000 fold lower for new than for existing vaccines, depending on modes of action. Conclusions: Despite the very low likelihood for a smallpox outbreak, the potentially large consequences combined with the protective effect of vaccination make maintenance of the smallpox vaccine stockpile justified and valuable. For vaccination in the face of a smallpox outbreak, a high efficacy rather than a lowered rate of adverse effects would maximize the number of lives saved.
DOI:10.5055/ajdm.2015.0195

.

Article
The Ebola Spatial Care Path(TM): Accelerating point-of-care diagnosis, decision making, and community resilience in outbreaks
Gerald J. Kost, MD, PhD, MS, FACB; William J. Ferguson, MS; Jackie Hoe; Anh-Thu Truong; Arirat Banpavichit, MS, MBA; Surin Kongpila, MS
Spring 2015; pages 121-143
Abstract
Objectives:
To present a vision where point-of-care testing (POCT) accelerates an Ebola Spatial Care Path™ (SCP) and future molecular diagnostics enable facilitated-access self-testing (FAST POC); to design an alternate care facility (ACF) for the SCP; to innovate an Ebola diagnostic center (DC); and to propel rapid POCT to the frontline to create resilience that stops future outbreaks. Design:
PubMed, literature, and web searches. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Medicine Without Frontiers, and World Health Organization (WHO) document analyses. Investigations in China, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States. Review of SE Asia, US, and West Africa isolation-treatment centers. Innovation of a SCP, ACF, and DC suitable for American and other communities.
Outcomes:
The authors designed an ACF and DC to integrate SCP principles for urgent Ebola care. FDA emergency use authorizations for Ebola molecular diagnostics were discovered, but no portable, handheld, or self-contained molecular POC instruments are yet available, although feasible. The WHO initiated design criteria and an acceptance protocol for testing. Financial investment in POCT will downsize Ebola outbreaks.
Conclusions:
POCT is facilitating global health. Now, global health problems are elevating POCT to new levels of importance for accelerating diagnosis and evidence-based decision making during disease outbreaks. Authorities concur that rapid diagnosis has potential to stop disease spread. With embedded POCT, strategic SCPs planned by communities fulfill CDC recommendations. POC devices should consolidate multiplex test clusters supporting patients with Ebola in isolation. The ultimate future solution is FAST POC. New technologies offer minimally significant risks. Diagnostic centers in ACFs and transportable formats also will optimize Ebola SCPs. Key words: alternate care facility, biosafety cabinet, diagnostic center, empowerment, facilitated-access self-testing, hemorrhagic fever, isolation, near-patient testing, needs assessment, newdemic, outbreak, personal protective equipment, persons under investigation, point-of-care culture, POC technologies, POC testing, return on investment, small-world network, treatment center DOI:10.5055/ajdm.2015.0196

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 19 September 2015)

.
Research article
Challenges in the provision of healthcare services for migrants: a systematic review through providers’ lens
Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, Kanang Kantamaturapoj, Weerasak Putthasri, Phusit Prakongsai BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:390 (17 September 2015)
Abstract
Background
In recent years, cross-border migration has gained significant attention in high-level policy dialogues in numerous countries. While there exists some literature describing the health status of migrants, and exploring migrants’ perceptions of service utilisation in receiving countries, there is still little evidence that examines the issue of health services for migrants through the lens of providers. This study therefore aims to systematically review the latest literature, which investigated perceptions and attitudes of healthcare providers in managing care for migrants, as well as examining the challenges and barriers faced in their practices.
Methods
A systematic review was performed by gathering evidence from three main online databases: Medline, Embase and Scopus, plus a purposive search from the World Health Organization’s website and grey literature sources. The articles, published in English since 2000, were reviewed according to the following topics: (1) how healthcare providers interacted with individual migrant patients, (2) how workplace factors shaped services for migrants, and (3) how the external environment, specifically laws and professional norms influenced their practices. Key message of the articles were analysed by thematic analysis.
Results
Thirty seven articles were recruited for the final review. Key findings of the selected articles were synthesised and presented in the data extraction form. Quality of retrieved articles varied substantially. Almost all the selected articles had congruent findings regarding language andcultural challenges, and a lack of knowledge of a host country’s health system amongst migrant patients. Most respondents expressed concerns over in-house constraints resulting from heavy workloads and the inadequacy of human resources. Professional norms strongly influenced the behaviours and attitudes of healthcare providers despite conflicting with laws that limited right to health services access for illegal migrants.
Discussion
The perceptions, attitudes and practices of practitioners in the provision of healthcare services for migrants were mainly influenced by: (1) diverse cultural beliefs and language differences, (2) limited institutional capacity, in terms of time and/or resource constraints, (3) the contradiction between professional ethics and laws that limited migrants’ right to health care. Nevertheless, healthcare providers addressedsuch problems by partially ignoring the immigrants’precarious legal status, and using numerous tactics, including seeking help from civil society groups, to support their clinical practice.
Conclusion
It was evident that healthcare providers faced several challenges in managing care for migrants, which included not only language and cultural barriers, but also resource constraints within their workplaces, and disharmony between the law and their professional norms. Further studies, which explore health care management for migrants in countries with different health insurance models, are recommended.

.
Research article
A systematic review of social, economic and diplomatic aspects of short-term medical missions
Paul Caldron, Ann Impens, Milena Pavlova, Wim Groot BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:380 (15 September 2015)
Abstract
Background
Short-term medical missions (STMMs) represent a grass-roots form of aid, transferring medical services rather than funds or equipment. The objective of this paper is to review empirical studies on social, economic and diplomatic aspects of STMMs.
Methods
A systematic literature review was conducted by searching PubMed and EBSCOhost for articles published from 1947–2014 about medical missions to lower and middle income countries (LMICs). Publications focused on military, disaster and dental service trips were excluded. A data extraction process was used to identify publications relevant to our objective stated above.
Results
PubMed and EBSCOhost searches provided 4138 and 3262 articles respectively for review. Most articles that provide useful information have appeared in the current millennium and are found in focused surgical journals. Little attention is paid to aspects of volunteerism, altruism and philanthropy related to STMM activity in the literature reviewed (1 article). Evidence of professionalization remains scarce, although elements including guidelines and tactical instructions have been emerging (27 articles). Information on costs (10 articles) and commentary on the relevance of market forces (1 article) are limited. Analyses of spill-over effects, i.e., changing attitudes of physicians or their communities towards aid, and characterizations of STMMs as meaningful foreign aid or strategic diplomacy are few (4 articles).
Conclusions
The literature on key social, economic and diplomatic aspects of STMMs and their consequences is sparse. Guidelines, tactical instructions and attempts at outcome measures are emerging that may better professionalize the otherwise unregulated activity. A broader discussion of these key aspects may lead to improved accountability and intercultural professionalism to accompany medical professionalism in STMM activity.

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 19 September 2015)

.
Debate
Ethical oversight in quality improvement and quality improvement research: new approaches to promote a learning health care system
Kevin Fiscella, Jonathan Tobin, Jennifer Carroll, Hua He, Gbenga Ogedegbe BMC Medical Ethics 2015, 16:63 (17 September 2015)

BMC Public Health
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content
(Accessed 19 September 2015)

.
Research article
Subjective health of undocumented migrants in Germany – a mixed methods approach
Anna Kuehne, Susann Huschke, Monika Bullinger BMC Public Health 2015, 15:926 (19 September 2015)

.
Research article
Experiencing ‘pathologized presence and normalized absence’; understanding health related experiences and access to health care among Iraqi and Somali asylum seekers, refugees and persons without legal status
Mei Fang, Judith Sixsmith, Rebecca Lawthom, Ilana Mountian, Afifa Shahrin BMC Public Health 2015, 15:923 (19 September 2015)

.
Research article
Socioeconomic inequalities in non-communicable diseases and their risk factors: an overview of systematic reviews
Isolde Sommer, Ursula Griebler, Peter Mahlknecht, Kylie Thaler, Kathryn Bouskill, Gerald Gartlehner, Shanti Mendis BMC Public Health 2015, 15:914 (18 September 2015)

Conflict and Health
http://www.conflictandhealth.com/
[Accessed 19 September 2015]

.
Debate
Coincident polio and Ebola crises expose similar fault lines in the current global health regime
Calain P and Abu Sa’Da C Conflict and Health 2015, 9:29 (16 September 2015)

Abstract

Development in Practice
Volume 25, Issue 7, 2015
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cdip20/current

.
Articles
Overcoming poverty and inequality: Rwanda’s progress towards the MDGs
DOI:10.1080/09614524.2015.1073691
Pamela Abbott, Roger Sapsford* & John Rwirahira
pages 921-934
Published online: 02 Sep 2015
Abstract
Despite the 1994 genocide there has been annual growth in Rwanda every year since 2000. Poverty has decreased; while the MDG target of 23.8% is unlikely to be met by 2015, the future looks hopeful. The goal of reducing hunger is measured by underweight children – already down to target – and extreme poverty – likely to hit the target. Key to success is reducing dependency on the land, but a majority of the population still depend on their farm or plot. However, hitting targets for reducing poverty is not the same thing as abolishing it, and achieving targets does not necessarily solve problems.

.
Articles
NGOs as intermediaries in post-disaster rural reconstruction: findings from research in India
DOI:10.1080/09614524.2015.1072132
Bipasha Baruah*
pages 951-965
Published online: 02 Sep 2015
Abstract
Drawing upon research conducted in Gujarat, India, this article identifies the potential and limitations for NGOs to serve as intermediaries (between beneficiaries, governments, and international relief/development organisations) on post-disaster rural reconstruction projects. Findings reveal that NGOs can play important roles in facilitating the design and construction of high-quality, culturally appropriate housing; revitalising and diversifying livelihoods; and reducing physical and social vulnerability to future disasters. NGOs should have clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and accountability measures in post-disaster reconstruction projects, but they also need a certain amount of autonomy to protect their organisational philosophies and flexibility to make day-to-day decisions.

.
Articles
Strengthening public health supply chains in Ethiopia: PEPFAR-supported expansion of access and availability
DOI:10.1080/09614524.2015.1069794
Daniel Taddesse*, David Jamieson & Logan Cochrane
pages 1043-1056
Accepted: 22 Jun 2015
Published online: 02 Sep 2015
Abstract
When the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-supported Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) programme began working in Ethiopia in 2006, the estimated population of people living with HIV exceeded one million, while only 24,000 were on treatment and only 50 treatment sites were in operation. SCMS and other key partners entered into this context to support the Ethiopian government in significantly strengthening the public health supply chain system, with the aim of increasing the availability and accessibility of pharmaceutical products. The country now has 1,047 treatment sites and is nearing complete treatment coverage. This article discusses how priorities were set among many competing challenges from 2006 until 2014, and how the four-step strategy of build, operate, transfer, and optimise has resulted in a successful partnership.

Global Health: Science and Practice (GHSP)
September 2015 | Volume 3 | Issue 3
http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/current

.
EDITORIALS
Women’s Groups to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes: Different Evidence Paradigms Toward Impact at Scale
The Care Group model, with relatively intensive international NGO implementation at moderate scale, appears successful in a wide variety of settings, as assessed by high-quality evaluation with rich program learning. Another women’s group approach—Participatory Women’s Groups—has also been implemented across various settings but at smaller scale and assessed using rigorous RCT methodology under controlled—but less naturalistic—conditions with generally, although not uniformly, positive results. Neither approach, as implemented to date, is directly applicable to large-scale integration into current public programs. Our challenge is to distill the elements of success across these approaches that empower women with knowledge, motivation, and increased self-efficacy—and to apply them in real-world programs at scale.
Glob Health Sci Pract 2015;3(3):323-326. http://dx.doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00251

.
Institutional Care of Children in Low- and Middle-Income Settings: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom of Oliver Twist
Whether institutions or extended families are better suited to care for orphans depends on the specific circumstances. Reported rates of traumatic experiences among orphans and vulnerable children are high in both institutions and extended families; improving the quality of care for such children should be the paramount priority in all settings.
Paula Braitstein
Glob Health Sci Pract 2015;3(3):330-332. First published online August 25, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00228

.
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Care Groups I: An Innovative Community-Based Strategy for Improving Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health in Resource-Constrained Settings
Care Groups use volunteers to motivate mothers to adopt key MCH behaviors. The volunteers meet as a group every 2–4 weeks with a paid facilitator to learn new health promotion messages. Key ingredients of the approach include: peer-to-peer health promotion, selection of volunteers by the mothers, a manageable workload for the volunteers (no more than 15 households per volunteer), frequent (at least monthly) contact between volunteers and mothers, and regular supervision of the volunteers.
Henry Perry, Melanie Morrow, Sarah Borger, Jennifer Weiss, Mary DeCoster, Thomas Davis, Pieter Ernst
Glob Health Sci Pract 2015;3(3):358-369. http://dx.doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00051

.
Care Groups II: A Summary of the Child Survival Outcomes Achieved Using Volunteer Community Health Workers in Resource-Constrained Settings
Care Group projects resulted in high levels of healthy behavior, including use of oral rehydration therapy, bed nets, and health care services. Accordingly, under-5 mortality in Care Group areas declined by an estimated 32% compared with 11% in areas with child survival projects not using Care Groups.
Henry Perry, Melanie Morrow, Thomas Davis, Sarah Borger, Jennifer Weiss, Mary DeCoster, Jim Ricca, Pieter Ernst
Glob Health Sci Pract 2015;3(3):370-381. http://dx.doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00052

.
Prevalence and Incidence of Traumatic Experiences Among Orphans in Institutional and Family-Based Settings in 5 Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Longitudinal Study
Contrary to some conventional wisdom, in this large study that randomly sampled orphans and separated children from 5 countries, prevalence of reported traumatic events was no worse among those institutionalized than among those in family-based care. Reported incidence of physical or sexual abuse was actually higher for those in family-based care. Understanding the specific context, and elements contributing to potential harm and benefits in both family-based and institutional care, are essential to promoting the best interest of the child.
Christine L Gray, Brian W Pence, Jan Ostermann, Rachel A Whetten, Karen O’Donnell, Nathan M Thielman, Kathryn Whetten
Glob Health Sci Pract 2015;3(3):395-404. First published online August 25, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00093
Abstract
Background:
Policy makers struggling to protect the 153 million orphaned and separated children (OSC) worldwide need evidence-based research on the burden of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and the relative risk of PTEs across different types of care settings.
Methods:
The Positive Outcomes for Orphans study used a 2-stage, cluster-randomized sampling design to identify 1,357 institution-dwelling and 1,480 family-dwelling orphaned and separated children in 5 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. We used the Life Events Checklist developed by the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to examine self-reported PTEs among 2,235 OSC ages 10–13 at baseline. We estimated prevalence and incidence during 36-months of follow-up and compared the risk of PTEs across care settings. Data collection began between May 2006 and February 2008, depending on the site.
Results:
Lifetime prevalence by age 13 of any PTE, excluding loss of a parent, was 91.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 85.6, 94.5) in institution-dwelling OSC and 92.4% (95% CI = 90.3, 94.0) in family-dwelling OSC; annual incidence of any PTE was lower in institution-dwelling (23.6% [95% CI = 19.4, 28.7]) than family-dwelling OSC (30.0% [95% CI = 28.1, 32.2]). More than half of children in institutions (50.3% [95% CI = 42.5, 58.0]) and in family-based care (54.0% [95% CI = 50.2, 57.7]) had experienced physical or sexual abuse by age 13. Annual incidence of physical or sexual abuse was lower in institution-dwelling (12.9% [95% CI = 9.6, 17.3]) than family-dwelling OSC (19.4% [95% CI = 17.7, 21.3]), indicating statistically lower risk in institution-dwelling OSC (risk difference = 6.5% [95% CI = 1.4, 11.7]).
Conclusion:
Prevalence and incidence of PTEs were high among OSC, but contrary to common assumptions, OSC living in institutions did not report more PTEs or more abuse than OSC living with families. Current efforts to reduce the number of institution-dwelling OSC may not reduce incidence of PTEs in this vulnerable population. Protection of children from PTEs should be a primary consideration, regardless of the care setting.

.
Improved Reproductive Health Equity Between the Poor and the Rich: An Analysis of Trends in 46 Low- and Middle-Income Countries
In light of advocacy efforts to reach the poorest with better health services, an examination of recent history reveals that overall the poor-rich gap in contraceptive use is already narrowing substantially, and more so where family planning programs are stronger. For most of 18 other reproductive health indicators, the gap is also narrowing. However, contraceptive use gaps in many sub-Saharan African countries have not diminished, calling for strong family planning program efforts to improve equity.
John Ross
Glob Health Sci Pract 2015;3(3):419-445. First published online September 7, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00124

.
INNOVATIONS
Remote Sensing of Vital Signs: A Wearable, Wireless “Band-Aid” Sensor With Personalized Analytics for Improved Ebola Patient Care and Worker Safety
This wireless sensor technology, currently being field-tested in an Ebola Treatment Unit in Sierra Leone, monitors multiple vital signs continuously and remotely. When connected with enhanced analytics software, it can discern changes in patients’ status much more quickly and intelligently than conventional periodic monitoring, thus saving critical health care worker time and reducing exposure to pathogens.
Steven R Steinhubl, Mark P Marriott, Stephan W Wegerich
Glob Health Sci Pract 2015;3(3):516-519. http://dx.doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00189

Global Public Health
Volume 10, Issue 9, 2015
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

.
Original Articles
Cancer control capacity in 50 low- and middle-income countries
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2015.1007469
Rolando Camacho, Cecilia Sepúlveda, Diogo Neves, Marion Piñeros, Maria Villanueva, Jean-Marie Dangou, Ibtihal Fadhil, Gauden Galea, Renu Garg & Silvana Luciani
pages 1017-1031

.
Trust matters: A narrative literature review of the role of trust in health care systems in sub-Saharan Africa
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2015.1019538
Lise Rosendal Østergaard
pages 1046-1059

.
Grandmothers as gatekeepers? The role of grandmothers in influencing health-seeking for mothers and newborns in rural northern Ghana
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2014.1002413
Mira L. Gupta, Raymond Akawire Aborigo, Philip Baba Adongo, Sarah Rominski, Abraham Hodgson, Cyril M. Engmann & Cheryl A. Moyer
pages 1078-1091

Human Service Organizations Management, Leadership & Governance
Volume 39, Issue 4, 2015
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/wasw21/current

.
Empowering Human Services Organizations to Embrace Evidence-Informed Practice: International Best Practices
DOI:10.1080/23303131.2015.1050141
Katharine A. Dill & Wes Shera
pages 323-338
Abstract
Human services organizations are increasingly using knowledge as a mechanism for implementing change. Knowledge emerging from many sources that may include academic publications, gray literature, and service user and practitioner wisdom contributes toward informing best practice. The question is how do we harness this knowledge to make practice more effective? This article synthesizes the lessons learned from eight international organizations that have made a commitment to knowledge mobilization as an important priority in their mission and operation. The article provides a conceptual model, tools, and resources to help human services organizations create strategies for building, enhancing, or sustaining their knowledge mobilization efforts. The article describes a flexible blueprint for human services organizations to leverage knowledge mobilization efforts at all levels of service delivery.

International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology
Volume 22, Issue 5, 2015
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tsdw20/current#.VSj2SpMw1hX

.
Original Articles
Social and environmental impacts of agricultural cooperatives: evidence from Ethiopia
DOI:10.1080/13504509.2015.1052860
Dagne Mojoab*, Christian Fischera & Terefe Degefac
pages 388-400
Abstract
Cooperatives are considered as potential organizational vehicles for sustainable development due to their multiple objectives and diverse roles. In particular, a lot is expected from agricultural cooperatives since they depend mainly on natural resource-based activities where sustainability issues are central concerns. Using household survey data of 305 coffee farmers from Ethiopia, the impacts of cooperative membership on farmers’ social and environmental performances are examined. Findings, based on propensity scores matching, show a significant positive impact of cooperatives on members’ social capital including trust, commitment and satisfaction, and on human capital such as training sessions received and experiences gained. However, farmers’ environmental performance is negatively associated with membership contrary to expectations. The findings suggest further efforts that need to be made by agricultural cooperatives to improve the environmental performance of farmers, while the accumulated human and social capitals are encouraging and can ease future collective actions toward cares for the environment and future generations.

.
Original Articles
The role of ruminant animals in sustainable livestock intensification programs
DOI:10.1080/13504509.2015.1075441
Luis Orlindo Tedeschia*, James Pierre Muirb, David Greg Rileya & Danny Gene Foxc
pages 452-465
Abstract
Food supply has improved considerably since the eighteenth century industrial revolution, but inadequate attention has been given to protecting the environment in the process. Feeding a growing world population while reducing the impact on the environment requires immediate and effective solutions. Sustainability is difficult to define because it embodies multifaceted concepts and the combination of variables that make a production system sustainable can be unique to each production situation. Sustainability represents the state of a complex system that is always evolving. It is an intrinsic characteristic of the system that needs to be shaped and managed. A sustainable system has the ability to coexist with other systems at a different output level after a period of perturbation. Resilience is the ability of a system to recover and reestablish a dynamic equilibrium after it has been perturbed. Sustainable intensification (SI) produces more output(s) through the more efficient use of resources while reducing negative impact on the environment; it provides opportunities for increasing animal and crop production per area while employing sustainable production alternatives that fully consider the three pillars of sustainability (planet, people, and profit). Identifying the most efficient animals and feeding systems is the prerequisite to successful applications of sustainable livestock intensification programs. Animal scientists must develop strategies that forecast the rate and magnitude of global changes as well as their possible influences on the food production chain. System modeling is a powerful tool because it accounts for many variables and their interactions involved in identifying sustainable systems in each situation.

JAMA
September 15, 2015, Vol 314, No. 11
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

.
Viewpoint | September 15, 2015
The Response to Ebola—Looking Back and Looking AheadThe 2015 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award
FREE
JAMA. 2015;314(11):1115-1116. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.11645.
The 2015 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award is given to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) for its bold response and leadership in fighting the Ebola outbreak in Africa. This Viewpoint describes the challenges involved in responding to this outbreak and the importance of ongoing research and preparedness efforts.

.
Viewpoint | September 15, 2015
Vaccination and the Lasker Awards – Enduring Legacies
Anthony S. Fauci, MD1; David M. Morens, MD1; Hilary D. Marston, MD, MPH1
Author Affiliations
JAMA. 2015;314(11):1119-1120. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.9807.
Dr Fauci and coauthors discuss the Lasker Awards that have been granted to scientists for discoveries underlying vaccine development.
Extract
Since 1945, the Lasker Foundation has recognized research advances with the greatest potential to improve global human health.1 Therefore, it is entirely fitting that vaccines, which save millions of lives every year worldwide, should feature so prominently in the history of the awards. Many Lasker Awards have been granted to scientists for discoveries underlying vaccine development, from basic microbiology to specific vaccine design. More recently, public health practitioners have joined the ranks of their basic science counterparts as the Lasker Foundation has recognized facilitators of vaccine delivery to those most in need…

.
Global Health
Global Help for Post-Ebola Recovery in West Africa
M. J. Friedrich
Outcomes of HIV Vaccine Related to Genetic Variation
M. J. Friedrich
Poor Sanitation Practices Associated With Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
M. J. Friedrich

Journal of Development Economics
Volume 116, Pages 1-266 (September 2015)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03043878/115

.
Watchdogs of the Invisible Hand: NGO monitoring and industry equilibrium
Original Research Article
Pages 28-42
Gani Aldashev, Michela Limardi, Thierry Verdier
Abstract
Globalization has been accompanied by rising pressure from advocacy non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on multinational firms to act in socially-responsible manner. We analyze how NGO pressure interacts with industry structure, using a simple model of NGO-firm interaction embedded in an industry environment with endogenous markups and entry. We explain three key empirical patterns in developing-country industries under activist pressure: the degree of exit under more intense activist pressure, the differential response of industries to NGO activism, and the general rise of NGO activism following globalization.
.
All in the family: Explaining the persistence of female genital cutting in West Africa
Original Research Article
Pages 252-265
Marc F. Bellemare, Lindsey Novak, Tara L. Steinmetz
Abstract
Why does female genital cutting (FGC) persist in certain places but has declined elsewhere? We study the persistence of FGC—proxied for by whether survey respondents are in favor of the practice continuing—in West Africa. We use 38 repeated cross-sectional country-year data sets covering 310,613 women aged 15 to 49 in 13 West African countries for the period 1995–2013. The data exhibit sufficient within-household variation to allow controlling for the unobserved heterogeneity between households, which in turn allows determining how much variation is due to factors at the levels of the individual, household, village, and beyond. Our results show that on average, 87% of the variation in FGC persistence can be attributed to household- and individual-level factors, with contributions from those levels of variation ranging from 71% in Nigeria in 2011 to 93% in Burkina Faso in 2006. Our results also suggest that once invariant factors across women aged 15 to 49 in the same household are accounted for, women who report having undergone FGC in West Africa are on average 16 percentage points more likely to be in favor of the practice.