Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 17, Issue 5, October 2015
http://link.springer.com/journal/10903/17/4/page/1

.
Original paper
Factors Associated with Healthcare Utilization Among Arab Immigrants and Iraqi Refugees
D. Elsouhag, B. Arnetz, H. Jamil, M. A. Lumley…
Abstract
Arab migrants—both immigrants and refugees—are exposed to pre- and post- migration stressors increasing their risk for health problems. Little is known, however, about rates of, or factors associated with, healthcare utilization among these two groups. A sample of 590 participants were interviewed approximately 1 year post-migration to the United States. Factors associated with healthcare utilization, including active and passive coping strategies, were examined using logistic regressions. Compared to national healthcare utilization data, immigrants had significantly lower, and refugees had significantly higher rates of healthcare utilization. Being a refugee, being married, and having health insurance were significantly associated with medical service utilization. Among refugees, less use of psychological services was associated with the use of medications and having problem-focused (active) strategies for dealing with stress. Healthcare utilization was significantly higher among refugees, who also reported a greater need for services than did immigrants.

.
Does Integrated Care Affect Healthcare Utilization in Multi-problem Refugees?
Carol C. White, Craig A. Solid, James S. Hodges, Deborah H. Boehm
Abstract
A history of trauma is common in refugee populations and appropriate treatment is frequently avoided. Using a convenience sample of 64 patients in a Somali primary care clinic, a culture and trauma specific intervention was developed to address retention into appropriate treatment. One goal of the intervention was to improve the rate of engagement in psychotherapy after a mental health referral and to test the effect of psychotherapy on health care utilization using a staged primary care clinical tool. Forty-eight percent of patients given a mental health referral engaged in psychotherapy. Patients engaging in psychotherapy had higher baseline utilization and over 12 months trended towards less emergency room use and more primary care. Our findings suggest that the intervention improved referral and retention in mental health therapy for East African refugee women.

Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies
Volume 13, Issue 3, 2015
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/wimm20/current#.VQS0KOFnBhW
Special Issue: Social Work and Migration in Europe

.
(Dis)Empowering New Immigrants and Refugees Through Their Participation in Introduction Programs in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway
Ariana Guilherme Fernandes
pages 245-264

The Lancet
Sep 19, 2015 Volume 386 Number 9999 p1109-1210 e9-e14
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

.
Editorial
Women are the key to sustainable development
The Lancet
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00248-2
Summary
On Sept 25–27, UN member states will meet at the UN General Assembly in New York to adopt a new roadmap—17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—for progress to 2030. Goal 3 is dedicated to health and consists of nine main targets, including reductions in maternal and child mortality, substance misuse, and road traffic accidents. However, many other goals—eg, water and sanitation, poverty reduction, and climate change—are also health related. How can this ambitious agenda be achieved? A Lancet Commission published in today’s issue has an answer: ensure women are healthy and have equity in all aspects of life.

.
Comment
A Lancet Commission on sexual and reproductive health and rights: going beyond the Sustainable Development Goals
Ann Starrs
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00250-0

.
Comment
Promoting women’s health for sustainable development
Jim Yong Kim, Timothy Evans
Published Online: 04 June 2015
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60942-4
Summary
As the world reflects on the progress made in the two decades since the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action1 and the Beijing Platform of Action2 and prepares to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals, the report of the Lancet Commission on Women and Health3 is a powerful reminder that much work remains to be done. The Commission’s extensive review of the evidence and compelling synthesis should serve as an important reference point for policy makers and practitioners as they begin to implement the post-2015 development agenda.

.
Comment
Valuing the health and contribution of women is central to global development
Melinda Gates
Published Online: 04 June 2015
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60940-0
Summary
During my mother’s four pregnancies, her health was viewed as a way to improve the wellbeing of her children. Between the time that my mother had her children and I had mine, more attention was paid to the health of women themselves—and particularly their survival. This concern with maternal health and survival, especially for women in low-income countries, led to the launch of the Safe Motherhood Initiative in 1987, the first global effort to focus the world’s attention on maternal health. Since then, women’s health has expanded to encompass sexual and reproductive health and, more recently, the complex interplay of factors throughout the life course, which are explored in the Lancet Commission on Women and Health.

.
The Lancet Commissions
Women and Health: the key for sustainable development
Dr Ana Langer, MD, Afaf Meleis, PhD, Felicia M Knaul, PhD, Rifat Atun, MBBS, Meltem Aran, PhD, Héctor Arreola-Ornelas, MS, Zulfiqar A Bhutta, PhD, Agnes Binagwaho, MMed [Ped], Ruth Bonita, PhD, Jacquelyn M Caglia, MPH, Mariam Claeson, MD, Justine Davies, MD, France A Donnay, MD, Jewel M Gausman, MHS, Caroline Glickman, MIM, Annie D Kearns, MS, Tamil Kendall, PhD, Rafael Lozano, MD, Naomi Seboni, PhD, Gita Sen, PhD, Siriorn Sindhu, DNSc, Miriam Temin, MS, Julio Frenk, MD
Published Online: 04 June 2015
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60497-4
Summary
Girls’ and women’s health is in transition and, although some aspects of it have improved substantially in the past few decades, there are still important unmet needs. Population ageing and transformations in the social determinants of health have increased the coexistence of disease burdens related to reproductive health, nutrition, and infections, and the emerging epidemic of chronic and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Simultaneously, worldwide priorities in women’s health have themselves been changing from a narrow focus on maternal and child health to the broader framework of sexual and reproductive health and to the encompassing concept of women’s health, which is founded on a life-course approach.

The Milbank Quarterly
A Multidisciplinary Journal of Population Health and Health Policy
September 2015 Volume 93, Issue 3 Pages 447–649
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/milq.2015.93.issue-3/issuetoc

.
Op-Ed
The Future of the World Health Organization: Lessons Learned From Ebola
LAWRENCE O. GOSTIN*
Article first published online: 8 SEP 2015
DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12134

.
Original Investigation
The Institutional Effects of Incarceration: Spillovers From Criminal Justice to Health Care
JASON SCHNITTKER1,*, CHRISTOPHER UGGEN2, SARAH K.S. SHANNON3 and SUZY MAVES MCELRATH2
Article first published online: 8 SEP 2015
DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12136
Abstract
Context
This study examines the spillover effects of growth in state-level incarceration rates on the functioning and quality of the US health care system.
Methods
Our multilevel approach first explored cross-sectional individual-level data on health care behavior merged to aggregate state-level data regarding incarceration. We then conducted an entirely aggregate-level analysis to address between-state heterogeneity and trends over time in health care access and utilization.
Findings
We found that individuals residing in states with a larger number of former prison inmates have diminished access to care, less access to specialists, less trust in physicians, and less satisfaction with the care they receive. These spillover effects are deep in that they affect even those least likely to be personally affected by incarceration, including the insured, those over 50, women, non-Hispanic whites, and those with incomes far exceeding the federal poverty threshold. These patterns likely reflect the burden of uncompensated care among former inmates, who have both a greater than average need for care and higher than average levels of uninsurance. State-level analyses solidify these claims. Increases in the number of former inmates are associated simultaneously with increases in the percentage of uninsured within a state and increases in emergency room use per capita, both net of controls for between-state heterogeneity.
Conclusions
Our analyses establish an intersection between systems of care and corrections, linked by inadequate financial and administrative mechanisms for delivering services to former inmates.

PLOS Currents: Disasters
http://currents.plos.org/disasters/
[Accessed 19 September 2015]

.
Hospital Disaster Preparedness Tools: a Systematic Review
September 14, 2015 · Research article
Aim: Evaluating hospital disaster preparedness is one the best ways for hospital accreditation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of outcome measure that offer the level of measurement, reliability and validity that are known as the ‘ psychometric properties’ of the current hospital disaster preparedness tools.
Methods: In total, 140 studies were retrieved. Studies which had been published from 2000 to 2014 and had used hospital disaster preparedness tools were appraised by using the PRISMA guideline. The content quality and the quality of the psychometric properties of the retrieved tools were assessed by using the World Health Organization Criteria for Hospital Preparedness as well as the COSMIN criteria.
Findings: Only 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. In total, eleven hospital disaster preparedness tools had been used in these 33 studies. These tools mainly focused on evaluating structural and non-structural aspects of hospital preparedness and paid little attention, if any, to the key functional aspect.
Conclusion: Given the paramount importance of evaluating hospital disaster preparedness and the weaknesses of current preparedness evaluation tools, valid and reliable tools should be developed by using experts’ knowledge and experience through the processes of tool development and psychometric evaluation.

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 19 September 2015]

.
Learning without Borders: A Review of the Implementation of Medical Error Reporting in Médecins Sans Frontières
Leslie Shanks, Karla Bil, Jena Fernhout
Research Article | published 18 Sep 2015 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0137158

.
The Unrecognized Burden of Influenza in Young Kenyan Children, 2008-2012
Meredith L. McMorrow, Gideon O. Emukule, Henry N. Njuguna, Godfrey Bigogo, Joel M. Montgomery, Bryan Nyawanda, Allan Audi, Robert F. Breiman, Mark A. Katz, Leonard Cosmas, Lilian W. Waiboci, Jazmin Duque, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Joshua A. Mott
Research Article | published 17 Sep 2015 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0138272

.
The Economics of Epidemic Diseases
Nicola Dimitri
Research Article | published 15 Sep 2015 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0137964

PNAS – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States
of America
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/
(Accessed 19 September 2015)

.
Environmental liability: A missing use for ecosystem services valuation
Jacob Phelpsa,b,1, Carol Adaire Jonesc, John A. Pendergrassc, and Erik Gómez-Baggethund,e
Author Affiliations
Extract
The PNAS 100th Anniversary Special Feature on natural capital and ecosystem services highlights a range of opportunities and challenges to operationalize these concepts to strengthen environmental governance (1). However, the issue’s focus is largely on the role these concepts play in ex ante decision-making, and overlooks their role in informing courtroom liability suits for ex post environmental damages.
Liability provisions are based on the “polluter pays” principle, and hold responsible parties financially liable for environmental damages. This enables recoveries to restore or replace injured ecosystem services and to compensate for environmental harms. These costs rarely appear in company balance sheets (hence, neither in macroeconomic accounts), unless they are claimed through court cases or unless state regulations mandate the internalization of environmental damages. We believe this omission reflects an important gap in mainstream thinking about ecosystem services and natural capital accounting.

Science
18 September 2015 vol 349, issue 6254, pages 1257-1408
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

.
Policy Forum
Environmental Science
Reform forest fire management
M. P. North1,2,*, S. L. Stephens3, B. M. Collins1,3, J. K. Agee4, G. Aplet5, J. F. Franklin4, P. Z. Fulé6
Author Affiliations
1USFS Pacif c Southwest Research Station, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
2University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
3University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
4University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
5The Wilderness Society, Denver, CO 80202, USA.
6Northern Arizona University, Flagstaf , AZ 86011, USA.
.
Globally, wildfire size, severity, and frequency have been increasing, as have related fatalities and taxpayer-funded firefighting costs (1). In most accessible forests, wildfire response prioritizes suppression because fires are easier and cheaper to contain when small (2). In the United States, for example, 98% of wildfires are suppressed before reaching 120 ha in size (3). But the 2% of wildfires that escape containment often burn under extreme weather conditions in fuel-loaded forests and account for 97% of fire-fighting costs and total area burned (3). Changing climate and decades of fuel accumulation make efforts to suppress every fire dangerous, expensive, and ill advised (4). These trends are attracting congressional scrutiny for a new approach to wildfire management (5). The recent release of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (NCWFMS) (6) and the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS’s) current effort to revise national forest (NF) plans provide openings to incentivize change. Although we largely focus on the USFS, which incurs 70% of national firefighting costs (7), similar wildfire policies and needed management reforms are relevant throughout the United States and fire-prone areas worldwide.

UN Chronicle
Vol. LII Nos. 1 & 2 2015 September 2015
http://unchronicle.un.org/

.
The United Nations at 70
This special double issue of the UN Chronicle celebrates the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations under the theme “Strong UN. Better World.” A select group of eminent contributors highlight key moments and achievements, challenges and obstacles and the role played by the United Nations during the past 70 years. They also reflect upon the future and what would make the Organization stronger and better able to serve humanity.

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 19 September 2015

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor &
Founding Managing Director
GE2P2 – Center for Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

pdf version: The Sentinel_ week ending 19 September 2015

blog edition: comprised of the 35+ entries to be posted below on 20-21 September 2015

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 12 September 2015

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor &
Founding Managing Director
GE2P2 – Center for Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

pdf version: The Sentinel_ week ending 12 September 2015

blog edition: comprised of the 35+ entries to be posted below on 15 September 2015

Secretary-General, Citing ‘Damning’ List of Humanitarian Crises, Calls for Renewed Action as General Assembly Holds Dialogue on ‘Responsibility to Protect’ Pledge
Secretary-General
SG/SM/17054-GA/11672
8 September 2015
Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the General Assembly’s informal interactive dialogue on “A vital and enduring commitment: Implementing the responsibility to protect”, in New York:

Ten years ago, world leaders transformed expectations about the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. When Heads of State and Government unanimously endorsed the World Summit Outcome, they expressed an unprecedented resolve to protect populations from the most egregious international crimes and to assist one another in this effort. The endorsement of the responsibility to protect was a milestone in transforming international concern about people facing mortal danger into a meaningful response.

In the decade since, we forged growing consensus on how to carry out R2P. Today, on its tenth anniversary, I urgently call on Governments and UN entities, especially the Security Council, to move from understanding to action. The Security Council is the only body empowered under international law to authorize military action to save lives when all else fails. We must do all that we can to act early, prevent atrocity crimes and support States in protecting their citizens. The question that must guide the Council’s work is: have we truly done all that we can?

Countries know that the responsibility to prevent and respond to atrocity crimes is among their primary obligations, both under international law and as a matter of common humanity. Leaders can no longer claim that national sovereignty outweighs all other concerns or hide behind excuses about national circumstances or exceptional security threats.

Awareness is important, but since R2P was adopted, the international community has failed too many vulnerable populations. We face a daunting, damning list of crises marked by acts that may constitute atrocity crimes. The concerns span many regions.

Syria is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The parties have shown wanton disregard for human life. All parties are alleged to have committed grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Syrian Government in particular has not lived up to its obligation under international law to protect civilians.

The conflict is a colossal tragedy for Syria and a shameful symbol of international divisions. History’s judgement will be harsh. I deplore the abject failure to end the suffering of the Syrian people. That failure takes concrete expression in today’s refugee crisis in Europe. We must do everything possible to find a political solution based on the Geneva Communiqué. I appeal again for Security Council action.

In Yemen, civilians bear the brunt of a brutal conflict marked by reports of increasingly blatant violations of international humanitarian law. In the Central African Republic, Muslims and Christians were targeted because of who they are or what they believe. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, armed groups continue to kill civilians. I remain deeply concerned about the situation in South Sudan and Sudan, particularly in Darfur and the two areas. The culture of impunity must end. I am particularly alarmed at the unacceptable impact on children. Their suffering due to violations of fundamental rights should prompt immediate action.

In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a wide array of crimes against humanity have been documented. These and other situations demand that we strengthen our work across all the pillars of R2P. Failure to rise to that moral obligation means greater human suffering that reverberates across borders.

R2P requires prevention. People need early protection so they are not forced to flee their homes. When we fail in that primary obligation, we face the subsidiary obligation to address their plight. Throughout our search for a collective response to the root causes and manifestations of atrocity crimes, we uphold and defend human rights.

The atrocity crimes that stain humanity’s conscience make it imperative that leaders transform R2P from a vital principle into visible practice. That is why I am calling for three steps. First, genuine willingness among Member States, especially Security Council members, to create the necessary political space to prevent and respond to atrocity crimes.

Second, stronger connections between early warning and early action, and third, courage in publicly confronting and addressing signs of risk. As a cross-cutting priority we must also invest financially in prevention.

The 2011 intervention in Libya offered important lessons. Military force may be required as a last resort, but it must be grounded in a clear, common understanding of the goals, overarching strategy, potential consequences and conditions on the ground. Firm compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law is essential.

After the guns fall silent, we must ensure that atrocity crimes do not recur. We can help societies to rebuild by encouraging reconciliation and holding perpetrators to account.
This is a demanding agenda. Some may argue that the risks and costs of action are too high. But the costs of inaction are far higher. Our failure to respond decisively to the unfolding tragedy today returns as another tragedy tomorrow: namely desperate people fleeing indiscriminate violence and, in too many cases, losing their lives in their quest for safety.

The global security landscape is shifting in dangerous ways. New technology is being used to incite violence. Cyberthreats are on the rise. Non-State actors are brazenly committing atrocity crimes as a means of pursuing their political goals and spreading violent extremism.

In response, countries must continue building their capacity to counter terrorism and prevent the spread of violent extremism in full accordance with human rights and the rule of law. The United Nations will continue working with Member States, regional organizations and civil society to support these efforts to advance progress.

I call on all partners to institutionalize our commitment to R2P by showing political will to address serious human rights violations. I recommend appointing focal points and empowering officials with the resources and authority to act.

I have made the responsibility to protect a core priority. I have significantly strengthened our Organization’s capacity in this area. I will continue to sound the alarm about situations of concern. I will press for dialogue and diplomacy. I will push for more rapid deployments of troops and police when necessary and authorized by the Security Council. I will deepen cooperation with regional organizations and I will fully carry out our Human Rights up Front action plan.

For 10 years, R2P has offered an alternative to indifference and fatalism. The challenges of atrocity crimes are enormous and the human cost is staggering. That is not a reason to be overwhelmed; it is a cause for urgent action. The collective weight of international action can make a difference. I count on your leadership in making sure that R2P provides real protection for people in dire need. Thank you.

Development must target the millions of children affected by humanitarian crises
Anthony Lake, UNICEF
The Guardian
Friday 11 September 2015
We must break down the barriers between development and humanitarian response, to put in place long-term efforts to end poverty and hunger

In two weeks, world leaders will ratify a new consensus to build a better world: the sustainable development goals. But we will not reach these development goals – nor can development be sustainable – without reaching the millions of children living in the midst of humanitarian crises.

Consider a few data points*. Children living in countries affected by humanitarian crises – conflicts, natural disasters and health emergencies – account for nearly half of all under-five deaths. How can we achieve SDG3, good health for all, if we don’t reach these children?

Four-fifths of these countries have stunting levels above 20%. Nearly two-thirds have stunting levels above 30%. Two-thirds have unacceptable levels of wasting, often associated with acute starvation. How can we realise SDG2, to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition, if we don’t reach these children?

Countries affected by humanitarian crises account for 43% of all out-of-school children at the primary and lower-secondary levels. SDG4 demands inclusive quality education for all. How will that be possible if we don’t reach these children?

The international community tends to compartmentalise humanitarian and development crises – separate funding appeals, separate advocacy campaigns and separate conferences. It is as if development and emergencies exist in different worlds.

But children living through crises see no distinction between humanitarian and development action – they only see whether they are getting what they need to survive, whether they are able to go to school, and whether they can dream about a better future.

When we educate a girl displaced by conflict, we’re not only giving her immediate protection. We’re helping her to shape her mind, build her own future, contribute to her family and society when she becomes an adult and perhaps even become a voice of peace in her community and country.

When we provide cash transfers to families living through natural disasters, we are not only helping see to their immediate needs. We are supporting them to prevent them depleting their savings, potentially enabling them to raise healthier, better educated children.

And sustaining the most disadvantaged and marginalised children in crisis with long-term development efforts is a practical, cost-effective path to fighting future extreme poverty – SDG1.

So, we need to keep breaking down the silos between humanitarian and development action.

Ultimately, our success in achieving the SDGs depends on addressing humanitarian crises themselves. This means, above all, refusing to accept a world in which we are unable to prevent or resolve conflicts.

Ending conflicts would open the single greatest pathway to global development; the best way to save lives; the best way to foster a generation of children ready, willing and able to sustain development into the future.

Approximately 246 million children live in countries or areas affected by armed conflict. Last year saw the highest number of child refugees since the second world war, with more than 25 million fleeing violence, destruction and deprivation.

Ending conflicts is not only in the interests of these children, though that is reason enough. It is also in the interests of every country in the world. The cost of a civil war can equal 30 years of GDP growth. Last year alone, conflicts cost the global economy an estimated $14.3trn – more than 13% of world GDP.

How can we sustain future development when we also sustain these losses, year after year? Can the world afford to lose more than 10% of its productivity year after year? How can we bring children out of poverty, poor health and despair when any progress made can be so quickly – so brutally, so needlessly – erased?

And what kind of future does humanity have when communities are battered by conflict after conflict, seemingly without end? When children fleeing these conflicts drown at sea, or suffocate in the backs of trucks crossing borders in a desperate attempt to escape the fighting?

Wouldn’t ending these conflicts be the best possible contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals?

Before we reject such a call as unrealistic, let’s consider the words of nine-year old Ali, from Sa’ada, Yemen – one of 1.8 million Yemeni children affected by the ongoing conflict there. He recently asked: “What did we do wrong? Why can’t we live like other children in the world?”

The world owes him an answer. He and every child has the right to the quiet blessing of a normal childhood.

* Data throughout this report is drawn from new, unpublished analyses of Unicef figures, relating to countries where the organisation has launched humanitarian appeals

Refugees/Migrants/IDPs [to 12 September 2015]
Editor’s Note:
The growing, multiple crises across the globe involving refugees, migrants and internally-displaced persons – especially in the EU context – continue. Please see the numerous statements and calls to actions from UN agencies and INGOs below in this edition.

.
UNHCR praises Austrian, German Leadership and Civil Society Response
Press Releases, 12 September 2015
UNHCR welcomes the decision of Austria and Germany to receive thousands of refugees and migrants who crossed the border last night from Hungary. This is political leadership based on humanitarian values.

UNHCR also praises the civil society groups and individuals of Austria and Germany who are mobilizing in large numbers to welcome and provide aid to people as they enter. All over Europe, UNHCR is witnessing a remarkable outpouring of public response, including from faith-based organizations, NGOs and individuals, in many cases driving governments to change policies and rhetoric.

However, the current concentration of refugees and migrants in a small number of countries willing to receive them is not a sustainable solution. There is clearly an urgent need to put in place an emergency plan to manage the refugee crisis. The High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, us putting forward concrete proposals to respond ahead of key meetings of European leaders. They are outlined here: http://www.unhcr.org/55e9793b6.html

.
United action needed now for child refugees: UNICEF
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 12 September 2015 – Europe has a brief window of opportunity, before winter approaches, to protect and care for the tens of thousands of children seeking refuge, UNICEF said today.

About a quarter of those seeking refuge in Europe this year are children. More than 106,000 children have claimed asylum within the first half of 2015, up 75 per cent from last year.
Many refugee and migrant children in Europe are living in overcrowded and inadequate conditions, where they are at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse. Many are sleeping out in the open air; as winter approaches, the health of young children is especially at risk, including from the threat of diseases like pneumonia. Only concerted action to accommodate and care for children now will prevent more deaths and suffering in the months ahead.

With the growing numbers of children making perilous journeys into and across Europe, collective action with a fair distribution of responsibility across the European Union is essential. This should include putting in place a number of immediate safeguards for children and their families:
:: Safe, child-friendly reception facilities as children arrive, with access to health care, psychosocial support, recreation and schooling.
:: More resettlement places across Europe and humanitarian visas for children and their families. The processing of asylum cases should be timely, and always focus on the best interests of the children.
:: Stronger commitment to resettlement of refugees from countries in conflict to reduce the likelihood that refugees resort to unsafe routes and people smuggling.
:: Stepped-up search and rescue operations at sea and on land.
:: Speeding up family reunification programmes for separated and unaccompanied children.
:: Adequate numbers of trained child welfare specialists to care for and counsel children and families.

Such care is enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which provides for the protection of all children – whether on the move from their homes, on the seas, over land, or on the shores of destination countries.

UNICEF urges the international community to address the root causes of this huge movement of desperate children through more vigorous diplomatic efforts to end conflicts, and to provide the required development and humanitarian support in countries of origin.

Switzerland tops Global AgeWatch Index 2015
Wednesday 9 September 2015
HelpAge International is launching the Global AgeWatch Index 2015, ranking 96 countries according to the social and economic wellbeing of older people. The Index represents 91 per cent of people aged 60 and over, some 901 million people, measuring the wellbeing of older people in four key areas: income security, health, personal capability and an enabling environment.

.
GLOBAL AGEWATCH INDEX 2015: Headlines
:: Switzerland tops this year’s Index as the best country to live for older people.
:: The Index includes 96 countries but 98 countries had to be left out through lack of data. Only 11 out of 54 countries in Africa included.
:: Poverty rates in old age missing from international data sets in at least 93 countries; millions of older people missing from the data.
:: Inequality among older people increasing – life expectancy gap at age 60 between countries at the top and bottom of the Index has widened from 5.7 years in 1990 to 7.3 years in 2012.
:: Impact of austerity on older people increasing.
:: Investing in people throughout their lives reaps dividends in later life.

… “The big story this year in the Index, is that millions of older people are invisible, living their lives in countries where information on the quality of older age is missing from international data sets,” said Toby Porter, Chief Executive, of HelpAge International.

Against a back drop of global ageing there is a danger that wellbeing in older age is going backwards not forwards. Data shows that the gap in life expectancy at age 60 between countries at the top and bottom of the Index has widened from 5.7 years in 1990 to 7.3 years in 2012. This inequality will grow without more focus on this age group and better targeted policies. Austerity measures are already affecting older people in Europe.

“Later this month, governments will be signing up to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, committing us to universal goals and targets until 2030,” said Porter.

“Ageing has started to be recognised in the Sustainable Development Goals, following the commitment set by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to ‘leave no one behind’.

“The Global AgeWatch Index can help show the impact that implementing the Sustainable Development Goals will have on the lives of older people but we need to fill the data gaps to complete the picture.

“Improved national, regional and global data, broken down by age and gender will help us to fully understand how men and women experience ageing around the world.”

Countries that do well in the Index are thinking about ageing. They have data on older men and women and consult them on targeted approaches to meet their needs and build on their experience and skills. These countries score highly in all four areas, have social pensions, accessible and appropriate healthcare, promote and support flexible working as well as life-long learning for older people and have created a secure and supportive environment for people of all ages.

The Sustainable Development Goals, with their 17 goals and 169 targets, will be adopted at the United Nations at the end of September. By the time they reach their fruition in 2030, the proportion of people aged 60 and over, globally, is predicted to rise from 12.3% now to 16.5%. Three-quarters of this number will live in developing countries.

In a message accompanying this year’s Index, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: “I want to tell the world that I count, that older people everywhere count and that people of all ages should be included in the Sustainable Development Goals.”
www.globalagewatch.org

Payment aspects of financial inclusion – Consultative report
Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures; World Bank Group
September 2015 :: 77 pages
Bank for International Settlements and World Bank Group 2015
ISBN 978-92-9197-216-6 (online)
.
Excerpt from Foreword
In recent years, a number of reports have been prepared by organisations on financial inclusion, a topic whose importance is increasingly being recognised. However, few of these reports have addressed what may be called the “payment aspects” of financial inclusion. In cases where the topics of payment systems and payment services have been raised in the context of financial inclusion, discussion has focused only on specific aspects of payments, such as mobile payments, rather than on the payment system in its entirety.

nderstanding payments in a holistic sense, including how individual elements relate to one other, is crucial to an understanding of financial inclusion and to promoting broader access to and usage of financial services.

This report provides an analysis of the payment aspects of financial inclusion, on the basis of which it sets out guiding principles designed to assist countries that seek to advance financial inclusion in their markets through payments. The report is being issued as a consultation document. Comments are invited from any interested parties, and should be sent to the CPMI (cpmi@bis.org) and the World Bank Group (paymentsystems@worldbank.org) by 7 December 2015; please mention “PAFI” in the subject line of your e-mail. A final version of the report will be published subsequently.

.
Press Release
New Report Examines Payment Aspects of Financial Inclusion
Date: September 9, 2015 Type: Press Release
The Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the World Bank Group today issued a consultative report on Payment aspects of financial inclusion. The report examines demand and supply-side factors affecting financial inclusion in the context of payment systems and services, and suggests measures to address these issues.

Financial inclusion efforts – from a payment perspective – should aim at achieving a number of objectives. Ideally, all individuals and businesses should have access to and be able to use at least one transaction account operated by a regulated payment service provider, to: (i) perform most, if not all, of their payment needs; (ii) safely store some value; and (iii) serve as a gateway to other financial services.

Benoît Cœuré, member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) and CPMI Chairman, says that, “With this report, the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures and the World Bank Group make an important contribution to improving financial inclusion. Financial inclusion efforts are beneficial not only for those that have no access to financial services, but also for the national payments infrastructure and, ultimately, the economy.”

Gloria M. Grandolini, Senior Director, Finance and Markets Global Practice of the World Bank Group, comments that, “This report will help us better understand how payment systems and services promote access to and effective usage of financial services. It provides an essential tool to meeting our ambitious goal of universal financial access for working-age adults by 2020.”

The report outlines seven guiding principles designed to assist countries that want to advance financial inclusion in their markets through payments:
(i) commitment from public and private sector organisations;
(ii) a robust legal and regulatory framework underpinning financial inclusion;
(iii) safe, efficient and widely reachable financial and ICT infrastructures;
(iv) transaction accounts and payment product offerings that effectively meet a broad range of transaction needs;
(v) availability of a broad network of access points and interoperable access channels;
(vi) effective financial literacy efforts; and
(vii).the leveraging of large-volume and recurrent payment streams, including remittances, to advance financial inclusion objectives.

Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 – How are the world’s forests changing?
FAO
Rome, 2015 :: 56 pages
[Excerpt from Foreword]
The contributions of forests to the well-being of humankind are extraordinarily vast and far-reaching. Forests play a fundamental role in combating rural poverty, ensuring food security and providing decent livelihoods; they offer promising mid-term green growth opportunities; and they deliver vital long-term environmental services, such as clean air and water, conservation of biodiversity and mitigation of climate change.

Forestry has an important place in FAO’s Strategic Framework, which strongly promotes an integrated approach to addressing the major problems that concern food production, rural development, land use and sustainable management of natural resources.

However, in order to manage our forests wisely for the benefit of current and future generations, it is vital to have a clear understanding of the situation of the world’s forests and ongoing trends.

The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) allows us to do exactly that. Since the first FRA was published in 1948, FAO has reported periodically on the situation of the world’s forests, serving the international community with the best information and techniques available.

FRA 2015 arrives in a decisive year for forests and sustainable development. This year the development agenda towards 2030 is being defined, including the adoption of new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Forests and their role in protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems and their services are essential for the post-2015 development agenda.

A global and inclusive climate change agreement – in which forests are a key part – is also expected to be reached at the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Paris in December 2015. The year 2015 also
features the XIV World Forestry Congress in Durban, the biggest international forest event of this decade – to be held in Africa for the first time – where we are honoured to launch FRA 2015.

FRA 2015 shows a very encouraging tendency towards a reduction in the rates of deforestation and carbon emissions from forests and increases in capacity for sustainable forest management. The reliability of the information collected has also improved enormously – presently national forest inventories apply to some 81 percent of global forest area, a substantial increase over the past 10 years.

Two broad conclusions can be drawn: 1) we have a wealth of reliable information today on the situation of the world’s forests; and 2) the direction of change is positive, with many impressive examples of progress in all regions of the world. However this positive trend needs to be strengthened, especially in the countries that are lagging behind…

.
Press Release
World deforestation slows down as more forests are better managed
FAO publishes key findings of global forest resources assessment
7 September 2015, Durban/Rome – The world’s forests continue to shrink as populations increase and forest land is converted to agriculture and other uses, but over the past 25 years the rate of net global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50 percent, FAO said in a report published today.

Some 129 million hectares of forest – an area almost equivalent in size to South Africa – have been lost since 1990, according to FAO’s most comprehensive forest review to date, The Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015.

It noted however, that an increasing amount of forest areas have come under protection while more countries are improving forest management. This is often done through legislation and includes the measuring and monitoring of forest resources and a greater involvement of local communities in planning and in developing policies.

The FAO study covers 234 countries and territories and was presented at this week’s World Forestry Congress in Durban, South Africa…

Global Waste Management Outlook
United Nations Environment Programme, 2015
ISBN: 978-92-807-3479-9 :: 346 pages
Foreword
Good decision-making about how we manage the waste we create is one of the most important contributions humanity can make to reducing its impact on the natural world. The Global Waste Management Outlook (GWMO) is being released at a critical moment, one where the world is considering a new regime to keep global warming to below 2 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures, and, at the same time, discussing what the future development agenda will look like and how it will be funded.

Environmental sustainability is the core issue that will need to be addressed for development to focus on human well-being and yet stay within the limitations of planet’s capacity. Environmentally sound waste management is one of the key elements for sustainable development.

Already, science has demonstrated that we are on an unsustainable path, and that urgent and united action is required to correct this. The global population, currently at 7.3 billion, will grow in the coming decades to 9 billion and perhaps 11 billion by the end of the 21st century. Some 80% of this growing population will live in cities, most of which are yet to be built. Of this projected 9 billion people, 3 billion will belong to the middle class, with sufficient disposable income to purchase the consumer goods that others enjoy elsewhere in the world, further draining the planet’s already strained natural resources.

Moving to a circular development model – which works to reduce waste before it is produced, but which treats waste as a resource when it is – is essential, and holistic and integrated sustainable waste management will be crucial.

The GWMO is the first comprehensive, impartial and in-depth assessment of global waste management. It reflects the collective body of recent scientific knowledge, drawing on the work of leading experts and the vast body of research undertaken within and beyond the United Nations system. The six chapters inform the reader about trends, provide an analysis on governance and financial mechanisms, and offer policy advice on the way forward. The main document targeting professionals is accompanied by two summary documents, one for decision makers and the other for the public more broadly.

This GWMO offers a profound analysis of the enormous potential better waste management provides to assist in meeting the sustainability challenges ahead.

.
Press Release
The Mounting Problem: World’s Cities Produce up to 10 Billion Tonnes of Waste Each Year, UN Study Estimates
Holistic waste management could save countries hundreds of billions USD and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% annually
Antwerp, 7 September 2015 – Inadequate waste management has become a major public health, economic and environmental problem, with 7-10 billion tonnes of urban waste produced each year and 3 billion people worldwide lacking access to controlled waste disposal facilities.

Fuelled by population growth, urbanization and rising consumption, the volumes of waste are likely to even double in lower-income African and Asian cities by 2030, warns the Global Waste Management Outlook – launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) today.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, “An urgent response to the world’s mounting waste problem is not only a public health and environmental necessity, but also a sound economic investment. Inaction is costing countries 5-10 times more than investments in proper waste management. A greater commitment by nations to systematically apply the 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – can transform the problem of waste into a resource for our economies…

Development Co-operation Report 2015 – Making Partnerships Effective Coalitions for Action
OECD, Paris.
Published on September 07, 2015
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/dcr-2015-en
pdf: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/deliver/4315041e.pdf?itemId=/content/book/dcr-2015-en&mimeType=application/pdf
Overview
With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, the question of how to finance, implement and monitor these goals moves to the centre of the debate. Today, international development co-operation takes place in an increasingly complex environment, with an ever growing number of actors, policies and instruments involved. This complexity raises the stakes for achieving the goals, but also opens up new opportunities. Although governments will remain the key actors in the implementation of the new post-2015 goals, the role of non-state actors such as civil society, foundations and business is growing. Their association through effective partnerships will be key to the implementation of the post-2015 agenda.

The Development Co-operation Report 2015 explores the potential of networks and partnerships to create incentives for responsible action, as well as innovative, fit-for-purpose ways of co-ordinating the activities of diverse stakeholders. The report – Making Partnerships Effective Coalitions for Action – looks at a number of existing partnerships working in diverse sectors, countries and regions to draw lessons and provide practical guidance, proposing ten success factors for post-2015 partnerships. A number of leading policy makers and politicians share their insights and views.

Foreword
The world has made great progress since the Millennium Development Goals were put in place a decade ago. Poverty has been cut in half. Illness and early deaths have been significantly reduced, particularly among women and children. Despite these achievements, huge challenges remain if we are to meet the new and ambitious set of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. These truly universal targets involve – and depend on – all nations, leaders and peoples for their successful realisation. Likewise, we must address climate change and ensure that our actions to combat it are fully aligned with common development objectives.

The stakes are high. If we are to succeed, we must raise the level of ambition and strengthen the capacity of the international system to support universal, inclusive and sustainable development.

Only through joined up action guided by an effective system of global governance will we be able to make the Sustainable Development Goals a break-through success. And that is what this Development Co-operation Report 2015: Making Partnerships Effective Coalitions for Action is all about. Based on analysis and experience, it draws out ten success factors that will enable us to ensure, as we go forward, that partnerships function to their maximum potential and that they are fit-for-purpose in addressing the imposing challenges of the post-2015 world. Among these success factors, strong leadership, country ownership, right-sizing partnerships to the challenge at hand and a focus on results are key. This is a powerful model – and one that the global community cannot afford to ignore.

The OECD hosts various initiatives to advance effective and coherent development policies, and is a front-line player in ongoing efforts to improve global governance mechanisms. With our work on taxation, private investment, smart use of official development assistance, and combating bribery – just to name a few – we stand ready to join with all stakeholders in producing “Better Policies for Better Lives” and making the new goals reality through common action. This Development Co-operation Report 2015 is an important contribution to that mission.

African leaders, international partners launch new initiatives to spur scientific research in Africa
10 September 2015
African and international partners have launched the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA), a new initiative that aims to help drive Africa’s research agenda across the continent.

AESA was created by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency with US$5.5 million in initial seed funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

The AESA launch ceremony featured the announcements of two grant programmes intended to support Africa’s future research leaders: the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS) Africa Awards and Grand Challenges Africa.

Closing the Science Gap
Currently, Africa accounts for 15% of the global population and 25% of the global disease burden, but only produces about 2% of the world’s research output. Although more than 60% of African countries have increased their recent investments in science, over half of African countries still invest less than 0.5% of their GDP on research – far less than the global target of 1%. Increased domestic investment in research is needed to accelerate the long-term health and development progress required to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Endorsed by African Heads of State and Government, the Nairobi-based AESA aims to support the implementation of the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (STISA-2024) and the African Health Strategy (AHS) for 2015-2030. Ministers of Health tasked the NEPAD Agency within the context of AHS to develop the continent’s health research agenda at the AU Specialised Technical Committee on Health, Population and Drug Control in April 2015.

In addition to serving as a scientific think tank, AESA will manage more than US$70 million in Africa-focused research programmes as part of its broader effort to build pan-African scientific capacity and leadership.

“Building capacity for science, technology and innovation is a strategic and critical investment for Africa’s future,” said Prof Berhanu Abegaz, Executive Director of AAS. “Today, we are proud to launch new initiatives that will help harness Africa’s scientific potential to contribute to the wellbeing of Africa’s people.”

Investing in Local Researchers
To this end, AESA will play a key role in the implementation of the two grant programmes announced today, DELTAS Africa and Grand Challenges Africa.

“Africa is home to some of the most dynamic innovators and institutions, poised to advance the continent’s research agenda,” said Dr Thomas Kariuki, Director of AESA. “Working in collaboration with key African and international partners, AESA will help provide researchers with the funding, training and resources they need to succeed and drive forward Africa’s development.”

DELTAS Africa
The US$70 million DELTAS Africa programme – initiated by the Wellcome Trust in partnership with AESA, and including US$10 million in additional funding from DFID announced today – supports the African-led development of world-class researchers and research leaders across the continent. Over an initial period of five years (2015-2020), the programme will support collaborative teams to conduct health research, offer training and mentorship and improve health research infrastructure. Following a joint review, operations and leadership of DELTAS Africa will be transferred to AESA early next year.

Today, the first seven DELTAS Africa awards, new grants were announced, focusing on locally relevant research including infection and immunity, mental health and biostatistics. The programmes will be led from universities and research institutes in Ghana, Kenya, Mali, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, and involve collaboration across the continent and with international research centres.

“The Wellcome Trust has a long-established track record in investing in health research in sub-Saharan Africa. DELTAS Africa is a new approach and a long-term commitment, which has its centre of gravity and decision making firmly based in Africa,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust. “We welcome DFID’s announcement today that it will provide additional funding to DELTAS Africa. The vision is to support the new generation of African research leaders. Individuals and teams from across the continent will play a leading role in shaping and driving world class, locally driven and relevant health research that improves human health.”

Grand Challenges Africa
The Grand Challenges family of grant initiatives seeks to engage innovators from around the world to solve the most pressing challenges in global health and development. Today, that family has grown with the announcement of Grand Challenges Africa. Led by AAS through the AESA platform, Grand Challenges Africa will build on the success of local Grand Challenges programmes in India, Brazil and South Africa, as well as the strong base of African Grand Challenges grantees funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada and USAID.

Initially, Grand Challenges Africa will focus on supporting the over 400 existing Grand Challenges grantees in Africa, including by hosting a 2016 convening of African grantees. The programme will ultimately develop, launch and manage Africa-specific Grand Challenges targeted to the development challenges preventing African countries from reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Grand Challenges Africa builds on over a decade of Grand Challenges investment in local innovators, including hundreds of Grand Challenges grants awarded to innovators across Africa,” said Trevor Mundel, President of Global Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We’re excited to work with AESA to support African innovators in finding transformative solutions to major health and development challenges.”

Yesterday, Grand Challenges Explorations launched four new calls for proposals focused on antimicrobial resistance, newborn and infant gut health, digital financial services and global health priority areas. Initial grants will be for US$100,000 and successful projects will be eligible to receive a follow-on grant of up to US$1million. For more information or to submit a two-page application, visit http://www.grandchallenges.org.