Clinton Foundation [to 5 September 2015]
https://www.clintonfoundation.org/press-releases-and-statements

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Press Release
Organizations Unite to Support Renewable Energy Development on Islands
Clinton Climate Initiative, Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room join the IRENA SIDS Lighthouses Initiative
1 Sep 2015 NEW YORK – Two US-based organizations joined the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) Lighthouses initiative today to help island nations accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and transition away from fossil fuels. The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, and the Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room (RMI-CWR), through their island partnership, will jointly work to achieve Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Lighthouses Initiative objectives and explore opportunities for coordinated assistance to SIDS with other partners of the initiative…

Kellogg Foundation [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.wkkf.org/news-and-media#pp=10&p=1&f1=news

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Two pilot programs launched to help families across the U.S. increase workforce mobility and achieve economic security
Foundation grants $11.6 million to workforce development sites across U.S. to give underserved communities more access to job training and upskilling resources.
Sep. 2, 2015
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) today announced a total investment of $11.6 million to 14 community-based workforce organizations that have received grants as part of two new pilot study programs to increase employment, workforce mobility and family economic security across the country. The two programs, Supporting Transitions to Employment for Parents (STEPS) and Mobility and Opportunity for Valuable Employment by Upskilling Parents (MOVE UP), are leading on-the-ground efforts to ensure that more low-income parents have the skills and opportunities to move onto and up the ladder of economic success…

MacArthur Foundation [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Publication
Report Examines Lack of Increase in Charitable Giving and How to Grow It
Published September 4, 2015
A report examines why charitable giving in the United States has been stuck at two percent of GDP since the 1970s and what it will take to increase it. Money for Good 2015, produced by the MacArthur-supported Camber Collective, provides marketing insights to motivate donors and is aimed at helping donors give effectively. Nonprofits can benefit from the report’s market segmentation research that details behavior and attitudes of donor types as they face the most diverse marketplace of giving yet. The report also identifies $47 billion in new and shifting giving potential.

Rockefeller Foundation [to 5 September 2015]
http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/newsroom

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Zurich invests USD 10 million to drive innovation in most pressing developmental challenge – flood resilience
[undated] ZURICH—Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) joins efforts with the Global Resilience Partnership to launch the Global Resilience Challenge Water Window. The Water Window is a grant-based competition focused on building resilience to different water challenges, including floods. Zurich is the first private sector member of the Resilience Partnership and provides a USD 10 million investment to fund solutions to build flood resilience. The Global Resilience Partnership and Zurich call on other corporations to join them so that all can better realize a resilience dividend.

Zurich will invest USD 10 million as part of its long-term commitment to the Global Resilience Partnership (the Resilience Partnership), convened by The Rockefeller Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The Resilience Partnership is driving a shared global resilience agenda, where humanitarian and development planning is better aligned, deploying precious resources to support innovations, which will build stronger communities that are able to overcome chronic stresses and better handle inevitable shocks…

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
September 2015; 93 (3)
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/current

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Perspective Piece
Ebola Virus Disease: Rapid Diagnosis and Timely Case Reporting are Critical to the Early Response for Outbreak Control
Lola V. Stamm
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015 93:438-440; Published online July 14, 2015, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0229

Articles
A Phase II, Randomized, Safety and Immunogenicity Trial of a Re-Derived, Live-Attenuated Dengue Virus Vaccine in Healthy Children and Adults Living in Puerto Rico
Kristen Bauer, Ines O. Esquilin, Alberto Santiago Cornier, Stephen J. Thomas, Ana I. Quintero del Rio, Jorge Bertran-Pasarell, Javier O. Morales Ramirez, Clemente Diaz, Simon Carlo, Kenneth H. Eckels, Elodie Tournay, Jean-Francois Toussaint, Rafael De La Barrera, Stefan Fernandez, Arthur Lyons, Wellington Sun, and Bruce L. Innis
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015 93:441-453; Published online July 14, 2015, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.14-0625
OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE
Abstract
This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled, phase II clinical trial, two dose study of re-derived, live-attenuated, tetravalent dengue virus (TDEN) vaccine (two formulations) or placebo in subjects 1–50 years of age. Among the 636 subjects enrolled, 331 (52%) were primed, that is, baseline seropositive to at least one dengue virus (DENV) type. Baseline seropositivity prevalence increased with age (10% [< 2 years], 26% [2–4 years], 60% [5–20 years], and 93% [21–50 years]). Safety profiles of TDEN vaccines were similar to placebo regardless of priming status. No vaccine-related serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported. Among unprimed subjects, immunogenicity (geometric mean antibody titers [GMT] and seropositivity rates) for each DENV increased substantially in both TDEN vaccine groups with at least 74.6% seropositive for four DENV types. The TDEN vaccine candidate showed an acceptable safety and immunogenicity profile in children and adults ranging from 1 to 50 years of age, regardless of priming status. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00468858.

A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial Evaluating Safety and Immunogenicity of the Killed, Bivalent, Whole-Cell Oral Cholera Vaccine in Ethiopia
Sachin N. Desai, Zenebe Akalu, Samuel Teshome, Mekonnen Teferi, Lawrence Yamuah,
Jae Seung Yang, Jemal Hussein, Ju Yeong Park, Mi Seon Jang, Chalachew Mesganaw, Hawult Taye, Demissew Beyene, Ahmed Bedru, Ajit Pal Singh, Thomas F. Wierzba, and Abraham Aseffa
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015 93:527-533; Published online June 15, 2015, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.14-
OPEN ACCESS ARTICLE
Abstract.
Killed whole-cell oral cholera vaccine (OCV) has been a key component of a comprehensive package including water and sanitation measures for recent cholera epidemics. The vaccine, given in a two-dose regimen, has been evaluated in a large number of human volunteers in India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, where it has demonstrated safety, immunogenicity, and clinical efficacy. We conducted a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in Ethiopia, where we evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine in 216 healthy adults and children. OCV was found to be safe and elicited a robust immunological response against Vibrio cholerae O1, with 81% adults and 77% children demonstrating seroconversion 14 days after the second dose of vaccine. This is the first study to evaluate safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine in a population outside Asia using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized study design.

Multinational Disease Surveillance Programs: Promoting Global Information Exchange for Infectious Diseases
Aiden K. Varan, Robson Bruniera-Oliveira, Christopher R. Peter, Maureen Fonseca-Ford, and Stephen H. Waterman
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015 93:668-671; Published online June 1, 2015, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0097
Abstract.
Cross-border surveillance for emerging diseases such as Ebola and other infectious diseases requires effective international collaboration. We surveyed representatives from 12 multinational disease surveillance programs between January 2013 and April 2014. Our survey identified programmatic similarities despite variation in health priorities, geography, and socioeconomic context, providing a contemporary perspective on infectious disease surveillance networks.

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 5 September 2015)

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Technical advance
African vaccination week as a vehicle for integrated health service delivery
Richard Mihigo, Blanche Anya, Joseph Okeibunor, Samuel Ajibola, Collins Boakye-Agyemang, Linda Muzenda, Flavienne Issembe, Deo Nshimirimana
BMC Health Services Rese
Abstract
Background
African Vaccination Week (AVW) is an initiative of the Member States of the African Region aimed at promoting vaccination and ensuring equity and access to its benefits. The initiative has proven to be particularly effective in reaching populations with limited access to regular health services as well as providing an opportunity to integrate other interventions with immunization services.
Methods
Using data available from the countries within the African Region, the effectiveness of AVW in creating awareness on vaccination as well as providing platform for integrated delivery of other interventions with immunization in the African Region were explored during the 2013 and 2014 campaigns of the AVW.
Results
Countries that participated in the two campaigns of AVW have integrated other interventions with immunization during the AVW. The most common integrated intervention is vitamin A supplementation, followed by deworming. However, other interventions integrated, include public health educational activities, supplementation with vitamins and minerals, provision of other health services as well as introduction of new interventions. In 2013, more than 7,500,000 doses of different vaccine antigens were delivered in17 countries. Vitamin A administered to children under 5 years and women in post-partum in 13 countries with 31,500,000 tablets distributed. Polio eradication campaigns reaching young children in ten countries with 36,711,984 doses of oral polio vaccines (OPV) was the third most common intervention added onto the AVW activities. Over 21,190,000 deworming tablets were distributed to children <5 years and pregnant women in 9 countries. With respect to nutritional interventions, 6,377,222 children were screened for malnutrition in 3 countries while 3,814,680 water, sanitation and hygiene kits were distributed in 3 countries. In 2014, these results were even higher as many more countries integrated multiple interventions in the AVW.
Conclusion
Integration of other interventions with immunization during AVW, in the African Region is common and has shown potentials for improving immunization coverage, as this dedicated period is used both for catch-up campaigns and periodic intensified routine immunization. While its impact may call for further examination, it is a potential platform for integrated delivery of health interventions to people with limited access to regular health service.

BMC Public Health
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content
(Accessed 5 September 2015)

Research article
Identifying barriers in the malaria control policymaking process in East Africa: insights from stakeholders and a structured literature review
Christopher Paul, Randall Kramer, Adriane Lesser, Clifford Mutero, Marie Miranda, Katherine Dickinson
BMC Public Health 2015, 15:862 (4 September 2015)

Research article
Factors associated with nutritional status of infants and young children in Somali Region, Ethiopia: a cross- sectional study
Yirgu Fekadu, Addisalem Mesfin, Demewoz Haile, Barbara Stoecker
BMC Public Health 2015, 15:862 (4 September 2015)

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 93, Number 9, September 2015, 589-664
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/93/9/en/

EDITORIALS
Maximizing the impact of community-based practitioners in the quest for universal health coverage
James Campbell, Kesetebirhan Admasu, Agnes Soucat & Sheila Tlou
doi: 10.2471/BLT.15.162198
Monitoring inequality: an emerging priority for health post-2015
Ahmad Reza Hosseinpoor, Nicole Bergen & Veronica Magar
doi: 10.2471/BLT.15.162081

Research
Cost–effectiveness of community-based practitioner programmes in Ethiopia, Indonesia and Kenya
Barbara McPake, Ijeoma Edoka, Sophie Witter, Karina Kielmann, Miriam Taegtmeyer, Marjolein Dieleman, Kelsey Vaughan, Elvis Gama, Maryse Kok, Daniel Datiko, Lillian Otiso, Rukhsana Ahmed, Neil Squires, Chutima Suraratdecha & Giorgio Cometto
Abstract
Objective
To assess the cost–effectiveness of community-based practitioner programmes in Ethiopia, Indonesia and Kenya.
Methods
Incremental cost–effectiveness ratios for the three programmes were estimated from a government perspective. Cost data were collected for 2012. Life years gained were estimated based on coverage of reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health services. For Ethiopia and Kenya, estimates of coverage before and after the implementation of the programme were obtained from empirical studies. For Indonesia, coverage of health service interventions was estimated from routine data. We used the Lives Saved Tool to estimate the number of lives saved from changes in reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health-service coverage. Gross domestic product per capita was used as the reference willingness-to-pay threshold value.
Findings
The estimated incremental cost per life year gained was 82 international dollars ($)in Kenya, $999 in Ethiopia and $3396 in Indonesia. The results were most sensitive to uncertainty in the estimates of life-years gained. Based on the results of probabilistic sensitivity analysis, there was greater than 80% certainty that each programme was cost-effective.
Conclusion
Community-based approaches are likely to be cost-effective for delivery of some essential health interventions where community-based practitioners operate within an integrated team supported by the health system. Community-based practitioners may be most appropriate in rural poor communities that have limited access to more qualified health professionals. Further research is required to understand which programmatic design features are critical to effectiveness.

Systematic Reviews
Data collection tools for maternal and child health in humanitarian emergencies: a systematic review
Thidar Pyone, Fiona Dickinson, Robbie Kerr, Cynthia Boschi-Pinto, Matthews Mathai & Nynke van den Broek
Abstract
Objective
To describe tools used for the assessment of maternal and child health issues in humanitarian emergency settings.
Methods
We systematically searched MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge and POPLINE databases for studies published between January 2000 and June 2014. We also searched the websites of organizations active in humanitarian emergencies. We included studies reporting the development or use of data collection tools concerning the health of women and children in humanitarian emergencies. We used narrative synthesis to summarize the studies.
Findings
We identified 100 studies: 80 reported on conflict situations and 20 followed natural disasters. Most studies (76/100) focused on the health status of the affected population while 24 focused on the availability and coverage of health services. Of 17 different data collection tools identified, 14 focused on sexual and reproductive health, nine concerned maternal, newborn and child health and four were used to collect information on sexual or gender-based violence. Sixty-nine studies were done for monitoring and evaluation purposes, 18 for advocacy, seven for operational research and six for needs assessment.
Conclusion
Practical and effective means of data collection are needed to inform life-saving actions in humanitarian emergencies. There are a wide variety of tools available, not all of which have been used in the field. A simplified, standardized tool should be developed for assessment of health issues in the early stages of humanitarian emergencies. A cluster approach is recommended, in partnership with operational researchers and humanitarian agencies, coordinated by the World Health Organization.

Achieving universal health coverage
Joseph Wong
doi: 10.2471/BLT.14.149070

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 5 September 2015]

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Research
Introducing payment for performance in the health sector of Tanzania- the policy process
Chimhutu V, Tjomsland M, Songstad NG, Mrisho M and Moland KM Globalization and Health 2015, 11:38 (2 September 2015)
Abstract
Background
Prompted by the need to achieve progress in health outcomes, payment for performance (P4P) schemes are becoming popular policy options in the health systems in many low income countries. This paper describes the policy process behind the introduction of a payment for performance scheme in the health sector of Tanzania illuminating in particular the interests of and roles played by the Government of Norway, the Government of Tanzania and the other development partners.
Methods
The study employed a qualitative research design using in-depth interviews (IDIs), observations and document reviews. Thirteen IDIs with key-informants representing the views of ten donor agencies and government departments influential in the process of introducing the P4P scheme in Tanzania were conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Oslo, Norway. Data was collected on the main trends and thematic priorities in development aid policy, countries and actors perceived to be proponents and opponents to the P4P scheme, and P4P agenda setting in Tanzania.
Results
The initial introduction of P4P in the health sector of Tanzania was controversial. The actors involved including the bilateral donors in the Health Basket Fund, the World Bank, the Tanzanian Government and high level politicians outside the Health Basket Fund fought for their values and interests and formed alliances that shifted in the course of the process. The process was characterized by high political pressure, conflicts, changing alliances, and, as it evolved, consensus building.
Conclusion
The P4P policy process was highly political with external actors playing a significant role in influencing the agenda in Tanzania, leaving less space for the Government of Tanzania to provide leadership in the process. Norway in particular, took a leading role in setting the agenda. The process of introducing P4P became long and frustrating causing mistrust among partners in the Health Basket Fund.

Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 212 Issue 7 October 1, 2015
http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

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Safety and Immunogenicity of a Live Attenuated Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine Candidate in Flavivirus-Naive Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blinded Phase 1 Clinical Trial
Sarah L. George, Mimi A. Wong, Tina J. T. Dube, Karen L. Boroughs, Janae L. Stovall, Betty E. Luy, Aurelia A. Haller, Jorge E. Osorio, Linda M. Eggemeyer, Sharon Irby-Moore, Sharon E. Frey, Claire Y.-H. Huang, and Dan T. Stinchcomb
J Infect Dis. (2015) 212 (7): 1032-1041 doi:10.1093/infdis/jiv179
Abstract
Background. Dengue viruses (DENVs) infect >300 million people annually, causing 96 million cases of dengue disease and 22 000 deaths [1]. A safe vaccine that protects against DENV disease is a global health priority [2].
Methods.  We enrolled 72 flavivirus-naive healthy adults in a phase 1 double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled dose-escalation trial (low and high dose) of a live attenuated recombinant tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate (TDV) given in 2 doses 90 days apart. Volunteers were followed for safety, vaccine component viremia, and development of neutralizing antibodies to the 4 DENV serotypes.
Results. The majority of adverse events were mild, with no vaccine-related serious adverse events. Vaccinees reported injection site pain (52% vs 17%) and erythema (73% vs 25%) more frequently than placebo recipients. Low levels of TDV-serotype 2 (TDV-2), TDV-3, and TDV-4 viremia were observed after the first but not second administration of vaccine. Overall seroconversion rates and geometric mean neutralization titers after 2 doses were 84.2% and 54.1, respectively, for DENV serotype 1 (DENV-1); 92.1% and 292.8, respectively, for DENV-2; 86.8% and 32.3, respectively, for DENV-3; and 71.1% and 15.0, respectively, for DENV-4. More than 90.0% of high-dose recipients had trivalent or broader responses.
Conclusions.  TDV was generally well tolerated, induced trivalent or broader neutralizing antibodies to DENV in most flavivirus-naive vaccinees, and is undergoing further development.
Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01110551.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases
Sep 2015 Volume 15 Number 9 p987-1114
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

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Articles
Effect of the Ebola-virus-disease epidemic on malaria case management in Guinea, 2014: a cross-sectional survey of health facilities
Published Online: 23 June 2015
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(15)00061-4
Dr Mateusz M Plucinski, PhD, Timothée Guilavogui, MD, Sidibe Sidikiba, MD, Nouman Diakité, MD, Souleymane Diakité, MD, Mohamed Dioubaté, MS, Ibrahima Bah, MS, Ian Hennessee, MPH, Jessica K Butts, MPH, Eric S Halsey, MD, Peter D McElroy, PhD, S Patrick Kachur, MD, Jamila Aboulhab, MD, Richard James, MD, Moussa Keita, MD
Summary
Background
The ongoing west Africa Ebola-virus-disease epidemic has disrupted the entire health-care system in affected countries. Because of the overlap of symptoms of Ebola virus disease and malaria, the care delivery of malaria is particularly sensitive to the indirect effects of the current Ebola-virus-disease epidemic. We therefore characterise malaria case management in the context of the Ebola-virus-disease epidemic and document the effect of the Ebola-virus-disease epidemic on malaria case management.
Methods
We did a cross-sectional survey of public health facilities in Guinea in December, 2014. We selected the four prefectures most affected by Ebola virus disease and selected four randomly from prefectures without any reported cases of the disease. 60 health facilities were sampled in Ebola-affected and 60 in Ebola-unaffected prefectures. Study teams abstracted malaria case management indicators from registers for January to November for 2013 and 2014 and interviewed health-care workers. Nationwide weekly surveillance data for suspect malaria cases reported between 2011 and 2014 were analysed independently. Data for malaria indicators in 2014 were compared with previous years.
Findings
We noted substantial reductions in all-cause outpatient visits (by 23 103 [11%] of 214 899), cases of fever (by 20249 [15%] of 131 330), and patients treated with oral (by 22 655 [24%] of 94 785) and injectable (by 5219 [30%] of 17 684) antimalarial drugs in surveyed health facilities. In Ebola-affected prefectures, 73 of 98 interviewed community health workers were operational (74%, 95% CI 65–83) and 35 of 73 were actively treating malaria cases (48%, 36–60) compared with 106 of 112 (95%, 89–98) and 102 of 106 (96%, 91–99), respectively, in Ebola-unaffected prefectures. Nationwide, the Ebola-virus-disease epidemic was estimated to have resulted in 74 000 (71 000–77 000) fewer malaria cases seen at health facilities in 2014.
Interpretation
The reduction in the delivery of malaria care because of the Ebola-virus-disease epidemic threatens malaria control in Guinea. Untreated and inappropriately treated malaria cases lead to excess malaria mortality and more fever cases in the community, impeding the Ebola-virus-disease response.
Funding
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and President’s Malaria Initiative.

Clinical features of patients isolated for suspected Ebola virus disease at Connaught Hospital, Freetown, Sierra Leone: a retrospective cohort study
Marta Lado, Naomi F Walker, Peter Baker, Shamil Haroon, Colin S Brown, Daniel Youkee, Neil Studd, Quaanan Kessete, Rishma Maini, Tom Boyles, Eva Hanciles, Alie Wurie, Thaim B Kamara, Oliver Johnson, Andrew J M Leather

Clinical features and viral kinetics in a rapidly cured patient with Ebola virus disease: a case report
Manuel Schibler, Pauline Vetter, Pascal Cherpillod, Tom J Petty, Samuel Cordey, Gaël Vieille, Sabine Yerly, Claire-Anne Siegrist, Kaveh Samii, Julie-Anne Dayer, Mylène Docquier, Evgeny M Zdobnov, Andrew J H Simpson, Paul S C Rees, Felix Baez Sarria, Yvan Gasche, François Chappuis, Anne Iten, Didier Pittet, Jérôme Pugin, Laurent Kaiser
1034

Articles
High titre neutralising antibodies to influenza after oral tablet immunisation: a phase 1, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
David Liebowitz, MD, Jonathan D Lindbloom, BA, Jennifer R Brandl, BS, Shaily J Garg, BS, Dr Sean N Tucker, PhD
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(15)00266-2
Summary
Background
Most influenza vaccines are manufactured in eggs, and the inactivated virus is purified for injection. For a seasonal influenza product, manufacturing, distribution, and perhaps even vaccine coverage, would be greatly improved with an oral tablet alternative made in cell culture. We aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of an oral tablet vaccine against influenza A H1N1 in healthy adults.
Methods
At a single site, we did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a monovalent influenza A H1N1 vaccine to establish the safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant, non-replicating, adenovirus vector expressing haemagglutinin and double-stranded RNA adjuvant delivered orally by tablets. Participants had to have an initial haemagglutination inhibition titre of at most 1/20, be aged between 18 and 49 years, and be in good health. We randomly assigned (1:1) participants to receive either a single oral dose of vaccine or placebo. Randomisation was done by computer-generated assignment, and study drug was distributed with concealed identity to the masked staff by an unmasked pharmacist. Investigative site staff, people directly involved with immunological assays or the assessment of clinical safety, and participants were masked to treatment assignments. Solicited symptoms of reactogenicity were assessed, and all safety assessments were reported through the active phase of the study (day 28). Immunogenicity was assessed by haemagglutination inhibition titres, the percentage of participants that seroconverted, microneutralisation titres, and the number of antibody secreting cells. Descriptive statistics were used for continuous variables and t-tests or Fisher’s exact tests were used to compare treatment groups. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01688297.
Findings
24 participants were enrolled in the study at WCCT Global between Dec 2, 2013, and April 15, 2014. Adverse events were mild in nature, and occurred with similar frequency in vaccine (four events) and placebo recipients (four events). After immunisation, 11 (92%) of 12 vaccine-treated participants had a four-fold increase in haemagglutination inhibition titres (group geometric mean fold rise of 7·7) and microneutralisation titres (group geometric mean fold rise of 29). No participants in the placebo group had a four-fold increase in haemagglutination inhibition titres (group geometric mean fold rise of 1·1) or microneutralisation titres (group geometric mean fold rise of 1·0). Neutralising antibody responses to influenza were not hindered by pre-existing immunity to the vector.
Interpretation
An oral recombinant adenovirus vaccine to influenza was well tolerated and can elicit neutralising antibody responses to influenza virus in human beings. These data are a step forward in making oral influenza vaccination possible.
Funding
Vaxart Inc.

Nature
Volume 525 Number 7567 pp5-152 3 September 2015
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html

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Global exchange and accumulation of non-native plants
Mark van Kleunen, Wayne Dawson, Franz Essl, Jan Pergl, Marten Winter+ et al.
A global database of alien plants, showing that over 13,000 species, nearly 4% of the global flora, have become naturalized in a new location.

Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration
OxMo Volume 5, No. 1 – August 2015
http://oxmofm.com/current-issue/

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Editorial
Welcome to Vol. 5, No. 1
Andonis Marden and Angelica Neville

Academic Articles
On the European system of immigration detention
Sebastian Lundby
Deportation, territoriality and the governing of public sentiment
Caroline Parker

Policy Monitor
The Eritrea report: Symbolic uses of expert information in asylum politics
Damian Rosset and Tone Maia Liodden
Providing sustainable psychosocial support for Syrian refugees in Jordan
Reva Dhingra

Law Monitor
What’s in a name? The Australian Border Force and its implications for forced migrants
Bernice Carrick

Field Monitor
Return to exile: Critical continuities of displacement following refugee resettlement to a third country
Georgina Ramsay

Pediatrics
September 2015, VOLUME 136 / ISSUE 3
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/current.shtml

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Article
Coadministration of a 9-Valent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine With Meningococcal and Tdap Vaccines
Andrea Schilling, MDa, Mercedes Macias Parra, MDb, Maricruz Gutierrez, MDc, Jaime Restrepo, MDd, Santiago Ucros, MDe, Teobaldo Herrera, MDf, Eli Engel, MDg, Luis Huicho, MDh, Marcia Shew, MDi, Roger Maansson, MSj, Nicole Caldwell, BSj, Alain Luxembourg, MD, PhDj, and Ajoke Sobanjo ter Meulen, MDj
Author Affiliations
aFacultad de Medicina Clinica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile;
bInstituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City, Mexico;
cHospital del Niño Poblano, Puebla, Mexico;
dFundacion Centro de Investigacion Clinica CIC, Medellín, Colombia;
eCentro de Investigaciones en Salud, Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia;
fInsituto de Investigación Nutricional anexo Huáscar, Lima, Perú;
gBayview Research Group, Valley Village, California;
hInstituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, Lima, Perú;
iIndiana University School of Medicine/Department of Pediatrics, Indianapolis, Indiana; and
jMerck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey

Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study in 11- to 15-year-old boys and girls compared the immunogenicity and safety of GARDASIL 9 (9-valent human papillomavirus [9vHPV] vaccine) administered either concomitantly or nonconcomitantly with 2 vaccines routinely administered in this age group (Menactra [MCV4; Neisseria meningitidis serotypes A/C/Y/W-135] or Adacel [Tdap; diphtheria/tetanus/acellular pertussis]).
METHODS: Participants received 9vHPV vaccine at day 1 and months 2 and 6; the concomitant group (n = 621) received MCV4/Tdap concomitantly with 9vHPV vaccine at day 1; the nonconcomitant group (n = 620) received MCV4/Tdap at month 1. Antibodies to HPV-, MCV4-, and Tdap-relevant antigens were determined. Injection-site and systemic adverse events (AEs) were monitored for 15 days after any vaccination; serious AEs were monitored throughout the study.
RESULTS: The geometric mean titers for all HPV types in 9vHPV vaccine 4 weeks after dose 3, proportion of subjects with a fourfold rise or greater in titers for 4 N meningitidis serotypes 4 weeks after injection with MCV4, proportion of subjects with antibody titers to diphtheria and tetanus ≥0.1 IU/mL, and geometric mean titers for pertussis antigens 4 weeks after injection with Tdap were all noninferior in the concomitant group compared with the nonconcomitant group. Injection-site swelling occurred more frequently in the concomitant group. There were no vaccine-related serious AEs.
CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant administration of 9vHPV vaccine with MCV4/Tdap was generally well tolerated and did not interfere with the antibody response to any of these vaccines. This strategy would minimize the number of visits required to deliver each vaccine individually.

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 5 September 2015)

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Extended Preclinical Safety, Efficacy and Stability Testing of a Live-attenuated Chikungunya Vaccine Candidate
Kenneth S Plante, Shannan L. Rossi, Nicholas A. Bergren, Robert L. Seymour, Scott C. Weaver
Research Article | published 04 Sep 2015 | PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
10.1371/journal.pntd.0004007

PLoS Currents: Outbreaks
http://currents.plos.org/outbreaks/
(Accessed 5 September 2015)

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The Tortoise and the Hare: Guinea Worm, Polio and the Race to Eradication
August 31, 2015 · Commentary
Introduction: The eradication of a human infectious disease is a major challenge and, if achieved, represents a enormous achievement. This article explores the long and difficult journey towards eradication for polio and guinea worm.
Methods: The authors reviewed the programmatic approaches taken in the eradication strategies for these two diseases and the unique socio-political contexts in which these strategies are couched. The epidemiology of the last 15 years is compared and contrasted. The specific challenges for both programs are outlined and some key elements for success are highlighted.
Discussion: The success of these eradication programs is contingent upon many factors. Nothing is assured, and progress remains fragile and vulnerable to setbacks. Security must be ensured in guinea worm transmission areas in Africa and polio transmission areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Technical solutions alone cannot guarantee eradication. National leadership and continued international focus and support are necessary, today more than ever. The legacy of success would be extraordinary. It would reverberate to future generations in the same way that the eradication of smallpox does for this generation.

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 September 2015]

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Assessing Community Based Improved Maternal Neonatal Child Survival (IMNCS) Program in Rural Bangladesh
Mahfuzar Rahman, Fatema Tuz Jhohura, Sabuj Kanti Mistry, Tridib Roy Chowdhury, Tanveen Ishaque, Rasheduzzaman Shah, Kaosar Afsana
Research Article | published 04 Sep 2015 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0136898

Research Stakeholders’ Views on Benefits and Challenges for Public Health Research Data Sharing in Kenya: The Importance of Trust and Social Relations
Irene Jao, Francis Kombe, Salim Mwalukore, Susan Bull, Michael Parker, Dorcas Kamuya, Sassy Molyneux, Vicki Marsh
Research Article | published 02 Sep 2015 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0135545

Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Administration in Pediatric Older Age Groups in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review
Kimberly Bonner, Emily Welch, Kate Elder, Jennifer Cohn
Research Article | published 02 Sep 2015 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0135270

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination and Adolescent Girls’ Knowledge and Sexuality in Western Uganda: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study
Andrew Kampikaho Turiho, Wilson Winston Muhwezi, Elialilia Sarikiaeli Okello, Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye, Cecil Banura, Anne Ruhweza Katahoire
Research Article | published 01 Sep 2015 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0137094

Reproductive Health
http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/supplements/12/S1
[Accessed 5 September 2015]

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Commentary
Research priorities on ending child marriage and supporting married girls
Joar Svanemyr, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Anita Raj, Ellen Travers, Lakshmi Sundaram Reproductive Health 2015, 12:80 (3 September 2015)
Abstract
Over the past few years the issue of child marriage has received growing political and programmatic attention. In spite of some progress in a number of countries, global rates have not declined over the past decade. Knowledge gaps remain in understanding trends, drivers and approaches to ending child marriage, especially to understand what is needed to achieve results on a large scale. This commentary summarizes the outcomes of an Expert Group Meeting organized by World Health Organization to discuss research priorities on Ending Child Marriage and Supporting Married Girls. It presents research gaps and recommends priorities for research in five key areas; (i) prevalence and trends of child marriage; (ii) causes of child marriage (iii) consequences of child marriage; (iv) efforts to prevent child marriage; (v) efforts to support married girls.

Research
Domestic violence against women and associated factors in Ethiopia; systematic review
Agumasie Semahegn, Bezatu Mengistie
Reproductive Health 2015, 12:78 (29 August 2015)

Science
4 September 2015 vol 349, issue 6252, pages 1021-1136
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl

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Food Security
Global agricultural research network is overhauled again
Dennis Normile
A key guardian of global food security is looking shaky. Funding for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the world’s premier group of agricultural research centers, is sagging in the global economic downturn. Its flagship backer—the World Bank—threatened to pull the plug on its contributions. And now CGIAR is about to undergo internal convulsions: It’s reorganizing for the second time in just 5 years. Backers say the move will give CGIAR a more coherent strategy and make the most of available funding. Critics argue that greater effort should go into securing stable funding and prioritizing research.

Policy Forum
Sustainability
Sustainable development agenda: 2030
William Colglazier
Author Affiliations
Visiting Scientist and Senior Scholar, Center for Science Diplomacy, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC 20005, USA.
On 25 to 27 September, United Nations member states will formally adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as key elements of the post-2015 development agenda (1), successors to the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that focused attention from 2000 to 2015. The final 2030 agenda text for adoption proposes 17 SDGs with 169 targets, to be supplemented in 2016 with numerous indicators. All of the text emphasizing science, technology, and innovation (STI) is most welcome but achieving desired outcomes by 2030 will require deep understanding of how to maximize the contributions of STI. Having had the privilege of addressing this topic to the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) that will oversee the SDG effort, I discuss areas that I believe are essential to success. I focus on three issues: (i) using the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) process to bridge SDGs and scientific communities, (ii) choosing targets, indicators, and roadmaps related to STI, and (iii) the imperative of building knowledge-based societies.

Review
Why infectious disease research needs community ecology
Pieter T. J. Johnson1,*, Jacobus C. de Roode2, Andy Fenton3
Author Affiliations
1Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
2Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
3Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Despite ongoing advances in biomedicine, infectious diseases remain a major threat to human health, economic sustainability, and wildlife conservation. This is in part a result of the challenges of controlling widespread or persistent infections that involve multiple hosts, vectors, and parasite species. Moreover, many contemporary disease threats involve interactions that manifest across nested scales of biological organization, from disease progression at the within-host level to emergence and spread at the regional level. For many such infections, complete eradication is unlikely to be successful, but a broader understanding of the community in which host-parasite interactions are embedded will facilitate more effective management. Recent advances in community ecology, including findings from traits-based approaches and metacommunity theory, offer the tools and concepts to address the complexities arising from multispecies, multiscale disease threats.
ADVANCES
Community ecology aims to identify the factors that govern the structure, assembly, and dynamics of ecological communities. We describe how analytical and conceptual approaches from this discipline can be used to address fundamental challenges in disease research, such as (i) managing the ecological complexity of multihost-multiparasite assemblages; (ii) identifying the drivers of heterogeneities among individuals, species, and regions; and (iii) quantifying how processes link across multiple scales of biological organization to drive disease dynamics. We show how a community ecology framework can help to determine whether infection is best controlled through “defensive” approaches that reduce host suitability or through “offensive” approaches that dampen parasite spread. Examples of defensive approaches are the strategic use of wildlife diversity to reduce host and vector transmission, and taking advantage of antagonism between symbionts to suppress within-host growth and pathology. Offensive approaches include the targeted control of superspreading hosts and the reduction of human-wildlife contact rates to mitigate spillover. By identifying the importance of parasite dispersal and establishment, a community ecology framework can offer additional insights about the scale at which disease should be controlled.
OUTLOOK
Ongoing technological advances are rapidly overcoming previous barriers in data quality and quantity for complex, multispecies systems. The emerging synthesis of “disease community ecology” offers the tools and concepts necessary to interpret these data and use that understanding to inform the development of more effective disease control strategies in humans and wildlife. Looking forward, we emphasize the increasing importance of tight integration among surveillance, community ecology analyses, and public health implementation. Building from the rich legacy of whole-system manipulations in community ecology, we further highlight the value of large-scale experiments for understanding host-pathogen interactions and designing effective control measures. Through this blending of data, theory, and analytical approaches, we can understand how interactions between parasites within hosts, hosts within populations, and host species within ecological communities combine to drive disease dynamics, thereby providing new ways to manage emerging infections.

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health ::
Holistic Development :: Sustainable Resilience
__________________________________________________
Week ending 29 August 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 29 August 2015

blog edition: comprised of the 35+ entries to be posted below on 30 August 2015