Women for Women International [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.womenforwomen.org/press-releases

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January 22, 2016 | The Diane Rehm Show
Afghanistan’s Romeo and Juliet and How They Escaped an Honor Killing
WfWI’s Noorjahan Akbar joins Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and New York Times reporter and author Rod Nordland to discuss his new book The Lovers: Afghanistan’s Romeo and Juliet. Drawing from her personal experience, Akbar shares how women in Afghanistan are working to counter patriarchal norms and claim their own agency and power to make the choices that affect their lives.

Disasters Emergency Committee [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.dec.org.uk/media-centre
[Action Aid, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, Plan UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision]

27/12/2015
Flooding in north of England
Flooding in the north of England, Wales and some other areas of Britain has caused extensive disruption and driven hundreds of people from their homes.

23/10/2015
Nepal fuel crisis hampers relief response as winter approaches
:: Six months on DEC appeal totals £85 million
:: DEC funds help member agencies reach 900,000 people with aid
More than 400,000 people in the high mountains of Nepal are facing a winter of sub-zero temperatures without adequate shelter and supplies, nearly six months after the devastating earthquake struck the country on 25 April 2015, the DEC said today.

The Elders [to 30 January 2016]
http://theelders.org/news-media

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News 29 January 2016
The Elders urge African Union to maintain efforts for peace and justice in Burundi
The Elders have written to the Chairperson of the African Union, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, in support of her efforts to bring peace and justice to Burundi, and urged her to press for a credible international security presence in the country.

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News 27 January 2016
Still fit for purpose? Elders’ UN proposals take centre stage at Sciences Po
Martti Ahtisaari and Lakhdar Brahimi discussed The Elders’ proposals for strengthening the UN at the Sciences Po event which included contributions from several possible candidates for the next Secretary-General and touched on issues from terrorism to the refugee crisis, development challenges and the weakness of international institutions.

Global Fund [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/

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News
Dutch Postcode Lottery Supports TB Programs for Syrian Refugees
28 January 2016
AMSTERDAM – The Dutch Postcode Lottery announced a contribution of €2.5 million to the Global Fund to support the fight against tuberculosis among Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match the contribution from the Dutch Postcode Lottery.

“Partnerships like this allow us to better focus on leaving no one behind, regardless of their status, circumstance, or ethnic and religious background,” said Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “TB is a serious challenge, and collective efforts to reduce it are ultimately connected with achieving quality access to health care by all.”

Marieke van Schaik, Managing Director of the Dutch Postcode Lottery, said: “We are honored to grant this award to the Global Fund to support the work that the organization is doing in emergency situations.”
The Global Fund partnership, through the Emergency Fund special initiative, provides access to funds in emergency situations connected with HIV, TB or malaria. The Emergency Fund currently supports the provision and continuity of essential TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment services in Lebanon and Jordan, and will be expanded to Iraq.

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News
Global Fund Hails New Malaria Investment
25 January 2016
GENEVA – The Global Fund welcomes a significant new investment against malaria by the United Kingdom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Announced today in Liverpool by George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the funding of £3 billion over the next five years will support research and other efforts to eliminate malaria.

The new fund will accelerate gains made against the mosquito-borne disease. Global efforts have already achieved a 60 percent decline in deaths since 2000, when malaria killed one million people, mostly young children. Yet today’s announcement underscored the need to expand efforts to eliminate this preventable disease.

The fund will receive £500 million a year from Britain’s overseas aid budget for the next five years, as well as US$200 million a year from the Gates Foundation to support research and development and accelerate malaria elimination efforts…

Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP) [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.alnap.org/

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[Undated]
We are doing national NGOs research in Colombia, Lebanon and Nepal
One of the most striking findings of the State of the Humanitarian System (SOHS) 2015 report is that 4 out of 5 of the 4,480 humanitarian organisations are national NGOs working in country. These organisations have not only increased in numbers, but also in influence. There has been a growing recognition that national NGOs and civil society organisations should lead future humanitarian responses for them to be more relevant, timely and effective.

Although lots of research has addressed the need for an increased role for national NGOs in humanitarian response, the research, advocacy and evaluative pieces are commissioned and elaborated on from the perspective of international actors, primarily international NGOs.

In 2015 ALNAP embarked on new research into national and local NGOs to find out more about the work they do in disaster and emergency response, from their perspective. What are their priorities and commitments? What motivates and guides their decisions and activities? The project will seek to fill the current gap in understanding around what humanitarian action looks like in national NGOs’ own terms.

Through interviews with a wide range of organisations across the humanitarian sector – from DRR and WASH, to livelihoods and organisations of self-mobilised affected-people – in three countries with diverse needs and experiences (Colombia, Lebanon and Nepal), this project will produce an in-depth qualitative study of the national and local NGO landscape.

To ensure this research will be truly reflecting the perceptions of the NNGOs, ALNAP will be pioneering the use of Grounded Theory in the humanitarian field. This approach is more exploratory and hypothesis generating, rather than other approaches that test, validate or refute pre-established assumptions or hypotheses.

Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/

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Report Synopsis
Syria – Conflict and food insecurity in rural Damascus
Date: 2016/01/27
On 26 January 2016 we responded to a funding alert for escalating food insecurity and increased risk of malnutrition for people trapped in under siege conditions in the towns of Moadamiyet al-Sham and Daraya in rural Damascus, Syria. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 4.5 million people in Syria are considered hard to reach, of which at least 400,000 are totally besieged.

The inhabitants of Moadamiyet al-Sham and Daraya are trapped under siege conditions, and since December 2015 access to the towns has been completely closed. Food insecurity is escalating particularly for the most vulnerable people and the risk of malnutrition is rising particularly amongst children.

In 2016, for the fifth year in a row, the requirements set out in the UN-coordinated appeal in response the emergency within Syria have risen, now totalling US$3.2 billion.

According to the UN OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service (FTS), seven donors have reported commitments/ contributions totalling US$21.5 million to Syria since the start of 2016. This funding picture is likely to change significantly in the coming weeks following the Syria pledging conference that will be held on 5 February in London, UK.

:: Read our full analysis of the current funding situation.

ODI [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.odi.org/media

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Research Reports
Accelerating access to electricity in Africa with off-grid solar
Research reports and studies | January 2016 | Andrew Scott, Johanna Diecker, Kat Harrison, Charlie Miller, James Ryan Hogarth and Susie Wheeldon
An assessment of the impact of solar household systems and the market and policy environment for the growth of the solar off-grid market in sub-Saharan Africa.

Unlocking resilience through autonomous innovation
Working and discussion papers | January 2016 | Aditya Bahadur and Julian Doczi
This paper looks at autonomous, local, approaches to innovation which can be implemented to reduce people’s vulnerability to natural, social and political shocks.

The European Union’s Global Strategy: sustainable development and EU external action
Working and discussion papers | January 2016 | Mikaela Gavas, Christine Hackenesch, Svea Koch, James Mackie and Simon Maxwell
This briefing note addresses the challenges and opportunities related to the drafting of the European Union (EU) Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy.

Neutrality and solidarity in Nordic humanitarian action
Working and discussion papers | January 2016 | Carl Marklund
Although small, the Nordic countries have historically had a large and distinctive impact on humanitarian action.

China’s balancing act
Research reports and studies | January 2016 | Phyllis Papadavid
This report examines the impact of the internationalisation of the renminbi (RMB) on the global economy.

Clinton Foundation [to 30 January 2016]
https://www.clintonfoundation.org/press-releases-and-statements

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Press Release
New Programs and Partnerships to Advance Health and Wellness in the United States Announced at Fifth Annual Health Matters Activation Summit
January 25, 2016
Indian Wells, CA – Today, the Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, held its Fifth Annual Health Matters Activation Summit. The Summit brought together 450 leaders in healthcare, public policy, business, technology, education, and professional sports in an action-oriented dialogue on what’s working and what more can be done to improve the health and well-being of communities across the United States.

The Summit, sponsored by Tenet Healthcare Corporation, included plenary discussions led by President Clinton and Clinton Foundation President Donna Shalala on the quest for longevity and our rising death rates, addressing health disparities through technology and innovation, the inclusion of girls and women in sports to improve their health, and how communities and local organizations are driving and developing scalable solutions that are also best suited to meet local needs…

Kellogg Foundation [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.wkkf.org/news-and-media#pp=10&p=1&f1=news

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Jan. 28, 2016
WKKF leads a broad coalition to launch Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation process aimed at addressing centuries of racial inequities in the United States
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – The W.K. Kellogg Foundation launched its next step in pursuit of racial equity for the nation, an unprecedented Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) enterprise that will help communities embrace racial healing and uproot conscious and unconscious beliefs in the hierarchy of human value. Over the last nine years, the nation’s sixth largest private foundation invested more than $200 million in organizations working to heal racial divides and eradicate structural bias in their communities.

Already, more than 70 diverse organizations and individuals ranging from the National Civic League to the YWCA USA to the National Congress of American Indians are partners in the TRHT process. This broad coalition seeks to move the nation beyond dialogues about race and ethnicity to unearthing historic and contemporary patterns that are barriers to success, healing those wounds and creating opportunities for all children.

“Our nation looks at far too many people as deficits, instead of assets,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, WKKF’s president and CEO. “Entrenched beliefs create an uneven disbursement of opportunities that give advantages when it comes to jobs, education, housing, civic participation and health. TRHT follows a proven and structured process for implementing change that can allow all children to matter and have opportunities to succeed.”

Through its work with the America Healing initiative, WKKF has supported approximately 1,000 national and community organizations representing Native American, African American, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Arab American and white communities, which want to jettison the antiquated belief in the hierarchy of human value that limits the even distribution of opportunities throughout the nation…

MacArthur Foundation [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Publication
Assessing Health and Demographics in India
Published January 25, 2016
A large part of India has shown substantial improvement in the health of its citizens, according to the first phase of results from the fourth National Family Health Survey. The survey, conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences with support from MacArthur and other funders, shows declines in child malnutrition and maternal mortality rates in the 13 states and two union territories covered by the survey’s first phase. The report also shows that women are marrying later and prioritizing a focus on education and employment.

Open Society Foundation [to 30 January 2016]
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/issues/media-information

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January 28, 2016
The Hashtag That Stymied Corruption in Kyrgyzstan
by Shamil Ibragimov
By making information about public spending visible, watchdogs are shaming away government waste.

In October 2015, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament announced it had ordered 120 new chairs at a cost of 2.6 million soms, or over US$34,000. News of the extravagant purchase price sparked a backlash.

Social media users noted that the extravagant purchase makes them skeptical of promises to reduce spending. A virtual flash mob inundated social media networks with hundreds of photos of their own armchairs and office chairs under the hashtags #mychair and #120armchairs. The public shaming proved effective, and the order was canceled…

Pew Charitable Trusts [to 30 January 2016]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases
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Press Release
Pew: Consumers See Mobile Payments as Helpful but Potentially Troublesome
January 28, 2016 Press Release
Consumer Banking
WASHINGTON—A new issue brief from The Pew Charitable Trusts finds that consumers are interested in using mobile payments for speed and convenience but also have concerns about security of their personal information.

The issue brief, “Is This the Future of Banking? Focus Group Views on Mobile Payments,” is based on focus groups convened by Pew in May 2015 with smartphone owners who have bank accounts but have not tried mobile payments; those who have bank accounts and have used mobile payments; and those who do not have a bank account (the “unbanked”)…
Issue Brief: Is This the Future of Banking?
Pdf: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/Assets/2016/01/CB_FutureBankingIssueBrief.pdf
Jan 2016 :: 15 pages

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 30 January 2016)

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Research article
Prevalence and predictive factors for renouncing medical care in poor populations of Cayenne, French Guiana
Access to health care is a global public problem. In French Guiana, there exists social inequalities which are specially marked amongst immigrants who make up a third of the population.
Larissa Valmy, Barbara Gontier, Marie Claire Parriault, Astrid Van Melle, Thomas Pavlovsky, Célia Basurko, Claire Grenier, Maylis Douine, Antoine Adenis and Mathieu Nacher
BMC Health Services Research 2016 16:34

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 30 January 2016)

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Research article
Adult pertussis is unrecognized public health problem in Thailand
Nirada Siriyakorn, Pornvimol Leethong, Terapong Tantawichien, Saowalak Sripakdee, Anusak Kerdsin, Surang Dejsirilert and Leilani Paitoonpong
BMC Infectious Diseases 2016 16:25
Published on: 25 January 2016
Abstract
Background
Although pertussis has been considered a disease of childhood, it is also recognized as an important respiratory tract infection in adolescents and adults. However, in countries with routine vaccination against pertussis with high coverage, pertussis is not usually taken into consideration for the etiology of prolonged cough in adults. Previous studies in a variety of populations in developed countries have documented that pertussis is quite common, ranging from 2.9 to 32 % of adolescents and adults with prolonged cough. The anticipation and early recognition of this change in the epidemiology is important because the affected adolescents and adults act as reservoirs of the disease and source of infection to the vulnerable population of infants, for whom the disease can be life threatening. We conducted a prospective study to determine the prevalence of pertussis in Thai adults with prolonged cough.
Methods
Seventy-six adult patients with a cough lasting for more than 2 weeks (range, 14–180 days) were included in the present study. The data regarding medical history and physical examination were carefully analyzed. Nasopharyngeal swabs from all patients were obtained for the detection of deoxyribonucleic acid of Bordetella pertussis by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Paired serum samples were collected and tested for IgG antibody against pertussis toxin by using an ELISA method.
Results
Of 76 adult patients, 14 patients (18.4 %) with the mean age of 59 (range, 28–85) years and the mean duration of cough of 34 (range, 14–120) days had laboratory evidence of acute pertussis infection. One patient was diagnosed by the PCR method, while the rest had serological diagnosis. Whooping cough is a significantly associated symptom of patients with chronic cough who had laboratory evidence of pertussis. (p < .05, odds ratio 3.75, 95 % confidence interval: 1.00,14.06)
Conclusion
Pertussis is being increasingly recognized as a cause of prolonged, distressing cough among adults in Thailand. This result addresses the need of pertussis vaccination in Thai adults for preventing transmission to a high risk group such as newborn infants.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content
(Accessed 30 January 2016)

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Research article
The impact of a community driven mass media campaign on the utilisation of maternal health care services in rural Malawi
Collins O. F. Zamawe, Masford Banda and Albert N. Dube
Published on: 27 January 2016

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Research article
Systematic review to understand and improve care after stillbirth: a review of parents’ and healthcare professionals’ experiences
2.7 million babies were stillborn in 2015 worldwide; behind these statistics lie the experiences of bereaved parents.
Alison Ellis, Caroline Chebsey, Claire Storey, Stephanie Bradley, Sue Jackson, Vicki Flenady, Alexander Heazell and Dimitrios Siassakos
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:16
Published on: 25 January 2016

Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation
http://www.resource-allocation.com/
(Accessed 30 January 2016)

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Review
Economic evaluations of interventions to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality: a review of the evidence in LMICs and its implications for South Africa
Mandy Maredza, Lumbwe Chola and Karen Hofman
Abstract
Background
Newborn mortality, comprising a third of all under-5 deaths, has hardly changed in low and middle income countries (LMICs) including South Africa over the past decade. To attain the MDG 4 target, greater emphasis must be placed on wide-scale implementation of proven, cost-effective interventions. This paper reviews economic evidence on effective neonatal health interventions in LMICs from 2000–2013; documents lessons for South African policy on neonatal health; and identifies gaps and areas for future research.
Methods
A narrative review was performed in leading public health databases for full economic evaluations conducted between 2000 and 2013. Data extraction from the articles included in the review was guided by the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist, and the quality of the included economic evaluations was assessed using the Quality of Health Economics Studies Instrument (QHES).
Results
Twenty-seven economic evaluations were identified, from South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with those from sub-Saharan Africa primarily focused on HIV/AIDS. Packages of care to prevent neonatal mortality were more cost-effective than vertical interventions. A wide variability in methodological approaches challenges the comparability of study results between countries. In South Africa, there is limited cost-effectiveness evidence for the interventions proposed by the National Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality Committee.
Conclusions
Neonatal strategies have a strong health system focus but this review suggests that strengthening community care could be an additional component for averting neonatal deaths. While some evidence exists, having a more complete understanding of how to most effectively deploy scarce resources for neonatal health in South Africa in the post-2015 era is essential.

Global Public Health
Volume 11, Issue 3, 2016
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current

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Articles
Developing collaborative approaches to international research: Perspectives of new global health researchers
Paula Godoy-Ruiz, Donald C. Cole, Lindsey Lenters & Kwame McKenzie
pages 253-275
Open access
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2014.999814
Abstract
Within a global context of growing health inequities, the fostering of partnerships and collaborative research have been promoted as playing a critical role in tackling health inequities and health system problems worldwide. Since 2004, the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research (CCGHR) has facilitated annual Summer Institutes for new global health researchers aimed at strengthening global health research competencies and partnerships among participants. We sought to explore CCGHR Summer Institute alumni perspectives on the Summer Institute experience, particularly on the individual research pairings of Canadian and low- and middle-income countries researchers that have characterised the program. The results reveal that the Summer Institute offered an enriching learning opportunity for participants and worked to further their collaborative projects through providing dedicated one-on-one time with their international research partner, feedback from colleagues from around the world and mentorship by more senior researchers. Positive individual relationships among researchers, as well as the existence of institutional collaborations, employer and funding support, and agendas of local and national politicians were factors that have influenced the ongoing collaboration of partners. There is a need to more fully examine the interplay between individual and institutional-level collaborations, as well as their social and political contexts.

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Articles
Alternative accounting in maternal and infant global health
Vincanne Adams, Sienna R. Craig & Arlene Samen
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2015.1021364
pages 276-294
Abstract
Efforts to augment accountability through the use of metrics, and especially randomised controlled trial or other statistical methods place an increased burden on small nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) doing global health. In this paper, we explore how one small NGO works to generate forms of accountability and evidence that may not conform to new metrics trends but nevertheless deserve attention and scrutiny for being effective, practical and reliable in the area of maternal and infant health. Through an analysis of one NGO and, in particular, its organisational and ethical principles for creating a network of safety for maternal and child health, we argue that alternative forms of (ac)counting like these might provide useful evidence of another kind of successful global health work

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (JHCPU)
Volume 27, Number 1, February 2016
https://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_health_care_for_the_poor_and_underserved/toc/hpu.27.1.html

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Original Papers
Ideological vs. Instrumental Barriers to Accessing Formal Mental Health care in the Developing World: Focus on South-eastern Nigeria
pp. 157-175
Ugo Ikwuka, Niall Galbraith, Ken Manktelow, Josephine Chen-Wilson, Femi Oyebode, Rosemary C. Muomah, Anuli Igboaka

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Original Papers
Estimates of Mental Health Problems in a Vulnerable Population within a Primary Care Setting
pp. 308-326
Darrell L. Hudson, Kimberly A. Kaphingst, Merriah A. Croston, Melvin S. Blanchard, Melody S. Goodman

Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 18, Issue 1, February 2016
http://link.springer.com/journal/10903/18/1/page/1

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Original paper
HPV Vaccine Awareness, Barriers, Intentions, and Uptake in Latina Women
Julia Lechuga, Lina Vera-Cala…
Abstract
Latina women are at heightened risk of cervical cancer incidence and mortality. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the principal cause of the majority of cervical cancer cases. A vaccine that protects against HPV was licensed in 2006. Eight years post-licensure, mixed research findings exist regarding the factors that predict vaccine uptake in Latinas. We conducted a population-based phone survey with a random sample of 296 Latinas living in a Midwestern U.S. City. Intention to vaccinate was significantly associated with health care provider recommendations, worry about side effects, knowing other parents have vaccinated, perceived severity of HPV, and worry that daughter may become sexually active following vaccination. Worry that daughter may become sexually active was the only factor related to vaccine uptake. Findings suggest that training providers to discuss the low risk of severe side effects, consequences of persistent HPV, and sexuality related concerns with Latino women may encourage vaccination.

Journal of the Royal Society – Interface
01 January 2016; volume 13, issue 114
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Research Articles
Self-enforcing regional vaccination agreements
Petra Klepac, Itamar Megiddo, Bryan T. Grenfell, Ramanan Laxminarayan
J. R. Soc. Interface 2016 13 20150907; DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0907. Published 20 January 2016
Abstract
In a highly interconnected world, immunizing infections are a transboundary problem, and their control and elimination require international cooperation and coordination. In the absence of a global or regional body that can impose a universal vaccination strategy, each individual country sets its own strategy. Mobility of populations across borders can promote free-riding, because a country can benefit from the vaccination efforts of its neighbours, which can result in vaccination coverage lower than the global optimum. Here we explore whether voluntary coalitions that reward countries that join by cooperatively increasing vaccination coverage can solve this problem. We use dynamic epidemiological models embedded in a game-theoretic framework in order to identify conditions in which coalitions are self-enforcing and therefore stable, and thus successful at promoting a cooperative vaccination strategy. We find that countries can achieve significantly greater vaccination coverage at a lower cost by forming coalitions than when acting independently, provided a coalition has the tools to deter free-riding. Furthermore, when economically or epidemiologically asymmetric countries form coalitions, realized coverage is regionally more consistent than in the absence of coalitions.