Pact [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.pactworld.org/news

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February 11, 2016
Plummeting commodity prices increase risk of ‘conflict minerals’ in consumer electronic devices
Washington, D.C.
A steep fall in worldwide mineral prices is jeopardizing the operational traceability system designed to both stem ‘conflict minerals’ and protect vulnerable artisanal miners in Africa’s Great Lakes region.

At risk are rollbacks, suspensions and even closure of the iTSCi traceability and due diligence system that Pact has helped governments to implement in more than 800 mines, ensuring the livelihoods of more than 60,000 artisanal miners in Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Prices for tin, tungsten, and tantalum – 3T minerals that are used in all smartphones, computers, and airliners – have plummeted over the past year. While miners all over the world face the same price squeeze, the impact is magnified in central Africa where producers have to meet exceptionally strict requirements for due diligence if they are to trade on the international market. Central African miners and traders are at a commercial disadvantage and have to cut their own cost, including levies that self-fund the system during normal market conditions…

Partners In Health [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.pih.org/blog

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Feb 12, 2016
Meet a Leader Transforming Nursing in Haiti
Posted on February 12, 2016
Chief Nursing Officer Beatrice Romela supports nurses in all of PIH’s health facilities in Haiti.

PATH [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.path.org/news/index.php

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Press release | February 12, 2016
PATH and Siemens Foundation partner to launch Ingenuity Fellowships
A global health opportunity for university students in science, technology, engineering, and math

Announcement | February 08, 2016
PATH partners with Health Affairs to highlight importance of accelerated action on global immunization goals
Theme issue and policy discussion mark the midpoint of the Decade of Vaccines

Save The Children [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.9357111/k.C14B/Press_Releases_2016/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp

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February 10, 2016
President Budget Request Mixed Picture: Raises Concern for Continued Progress for Mothers and Children Worldwide

American Households Not Prepared for Disasters, Not Confident That Children’s Needs Will be Met
February 9, 2016

Ticking Clock on Ethiopia Drought: Foreign Donors Must Pledge $245m in Next Three Weeks to Avoid Break in Food Aid Pipeline by End of April
February 10, 2016

Tostan [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.tostan.org/latest-news

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February 9, 2016
International Day for the Abandonment of FGC: A Photo Essay
On this year’s International Day for the Abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC), Tostan partnered with the Senegalese government, UNFPA and UNICEF…

Women for Women International [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.womenforwomen.org/press-releases

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February 12, 2016 | Digital Journal
Abdoulaye Toure: A life dedicated to women’s empowerment
Sharing his experiences confronting gender inequality during his childhood, WfWI-DRC Country Director Abdoulaye Toure discusses how it inspired his lifelong passion to work for women’s empowerment. In the most insecure regions of the DRC, Toure and his team are working to provide social and economic empowerment training opportunities for women, and engage men to support women’s equality.

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How Do People Live and Cope in the Midst of Violent Conflict?
February 11, 2016 | NPR’s TED Radio Hour
WfWI Founder Zainab Salbi discusses what it means to endure through violent conflict and the lessons she learned from her own life growing up in Iraq in the midst of war and from women survivors in WfWI’s programs. Sharing stories and anecdotes, Salbi explains how the women she has met find their own resistance to conflict, and the resilience and strength to help their families and children move forward.

The Elders [to 13 February 2016]
http://theelders.org/news-media

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Press release 11 February 2016
Lesley-Anne Knight retires as CEO of The Elders
The Chair of the Elders, Kofi Annan, today announced the retirement effective 18 March 2016 of Ms Lesley-Anne Knight, the Chief Executive Officer of The Elders

Gavi [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.gavialliance.org/library/news/press-releases/

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11 February 2016
Japan commits US$ 18.5 million to support immunisation in Ebola-affected region
Pledge from G7 President will help revitalise immunisation services and strengthen health systems.

TOKYO, 10 February 2016 – The Government of Japan has committed US$ 18.5 million to help Gavi restore immunisation services in Ebola-affected countries. The contribution, which is for 2016 and is Japan’s largest to Gavi to date, will also support the strengthening of health systems in 13 countries, including Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where thousands of children missed out on routine vaccinations during the Ebola outbreak.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Seiji Kihara, made the announcement ahead of a meeting in Tokyo last Thursday with new Gavi Board Chair Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Japan’s commitment means that all members of the G7, which will be chaired this year by Japan, have now made pledges to Gavi to support childhood immunisation for the 2016 to 2020 period.

Japan’s contribution will help Gavi support work to trace children who missed out on immunisation in the Ebola-hit countries and ensure they are reached through catch-up programmes. The new funding will also help strengthen health systems in the Ebola-affected West Africa region, including purchasing new cold chain equipment to ensure vaccines are stored at the correct temperatures…

Global Fund [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
11 February 2016
Global Fund Congratulates India on Launch of Malaria Elimination Framework
NEW DELHI – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria praised India’s leadership and vision for launching an ambitious national framework to eliminate malaria by 2030, and called the country’s significant progress against the disease an example in global health.

With the support of many partners, India has seen a dramatic decline in malaria rates and malaria deaths. Through combined interventions that include rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination therapy, long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying, India is projected to achieve a fall in case incidence of 50-75 percent between 2000 and 2015.

“India is showing others that with commitment, partnership and innovative strategies we can eliminate malaria,” Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said during the presentation of the National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India 2016-2030 and the Operational Guidelines for Malaria Elimination in India. “This framework is a hugely important step that gets us closer towards that goal.”

J.P. Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare of India, stressed his country’s engagement to eliminate the disease. “I can only assure you that the Government of India fully stands committed to the malaria elimination program, with the support of all stakeholders,” said Nadda.

During a two-day meeting that brought together the Government of India, WHO, academics and the Indian and global public health sector, partners discussed strategies and implementation of the framework, innovation and research, health system strengthening, and shared experiences for malaria elimination.

Under the framework, India aims to eliminate malaria (zero indigenous cases) throughout the entire country by 2030, and maintain malaria-free status in areas where malaria transmission has been interrupted and prevent re-introduction of malaria. Elimination will be undertaken in a phased manner, with states with low incidence rates first, followed by the high-incidence ones.
The framework is in line with the Asia Pacific Leaders’ Malaria Alliance Malaria Elimination Roadmap for 2030…

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09 February 2016
U.S. Demonstrates Strong Commitment to Global Health
GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria expressed deep appreciation for President Barack Obama’s request for US$1.35 billion for the Global Fund in his 2017 budget proposal, calling it a demonstration of great commitment to global health.

“We are privileged to call the United States our partner in efforts to end HIV, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics,” said Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “The U.S. has shown extremely strong leadership and continues to rally support from countries and partners worldwide to reach our common goals.”

The United States is the largest supporter of the Global Fund, contributing nearly one-third of overall funding, and connecting it to other U.S.-led efforts on global health. Ground-breaking work by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) includes the launch of DREAMS, an ambitious partnership to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women in 10 African countries. The Global Fund also works closely with the President’s Malaria Initiative and with USAID on tuberculosis, to leverage and expand joint efforts…

CHS Alliance [to 13 February 2016]
http://chsalliance.org/news-events/news

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11/02/2016
Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) launches in Bangla
The Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) has been launched in Bangla at a seminar in Dhaka, after its development during a year-long participatory process that included field testing. CHS Alliance Executive Director, Judith Greenwood joined the panel discussion on Accountability and Quality Management in Humanitarian Actions: Bangladesh Perspective.

10/02/2016
Save the date: Protection from Sexual Exploitation & Abuse (PSEA) conference 2016, Bangkok
We are pleased to announce that the CHS Alliance will organise a conference on PSEA on 5 September 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand, focusing on good practices in investigations of allegation of SEA by aid workers.

08/02/2016
CHS Guidance Notes and Indicators now available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish
Following the launch of the CHS Guidance Notes and Indicators in English and French, this document is now available in Arabic and Spanish.

Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/

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Report Synopsis
Uganda – influx of refugees from South Sudan
Date: 2016/02/09
On 8 February 2016 we responded to a funding alert in response to the influx of South Sudanese refugees into Uganda.

Since the outbreak of hostilities at the end of 2013, the number of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda has steadily increased, reaching an estimated 170,000 by the end of 2015. However, there has been a sharp rise in the number of new refugees in January 2016: according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 9,519 South Sudanese refugees arrived between 1 and 24 January 2016.

According to the United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA)’s Financial Tracking Service (FTS), donors have not yet committed/contributed any funding in 2016 for the South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP). Outside of the appeal, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO), Denmark and Sweden have committed/contributed US$5.8 million to Uganda.

Read our full analysis of the current funding situation.

The Sphere Project [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.sphereproject.org/news/

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12 February 2016 | Sphere Project
What applying humanitarian principles and standards looks like in real life
From dilemmas in applying humanitarian principles at field level to organisational obstacles that hinder collective accountability and governmental reluctance to abide by humanitarian standards, a range of concrete challenges were candidly discussed during a side event to the latest Sphere Board meeting.

ODI [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.odi.org/media

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Research Reports
Journeys to Europe: the role of policy in migrant decision-making
Research reports and studies | February 2016 | Jessica Hagen-Zanker and Richard Mallett
New research on journeys migrants take and the capacity of national migration policies to influence peoples’ decisions.

Banking on resilience: building capacities through financial services inclusion
Briefing papers,Research reports and studies | February 2016 | Anna Haworth, Camille Frandon-Martinez, Virginie Fayolle and Emily Wilkinson
Financial inclusion has the potential to help vulnerable groups in developing countries become more resilient to climate extremes and global warming.

Who is being left behind in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America?
Research reports and studies | February 2016 | Alainna Lynch, Tom Berliner, Chiara Mariotti, Tanvi Bhatkal and Laura Rodriguez Takeuchi
These papers set out the first step towards implementing the ‘leave no one behind’ agenda: identifying marginalised communities

MacArthur Foundation [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Publication
Plan Proposed to Stabilize Illinois Finances
Published February 11, 2016
The Civic Federation, a MacArthur grantee, has proposed a comprehensive three-year plan to address Illinois’ ongoing financial crisis with spending limits and revenue enhancements. More than seven months into the current fiscal year, Illinois continues to operate without a budget, and the Federation stresses that if current revenue and expenditure policies continue, the state will aggregate a backlog of debt reaching $25.9 billion by the end of FY2019.

Publication
Voluntary Consensus Standards Can Establish Efficient and Safe Nuclear Operations
Published February 9, 2016
The increase of climate change and energy security concerns are resulting in countries looking to nuclear power for electricity needs, according to a study by the Stimson Center, a recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. With an increase in nuclear demand, security measures need to be incorporated into new builds to reduce the chances and consequences of nuclear incidents. The report outlines a plan to implement nuclear security and safety into international agreements, and recommends that a business case for nuclear security be facilitated by policymakers and governments. Stimson’s report suggests that voluntary consensus standards should be established with stakeholders to ensure efficient nuclear.

Publication
Peace Agreement Success Depends on Inclusion of Natural Resources
Published February 9, 2016
A study by Forest Trends, recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, suggests that the failure of peace agreements is largely due to the lack of natural resource management. The report finds that resources such as oil, gas, timber and diamonds have become a significant factor in armed conflicts and can lead to the eradication of peace agreements. To avoid natural resources fueling further conflict, they must not be viewed solely as a commodity or winnings from war, the study finds. Resources are vitally important to local livelihoods, and carry high cultural, social, and ecosystem value that peace agreements must recognize.

David and Lucile Packard Foundation [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.packard.org/news/

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February 11, 2016
Remembering Robin Chandler Duke, a Champion for Women’s Rights
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation remembers the extraordinary life of Robin Chandler Duke, former Trustee of the Foundation who passed away on February 6 at the age of 92. Robin served on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees from 1989 through 2000. Until the end of her life, she campaigned for women’s reproductive rights and was a tireless advocate for improving access to contraception, family planning, education, and health care in the United States and abroad…

Packard Foundation and Caring for Colorado Establish New Partnership in Pueblo
February 10, 2016
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Caring for Colorado Foundation are pleased to announce that they have entered into an exciting new partnership to continue and strengthen the Packard Foundation’s community grantmaking in Pueblo, Colorado…

Quality Innovation Challenge Finalists
February 9, 2016
At the 2016 International Conference on Family Planning, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation hosted its second Quality Innovation Challenge – a global call for creative ideas to improve quality in sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescents and youth.

Packard Foundation Joins Blue Meridian Partners
February 8, 2016
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is joining the Blue Meridian Partners, a collaborative-funding model with a goal of investing at least $1 billion in high-performance nonprofits that are poised to have truly national impact…

Pew Charitable Trusts [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases
Press Release
Pew: Laws Governing Mobile Payments Leave Room for Error
Analysis conducted on mobile payments points to legal gaps, ambiguities, and overlap
February 10, 2016 – Consumer Banking
WASHINGTON—The Pew Charitable Trusts released an issue brief today describing the uncoordinated and uncertain regulatory environment surrounding the use of mobile devices to make payments. The brief highlights the significant risks to consumers at each stage of the mobile payments process—contracting for services, using mobile devices to make payments, and tracking transactions after making payments.

The brief, “Mobile Payments: Regulatory Gaps, Ambiguities, and Overlap Summary Report,” summarizes the findings of a white paper commissioned by Pew and authored by Mark E. Budnitz, professor emeritus at the Georgia State University College of Law.

Issue Brief: Mobile Payments – Regulatory gaps, ambiguities, and overlap

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/news-releases.html

Tue Feb 09 10:07:00 EST 2016
RWJF Names Donald F. Schwarz, MD, MPH, MBA as Vice President, Program
Donald F. Schwarz has been named vice president, Program. In this role, Schwarz will help guide the Foundation’s strategies and work closely with colleagues, external partners and community leaders to build a Culture of Health in America.

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 13 February 2016)

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Research article
Inequalities in utilization of maternal and child health services in Ethiopia: the role of primary health care
Solomon Tessema Memirie, Stéphane Verguet, Ole F. Norheim, Carol Levin and Kjell Arne Johansson
BMC Health Services Research 2016 16:51
Published on: 12 February 2016
Abstract
Background
Health systems aim to narrow inequality in access to health care across socioeconomic groups and area of residency. However, in low-income countries, studies are lacking that systematically monitor and evaluate health programs with regard to their effect on specific inequalities. We aimed to measure changes in inequality in access to maternal and child health (MCH) interventions and the effect of Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities expansion on the inequality in access to care in Ethiopia.
Methods
The Demographic and Health Survey datasets from Ethiopia (2005 and 2011) were used. We calculated changes in utilization of MCH interventions and child morbidity. Concentration and horizontal inequity indices were estimated. Decomposition analysis was used to calculate the contribution of each determinant to the concentration index.
Results
Between 2005 and 2011, improvements in aggregate coverage have been observed for MCH interventions in Ethiopia. Wealth-related inequality has remained persistently high in all surveys. Socioeconomic factors were the main predictors of differences in maternal and child health services utilization and child health outcome. Utilization of primary care facilities for selected maternal and child health interventions have shown marked pro-poor improvement over the period 2005–2011.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that expansion of PHC facilities in Ethiopia might have an important role in narrowing the urban-rural and rich-poor gaps in health service utilization for selected MCH intervention.

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 13 February 2016)

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Research article
Measuring the potential of individual airports for pandemic spread over the world airline network
Glenn Lawyer
BMC Infectious Diseases 2016 16:70
Published on: 9 February 2016
Abstract
Background
Massive growth in human mobility has dramatically increased the risk and rate of pandemic spread. Macro-level descriptors of the topology of the World Airline Network (WAN) explains middle and late stage dynamics of pandemic spread mediated by this network, but necessarily regard early stage variation as stochastic. We propose that much of this early stage variation can be explained by appropriately characterizing the local network topology surrounding an outbreak’s debut location.
Methods
Based on a model of the WAN derived from public data, we measure for each airport the expected force of infection (AEF) which a pandemic originating at that airport would generate, assuming an epidemic process which transmits from airport to airport via scheduled commercial flights. We observe, for a subset of world airports, the minimum transmission rate at which a disease becomes pandemically competent at each airport. We also observe, for a larger subset, the time until a pandemically competent outbreak achieves pandemic status given its debut location. Observations are generated using a highly sophisticated metapopulation reaction-diffusion simulator under a disease model known to well replicate the 2009 influenza pandemic. The robustness of the AEF measure to model misspecification is examined by degrading the underlying model WAN.
Results
AEF powerfully explains pandemic risk, showing correlation of 0.90 to the transmission level needed to give a disease pandemic competence, and correlation of 0.85 to the delay until an outbreak becomes a pandemic. The AEF is robust to model misspecification. For 97 % of airports, removing 15 % of airports from the model changes their AEF metric by less than 1 %.
Conclusions
Appropriately summarizing the size, shape, and diversity of an airport’s local neighborhood in the WAN accurately explains much of the macro-level stochasticity in pandemic outcomes.

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 13 February 2016)

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Debate
Ebola vaccine development plan: ethics, concerns and proposed measures
Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan, Aminu Yakubu, Bridget Haire and Kristin Peterson
Published on: 8 February 2016
Abstract
Background
The global interest in developing therapies for Ebola infection management and its prevention is laudable. However the plan to conduct an emergency immunization program specifically for healthcare workers using experimental vaccines raises some ethical concerns. This paper shares perspectives on these concerns and suggests how some of them may best be addressed.
Discussion
The recruitment of healthcare workers for Ebola vaccine research has challenges. It could result in coercion of initially dissenting healthcare workers to assist in the management of EVD infected persons due to mistaken beliefs that the vaccine offers protection. It could also affect equity and justice. For example, where people who are not skilled health care professionals but who provide care to patients infected with Ebola (such as in home care settings) are not prioritized for vaccination. The possibility of study participants contracting Ebola infection despite the use of experimental vaccine, and the standard of care they would receive, needs to be addressed clearly, transparently and formalized as part of the ethics review process. Future access to study products in view of current status of the TRIPS agreement needs to be addressed. Finally, broad stakeholder engagement at local, regional and international levels needs to be promoted using available communication channels to engage local, regional and international support. These same concerns are applicable for current and future epidemics.
Summary
Successful Ebola vaccine development research requires concerted efforts at public dialogue to address misconceptions, equity and justice in participant selection, and honest discussions about risks, benefits and future access. Public dialogue about Ebola vaccine research plans is crucial and should be conducted by trusted locals and negotiated between communities, researchers and ethics committees in research study sites.