PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 12 March 2016]

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Using Seroprevalence and Immunisation Coverage Data to Estimate the Global Burden of Congenital Rubella Syndrome, 1996-2010: A Systematic Review
Emilia Vynnycky, Elisabeth J. Adams, Felicity T. Cutts, Susan E. Reef, Ann Marie Navar, Emily Simons, Lay-Myint Yoshida, David W. J. Brown, Charlotte Jackson, Peter M. Strebel, Alya J. Dabbagh
Research Article | published 10 Mar 2016 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0149160

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Factors Associated with Nursing Activities in Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief
Norihito Noguchi, Satoshi Inoue, Chisato Shimanoe, Kaoru Shibayama, Koichi Shinchi
Research Article | published 09 Mar 2016 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0151170
Abstract
Background
Although nurses play an important role in humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HA/DR), little is known about the nursing activities that are performed in HA/DR. We aimed to clarify the nursing activities performed by Japanese nurses in HA/DR and to examine the factors associated with the frequency of nursing activities.
Methods
A self-administered questionnaire survey was completed by 147 nurses with HA/DR experience. The survey extracted information on demographic characteristics, past experience (e.g., disaster medical training experience, HA/DR experience), circumstances surrounding their dispatched to HA/DR (e.g., team size, disaster type, post-disaster phase, mission term), and the frequency of nursing activities performed under HA/DR. The frequency of nursing activities was rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Evaluation of nursing activities was conducted based on the “nursing activity score”, which represents the frequency of each nursing activity. Factors related to the nursing activity score were evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis.
Results
Nurses were involved in 27 nursing activities in HA/DR, 10 of which were performed frequently. On analysis, factors significantly associated with nursing activity score were nursing license as a registered nurse (OR 7.79, 95% CI 2.95–20.57), two or more experiences with disaster medical training (OR 2.90 95%, CI 1.12–7.49) and a post-disaster phase of three weeks or longer (OR 8.77, 95% CI 2.59–29.67).
Conclusions
These results will contribute to the design of evidence-based disaster medical training that improves the quality of nursing activities.

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Crippling Violence: Conflict and Incident Polio in Afghanistan
Alison Norris, Kevin Hachey, Andrew Curtis, Margaret Bourdeaux
Research Article | published 09 Mar 2016 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0149074
Abstract
Background
Designing effective public health campaigns in areas of armed conflict requires a nuanced understanding of how violence impacts the epidemiology of the disease in question.
Methods
We examine the geographical relationship between violence (represented by the location of detonated Improvised Explosive Devices) and polio incidence by generating maps of IEDs and polio incidence during 2010, and by comparing the mean number of IED detonations in polio high-risk districts with non polio high-risk districts during 2004–2009.
Results
We demonstrate a geographic relationship between IED violence and incident polio. Districts that have high-risk for polio have highly statistically significantly greater mean numbers of IEDs than non polio high-risk districts (p-values 0.0010–0.0404).
Conclusions
The geographic relationship between armed conflict and polio incidence provides valuable insights as to how to plan a vaccination campaign in violent contexts, and allows us to anticipate incident polio in the regions of armed conflict. Such information permits vaccination planners to engage interested armed combatants to co-develop strategies to mitigate the effects of violence on polio.