Digital Identity – Privacy/Protection

World Bank Group Launches Innovation Challenge to Strengthen Data Privacy and Empower the World’s ‘Invisible Billion’
One billion people are unable to prove their identity, which can exclude them from economic opportunities and vital services such as education and healthcare

Washington, D.C., December 7th, 2018 –The World Bank Group’s Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative announced the launch of the Mission Billion Challenge to make the ‘invisible billion’ – the number of people who still cannot prove who they are –, visible. Mission Billion will crowdsource innovative solutions to strengthen data privacy in digital identification systems and empower users to have greater control of their personal data. The Challenge offers cash prizes totaling US$100,000 with the top prize of US$50,000 for the most promising solutions that enhance trust and protect personal data from being misused or compromised.

Despite significant progress in recent years, one billion people are still unable to prove their identity, and many more have forms of identification that cannot be reliably verified or authenticated. In the digital age, the lack of trusted identification often results in exclusion from economic opportunities, and social and political rights. The poorest and most vulnerable often face the highest risk of being excluded and there is a significant gender gap with nearly one in two women in low-income countries lacking an ID. Without a secure and trusted way to prove their identity, people struggle to open a bank account, enroll in school, access health and social services, or obtain a mobile phone.

“Digital identification systems can play a transformational role across key areas such as financial inclusion, access to services and social safety nets, and effective humanitarian response. Yet this can also create important privacy challenges,” said Makhtar Diop, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank. “The Mission Billion Challenge offers an exciting opportunity to tap into the most creative minds to help us design digital identification systems to enhance data protection and empower people with greater control over their personal data.”

The Mission Billion Challenge seeks new, practical ideas for ‘privacy by design’ features that can be embedded into digital identification systems to address the potential risks that arise from collecting, using and managing personal data such as data protection and cybersecurity challenges.

Strengthening trust of these systems and empowering people to have greater control over their personal data is vital to closing the identification gap. The importance of data privacy is highlighted in the Principles on Identification for Sustainable Development, which have been signed onto by 24 international organizations and development partners as being fundamental to maximizing the benefits of digital identification systems.

Alongside this Challenge, the WBG’s ID4D Initiative is working to support approximately 40 countries on other critical features of ‘Good ID’, including developing legal frameworks that promote trust in digital identification systems, the use of technical standards to facilitate interoperability and avoid vendor and technology lock-in, and adoption of inclusive approaches.

The Challenge is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Australian Government, Omidyar Network, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. Mission Billion will be powered by the MIT Solve platform, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that uses open innovation and crowdsourcing to solve global challenges. Through MIT’s award-winning platform, innovators and organizations, wherever they are in the world, can submit their solution to this Challenge…

Individuals and organizations with a strong passion for developing innovative solutions are encouraged to apply. Submitted solutions to the Challenge will be reviewed by a group of experts in digital identification, data security, and international development. Finalists will be invited to a high-level event to present their solutions in front of distinguished judges around the World Bank Group’s Spring Meetings in Washington D.C. in April 2019.

The Mission Billion Challenge is open. The submission deadline is February 24, 2019. To learn more about the Challenge, visit: http://id4d.worldbank.org/missionbillion. Click here to submit your solution.

Humanitarian Response – Digital Infrastructure, Privacy, Risk

The humanitarian metadata problem: ‘Doing no harm’ in the digital era
ICRC, Privacy International
October 2018 :: 130 pages
About this study
New technologies continue to present great risks and opportunities for humanitarian action. To ensure that their use does not result in any harm, humanitarian organisations must develop and implement appropriate data protection standards, including robust risk assessments.
However, this requires a good understanding of what these technologies are, what risks are associat-ed with their use, and how we can try to avoid or mitigate them. The following study tries to answer these questions in an accessible manner. The aim is to provide people who work in the humanitarian sphere with the knowledge they need to understand the risks involved in the use of certain new technologies. This paper also discusses the “do no harm” principle and how it applies in a digital environment.
This study was commissioned by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Privacy International (PI). The study does not advocate for privacy or against surveillance. Rather, it maps out where surveillance may obstruct or threaten the neutral, impartial and independent nature of humanitarian action…

Executive summary
Introduction
Background
The past decade has seen a surge in the use of mobile telecommunica¬tions, messaging apps and social media. As they become more acces¬sible around the world, these technologies are also being used by the humanitarian sector to coordinate responses, communicate with staff and volunteers, and engage with the people they serve.

These exchanges lead to an increase in metadata: data about other data. In their most common form, metadata are the data that are generated around a message, but not the content of the message. Imagine that you are a clerk at the post office: content data would be information contained inside each parcel that comes your way. These content data are often pro¬tected by law and other technical safeguards. However, metadata – data that are found on the outside of the parcel or that can be inferred from the parcel’s appearance – are often less well protected. They can be accessed and read by third parties as they pass through the postal system.

What are metadata?
Today there are many forms of such data. In this report, we differentiate between declared data, inferred data, and interest or intent data. These data can be owned, processed, shared and stored for different periods of time, by different third parties, and under different jurisdictions applying different regulations.

This complex landscape requires that humanitarian organisations learn how to more systematically assess, understand, and mitigate the risks involved in programme activities that generate metadata.

Main findings
Why should the humanitarian sector care about metadata?
Humanitarian organisations collect and generate growing amounts of metadata. They do this through their exchanges internally and with people affected by crises (e.g. sharing “info-as-aid” over messaging apps and/or via SMS and social media); their programmes (e.g. cash-transfer programmes that use mobile cash or smartcards); and their monitoring and evaluation systems (e.g. using data analytics on programme data to detect fraud).

To reconcile these actions with the “do no harm” principle, the humani¬tarian community must better understand the risks associated with the
generation, exposure and processing of metadata. This is particularly important for organisations that enjoy certain privileges and immunities but that are not able to counter these risks alone.

Processing data and metadata
Specifically, humanitarian organisations need to better understand how data and metadata collected or generated by their programmes, for human¬itarian purposes, can be accessed and used by other parties for non-hu¬manitarian purposes (e.g. by profiling individuals and using these profiles for ad targeting, commercial exploitation, surveillance, and/or repression).

For instance, information about an individual registered for a cash-trans¬fer programme can be accessed and used by the financial institution implementing the programme. The institution can then use this informa¬tion to categorise the individual as a non-trustworthy borrower, thereby limiting their access to financial services. If the institution has infor¬mation-sharing agreements with other institutions that are part of the same financial group, this sort of profiling can prevent the individual from accessing those institutions’ services as well.

Understanding the legal and policy landscape
To fully appreciate such situations, humanitarian organisations should map out who exactly has access to the data and metadata they generate and for how long. These factors are affected by the technical, legal and policy land¬scapes, which vary greatly despite efforts to streamline regulations (through initiatives like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, for example).

These landscapes are also changing as expanded access to data is sought by both public entities (e.g. to combat crime or follow migration flows) and private ones (e.g. to monetise user data or improve their business mod¬els). Moreover, some service providers may have an obligation to disclose data or metadata. For instance, a number of banks are obliged to flag “suspicious activity” on their client’s accounts or collect information about clients under Know Your Customer regulations designed to prevent money laundering and other criminal activity.

Where services intersect
The following section summarises the risks associated with the use of traditional telecommunication services (including voice and SMS), mes¬saging applications, cash-transfer programming and social media. While each type of service is discussed separately, they may overlap where fi¬nancial companies are also telecommunication companies or where social media providers also own messaging applications. This has implications for the amount of data and metadata any given entity has access to or can generate and for the variety of jurisdictions under which these data are generated and stored…

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Press Release
Digital trails could endanger people receiving humanitarian aid, ICRC and Privacy International find
Geneva (ICRC) – 07-12-2018 The humanitarian sector’s growing use of digital and mobile technologies creates records that can be accessed and misused by third parties, potentially putting people receiving humanitarian aid at risk, a joint report from Privacy International and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has found.

The report – The humanitarian metadata problem: ‘Doing no harm’ in the digital era – explains how third parties could, for example, look at the metadata of someone’s mobile telephone messages to infer details like sleep patterns, travel routines or frequent contacts. That kind of information could pose risks to a person in a conflict environment.

“The ICRC hopes the report influences other humanitarian organizations to better protect their data,” said Charlotte-Lindsey Curtet, the organization’s newly appointed Director of Digital Transformation and Data. “Collaborating more closely with experts like Privacy International can help us to better mitigate these kinds of risks, in order to do no harm in a changing digital environment.”

The report details what metadata is collected or generated when humanitarian organizations use telecommunications, messaging apps or social media in their work. While the report doesn’t advocate for privacy or against surveillance, it demonstrates how ensuing surveillance risks could obstruct or threaten the neutral, impartial and independent nature of humanitarian action.

To remedy this, the report recommends a more systematic mapping of who has access to what information in order to anticipate how individuals might be profiled or discriminated against. It also encourages humanitarian organisations to improve digital literacy among their staff, volunteers – and most importantly, the people they serve.

“Technology is crucial if we want to engage with and better serve the needs of people we can’t physically access,” said Philippe Stoll, Head of Communication Policy and Support. “But using these platforms means creating an information trail we neither own nor control, and that’s something we must get better at anticipating.”

The report’s findings and recommendations will form part of the discussions at the ICRC’s Symposium on Digital Risks in Situations of Armed Conflict, taking place 11-12 December in London. Nearly 200 participants from humanitarian organisations, United Nations agencies, private tech companies, academia and government will attend.

Education

The LEGO Foundation awards $100 million to Sesame Workshop to bring the power of learning through play to children affected by the Rohingya and Syrian refugee crises
Press Release December 5, 2018
New program will provide critical new insights into effective models of learning through play for children affected by crisis
New York, NY, December 5, 2018 — Today, the LEGO Foundation announced that it is awarding a $100 million grant to Sesame Workshop to ensure that young children affected by the Rohingya and Syrian crises have opportunities to learn through play and develop the skills needed for the future. Working in partnership with BRAC, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and New York University’s Global TIES for Children, Sesame Workshop will reach children affected by crises in Bangladesh and the Syrian response region with early childhood and play-based learning opportunities.

The $100 million grant from the LEGO Foundation will benefit some of the world’s most vulnerable children and call attention to the critical importance of learning through play to set them on a path of healthy growth and development. The LEGO Foundation is the first to step up and meet the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s call for the bold philanthropy needed to transform the way the humanitarian system serves children affected by crisis in early childhood…

“This partnership marks the first step of the LEGO Foundation’s commitment to work within the humanitarian field to support children’s holistic development that incorporates learning through play. We hope to inspire other funders, humanitarian actors, world leaders and governments to act and urgently prioritise support for play-based early childhood development for children in humanitarian crises—a vastly overlooked but vital component in the progress of humanitarian aid. We hope that young children impacted by these crises will have opportunities to benefit from learning through play and also develop the skills needed for them to thrive in the future,” says Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Chairman of the LEGO Foundation Board and 4th generation owner of the LEGO Group…

“Research shows that not only is play vital for children’s psychological, emotional and cognitive health and development, but it also hones the resilience they need to overcome adversity and build their futures. Early adverse experiences negatively affect the development of brain architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior and health. By providing play-based learning to children in crisis, we can help mitigate the detrimental, long term effects of displacement and trauma, ultimately giving a generation of refugee children a path forward,” says John Goodwin, CEO of the LEGO Foundation.

Sesame Workshop will use the $100 million grant to implement quality, play-based early childhood interventions, working in partnership with BRAC and IRC…

“With the LEGO Foundation’s extraordinary award, Sesame Workshop and our partners have an unprecedented opportunity to reach and teach some of the world’s most vulnerable children by harnessing the power of learning through play,” said Jeffrey D. Dunn, President & CEO of Sesame Workshop. “The global refugee crisis is the humanitarian issue of our time, and we are deeply humbled by the trust the LEGO Foundation has placed in us to uplift the lives of children affected by conflict. Together with our partners at BRAC, the IRC, and NYU, we can forge a legacy for children worldwide affected by displacement, today and for generations to come.”…

NYU’s Global TIES for Children has been selected as the independent evaluation partner for the program and will implement an evidence-based research and evaluation program, which will deepen understanding around play-based early childhood interventions in humanitarian contexts.
Sesame Workshop will receive the $100 million grant over a 5-year period, with funds released as established milestones are met.

Yemen

Statement on Yemen by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
03 December 2018
We have met in Geneva today, for our regular twice-yearly discussion of the major humanitarian challenges facing the world. Yemen was first and foremost in our talks. We are alarmed at the dramatic deterioration in the situation over recent months. Millions of lives are now at serious risk.

We call for a sustained cessation of hostilities, especially for the key aid infrastructure around the port of Hudaydah. We call upon all parties to allow the humanitarian agencies better, unimpeded access to people in need. We call for further urgent action to boost the economy. We seek international support in response to our appeals for Yemen to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in 2019. And most importantly we urge all parties to go to Sweden for the talks being convened by the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, and to engage seriously to agree actions to ease the situation.

Signatories
Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP
Anoop Sukumaran, Chair, Board of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)
António Manuel de Carvalho Ferreira Vitorino, Director-General, IOM
Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of Internally Displaced People
David Beasley, Executive Director, WFP
Filippo Grandi, High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR
Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, UNICEF
Ignacio Packer, Executive Director, International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)
José Graziano da Silva, Director-General, FAO
Kate Halff, Executive Secretary, Steering Committee of Humanitarian Response (SCHR)
Mahmoud Mohieldin, Senior Vice President, World Bank Group
Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director, UN-HABITAT
Mark Goldring, Chief Executive Officer, Oxfam GB
Mark Lowcock, Emergency Relief Coordinator
Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR
Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, UNFPA
Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction
Sean Callahan, President and CEO, Catholic Relief Services
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO
Ursula Mueller, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, OCHA

Cholera in Yemen: A Case Study of Epidemic Preparedness and Response
Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health
2018 :: 108 pages
PDF: http://www.hopkinshumanitarianhealth.org/assets/documents/CHOLERA_YEMEN_REPORT_LONG_Low_Res_Dec_4_2018.pdf
Overview
In 2015, the United Nations declared Yemen a Level 3 emergency. On September 28, 2016, a large-scale cholera outbreak began. Between April 27, 2017 and July 1, 2018, more than one million suspected cases in two waves were reported. In the last decade, several large-scale and high-mortality cholera outbreaks have occurred during complex humanitarian emergencies including in Iraq, Somalia, and South Sudan. While the issues of “what to do” to control cholera are largely known, context-specific practices on “how to do it” in order to surmount challenges to coordination, logistics, insecurity, access, and politics, remain needed. During the Yemen cholera outbreak response, questions arose on how to effectively respond to a cholera outbreak at a national scale during an existing emergency. The main objective of this report was to identify lessons learned from the preparedness and detection phase to the end of second wave of the cholera epidemic in Yemen to better prepare for future outbreaks in Yemen and similar contexts.

Excerpts from Executive Summary
…The use of the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) was slowed by the lack of cholera response planning and technical knowledge among the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP) and partners. The lack of an updated cholera preparedness and response plan meant that OCV was not integrated into the response mindset and thus, there was a lack of technical knowledge and familiarly with OCV. OCV was not sufficiently discussed during the first wave, and was requested then rejected by the MoPHP during the second wave based on differing conceptions of the overall scale of distribution. The March 2018 plan is the first document that mentions
an OCV strategy, based on a January 2018 risk assessment. The MoPHP then made a successful
request to the Global Task Force for Cholera Control in April 2018 for 4.6 million doses for preventative use against future surges of cholera….

CONCLUSIONS:
The cholera response in Yemen was and remains extremely complicated and challenging for a variety of political, security, cultural, and environmental reasons. The study team recognizes these challenges and commends the government, international and national organizations, and the donors for working to find solutions in such a difficult context. There are no easy fixes to these challenges, and the conclusions and recommendations are meant to be constructive and
practical, taking into account the extreme limitations of working in Yemen during an active conflict.

The findings were consistent across respondents and methods. The study team found that several areas gained strength throughout the second wave, including: an extensive operational footprint which reached into insecure areas; the strengthening of the collaborations between WHO and UNICEF and the health and WASH clusters; the initiation of a funding mechanism through the World Bank which enabled a timely response at scale; the revitalization of the WASH strategy; and, eventual consensus and use of OCV.

Conversely, the major gaps of this response are rooted in weaknesses in preparedness and the early strategies developed in the first wave. An after-action review after the first wave could have institutionalized these areas in order to prevent a much larger second wave.

The World Bank’s commitment to the cholera response provides the rationale for major investment in bolstering the preparedness activities in Yemen and other conflict-affected
contexts which would go far for addressing the foundational gaps discussed in this case study.

.

TOP 20 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
[Excerpt]
ORAL CHOLERA VACCINATION
18. Global recommendation: Different scenarios for OCV according to varying contexts should be integrated ahead of time into national cholera preparedness plans in general. This is especially important for “fragile” countries where there is a possibility of humanitarian emergencies developing or continuing.

19. Global and Yemen-specific recommendation: In complex and insecure environments like Yemen, smaller, geographically-targeted OCV campaigns should be anticipated and planned

Emergencies
 
 
POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 04 December 2018 [GPEI]
:: The circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreak in Syria, which was first detected in 2017, has been successfully stopped. The announcement came at the heels of an official outbreak response assessment, comprising of experts in public health, epidemiology and virology, who reviewed evidence and concluded the outbreak was closed. Read the full statement here.
 :: On 27 November 2018, the 19th IHR Emergency Committee including members, advisers, and invited Member States convened to discuss the status of international spread of poliovirus. The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of polio spread continues to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and proposed an extension of Temporary Recommendations for an additional three months. The Committee expressed concern that complacency to achieving a polio-free world could now become the biggest risk to the effort and urged that all countries and partners regard polio eradication as an emergency.  “We have the tools, we need to focus on what works, we need to get to every child,” commented Prof. Helen Rees, Chairperson of the Committee.  “The reality is that there is no reason why we should not be able to finish this job, but we have to keep at it.”  Prof. Rees and the Committee urged countries, donors and partners to continue their support, until a polio-free world is achieved, cautioning that failure to eradicate polio would lead to global resurgence of the disease, with potentially as many as 200,000 new cases occurring annually within ten years.  “We have achieved eradication of a disease once before, with smallpox,” Rees concluded.  “The world is a much better place without smallpox.  It’s now more urgent than ever that we redouble our efforts and finish this job once and for all as well.”  The recommendations come amid the notification of the fourth cVDPV circulation in DRC, which underscores the need for sustained partnership, funding, and socio-political resolve. Read the full WHO statement including the Temporary Recommendations.

:: The Africa Regional Commission for the Certification of poliomyelitis eradication (ARCC) was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 12-16 November 2018. Made up of 16 health experts, recommendations were made to ten countries to address issues of disease surveillance gaps, inaccessibility and insecurity. Read the recommendations here.

The Technical Advisory Groups (TAG) on Polio Eradication in Horn of Africa and Lake Chad Basin convened recently, to review the current status of polio outbreaks in both the regions and provide guidance on the next phase of the outbreak response.

::Featured on http://www.polioeradication.org: Coffee with Polio Experts – Dr Mohammad Al Safadi, Technical Officer for Polio Outbreak Preparedness and Response, talks about the tactics and strategies used to stop the Syria outbreaks of 2013, 2014, and the most recent outbreak of 2017, which was compounded by accessibility, security, and conflict issues.

:: Call for nomination of experts to serve on the Polio Research Committee to provide guidance to the Director of the Polio Department at WHO HQ on the research and development aspects in poliovirus eradication. Read the details here.

The GPEI report to the upcoming WHO Executive Board (in January) has been published.  The report provides a status update on polio eradication, summarizing programmatic, epidemiological and financial challenges to securing a lasting polio-free world, and introduces the concept of a new extended strategic plan to achieve global certification by 2023, taking into account the fact that circulation of wild poliovirus has not yet been interrupted.  Read the report here.

 
 
Summary of new viruses this week:
Afghanistan – one wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case and two positive WPV 1 environmental samples.
Pakistan – nine WPV1 positive environmental samples.
DRC – two cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
Nigeria – four cases of cVDPV2.
Somalia – one positive cVDPV2 environmental sample. See country sections below for more details.

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Djibouti carries out mass immunization to protect children against polio, amid outbreaks in the Horn of Africa

5 December 2018 – Early analysis of campaign data points to a successful vaccination round in a polio-free country at risk of possible importation.
In the last week of October, Djibouti’s Ministry of Health, working with WHO, UNICEF and other partners, successfully carried out the country’s first polio National Immunization Days (NIDs) since 2015.
While Djibouti has not had a case of polio since 1999, the recent outbreak of polio in neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa, and the low levels of routine immunization coverage in some areas in the country, are indications that Djibouti is still at risk if poliovirus spreads through population movements. Other countries in the Horn of Africa are already cooperating to control the existing outbreak and to reduce the risk of spread, and given that Djibouti is on a major migration route in the Horn of Africa, it makes a lot of sense for Djibouti to join this coordinated response…

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Countries of the Americas seek to strengthen measures to keep the Region free of polio and move towards global eradication (12/05/2018)
PAHO convenes strategic partners and 140 public health professionals from 22 countries in the Region, in Guatemala this week. If polio is not eradicated there could be up 200,000 new cases worldwide each year within ten years.

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G

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Editor’s Note:
WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.
 
WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 8 Dec 2018]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: 18: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  5 December 2018
:: DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo   6 December 2018
[See Milestones above for more detail]
 
Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis
:: Weekly Situation Report 53 -30 November 2018
[Excerpt]
HEALTH OPERATIONS
OCV Campaign:
After completion of 2nd week of OCV campaign, 163,441 ( 101.5%.) received the vaccination. Among them 119,649 (107.3%) were FDMN beneficiaries and 43,792 (88.5%) from host community. Out of total target of 328, 556, 49.7% vaccination completed. Among them 53.2% were FDMN beneficiaries and 42.3% from host community. Besides the major portion of the FDMN and HC: Registered camps, No-man’s land and people engaged in different activities adjacent to camps are being covered.
Rapid Convenience monitoring through house to house:
In total 2116 beneficiaries were interviewed till 28 November 2018. Evaluated coverage was 92.5%. The main reasons not being vaccinated were beneficiaries not at home (32%), not aware of campaign (23%) and beneficiaries too busy (14%). The main means of mobilization were majhee and FDMN mobilizers (46.2), megaphone (30.1) and moni flag (17.5)…
 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: WHO update on reported chemical event in Aleppo, Syria   29 November 2018
 
Myanmar – No new announcements identified
Nigeria – No new announcements identified
Somalia – No new announcements identified
South Sudan – No new announcements identified
Yemen – No new announcements identified
 
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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 8 Dec 2018]
Sudan
:: WHO Member States sign Khartoum Declaration on Sudan and Bordering Countries: Cross-Border Health Security
4 December 2018 – Six countries in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean and African Regions have signed a declaration committing themselves to strengthening preparedness and response to public health threats and events across borders in an effort to further the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and enhance global health security. The Khartoum Declaration on Sudan and Bordering Countries: Cross-Border Health Security was signed by Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Sudan on 22 November 2018 in Khartoum, Sudan…
 
Brazil (in Portugese) – No new announcements identified
Cameroon  – No new announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new announcements identified
Hurricane Irma and Maria in the Caribbean – No new announcements identified
Iraq – No new announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new announcements identified
Libya – No new announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new announcements identified
Niger – No new announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new announcements identified
Ukraine – No new announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new announcements identified
 
 
WHO-AFRO: Outbreaks and Emergencies Bulletin, Week 48: 24-30 November 2018
The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 57 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:
:: Yellow fever in South Sudan
:: Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Cholera in Zimbabwe
:: Hepatitis E in Central African Republic
:: Humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.
 
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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies  [to 8 Dec 2018]
Afghanistan
Chad
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018
Kenya
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Mali
Namibia – viral hepatitis
Peru
Philippines – Tyhpoon Mangkhut
Tanzania
 
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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen
:: Yemen: Al Hudaydah Update Situation Report No. 15, Reporting period: 14 November – 2 December 2018

Syrian Arab Republic   – No new announcements identified.

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Ethiopia  – No new announcements identified.
Somalia  – No new announcements identified.

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 “Other Emergencies”
Indonesia: Central Sulawesi Earthquake –No new announcements identified.
 

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 1 December 2018

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
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF: The Sentinel_ period ending 1 Dec 2018

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities   [see PDF]
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals  [see PDF]

G20 – Argentina 2018

G20 Leaders’ declaration – Building consensus for fair and sustainable development
[Excerpts; Editor’s text bolding]
…
5. We renew our commitment to work together to improve a rules-based international order that is capable of effectively responding to a rapidly changing world.

8. Access to education is a human right and a strategic public policy area for the development of more inclusive, prosperous, and peaceful societies. We underline the importance of girls´ education. To equip our citizens to reap the benefits of societal and technological innovations we will promote coordination between employment and equitable quality education policies, so we can develop comprehensive strategies that promote key competences such as learning to learn, foundation and digital skills, in a lifelong learning perspective from early childhood. We acknowledge the need tofoster evidence-based innovative pedagogies and methods for all levels of education.

11. Building on the G20 Food Security and Nutrition Framework, we reaffirm our commitment to tackling the challenges of food security, which is crucial to achieving a world free of hunger and all forms of malnutrition. We will promote dynamism in rural areas and sustainable agriculture, conscious of the importance of sustainable soil, water and riverbanks management supported by individual countries voluntarily, taking into consideration the specific needs of family and small-holder farmers. We encourage the voluntary use and sharing of innovative as well as traditional agricultural practices and technologies. We highlight the importance of collaboration among public and private stakeholders to strengthen risk management, facilitate adaptation to a changing environment, protect biodiversity and provide effective responses to reduce the impacts of extreme weather on agriculture. We will increase efforts to engage with the private sector, the scientific community and all other relevant stakeholders to enhance value addition, productivity, efficiency, sustainability and upgrading in Agro-Food Global Value Chains and encourage initiatives to reduce food loss and waste.

14. We launch the G20 Initiative for Early Childhood Development and stand ready to join all stakeholders in enhancing quality and sustainably financed early childhood programs that consider
the multidimensional approach of ECD, as means of building human capital to break the cycle of intergenerational and structural poverty, and of reducing inequalities, specially where young children are most vulnerable.

15. We encourage the activities of World Health Organization (WHO), together with all relevant actors, to develop an action plan for implementation of health-related aspects of SDGs by 2030. We commend the progress made by the international community in developing and implementing National and Regional Action Plans on Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) based on One-Health approach. We recognize the need for further multi-sectoral action to reduce the spread of AMR, as it is increasingly becoming a global responsibility. We note the work done by the Global AMR R&D Hub and, drawing on this, we look forward to further examine practical market incentives. We will tackle malnutrition, with a special focus on childhood overweight and obesity, through national, community-based and collaborative multi-stakeholder approaches. We reaffirm the need for stronger health systems providing cost effective and evidence-based intervention to achieve better access to health care and to improve its quality and affordability to move towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), in line with their national contexts and priorities. This may encompass, where appropriate, scientifically proven traditional and complementary medicine, assuring the safety, quality and effectiveness of health services. We will continue to strengthen core capacities required by International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) for prevention, detection and response to public health emergencies, while recognizing the critical role played by WHO in this regard. We are committed to ending HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and look forward to a successful 6° replenishment of the Global Fund in 2019.

17. Large movements of refugees are a global concern with humanitarian, political, social and economic consequences. We emphasize the importance of shared actions to address the root causes of displacement and to respond to growing humanitarian needs.

30. We reaffirm our strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We commit to the full implementation of The Hamburg G20 Leaders Statement on Countering Terrorism. We will step up our efforts in fighting terrorist and proliferation financing, and money laundering. We urge the digital industry to work together to fight exploitation of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes.

Yemen

Joint Statement
Humanitarian CEOs to U.S. Government: We have no means left to avert a catastrophe, please act now to save Yemeni lives
New York, NY, November 26, 2018 — The stakes in Yemen are shocking and must be stated clearly: 14 million people are at risk of starving to death in Yemen if the parties to the conflict and their supporters do not change course immediately.

After years of conflict, people have exhausted their coping strategies and countless Yemenis are unlikely to live through the winter unless the parties to the conflict immediately cease hostilities, reopen all of Yemen’s ports and allow commercial shipments to enter the country without delay, facilitate access to people in need for humanitarian staff and supplies, and take basic measures to stabilize the Yemeni economy, including payment of civil servant salaries.

If the Government of Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Ansar Allah, and other parties to the conflict fail to take these steps, and if the United States does not use all levers of pressure to compel them to do so, responsibility for the deaths of many more Yemeni civilians will lie not only with the parties to the conflict, but with the United States as well.

This crisis is entirely man-made; the deaths already occurring in Yemen cannot and will not be attributed to natural disasters or environmental shocks, nor simply deemed inevitable consequences of war. The causes of death will be import restrictions, blockades, non-payment of government salaries, inflation, job losses, displacement, declining incomes, and violent attacks that kill civilians and destroy the infrastructure that delivers food and safe water: the results of more than three and a half years of warfare, economic siege, and widespread violations of international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict. It is now clear that in addition to bombs and missiles, the parties to the conflict are undermining the Yemeni economy with policies and practices that have caused rampant inflation while the value of currency plummets. Starvation must not be used as a weapon of war against Yemeni civilians.

The United States is one of the most generous donors of humanitarian assistance in Yemen, but these contributions pale in comparison to the harm caused by U.S. military support and diplomatic cover to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. While the Administration has said that reaching a political settlement and relieving the humanitarian crisis in Yemen are top national security objectives, U.S.
policies tell a different story. By providing such extensive military and diplomatic support for one side of the conflict, the United States is deepening and prolonging a crisis that has immediate and severe consequences for Yemen, and civilians are paying the price.

We, as humanitarian organizations, will stay and deliver assistance for the people of Yemen as we have for more than three years of brutal conflict, often at great risk. But now, as violence escalates, and the insidious tactics of war take hold of millions of people, we have no means left to avert a catastrophe in Yemen; every humanitarian effort can no longer prevent mass starvation if the war is not brought to an end immediately and urgent efforts undertaken to ensure food, fuel, and other vital supplies reach those in greatest need.

We are pleading with the United States to back up its recent call for a cessation of hostilities with genuine diplomatic pressure, and to halt all military support for the Saudi/UAE coalition in Yemen in order to save millions of lives. It pains us to write these words, but we cannot escape the truth: if it does not cease its military support for the Saudi/UAE coalition, the United States, too, will bear responsibility for what may be the largest famine in decades.

Signed,
David Miliband, President & CEO, International Rescue Committee
Abby Maxman, President & CEO, Oxfam America
Michelle Nunn, President & CEO, CARE US
Carolyn Miles, President & CEO, Save the Children USA
Joel Charny, Executive Director, Norwegian Refugee Council, USA

Health – Nutrition

2018 Global Nutrition Report – Shining a light to spur action on nutrition
Development Initiatives Poverty Research Ltd.
2018: 161 pages
PDF: https://globalnutritionreport.org/documents/340/2018_Global_Nutrition_Report.pdf
The 2018 Global Nutrition Report shares insights into the current state of global nutrition, highlighting the unacceptably high burden of malnutrition in the world. It identifies areas where progress has been made in recent years but argues that it is too slow and too inconsistent. It puts forward five critical steps that are needed to speed up progress to end malnutrition in all its forms and argues that, if we act now, it is not too late to achieve this goal. In fact, we have an unprecedented opportunity to do so.

.

Press release
2018 Global Nutrition Report reveals malnutrition is unacceptably high and affects every country in the world, but there is also an unprecedented opportunity to end it.
28/11/2018
[Excerpt]
… Progress to date is simply not good enough
Significant steps are being made to address malnutrition. Globally, stunting among children under five years of age has fallen from 32.6% in 2000 to 22.2% in 2017. There has been a slight decrease in underweight women since 2000, from 11.6% to 9.7% in 2016. Yet, while there has been progress, it has been slow and patchy.

The 2018 assessment of progress against nine targets reveals only 94 of 194 countries are on track for at least one of the nine nutrition targets assessed. This means that most countries are significantly off-track on meeting all nine targets:
:: No country is on course to meet all nine targets.
:: Only five countries are on track to meet four of the nine targets – which is the most any country is on track for.
:: No country is on track to achieve the adult obesity target for men or women, nor reach the anaemia target.
:: Only 26 countries are on track to reach the target for women’s diabetes.

We are better equipped to end malnutrition.
The 2018 Global Nutrition Report highlights that solutions already exist but finds effective ideas are not being adopted at scale:
:: We now know more about what people eat, why it matters, and what needs to be done to improve diets. In Mexico, an evaluation of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax found that sales of targeted beverages fell by 9.7% across the population two years after the policy was implemented, compared with expected sales if it had not been.

:: New data is a game changer and can drive more effective action. Local-level data and action has been particularly effective. In 2012, Amsterdam faced an obesity crisis among young people. The city tracked childhood obesity in different districts and propelled the issue to the top of the agenda. In late 2012 ambitious targets were set. Actions are broken down by prevention (such as healthy urban design), cure (helping those already overweight) and facilitation (such as learning and research), and included: creating public drinking fountains, implementing restrictions on food advertising, and publishing guidance for healthy snacks in schools. Today, overweight and obesity prevalence in the city is levelling off.

:: We see examples of countries building multisectoral plans to deliver on their targets. In Tanzania a wide range of targets has been adopted – seven in all, including for stunting, anaemia and low birth weight. These targets form part of an ambitious five-year action plan to reduce multiple burdens of malnutrition. The plan was set up under the direct leadership of the Prime Minister’s office to reduce all forms of malnutrition associated with both deficiency and excess/imbalances. Its broad goal is to scale up high-impact interventions among the most vulnerable people, including children under five years of age, adolescent girls and pregnant and lactating women. It does this by calling for action across sectors, from social protection to education and food.

:: Governments are showing commitment and stepping up to lead action. The government of China is facing the second-largest undernourished population, with overweight and obesity levels rising at alarming rates and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes on the up. To address this, it has developed two plans with the potential to transform malnutrition in China. Healthy China 2030 (2016), with the direct involvement of the President of China, underlines significant political will to enhance the health status of Chinese citizens. A year later the government released a new National Nutrition Plan (2017–2030), with a range of malnutrition targets including stunting, obesity, anaemia, breastfeeding and folic acid deficiency among vulnerable people. The emerging nutrition governance system deserves credit for the political and administrative commitment to food and nutrition security, demonstrating what institutional coordination can achieve.

The world is off track but the opportunity to end malnutrition has never been greater, nor has the duty to act.
To translate solutions into action, the report’s authors urge critical steps in the following areas:
:: Breaking down existing silos to tackle malnutrition in all its forms;
:: Prioritizing and investing in data to identify key areas of action;
:: Scaling up and diversifying funding for nutrition programmes;
:: Immediately taking action on healthy diets by making healthy foods affordable across the globe;
:: Implementing more ambitious commitments that are designed for impact through SMART targets.

Heritage Stewardship

196 Governments agree to scale up investments in nature and people towards 2020 and beyond: UN Biodiversity Conference closes in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
The 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP14) closed tonight with broad international agreement on reversing the global destruction of nature and biodiversity loss threatening all forms of life on Earth.
:: Sharm El Sheikh Declaration adopted inviting UN General Assembly to convene a Summit on Biodiversity for heads of State by 2020
:: Governments agree to accelerate action to achieve Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020
:: Agreement on a comprehensive and participatory process to develop post-2020 global biodiversity framework
:: Sharm El Sheikh to Beijing Action Agenda for Nature and People launched to mobilize broad stakeholder engagement
:: Over three dozen decisions made on technical issues of importance including Synthetic Biology, Digital Sequence Information, and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures.

29 November 2018 – The 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP14) closed tonight with broad international agreement on reversing the global destruction of nature and biodiversity loss threatening all forms of life on Earth.

To combat this crisis, governments agreed to accelerate action to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, agreed in 2010, from now until 2020. Work to achieve these targets will take place at the global, regional, national and subnational levels. The meeting also agreed on a comprehensive and participatory process for developing the post-2020 global biodiversity framework anticipated to be agreed upon at the next Conference of Parties (COP 15) in Beijing in 2020. The framework aims to safeguard nature and biodiversity for decades to come.

Dr. Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, thanked delegates for their work and their commitments at the meeting. Throughout the conference, she laid out the scientific case that humankind is currently on an unsustainable path that involves a continuing steep loss of biodiversity with cascading consequences for nature and for human society, including in the

Dr. Paşca Palmer said “Nature is dynamic and interrelated — and so must be our response. We must move from the very real incremental change that we have created to a model that continues to push incremental wins while also fundamentally reaching for transformational change. As this COP shows, we have already begun this journey.”…

Emergencies
 
POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 27 November 2018 [GPEI]
Summary of new viruses this week:
Afghanistan – advance notification of one wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case and six positive WPV 1 environmental samples
Pakistan – two WPV1 positive environmental samples.
Niger – one case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).

Statement of the Nineteenth IHR Emergency Committee Regarding the International Spread of Poliovirus
30 November 2018
[Excerpts; Editor’s text bolding]
The nineteenth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) regarding the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the Director General on 27 November 2018 at WHO headquarters with members, advisers and invited Member States attending via teleconference.

The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV).  The Secretariat presented a report of progress for affected IHR States Parties subject to Temporary Recommendations.  The following IHR States Parties provided an update on the current situation and the implementation of the WHO Temporary Recommendations since the Committee last met on 15 August 2018: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Nigeria, Niger, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and Somalia…

…Conclusion
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months. The Committee considered the following factors in reaching this conclusion:

:: Although the declaration of the PHEIC and issuance of Temporary Recommendations has reduced the risk of international spread of WPV, progress is fragile, and should international spread now occur, the impact on WPV eradication would be even more grave in terms of delaying certification and prolonging requirements for dedicated human and financial resources in support of the eradication effort. The reversal in progress in Afghanistan and the stagnation in Pakistan with exportation of WPV continuing between the two countries, heighten concerns.

:: There is a risk of global complacency as the numbers of WPV cases remains low and eradication becomes a tangible reality, and a concern that removal of the PHEIC now could contribute to greater complacency.

:: Many countries remain vulnerable to WPV importation. Gaps in population immunity in several key high-risk areas is evidenced by the current number of cVDPV outbreaks of all serotypes, which only emerge and circulate when polio population immunity is low as a result of deficient routine immunization programmes.

:: The international outbreak of cVDPV2 affecting Somalia and Kenya, with a highly diverged cVDPV2 that appears to have circulated undetected for up to four years, highlights that there are still high-risk populations in South and Central zones of Somalia where population immunity and surveillance are compromised by conflict.

:: Similarly the new spread of cVDPV2 between Nigeria and Niger highlights the significant risk of persisting type 2 outbreaks two years after OPV2 withdrawal, and the inability so far to prevent further spread within and outside Nigeria through application of consistently high quality mOPV2 SIAs is a concern.

:: The difficulty in controlling spread of cVDPV2 in DR Congo heightens these concerns and demonstrates significant gaps in population immunity at a critical time in the polio endgame; the low coverage with routine IPV vaccination in several countries neighboring DR Congo heightens the risk of international spread, as population immunity is rapidly waning.

:: Inaccessibility continues to be a major risk, particularly in several countries currently infected with WPV or cVDPV, i.e. Afghanistan, Nigeria and Somalia, which all have sizable populations that have been unreached with polio vaccine for prolonged periods.

:: The increasing number of countries in which immunization systems have been weakened or disrupted by conflict and complex emergencies pose another risk. Populations in these fragile states are vulnerable to outbreaks of polio.

:: The risk is amplified by population movement, whether for family, social, economic or cultural reasons, or in the context of populations displaced by insecurity and returning refugees. There is a need for international coordination to address these risks. A regional approach and strong cross ­border cooperation is required to respond to these risks, as much international spread of polio occurs over land borders.

…Based on the current situation regarding WPV1 and cVDPV, and the reports provided by Afghanistan, DR Congo, Nigeria, Niger, Papua New Guinea and Somalia, the Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment and on 27 November 2018 determined that the situation relating to poliovirus continues to constitute a PHEIC, with respect to WPV1 and cVDPV…

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Editor’s Note:
WHO has posted a refreshed emergencies page which presents an updated listing of Grade 3,2,1 emergencies as below.

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 1 Dec 2018]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Malaria control campaign launched in Democratic Republic of the Congo to save lives and aid Ebola response
28 November 2018 | BENI: A spike in malaria cases is threatening the health of people in parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where health workers are also battling an Ebola outbreak.  In response, a four-day mass drug administration (MDA) campaign was launched today in the Northern Kivu province town of Beni, with a target to reach up to 450 000 people with anti-malarial drugs combined with the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets…
:: 17: Situation report on the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu  28 November 2018
:: DONs Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo   29 November 2018
[See Milestones above for more detail]

Bangladesh – Rohingya crisis
:: Weekly Situation Report 52 -22 November 2018
Key Highlights
… The fourth round of oral cholera campaign was launched on 17 November 2018 under the leadership of DGHS in collaboration WHO, UNICEF and other health sector partners.
 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: WHO update on reported chemical event in Aleppo, Syria   29 November 2018

Myanmar – No new announcements identified
Nigeria – No new announcements identified
Somalia – No new announcements identified
South Sudan – No new announcements identified
Yemen – No new announcements identified
 

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 1 Dec 2018]
Iraq
:: WHO and health partners step up efforts to provide urgent support for victims of flooding in Iraq   26 November 2018
Brazil (in Portugese) – No new announcements identified
Cameroon  – No new announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new announcements identified
Hurricane Irma and Maria in the Caribbean – No new announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new announcements identified
Libya – No new announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new announcements identified
Niger – No new announcements identified
Sao Tome and Principe Necrotizing Cellulitis (2017) – No new announcements identified
Sudan – No new announcements identified
Ukraine – No new announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new announcements identified

WHO-AFRO: Outbreaks and Emergencies Bulletin, Week 46: 1- 23 November 2018
The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 53 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:
:: Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Anthrax (suspected) in Namibia
:: Measles in Madagascar
:: Typhoid fever in Zimbabwe
:: Humanitarian crisis in Mali.

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WHO Grade 1 Emergencies  [to 1 Dec 2018]
Afghanistan
Chad
Indonesia – Sulawesi earthquake 2018
Kenya
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Mali
Namibia – viral hepatitis
Peru
Philippines – Tyhpoon Mangkhut
Tanzania
 
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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen – No new announcements identified.
Syrian Arab Republic   – No new announcements identified.

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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Ethiopia 
:: Ethiopia: Humanitarian Response Situation Report No.19 (November 2018) 26 Nov 2018

Somalia  – No new announcements identified.
 
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“Other Emergencies”
Indonesia: Central Sulawesi Earthquake –No new announcements identified.
 
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