Global Fund [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.theglobalfund.org/
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13 April 2016
Global Fund Named as Leader in Aid Transparency
GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was ranked among the top five organizations and nations that are major donors of global aid for its transparency and accountability, a report published on Wednesday showed.

Released by the non-profit Publish What You Fund, the AID Transparency Index also showed that the Global Fund ranked first in three of the operational categories – performance, related documents, and basic information.

Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund, said the results of the report underlined the organization’s unwavering commitment to transparency and accountability as it pursues its mandate to end AIDS, TB and malaria as epidemics…
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11 April 2016
New Zealand Announces Early Contribution to the Global Fund
GENEVA – New Zealand has announced that it will make an early contribution to the Global Fund, one of the first countries to pledge in support of the Global Fund’s replenishment for the three-year period beginning in 2017.

Ambassador Vangelis Vitalis announced the contribution during a meeting at the Global Fund offices in Geneva. “Lifting the burden of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria helps build prosperity and security, both in the Pacific and around the world. New Zealand is pleased to play its part in the Global Fund partnership,” Dr. Vitalis said.

Marijke Wijnroks, Chief of Staff of the Global Fund, signed the agreement with Dr. Vitalis on 8 April. “We are very pleased that New Zealand is in the Global Fund partnership in this important year.”

New Zealand’s contribution is worth NZ$1 million. The announcement followed news in March 2016 that the European Union pledged a significant increase in its contribution to the Global Fund for the next three years…
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04 April 2016
Global Fund Names Rahul Singhal as Chief Risk Officer
GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has named Rahul Singhal, a senior global risk management and treasury executive, as its new Chief Risk Officer.

Mr. Singhal has 28 years of experience in risk management in the financial services industry, building and leading risk management teams, and executing complex global initiatives including acquisitions and strategic investments. Mr. Singhal joined the Global Fund in October 2015 as Deputy Chief Risk Officer, and has been Acting Chief Risk Officer since January 2016…

InterAction [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.interaction.org/media-center/press-releases

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Apr 14, 2016
InterAction Community Honors Leaders
WASHINGTON – Today, InterAction formally announced the list of individuals and groups to be honored at InterAction’s April Forum for outstanding leadership in the efforts to help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities.

This year’s Forum award recipients have made significant contributions to respective efforts to help end global hunger, protect civilians in the Syrian civil war, safeguard relief workers in Sierra Leone, advocate for the rights of older and disabled persons and build continued support in Congress for a robust U.S. foreign policy. Honorees this year include:
:: David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World — Julia Vadala Taft Outstanding Leadership Award
:: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), senior U.S. senator, South Carolina — InterAction Congressional Leadership Award
: Davidson Jonah (Sierra Leone), global field operations director for ChildFund International — InterAction Security Advisory Group Distinguished Achievement Award
:: Raed Saleh (Syria), head of Syria Civil Defense — InterAction Humanitarian Award
:: HelpAge USA — InterAction Disability Inclusion Award
:: Abhijit Dey (India), photographer — InterAction Effective Assistance Photography Award

All awards will be presented during InterAction’s annual Forum (April 18-20) at the Washington Marriott, Wardman Park…

EHLRA/R2HC [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.elrha.org/resource-hub/news/

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12.04.2016
Calling innovators to tackle Surface Water Drainage in Humanitarian Camps
Take Part in the Surface Water Drainage Challenge Do you have ideas for how camp drainage conditions can be improved? Funding of between £25,000-£150,000 is available for projects that respond…
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07.04.2016
Applying design thinking to humanitarian Gender Based Violence
As part of its Gender Based Violence (GBV) innovation programme supported by SIDA, and drawing on global consultations and literature reviews, the HIF identified interest and potential opportunities for synergies between those with humanitarian GBV expertise and those from beyond the sector working in various aspects of innovation and design practice.

These cross-sector conversations were initiated late last year by hosting a workshop in London convening leading research and practitioner experts in GBV, as well as those working with creative approaches to solving problems, such as human-centred design actors applying agile thinking and behavioural science approaches to humanitarian challenges.

Leading on from this inception workshop, seed funding has been made available to foster the creation of new, cross-sector collaborations to tackle GBV in humanitarian settings. Proposals needed to be exploratory in nature and could encompass any area of GBV in emergencies…

Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/

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Date: 2016/04/12
Malawi – Mozambique refugees
Report Synopsis
On 12 April 2016 we responded to a funding alert in response to the Mozambican refugees escaping conflict to Malawi.

Since mid-December 2015, approximately 11,000 asylum seekers from Mozambique have arrived in Malawi in order to escape clashes between government forces and the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO).

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s Financial Tracking System (FTS), donors have committed/contributed US$10.1 million to Malawi so far in 2016. Malawi has no current UN-coordinated appeal or humanitarian country-based pooled funds.

Read our full analysis of the current funding situation.

Center for Global Development [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Selected Press Releases, Blog Posts, Publications

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Making Room for Mental Health: Recommendations for Improving Mental Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
4/13/16
Victoria de Menil and Amanda Glassman
Development assistance for health has increased dramatically over the last decade, but investment in mental health has been minimal. Less than 1 percent of development assistance for health goes to mental disorders although they represent at least one-fourth of the years lost to disability and about 10 percent of the global burden of disease. Spending a little on mental health could achieve a lot.
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More Than a Lightbulb: Five Recommendations to Make Modern Energy Access Meaningful for People and Prosperity (brief)
4/12/16
Energy Access Targets Working Group
Visit the report page for a full interactive version and video. “Modern energy access” is finally on the international agenda, but the current common definition of 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per capita per year is far too low.
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Testimony on the US Response to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa
4/8/16
Amanda Glassman
On April 7, 2016, CGD’s vice president for programs and director of global health policy Amanda Glassman testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy at a hearing examining progress made in addressing the West Africa Ebola epidemic and its secondary effects.
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Can GMOs Deliver for Africa?
4/5/16
Kimberly Ann Elliott and Janeen Madan
The debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been raging for twenty years and there is still more heat than light around the topic. While some developing countries have embraced the technology, much of Africa has followed the European Union’s precautionary approach. While not a panacea, GMOs could be part of a new green revolution in Africa if governments address the policy and institutional weaknesses that prevented Africa from participating in the first one, and if GM technology continues to develop.
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Can GMOs Play a Role in a New Green Revolution for Africa?
4/4/16
Kimberly Ann Elliott and Janeen Madan
The world will struggle to achieve the goals of ending extreme poverty and hunger by 2030 unless there is a sharp increase in agricultural productivity in Africa. Across sub-Saharan Africa, most people live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for their livelihoods; most of them are poor and many are hungry. Could genetically modified organisms (GMOs) help to address some of the causes contributing to Africa’s lagging agricultural productivity? Our answer is a qualified maybe.

ODI [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.odi.org/media

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Briefing papers
Migration in Libya: transit zone or final destination?
April 2016 | Eva Svoboda
This policy brief examines migration to and through Libya, exploring migrant’s motivations, journeys, challenges and support systems.

Mapping current incentives and investment in Ghana’s agriculture sector: lessons for private climate finance
Working and discussion papers | April 2016 | Marigold Norman, Emily Darko, Shelagh Whitley, Simon Bawakyillenuo and Felix Nyamedor
This paper explores the outcomes of utilising the ODI methodology for mapping current incentives and investment in Ghana’s agriculture sector.

Projecting progress: the SDGs in sub-Saharan Africa
Research reports and studies | April 2016 | Susan Nicolai, Christopher Hoy, Tanvi Bhatkal and Thomas Aedy
This paper shows how sub-Saharan Africa is likely to progress across the SDG agenda by 2030, if current trends continue.

Starting strong: the first 1000 days of the SDGs
Briefing papers | April 2016 | Paula Lucci, Steven Lally
This paper looks at key topics ahead of Development Progress’ regional dialogue events on implementation in the first 1000 days of the SDGs.

Time to let go: remaking humanitarian action for the modern era
Research reports and studies | April 2016 | Humanitarian Policy Group
As the international humanitarian system faces a crisis of legitimacy, the Humanitarian Policy Group’s landmark report proposes a new model of humanitarian action.

World Economic Forum [to 16 April 2016]
https://agenda.weforum.org/news/

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News 8 Apr 2016
Reforms to Accelerate the Delivery of India’s Smart Cities
:: The World Economic Forum has released a new report on Reforms to Accelerate the Development of India’s Smart Cities
:: The report highlights the reforms required at state and local levels to implement smart cities in India
:: The report recommends institutional, business-environment and sector-specific reforms to enhance public-private collaboration in India’s urban development programmes such as 100
:: The full report is available here
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News 6 Apr 2016
Ten Steps to build the Cities of the Future
:: The World Economic Forum has released a new report, Inspiring Future Cities & Urban Services
:: The report highlights the emerging technologies and business models that are changing the way urban services are delivered and proposes a 10-step action plan to enable cities to navigate the journey of urban transformation
:: The report proposes a “city maturity” model that highlights the various stages of urban development
:: The full report is available here
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News 5 Apr 2016
Can We Predict Real Estate Bubbles?
:: The World Economic Forum’s Shaping the Future of Real Estate initiative defines real estate asset ecosystems and how real estate bubbles could be limited through innovative solutions
:: An early warning system prototype to flag markets that may experience dramatic downturns has been designed
:: Download the full reports:
-Understanding the Commercial Real Estate Investment Ecosystem: An Early Warning System Prototype
-Understanding the Commercial Real Estate Investment Ecosystem: Case Study
-Infographic Commercial Real Estate Investment Ecosystem
-Shaping the Future of Real Estate Asset Pricing Dynamics Project page (all project reports)

Aga Khan Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.akdn.org/pr.asp

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Press Releases
Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into the Development Planning Process in Afghanistan
13 April 2016 – With the aim of promoting disaster resilience in the development and rehabilitation of Afghanistan, Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) in Afghanistan and the Afghan government organised a conference on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into the Development Planning Process.

Clinton Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
https://www.clintonfoundation.org/press-releases-and-statements

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Press Release
Clinton Foundation Celebrates Global Youth Service Day with a Lego Brick Drive and a Day of Action
April 13, 2016
Every year, the Clinton Foundation celebrates Global Youth Service Day with a special service learning program and service opportunity, “Day of Action,” for Arkansas high school juniors and seniors.

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Press Release
More than 900 New Student Commitments to Action Announced at Ninth Annual CGI University Meeting
April 2, 2016
President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton conclude Clinton Global Initiative University 2016 at UC Berkeley, engaging more than 1,200 student leaders on Education, Poverty Alleviation, Peace and Human Rights, Public Health, and Environment and Climate Change

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/news

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Our News
Keeping Alcohol in Focus to Reduce Youth Substance Use
By Alexa Eggleston, April 12, 2016
…Our Substance Use Prevention Strategic Initiative is helping to develop knowledge related to screening and early intervention for young people by testing various approaches designed to inform training, delivery, and evaluation of youth-related substance use prevention and early intervention activities. Observations from a round of recent interviews with our grantees indicate the Strategic Initiative is helping address three broad areas of need:
:: Awareness: Building expertise in preventing youth substance use among a broad range of youth-serving organizations, many of whom did not have prior work in the area
:: Adaptation: Modifying the traditional SBIRT approach for non-primary care settings so they can develop a fit that can be sustained as part of routine practice
:: Access: Linking young people to community-based services such as job training, mentoring, or mental health programs as part of the intervention and referral process…

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Press Release
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Awards More Than $20 Million in Grants in the First Quarter of 2016
(LOS ANGELES) April 5, 2016– The board of directors of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced today that it approved $20.56 million in grants during the first quarter of 2016, including a $5.44 million grant to the UCLA WORLD Policy Analysis Center (WORLD) for the creation of an initiative that will train the next generation of world leaders and thinkers, and a $2.5 million grant to City of Hope to launch a cancer prevention initiative that will target poor diet and obesity as key risk factors for disease.

Kellogg Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.wkkf.org/news-and-media#pp=10&p=1&f1=news

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April 14, 2016
Statement on Battle Creek becoming a ‘Welcoming City’
La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) applauds the City of Battle Creek for becoming the 13th city or county to join the statewide “Welcoming Michigan” campaign.
Welcoming Michigan is coordinated by the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, a WKKF grantee, and partners with local governments and community leaders to build immigrant-friendly communities, promoting mutual respect and cooperation among foreign-born and U.S.-born Americans. Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Detroit have also joined this campaign.
From the legacy of Sojourner Truth and the Underground Railroad to the recent growth of the city’s Burmese community, Battle Creek has a rich history of welcoming people looking for opportunity in the face of oppression and persecution. The Kellogg Foundation is proud of its hometown for continuing this strong tradition to become the latest Welcoming Michigan city, where equity to employment, education and resources is provided for all children to thrive…
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April 4, 2016
Grantee Jesuit Social Research Institute releases new report measuring states’ progress on social justice
WKKF grantee Jesuit Social Research Institute recently released a new report on social justice indicators: issues like poverty, racial disparities and immigrant exclusion, in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The report, “JustSouth INDEX 2016,” identifies where inequity is concentrated and examines the historic, structural and systemic factors that have – and continue to – contribute to inequity in certain communities and states.

Michigan ranked highest of all four of the Kellogg Foundation’s priority places, coming in at 30th. Other priority places included New Mexico, which ranked 46th; Mississippi came in at 50th; followed by Louisiana, which trailed at 51st.

The report provides valuable information for advocates, philanthropists, community leaders and policymakers to better understand the social justice challenges in their communities so that we can all move forward and focus on addressing critical barriers and increasing equity.

Learn more about the findings by viewing the full report.

MacArthur Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Press release
20 Diverse Communities Receive MacArthur Support to Reduce Jail Populations, Improve Local Systems, and Model Reforms for the Nation
Published April 12, 2016
MacArthur today announced nearly $25 million in support for ambitious plans to create fairer, more effective local justice systems across the country. The Foundation is awarding 11 jurisdictions grants between $1.5M and $3.5M over two years to reduce their jail populations and address racial and ethnic disparities in their justice systems. An additional nine jurisdictions will be given $150,000 grants to continue their reform work and to participate in a growing, collaborative network of cities, counties, and states driving local justice reform.

The grants are part of the Safety and Justice Challenge, a national initiative supported by the Foundation with an initial $75 million to reduce over-incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails. The Challenge is establishing a network of jurisdictions to model and inspire effective local criminal justice reforms across the country. Last May, MacArthur chose 20 jurisdictions for initial grants and expert counsel to develop plans for reform after a highly competitive selection process that drew applications from nearly 200 jurisdictions in 45 states and territories. All 20 of these Safety and Justice Challenge Network jurisdictions will be eligible for further funding. Depending on continued commitment and significant progress, sites receiving implementation awards will be eligible for additional funding after the initial two years. The remaining jurisdictions are encouraged to sustain their momentum for reform and will be considered for implementation support in 2017.
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Publication
A Mid-term Evaluation of The Conservation & Sustainable Development Program
Published April 5, 2016
Total Awarded: $83m
Total Grants: 221
Duration: 2011 – 2016
Geographic Focus: Andes, Greater Mekong, Great Lakes of East and Central Africa
[Excerpt]
…In addition, the evaluation produced the following lessons:
:: Sustained engagement and flexibility are key to impact. The program’s long-term commitment to the priority land and seascapes, including strong, enduring relationships with grantees that emphasize shared long-term program goals over projects have facilitated results.
:: Striking the right balance between traditional and innovative approaches to conservation is a process that requires experimentation and course corrections.
:: Donor partnerships and coordinated grantmaking around common objectives can enhance collective impact. Working in a donor collaborative helped us to establish a common, and sometimes more sophisticated, understanding of the threats and opportunities in a region.
:: A universal theory of change is most useful for developing and communicating a grantmaking strategy; it is less helpful to guide grantmaking in a given problem and geographic context. The product of a global theory of change may be too broad, and too simplistic, to usefully guide regional grantmaking, where opportunities, threats, and players shift quickly.
:: When investing in science, good planning will determine the conservation payoff. Scientific analysis and communication are valuable, but insufficient means to ensure effective environmental conservation.
:: Defining an appropriate grantmaking niche is critical to success.

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
https://www.moore.org/news

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April 14, 2016
How forest certificates can impact environmental conservation in Brazil
With support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Woods Hole Research Center recently co-authored a research article that analyses the potential opportunities and challenges surrounding payments for ecosystem services that are embedded in the new Forest Code. The research shows that while the forest certificates market has great potential for environmental conservation, it must be implemented with great care, in connection with other key programs.
Read the full research article in PLoS ONE here.

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April 14, 2016
Study examines seasonal carbon and water balances in the Cerrado environment of Brazil
With support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, grantees at the Woods Hole Research Center published a study that examines past, present and future influences of land cover and land use. The study focuses on seasonal carbon and water balances of the Cerrado environment.

The study ultimately showed that historical landscape conversions reduce biomass by about 50% and evapotranspiration (ET) by about 25%.

Read the study abstract online here.

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April 13, 2016
Revolutionizing research communication through a new academic publishing platform
The way that researchers communicate their work has not changed significantly in the last few centuries; academic publishing still relies on journal articles and has not kept up with technological advances, new analytical tools, or the globalization of research. To help address this discrepancy, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has granted Collaborative Knowledge Foundation, or CKF, $1.3M to develop a new open source, modular platform for scholarly knowledge production and academic publishing.

Open Society Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/issues/media-information

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April 8, 2016
Voices
The Investigative Journalism Collaboration That Produced the Panama Papers
by Maria Teresa Ronderos, Algirdas Lipstas23
The bombshell reports detailing how offshore companies enable financial secrecy were made possible by a global effort of hundreds of journalists working in tandem.
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April 6, 2016
Voices
The Message of the Panama Papers
by Julie McCarthy
The massive data leak reveals how vast amounts of wealth are secretly moved around the world. Now, political leaders must close the loopholes that allow this to happen.

Pew Charitable Trusts [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases

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Press Release
Pew Applauds Kansas Leaders for Comprehensive Juvenile Justice Reform
April 11, 2016 Public Safety Performance Project
WASHINGTON—Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed into law today comprehensive juvenile justice legislation that will increase public safety, improve outcomes for young offenders, protect public safety, and reduce costs for taxpayers. The legislation, Senate Bill 367, is expected to reduce the number of youth sent to out-of-home facilities by more than half and save $72 million over the next five years.

“Senate Bill 367 represents an important step forward for juvenile justice in Kansas,” said Adam Gelb, director of The Pew Charitable Trusts’ public safety performance project. “By letting facts drive the discussion, Kansas policymakers have crafted a new direction for the system that will maximize the state’s return on investment—for youth, for their families, and for public safety.”…

Rockefeller Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/newsroom

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April 13, 2016
Musical’s Cast and The Rockefeller Foundation Welcome 1300 Students to First-Ever Exclusive Student Matinee of HAMILTON on Broadway
:: Partnership with HAMILTON, The Rockefeller Foundation, NYC Department of Education and Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Provides 20,000 Students Tickets to See Musical
:: Student representatives from 12 New York City high schools will perform songs, rap, poetry, scenes and monologues, created as part of HAMILTON curriculum.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/news-releases.html

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Wed Apr 06 08:30:00 EDT 2016
Mood Challenge for ResearchKit Calls for Proposals
The Challenge, a New Venture Fund program funded by RWJF and powered by Luminary Labs, will award $500,000 to further our understanding of mood and how it relates to daily life.

Wellcome Trust [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/2016/index.htm

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6 April 2016
Pharma industry leader Bill Burns joins Wellcome Trust Board of Governors
Pharmaceutical industry expert William (Bill) Burns this week joins the Board of Governors of the Wellcome Trust.

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6 April 2016
Kevin Moses, Director of Science, to leave the Wellcome Trust
Kevin Moses, Director of Science, will be leaving the Wellcome Trust in August later this year. He is returning to the United States to become a partner of The Column Group, a venture capital firm building on novel scientific ideas from the academic sector and early stage companies. His new role will take him closer to family based in the US.

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 16 April 2016)

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Research article
Effect of pay for performance to improve quality of maternal and child care in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Pay for Performance (P4P) mechanisms to health facilities and providers are currently being tested in several low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) to improve maternal and child health (MCH).
Ashis Das, Saji S. Gopalan and Daniel Chandramohan
BMC Public Health 2016 16:321
Published on: 14 April 2016

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Research article
Projected economic evaluation of the national implementation of a hypothetical HIV vaccination program among adolescents in South Africa, 2012
Nishila Moodley, Glenda Gray and Melanie Bertram
BMC Public Health 2016 16:330
Published on: 14 April 2016
Abstract
Background
Adolescents in South Africa are at high risk of acquiring HIV. The HIV vaccination of adolescents could reduce HIV incidence and mortality. The potential impact and cost-effectiveness of a national school-based HIV vaccination program among adolescents was determined.
Method
The national HIV disease and cost burden was compared with (intervention) and without HIV vaccination (comparator) given to school-going adolescents using a semi-Markov model. Life table analysis was conducted to determine the impact of the intervention on life expectancy. Model inputs included measures of disease and cost burden and hypothetical assumptions of vaccine characteristics. The base-case HIV vaccine modelled cost at US$ 12 per dose; vaccine efficacy of 50 %; duration of protection of 10 years achieved at a coverage rate of 60 % and required annual boosters. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated using life years gained (LYG) serving as the outcome measure. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on the vaccine characteristics to assess parameter uncertainty.
Results
The HIV vaccination model yielded an ICER of US$ 5 per LYG (95 % CI ZAR 2.77–11.61) compared with the comparator, which is considerably less than the national willingness-to-pay threshold of cost-effectiveness. This translated to an 11 % increase in per capita costs from US$ 80 to US$ 89. National implementation of this intervention could potentially result in an estimated cumulative gain of 23.6 million years of life (95 % CI 8.48–34.3 million years) among adolescents age 10–19 years that were vaccinated. The 10 year absolute risk reduction projected by vaccine implementation was 0.42 % for HIV incidence and 0.41 % for HIV mortality, with an increase in life expectancy noted across all age groups. The ICER was sensitive to the vaccine efficacy, coverage and vaccine pricing in the sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
A national HIV vaccination program would be cost-effective and would avert new HIV infections and decrease the mortality and morbidity associated with HIV disease. Decision makers would have to discern how these findings, derived from local data and reflective of the South African epidemic, can be integrated into the national long term health planning should a HIV vaccine become available.

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Research article
Measles susceptibility in young Thai men suggests need for young adult measles vaccination: a cross sectional study
Siriphan Gonwong, Thippawan Chuenchitra, Patchariya Khantapura, Dilara Islam and Carl J. Mason
BMC Public Health 2016 16:309
Published on: 11 April 2016
Abstract
Background
Measles remains a major public health concern in Thailand despite the introduction of vaccination since 1984. Similar to other countries, Thailand has experienced numerous measles outbreaks including adult communities such as university student dormitories, prisons, refugee camps, and military recruit camps. These outbreaks raise questions on the seroprotective antibody level in Thai adults.
Methods
To better understand measles susceptibility in young Thai adults, a retrospective measles seroprevalence study on repository serum specimens obtained with informed consent from young Thai men entering the Royal Thai Army (RTA) during 2007–2008 was conducted. A total of 7760 stratified randomized samples were chosen by residence province. Measles IgG titer was measured using a commercial IgG quantitative ELISA kit following the manufacturer’s instructions. An antibody level ≥ 250 International Units per Liter (IU/L) was interpreted as seropositive.
Results
The overall measles seroprevalence was 78.5 % (95 % Confidence Interval: 77.6–79.4 %) with geometric mean titer of 738 IU/L (95 % Confidence Interval: 716–760 IU/L). The measles seroprevalence by province ranged from 59.6 % to 93.1 %. A trend of decreasing seroprevalence in the younger cohorts despite increasing immunization coverage was found. Lower seroprevalence than vaccination coverage was observed in the youngest age group.
Conclusions
To achieve long term measles control and elimination, an integrated two doses vaccination strategy has been implemented in children in Thailand. This nationwide measles seroprevalence study in young adult RTA recruits found a measles seroprevalence lower than WHO’s recommendation for measles outbreak prevention and elimination. These results raise concerns for measles control in Thailand. Supplementary immunization in young adults is essential especially in high-risk and densely populated communities to establish herd immunity for outbreak prevention and elimination.