CHS Alliance [to 2 April 2016]
http://chsalliance.org/news-events/news
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31/03/2016
Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) self-assessment tool now available
The Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) self-assessment tool is now available for organisations wishing to assess their progress against the Nine Commitments of the CHS. Conducting a self-assessment against the CHS is a requirement for CHS Alliance members that must be completed within two years of membership.
EHLRA/R2HC [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.elrha.org/resource-hub/news/
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31.03.2016
Get ready to scale with the HIF
An ambitious new initiative from ELRHA’s Humanitarian Innovation Fund (the HIF) and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), will focus on scaling tested innovations that have shown promise in the early stages of development.
Launching in April, innovations demonstrating the greatest potential impact will receive bespoke technical support and funding over two years to significantly accelerate their impact in humanitarian response…
Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/
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Date: 2016/03/31
Report Synopsis: Mosul, Iraq
On 29 March 2016 we responded to a funding alert in response to the military offensive on Mosul, Iraq.
On 24 March 2016 the United Nations (UN) and the government of Iraq announced an offensive on the city of Mosul, which has remained under Da’esh control since June 2014. Around 2,000 people fled their homes, and it is predicted that between 500,000 and 1,500,000 people will be displaced from Anbar and the Mosul corridor (an area including Ninewa, Kirkuk and Salah al-Din).
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s Financial Tracking System (FTS), donors have committed/contributed US$166 million to Iraq so far in 2016. During this period, Iraq has received US$134 million through UN-coordinated appeals: US$130 million through the Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and US$3.7 million through the Iraq component of the Syria Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan (3RP). A further US$32 million has been received outside the appeals.
The Sphere Project [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.sphereproject.org/news/
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01 April 2016 | Sphere Project
New guidance on using Sphere standards in urban settings
Sphere for Urban Settings, a new publication in the ‘Sphere unpacked’ series that fills a gap in current guidance on how to implement humanitarian standards across different contexts, is now available for field testing.
Center for Global Development [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Selected Press Releases, Blog Posts, Publications
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How Much “Mega” in the Mega-Regional TPP and TTIP: Implications for Developing Countries
3/29/16
Kimberly Ann Elliott
There is no question that the “mega-regional” trade deals in the Pacific and across the Atlantic are big. If completed and implemented, they will cover a large portion of global trade and investment. This paper examines the TPP text to identify provisions that are more or less development-friendly, especially for Vietnam, which is the poorest signatory to the deal by far. It concludes with with recommendations for US and EU policymakers that would mitigate potential negative effects for developing countries and for the multilateral trading system, including rules of origin that minimize trade diversion.
ODI [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.odi.org/media
Publications
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Leave no country behind: a regional look at performance on selected MDGs and SDGs
Briefing papers | March 2016 | Alainna Lynch, Laura Rodriguez Takeuchi, Emma Samman and Moizza B Sarwar
This briefing highlights the importance of country starting points for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and the Leave No One Behind Agenda.
Middle-income transitions and inequality: is there a link?
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Christopher Hoy, Stephan Klasen, Emma Samman, Rivayani Darmawan, Maria-Carmela Lo Bue, Ramona Rischke and Laura Rodríguez-Takeuchi
What happens to inequality as countries raise themselves out of poverty?
Population change in the rural developing world: making the transition
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Sharada Keats,Steve Wiggins
Across the world, rural areas are going through a demographic transition from high to low levels of fertility and mortality
Resilience Scan: October-December 2015
Working and discussion papers | March 2016 | Aditya Bahadur, Thomas Tanner, Diana King, Amy Kirbyshire and Hani Morsi
This resilience scan summarises writing and debates in the field of resilience during the last quarter of 2015, focusing primarily on the context of developing countries.
The triple transition of a slowing China, lower oil prices and a higher US dollar
Working and discussion papers | March 2016 | Phyllis Papadavid
This report considers how China’s economic developments, lower oil prices and a higher US dollar stand to impact 12 Sub Saharan African economies.
The triple transition of a slowing China, lower oil prices and a higher US dollar
Working and discussion papers | March 2016 | Phyllis Papadavid
This report considers how China’s economic developments, lower oil prices and a higher US dollar stand to impact 12 Sub Saharan African economies.
Using political economy analysis in conflict, security and justice programmes
Toolkits | March 2016 | Lisa Denney
This guidance note provides a framework for implementers of conflict, security and justice programmes to conduct political economy analysis.
Evaluating the impact of flexible development interventions
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Rick Davies
Evaluating the impact of development projects that aim to be flexible and responsive is a big ask. But not impossible.
Bringing taxation into social protection analysis and planning: guidance note
Toolkits | March 2016 | Francesca Bastagli
A Guidance Note to facilitate analysis of the poverty and inequality impact of government taxes and transfers and the implications of tax policy on social protection.
World Economic Forum [to 2 April 2016]
https://agenda.weforum.org/news/
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News 31 Mar 2016
Correcting Market Failures with the Tools of Capitalism – Meet the 12 Social Entrepreneurs of 2016
:: The Schwab Foundation recognizes 12 men and women for outstanding entrepreneurial activities that benefit the marginalized and poor.
:: Education and skills, women’s empowerment and IT literacy are areas where traditional market forces have failed and social enterprises provide crucial services.
:: Several awardees are helping to link poor communities with the high-tech world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Aga Khan Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.akdn.org/pr.asp
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31 March 2016
Tanzanian Health Care Gets Boost from AKU’s New Nursing/Midwifery Training Facility
– Aga Khan University opened the new home of its School of Nursing and Midwifery in Dar es Salaam today at Salama House. This state-of-the-art facility will educate nursing and midwifery leaders dedicated to saving lives and improving health care for the people of Tanzania.
Annie E. Casey Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.aecf.org/contact/newsroom/
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Posted March 29, 2016
The Foundation Awards Over $850,000 in Grants to Summer Programs for Baltimore Kids and Youth
The Casey Foundation has awarded grants to 43 local nonprofits through its Baltimore Direct Services Grants (BDSG) program, amounting to a combined $860,000 that will support summer activities and programs for hundreds of Baltimore City’s young people in 2016.
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/news
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Our News
Philanthropy Going Off-Piste: Finding New Ways to Give
March 29, 2016 By Heather Grady, Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
We must chart a new path for philanthropic giving that is more aware and connected, and that takes more advantage of converging around shared aims and goals.
…Visiting Kenya and Zambia with Shaheen Kassim-Lakha, international program director of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, I saw how the Hilton Foundation and other foundations have been on a steady path from supporting individual grantees (most often civil society organizations) to crafting “mapped” portfolios – a cluster of grantees that includes civil society, government departments, UN organizations, and sometimes social enterprises—all aimed at solving problems around a particular goal, sector, or theme. In Kenya, a focus of the Hilton Foundation is supporting early childhood development efforts in communities affected by HIV/AIDS, before and beyond the common intervention of access to preschools. And in Zambia, we had fruitful discussions about programming for children and their wider communities with the UN, government, and groups of local and international NGOs and faith-based organizations, which are very close to the challenges in their communities, and thus an important part of successfully addressing them…
Kellogg Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.wkkf.org/news-and-media#pp=10&p=1&f1=news
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April 1, 2016
Statement on protection of human rights in LGBT communities across the country
La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Since our founding, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has been guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive. For this vision to become a reality, WKKF also steadfastly believes that race and gender equity must be an objective in our communities, for everyone in our communities. It is very disappointing that North Carolina among other states, has thought to enact legislation that overturns protections for all people including LGBT people, sanctioning open discrimination against them.
WKKF stands with businesses, organizations and individuals seeking to protect the human rights of the LGBT communities in North Carolina, as well as other states where similar laws are being considered. We are heartened by the broad coalition of public sector, non-profit, business and civic leaders who are speaking out against this injustice. WKKF is proud to join their ranks.
We envision an America where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed. As I stated in June 2015 when the Supreme Court ruled to uphold marriage equality, all children deserve to live in families where they and their parents have equal rights and opportunities to thrive.
This affront on the life and families of LGBT communities in North Carolina is diminishing their human value. We call upon local and national leadership in both North Carolina and across the country in assuring we unite communities rather than divide them.
MacArthur Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.macfound.org/
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Publication
Why is America So Punitive?
Published March 28, 2016
The report of a roundtable convened by John Jay College of Criminal Justice and supported by MacArthur finds that a sustained interdisciplinary scholarly approach to exploring punitiveness in America might help point the way to a society that is more just. The roundtable, held in April 2015, determined that significant change in the American criminal justice system will require coming to terms with American views on punishment, which in turn requires a deep understanding of U.S. history, the unresolved legacy of slavery, the human emotions of revenge and forgiveness, the principled limits of the power of the State, the role of religion and values in shaping culture, and the dynamics of political power and economic forces.
David and Lucile Packard Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.packard.org/news/
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March 31, 2016
Carol Larson Receives Distinguished Service Award
Today the Council on Foundations announced the 2016 recipients of awards honoring exemplary leaders in the philanthropic field, including Packard Foundation President and CEO Carol Larson.
Carol, along with Ira Hirschfield, President and Trustee, Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, will receive the Distinguished Service Award, philanthropy’s highest honor, celebrates visionary leaders who embody those inspirational qualities that define excellence in philanthropy—commitment, courage, entrepreneurship, and impact…
Wellcome Trust [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/2016/index.htm
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31 March 2016
Urgent action still needed in Ebola vaccine development
A panel of international experts today called for urgent steps to be taken to complete the development of safe, effective vaccines for Ebola, and ensure the world is prepared for future outbreaks.
A panel of international experts today called for urgent steps to be taken to complete the development of safe, effective vaccines for Ebola, and ensure the world is prepared for future outbreaks.
Although tremendous progress has been made in Ebola vaccine development in the last two years, the latest report by Wellcome and the University of Minnesota’s CIDRAP Ebola Vaccine Team B says without renewed commitment from the global public health community, progress towards approved vaccines for Ebola could grind to a halt as memories of the outbreak in West Africa begin to fade.
During the 2014-2015 epidemic, a total of 13 Ebola vaccine candidates (including different combinations of vaccines) were evaluated in phase 1 and/or phase 2 clinical trials and three phase 3 efficacy trials were initiated in Africa – one each in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Vaccine manufacturers, such as Johnson & Johnson and GSK, have advanced their respective Ebola candidate vaccines well into the clinical trial process. Trials of one vaccine, Merck’s rVSV-ZEBOV, have progressed far enough to demonstrate that it is safe and effective, prompting GAVI, the vaccine alliance, to purchase 300,000 doses as a stockpile for use during future Ebola outbreaks.
However, to date, no vaccine has been submitted for regulatory review and many questions regarding Ebola vaccines remain unresolved. Today’s report from the Ebola Vaccine Team B identifies four main areas where work is still needed before the world is fully prepared for another Ebola outbreak:
.1. Filling in the gaps in data on the safety and efficacy of Ebola vaccines;
.2. Understanding the complex regulatory pathways for Ebola vaccines;
.3. Gaining direct input from African public health leaders to clarify how Ebola vaccines will be used or evaluated in respond to future Ebola outbreaks;
.4. Creating a business case for ongoing Ebola vaccine development and deployment.
The group outlines recommendations for how each of these can be achieved, including completing clinical trials of vaccine candidates to fill in the missing gaps in data, and being ready to run both phase 3 efficacy studies and phase 4 post-marketing studies from the start of the next Ebola outbreak.
Wellcome Trust Director Dr Jeremy Farrar, who co-chairs Ebola Vaccine Team B, said: “Although a global collaborative effort has moved us from having no drugs or vaccines in the early days of the Ebola epidemic to now having a safe, effective vaccine, and other promising candidates, it has taken too long, and the job is still not done.
“As Ebola infection rates come under control it’s a huge concern that complacency sets in, attention moves to more immediate threats, and Ebola vaccine development is left half-finished. Today we’re calling for a renewed commitment from the global health community. After the hard lessons we’ve learned, it would be a tragedy not to put a final stop to the current Ebola epidemic, and be prepared for the next outbreak.”
Co-chair, and Regents Professor and Director of CIDRAP, Dr Michael Osterholm added: “While many in the international public health community believe these efforts have solved ‘the problem of Ebola,’ the path forward is not quite so simple, and many unresolved challenges and questions remain. In our report, we identify the key areas in which critical additional work and effort are needed to enhance Ebola preparedness for future outbreaks, particularly in the megacities of equatorial Africa, and to address the ongoing concern that Ebola virus disease may become endemic in West Africa.”
This report from Team B follows a report published in February 2015, which set out a framework for developing vaccines for Ebola, and increasing preparedness for emerging infectious diseases. It can be downloaded from the CIDRAP website.
The group is called “Team B” in recognition of the principal role played by the World Health Organization and national governments in leading the international Ebola response.
American Journal of Infection Control
April 2016 Volume 44, Issue 4, p373-494, e37-e58
http://www.ajicjournal.org/current
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Major Articles
Risk factors for measles in children younger than age 8 months: A case-control study during an outbreak in Guangxi, China, 2013
Zhen-Zhu Tang, Yi-Hong Xie, Chuleeporn Jiraphongsa, Xuan-Hua Liu, Zhong-You Li, Virasakdi Chongsuvivatwong
e51–e58
Published online: December 28 2015
Highlights
:: This measles outbreak occurred at a near-elimination point.
:: A quarter of cases were under the recommended vaccination age (8 months).
:: Coverage of two-dose measles-containing vaccine was low (34%).
::The disease possible transmission to children visiting the hospitals.
:: The need for SIAs and prevention of hospital transmission cannot be overemphasized.
Background
Following a period (2009-2012) during which zero measles cases were reported, a measles outbreak occurred in 2013 in Bama County, Guangxi, China, that involved more than 100 children younger than age 8 months. We aimed to identify the pitfalls and risk factors while implementing the control measures.
Methods
An outbreak investigation and a case-control study was conducted among children younger than age 8 months. The serum specimens of the study subjects and their mothers were tested for measles immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G.
Results
The attack rate was 2.3/1,000 population. The median (interquartile range) age was 18.6 months (7.9-52.8 months). The coverage of 2-dose measles-containing vaccine was only 34%. The case-control study revealed 2 independent risk factors: low education level of main caregiver (odds ratio [OR], 2.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-6.22) and visiting a hospital 7-21 days before the date of symptoms onset (OR, 9.84; 95% CI, 4.27-22.67). The population attributable fraction of the latter was 52.8%. The mothers of the cases had nonsignificantly higher levels of immunoglobulin M and were significantly more likely to have protective levels of immunoglobulin G than those of the controls. This suggests a reactive rather than protective role of the antibody to the child’s infection.
Conclusions
In a near-elimination but low measles-containing vaccine coverage community, supplementary immunization activities should be emphasized for children and women who are potential future mothers. The minimum age of measles-containing vaccine should be further reduced. Hospital measles transmission must also be strictly prevented.
American Journal of Public Health
Volume 106, Issue 4 (April 2016)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current
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AJPH EDITORIALS
ZIKA Preventing Zika Virus Infections in Pregnant Women: An Urgent Public Health Priority
American Journal of Public Health: April 2016, Vol. 106, No. 4: 589–590.
Beth P. Bell, Coleen A. Boyle, Lyle R. Petersen
[No abstract]
AJPH SPECIAL SECTION: ZIKA
Aedes Rides Again: Mosquitoes and Flaviviruses in the Americas
American Journal of Public Health: April 2016, Vol. 106, No. 4: 596–597.
John McNeill
Initial Description of the Presumed Congenital Zika Syndrome
American Journal of Public Health: April 2016, Vol. 106, No. 4: 598–600.
Demócrito de Barros Miranda-Filho, Celina Maria Turchi Martelli, Ricardo Arraes de Alencar Ximenes, Thalia Velho Barreto Araújo, Maria Angela Wanderley Rocha, Regina Coeli Ferreira Ramos, Rafael Dhalia, Rafael Freitas de Oliveira França, Ernesto Torres de Azevedo Marques Júnior, Laura Cunha Rodrigues
The Epidemic of Zika Virus–Related Microcephaly in Brazil: Detection, Control, Etiology, and Future Scenarios
American Journal of Public Health: April 2016, Vol. 106, No. 4: 601–605.
Maria G. Teixeira, Maria da Conceição N. Costa, Wanderson K. de Oliveira, Marilia Lavocat Nunes, Laura C. Rodrigues
History, Epidemiology, and Clinical Manifestations of Zika: A Systematic Review
American Journal of Public Health: April 2016, Vol. 106, No. 4: 606–612.
Enny S. Paixão, Florisneide Barreto, Maria da Glória Teixeira, Maria da Conceição N. Costa, Laura C. Rodrigues
Human Papillomavirus Vaccination in the United States: Uneven Uptake by Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Sexual Orientation
American Journal of Public Health: April 2016, Vol. 106, No. 4: 746–747.
Jason Daniel-Ulloa, Paul A Gilbert, Edith A. Parker
Abstract
Objectives. To assess national differences in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among young adults in the United States by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Methods. We tested group differences in initiation and completion of the HPV vaccine series (i.e., 3 doses) by Rao–Scott χ2 test among 6444 respondents aged 18 to 30 years from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey.
Results. Among men, 5% reported receiving the HPV vaccine, with no differences in uptake by race/ethnicity or sexual orientation. By contrast, 30% of the women reported receiving the HPV vaccine, with women of color having lower odds of initiating and completing the vaccine series compared with White women.
Conclusions. In the United States, HPV vaccine rates are lagging in men and show disparities among women. Increasing HPV vaccine uptake and series completion among women of color and all men may provide considerable long-term public health benefits.
BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 2 April 2016)
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Research article
Analysis of vaccination campaign effectiveness and population immunity to support and sustain polio elimination in Nigeria
Alexander M. Upfill-Brown, Arend Voorman, Guillaume Chabot-Couture, Faisal Shuaib and Hil M. Lyons
Published on: 30 March 2016
Abstract
Background
The world is closer than ever to a polio-free Africa. In this end-stage, it is important to ensure high levels of population immunity to prevent polio outbreaks. Here, we introduce a new method of assessing vaccination campaign effectiveness and estimating immunity at the district-level. We demonstrate how this approach can be used to plan the vaccination campaigns prospectively to better manage population immunity in Northern Nigeria.
Methods
Using Nigerian acute flaccid paralysis surveillance data from 2004–2014, we developed a Bayesian hierarchical model of campaign effectiveness and compared it to lot-quality assurance sampling data. We then used reconstructed sero-specific population immunity based on campaign history and compared district estimates of immunity to the occurrence of confirmed poliovirus cases.
Results
Estimated campaign effectiveness has improved across northern Nigeria since 2004, with Kano state experiencing an increase of 40 % (95 % CI, 26–54 %) in effectiveness from 2013 to 2014. Immunity to type 1 poliovirus has increased steadily. On the other hand, type 2 immunity was low and variable until the recent use of trivalent oral polio vaccine. We find that immunity estimates are related to the occurrence of both wild and vaccine-derived poliovirus cases and that campaign effectiveness correlates with direct measurements using lot-quality assurance sampling. Future campaign schedules highlight the trade-offs involved with using different vaccine types.
Conclusions
The model in this study provides a novel method for assessing vaccination campaign performance and epidemiologically-relevant estimates of population immunity. Small-area estimates of campaign effectiveness can then be used to evaluate prospective campaign plans. This modeling approach could be applied to other countries as well as other vaccine preventable diseases
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content
(Accessed 2 April 2016)
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Research article
Development of a tool to measure women’s perception of respectful maternity care in public health facilities
Maternal mortality continues to be the biggest challenge facing Ethiopia and other developing countries. Although progress has been made in making maternity services available closer to the community, the rate of deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants has remained very low. Absence of respectful maternity care (RMC) is believed to have contributed to low utilization of facility delivery services. This study outlines steps undertaken to construct and validate a scale that measures women’s perception of respectful maternity care provided in health facilities.
Ephrem D. Sheferaw, Teka Z. Mengesha and Solomon B. Wase
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:67
Published on: 29 March 2016
BMC Research Notes
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcresnotes/content
(Accessed 2 April 2016)
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Research article
Prevalence and risk factors of three curable sexually transmitted infections among women in Nairobi, Kenya
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. The complications of untreated STIs in the female genital tract and their role in adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes have been well documented. The prevalence of STIs in Kenya among women in the general population has not been extensively studied and there is a lack of guidelines for screening of non-pregnant women. Knowledge of the prevalence of curable STIs among this population can provide a basis for integrating STI screening in family planning clinics.
Anne Njeri Maina, Joshua Kimani and Omu Anzala
BMC Research Notes 2016 9:193
Published on: 29 March 2016
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 94, Number 4, April 2016, 233-308
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/4/en/
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EDITORIALS
Best practices for sharing information through data platforms: establishing the principles
Vasee S Moorthy, Cathy Roth, Piero Olliaro, Christopher Dye & Marie Paule Kieny
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.172882
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Addressing the health of vulnerable populations: a call for papers
Viroj Tangcharoensathien, Churnrurtai Kanchanachitra, Rebekah Thomas, James Headen Pfitzer & Paige Whitney
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.172783
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Knowledge sharing during public health emergencies: from global call to effective implementation
Sophie Delaunay, Patricia Kahn, Mercedes Tatay & Joanne Liu
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.172650
[Initial text]
In February 2016, the issue of data sharing during emergencies made headlines around the world after leading research funders, academic journals and nongovernmental organizations signed a joint declaration of commitment to rapidly share data relevant to the Zika virus outbreak.1 This action followed repeated calls from some of the same constituencies for sharing data from clinical trials2,3 conducted in the context of public health emergencies4,5 and public health in general.6,7
While the Zika open data initiative is a positive step, it also highlights the shortcomings of calling for knowledge sharing after an outbreak has already begun. To improve epidemic emergency response and to accelerate related research, health authorities in potentially exposed countries must put in place the necessary frameworks for collecting, managing and swiftly making available good-quality, standardized data and for safely securing and sharing biomaterial¬ – such as patient samples – collected during the outbreak…
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Assessment of universal health coverage for adults aged 50 years or older with chronic illness in six middle-income countries
Christine Goeppel, Patricia Frenz, Linus Grabenhenrich, Thomas Keil & Peter Tinnemann
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.15.163832
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An approach for setting evidence-based and stakeholder-informed research priorities in low- and middle-income countries
Eva A Rehfuess, Solange Durão, Patrick Kyamanywa, Joerg J Meerpohl, Taryn Young, Anke Rohwer, on behalf of the CEBHA+ & consortium
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.15.162966
GE2P2 Global :: Knowledge Sharing; Ideas; Operations 