American Journal of Public Health
Volume 105, Issue 5 (May 2015)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

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Ebola Crisis of 2014: Are Current Strategies Enough to Meet the Long-Run Challenges Ahead?
Gilbert Gimm, PhD, and Len M. Nichols, PhD
Abstract
The outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) in 2014 mobilized international efforts to contain a global health crisis. The emergence of the deadly virus in the United States and Europe among health care workers intensified fears of a worldwide epidemic. Market incentives for pharmaceutical firms to allocate their research and development resources toward Ebola treatments were weak because the limited number of EVD cases were previously confined to rural areas of West Africa. We discuss 3 policy recommendations to address the long-term challenges of EVD in an interconnected world.

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 25 April 2015)

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Research article
HIV service delivery models towards ‘Zero AIDS-related Deaths’: a collaborative case study of 6 Asia and Pacific countries
Masami Fujita, Krishna C Poudel, Kimberly Green, Teodora Wi, Iyanthi Abeyewickreme, Massimo Ghidinelli, Masaya Kato, Mean Vun, Seng Sopheap, Khin San, Phavady Bollen, Krishna Rai, Atul Dahal, Durga Bhandari, Peniel Boas, Jessica Yaipupu, Petchsri Sirinirund, Pairoj Saonuam, Bui Duong, Do Nhan, Nguyen Thu, Masamine Jimba BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:176 (24 April 2015)
Abstract (provisional)
Background
In the Asia-Pacific region, limited systematic assessment has been conducted on HIV service delivery models. Applying an analytical framework of the continuum of prevention and care, this study aimed to assess HIV service deliveries in six Asia and Pacific countries from the perspective of service availability, linking approaches and performance monitoring for maximizing HIV case detection and retention.
Methods
Each country formed a review team that provided published and unpublished information from the national HIV program. Four types of continuum were examined: (i) service linkages between key population outreach and HIV diagnosis (vertical-community continuum); (ii) chronic care provision across HIV diagnosis and treatment (chronological continuum); (iii) linkages between HIV and other health services (horizontal continuum); and (iv) comprehensive care sites coordinating care provision (hub and heart of continuum).
Results
Regarding the vertical-community continuum, all districts had voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) in all countries except for Myanmar and Vietnam. In these two countries, limited VCT availability was a constraint for referring key populations reached. All countries monitored HIV testing coverage among key populations. Concerning the chronological continuum, the proportion of districts/townships having antiretroviral treatment (ART) was less than 70% except in Thailand, posing a barrier for accessing pre-ART/ART care. Mechanisms for providing chronic care and monitoring retention were less developed for VCT/pre-ART process compared to ART process in all countries. On the horizontal continuum, the availability of HIV testing for tuberculosis patients and pregnant women was limited and there were sub-optimal linkages between tuberculosis, antenatal care and HIV services except for Cambodia and Thailand. These two countries indicated higher HIV testing coverage than other countries. Regarding hub and heart of continuum, all countries had comprehensive care sites with different degrees of community involvement.
Conclusions
The analytical framework was useful to identify similarities and considerable variations in service availability and linking approaches across the countries. The study findings would help each country critically adapt and adopt global recommendations on HIV service decentralization, linkages and integration. Especially, the findings would inform cross-fertilization among the countries and national HIV program reviews to determine county-specific measures for maximizing HIV case detection and retention.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content
(Accessed 25 April 2015)

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Research article
Determinants of women’s satisfaction with maternal health care: a review of literature from developing countries
Aradhana Srivastava, Bilal I Avan, Preety Rajbangshi, Sanghita Bhattacharyya BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2015, 15:97 (18 April 2015)
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Developing countries account for 99 percent of maternal deaths annually. While increasing service availability and maintaining acceptable quality standards, it is important to assess maternal satisfaction with care in order to make it more responsive and culturally acceptable, ultimately leading to enhanced utilization and improved outcomes. At a time when global efforts to reduce maternal mortality have been stepped up, maternal satisfaction and its determinants also need to be addressed by developing country governments. This review seeks to identify determinants of women’s satisfaction with maternity care in developing countries.
Methods
The review followed the methodology of systematic reviews. Public health and social science databases were searched. English articles covering antenatal, intrapartum or postpartum care, for either home or institutional deliveries, reporting maternal satisfaction from developing countries (World Bank list) were included, with no year limit. Out of 154 shortlisted abstracts, 54 were included and 100 excluded. Studies were extracted onto structured formats and analyzed using the narrative synthesis approach.
Results
Determinants of maternal satisfaction covered all dimensions of care across structure, process and outcome. Structural elements included good physical environment, cleanliness, and availability of adequate human resources, medicines and supplies. Process determinants included interpersonal behavior, privacy, promptness, cognitive care, perceived provider competency and emotional support. Outcome related determinants were health status of the mother and newborn. Access, cost, socio-economic status and reproductive history also influenced perceived maternal satisfaction. Process of care dominated the determinants of maternal satisfaction in developing countries. Interpersonal behavior was the most widely reported determinant, with the largest body of evidence generated around provider behavior in terms of courtesy and non-abuse. Other aspects of interpersonal behavior included therapeutic communication, staff confidence and competence and encouragement to laboring women.
Conclusions
Quality improvement efforts in developing countries could focus on strengthening the process of care. Special attention is needed to improve interpersonal behavior, as evidence from the review points to the importance women attach to being treated respectfully, irrespective of socio-cultural or economic context. Further research on maternal satisfaction is required on home deliveries and relative strength of various determinants in influencing maternal satisfaction.

BMC Public Health
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content
(Accessed 25 April 2015)

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Research article
Effects of agricultural biodiversity and seasonal rain on dietary adequacy and household food security in rural areas of Kenya
Florence K M¿Kaibi, Nelia P Steyn, Sophie Ochola, Lisanne Du Plessis BMC Public Health 2015, 15:422 (25 April 2015)
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Kenya has a high prevalence of underweight and stunting in children. It is believed that both agricultural biodiversity and seasonal rainfall influences household food security and dietary intake. In the present study we aimed to study the effects of agricultural biodiversity and seasonal rains on dietary adequacy and household food security of preschool Kenyan children, and to identify significant relationships between these variables.
Methods
Two cross-sectional studies were undertaken in resource-poor households in rural Kenya approximately 6 months apart. Interviews were done with mothers/caregivers to collect data from randomly selected households (N = 525). A repeated 24-hour recall was used to calculate dietary intake in each phase while household food security was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). A nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) was calculated for each nutrient as the percent of the nutrient meeting the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for that nutrient. A mean adequacy ratio (MAR) was calculated as the mean of the NARs. Agricultural biodiversity was calculated for each household by counting the number of different crops and animals eaten either from domestic sources or from the wild.
Results
Dietary intake was low with the majority of households not meeting the RNIs for many nutrients. However intake of energy (p < 0.001), protein (p < 0.01), iron (p < 0.01), zinc (p < 0.05), calcium (p < 0.05), and folate (p < 0.01) improved significantly from the dry to the rainy season. Household food security also increased significantly (p < 0.001) from the dry (13.1 SD 6.91) to the rainy season (10.9 SD 7.42). Agricultural biodiversity was low with a total of 26 items; 23 domesticated and 3 from the natural habitat. Agricultural biodiversity was positively and significantly related to all NARs (Spearman, p < 0.05) and MAR (Spearman, p < 0.001) indicating a significant positive relationship between agricultural biodiversity of the household with dietary adequacy of the child’s diet.
Conclusion
Important significant relationships were found in this study: between agricultural biodiversity and dietary adequacy; between agricultural biodiversity and household food security and between dietary adequacy and household food security. Furthermore, the effect of seasonality on household food security and nutrient intake was illustrated.

Epidemiology and Infection
Volume 143 – Issue 07 – May 2015
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=HYG&tab=currentissue

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Vaccine studies
Transport networks and inequities in vaccination: remoteness shapes measles vaccine coverage and prospects for elimination across Africa
C. J. E. METCALF, A. TATEM, O. N. BJORNSTAD, J. LESSLER, K. O’REILLY, S. TAKAHASHI, F. CUTTS and B.T. GRENFELL
SUMMARY
Measles vaccination is estimated to have averted 13•8 million deaths between 2000 and 2012. Persisting heterogeneity in coverage is a major contributor to continued measles mortality, and a barrier to measles elimination and introduction of rubella-containing vaccine. Our objective is to identify determinants of inequities in coverage, and how vaccine delivery must change to achieve elimination goals, which is a focus of the WHO Decade of Vaccines. We combined estimates of travel time to the nearest urban centre (≥50 000 people) with vaccination data from Demographic Health Surveys to assess how remoteness affects coverage in 26 African countries. Building on a statistical mapping of coverage against age and geographical isolation, we quantified how modifying the rate and age range of vaccine delivery affects national coverage. Our scenario analysis considers increasing the rate of delivery of routine vaccination, increasing the target age range of routine vaccination, and enhanced delivery to remote areas. Geographical isolation plays a key role in defining vaccine inequity, with greater inequity in countries with lower measles vaccine coverage. Eliminating geographical inequities alone will not achieve thresholds for herd immunity, indicating that changes in delivery rate or age range of routine vaccination will be required. Measles vaccine coverage remains far below targets for herd immunity in many countries on the African continent and is likely to be inadequate for achieving rubella elimination. The impact of strategies such as increasing the upper age range eligible for routine vaccination should be considered.

Food Policy
Volume 53, In Progress (May 2015)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03069192

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Weather shocks and cropland decisions in rural Mozambique
Review Article
Pages 9-21
César Salazar-Espinoza, Sam Jones, Finn Tarp
Abstract
Highlights
:: We examine the effect of weather shocks on cropland decisions in rural Mozambique.
:: Farmers shift land use away from non-staple crops one year after a weather shock.
:: The uncultivated land share also rises after a weather shock.
:: Farmers living in higher drought risk areas appear more responsive to flood shocks.
:: The reallocation identified appears temporary as farmers devote less land to staples after two periods.

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What drives and constrains effective leadership in tackling child undernutrition? Findings from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Kenya
Original Research Article
Pages 33-45
Nicholas Nisbett, Elise Wach, Lawrence Haddad, Shams El Arifeen
Abstract
Highlights
:: Interviews with 89 leaders in four countries shed light on the incentives and constraints to effective leadership.
:: Understanding leadership entails studying the adaptive practice of leaders rather than their personalities.
:: Leaders studied operate within fluid boundaries set by local political-economies of nutrition.
:: Successful leaders (high adult development levels) are able to span boundaries and translate between disciplines and sectors.
:: Supportive action can develop leadership attributes in individuals and their networks in a number of ways identified here.

Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 25 April 2015]

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Research
Capacity for conducting systematic reviews in low- and middle-income countries: a rapid appraisal
Sandy Oliver, Mukdarut Bangpan, Claire Stansfield, Ruth Stewart
Health Research Policy and Systems 2015, 13:23 (26 April 2015)
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Systematic reviews of research are increasingly recognised as important for informing decisions across policy sectors and for setting priorities for research. Although reviews draw on international research, the host institutions and countries can focus attention on their own priorities. The uneven capacity for conducting research around the world raises questions about the capacity for conducting systematic reviews.
Methods
A rapid appraisal was conducted of current capacity and capacity strengthening activities for conducting systematic reviews in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A systems approach to analysis considered the capacity of individuals nested within the larger units of research teams, institutions that fund, support, and/or conduct systematic reviews, and systems that support systematic reviewing internationally.
Results
International systematic review networks, and their support organisations, are dominated by members from high-income countries. The largest network comprising a skilled workforce and established centres is the Cochrane Collaboration. Other networks, although smaller, provide support for systematic reviews addressing questions beyond effective clinical practice which require a broader range of methods. Capacity constraints were apparent at the levels of individuals, review teams, organisations, and system wide. Constraints at each level limited the capacity at levels nested within them. Skills training for individuals had limited utility if not allied to opportunities for review teams to practice the skills. Skills development was further constrained by language barriers, lack of support from academic organisations, and the limitations of wider systems for communication and knowledge management. All networks hosted some activities for strengthening the capacities of individuals and teams, although these were usually independent of core academic programmes and traditional career progression. Even rarer were efforts to increase demand for systematic reviews and to strengthen links between producers and potential users of systematic reviews.
Conclusions
Limited capacity for conducting systematic reviews within LMICs presents a major technical and social challenge to advancing their health systems. Effective capacity in LMICs can be spread through investing effort at multiple levels simultaneously, supported by countries (predominantly high-income countries) with established skills and experience.

Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 25 April 2015]
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Research
Assessing the implementation and influence of policies that support research and innovation systems for health: the cases of Mozambique, Senegal, and Tanzania
Julius Mugwagwa, Daniel Edwards, Sylvia de Haan Health Research Policy and Systems 2015, 13:21 (18 April 2015)
Abstract
Background
Without good policies it will be difficult to provide guidance to research and innovation systems. However, policies need to be followed through and implemented to have the desired effect. We studied the policies and strategies in place to support research and innovation systems for health in Mozambique, Senegal, and Tanzania, and looked at the extent to which these policies and strategies have been implemented.
Methods
We reviewed documents and reports and conducted in-depth interviews with 16 key informants representing various actors of the national research for health systems.
Results
The results illustrate that there are various policies and strategies governing research and innovation for health in the three countries. However, implementation of these policies and strategies is generally rated as being poor. The reasons highlighted for this include lack of policy coherence, lack of enforcement and accountability mechanisms, and a lack of financing for implementing the policies. These contextual factors seem to be of such importance that even the increased stakeholder involvement and political leadership, as mentioned by the interviewees, cannot guarantee policy implementation.
Conclusions
We conclude that due to the contextual realities of the study countries, there is need for greater focus on policy implementation than on developing additional policies. Government institutions should play a central role in all stages of the policy process, and should ensure implementation of defined policies. Strong mechanisms, including financing, that strengthen the position and role of government in policy coordination and the oversight of the policy process will help increase efficient and impactful implementation of research and innovation for health policies.

Infectious Diseases of Poverty
http://www.idpjournal.com/content
[Accessed 25 April 2015]
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Research Article
Prevalence and risk factors associated with malaria infection among pregnant women in a semi-urban community of north-western Nigeria
Sani Fana, Mohammed Bunza, Sule Anka, Asiya Imam, Shehu Nataala Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2015, 4:24 (24 April 2015)
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Research Article
Knowledge, perception and practices about malaria, climate change, livelihoods and food security among rural communities of central Tanzania
Benjamin K Mayala, Carolyn A Fahey, Dorothy Wei, Maria M Zinga, Veneranda M Bwana, Tabitha Mlacha, Susan F Rumisha, Grades Stanley, Elizabeth H Shayo, Leonard Mboera Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2015, 4:21 (24 April 2015)

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
Volume 13, In Progress (September 2015)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/22124209/13

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Disaster risk reduction or disaster risk production: The role of building regulations in mainstreaming DRR
Original Research Article
Pages 10-19
Ksenia Chmutina, Lee Bosher

Exploring the impacts of flood insurance reform on vulnerable communities
Original Research Article
Pages 20-36
Earthea Nance

Mapping the expected annual fatality risk of volcano on a global scale
Original Research Article
Pages 52-60
Hongmei Pan, Peijun Shi, Tao Ye, Wei Xu, Jing’ai Wang

Comparing the direct human impact of natural disasters for two cases in 2011: The Christchurch earthquake and the Bangkok flood
Original Research Article
Pages 61-65
Ilan Noy

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
June 2015 Volume 35, p1
http://www.ijidonline.com/current

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Prevalence of tuberculosis in adolescents, western Kenya: implications for control programs
Videlis Nduba, Anna H. Van’t Hoog, Ellen Mitchell, Peter Onyango, Kayla Laserson, Martien Borgdorff
p11–17
Published online: March 11, 2015
Open Access
Preview
Tuberculosis (TB) has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).1 No current vaccine has been shown to reliably prevent pulmonary TB in adolescents.2 The risk of TB disease increases steeply in adolescence, suggesting adolescents may be a suitable target group for vaccination.3,4 New vaccines are currently being developed,5–7 and adolescents are considered a convenient target for novel TB vaccine trials because they are easy to reach in schools, are not highly mobile, and do not have many of the comorbidities that exclude adults from trial participation.

International Journal of Mass Emergencies & Disasters
March 2015 (VOL. 33, NO. 1)
http://www.ijmed.org/issues/33/1/

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Religious Actors in Disaster Relief: An Introduction, 1 -17
The neglected intersection between religion and disaster relief should be given much greater attention. This emerging field is an intellectually compelling area for study, though much work stills needs to be done to explore the processes that take place on the ground in different settings. It is also important for practitioners and policy makers involved in disaster response to have a nuanced understanding of the work that religious actors undertake. This special issue begins with an interview with representatives of prominent humanitarian organizations, all of whom call for greater attention to the work of religious actors in disaster relief. The following case studies provide a textured empirical analysis of religious responses to disasters in contemporary Asia. By attending to particular contexts it is shown that religious actors can and do play important yet complex roles in relief processes. This special issue – edited by Philip Fountain, Robin Bush, and R. Michael Feener – aims to critically examine these diverse intersections and also help set future research agendas on the subject.

Engaging Religion: An Interview with Practitioners, 18 -28

Religion in Spaces of Social Disruption: Re-Reading the Public Transcript of Disaster Relief in Pakistan, 29 -55

Waves of Conversion? The Tsunami, ‘Unethical Conversions,’ and Political Buddhism in Sri Lanka, 56 -76

Disaster ‘Caliphatization’: Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, Islamic Aceh, and the Indian Ocean Tsunami, 77 -98

Habitat for Humanity’s Post-Tsunami Housing Reconstruction Approaches in Sri Lanka, 99 -121

Breaking Rules to Be Compassionate: The ‘Skillful Means’ of Buddhist Relief after the Wenchuan Earthquake Disaster, 122 -147

JAMA
April 21, 2015, Vol 313, No. 15
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

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Global Health | April 21, 2015
Fifty Breakthroughs for Sustainable Global Development
M. J. Friedrich
JAMA. 2015;313(15):1506. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.3340.
Technological and scientific advances most needed to make a difference in the lives of poor people around the world are mapped out in a new study titled “50 Breakthroughs: Critical Scientific and Technological Advances Needed for Sustainable Global Development,” from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies (LIGTT) (https://ligtt.org/50-breakthroughs).
The authors of the study consulted with over 1000 experts to identify advances that could transform global outcomes, which are categorized into 9 areas: global health, food security and agricultural development, education, human rights, gender equity, water, access to electricity, digital inclusion, and resilience against climate change and environmental damage.

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
May 2015, Volume 69, Issue 5
http://jech.bmj.com/content/current

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Commentary
Impact evaluations of mental health programmes: the missing piece in global mental health
Mary J De Silva
The missing piece…
The past 10 years have witnessed a remarkable rise in the visibility of the field of global mental health, which applies the core principles of global health (improving health and equity in health for all people worldwide1) to mental health. The stated goal of global mental health is to reduce the burden of mental disorders using an evidence-based and human rights approach with a focus on low and middle income countries (LMIC) as this is where inequity in mental health treatment and care is the greatest.2…

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Health service use, out-of-pocket payments and catastrophic health expenditure among older people in India: The WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)
Ethel Mary Brinda1, Paul Kowal2,3, Jørn Attermann4, Ulrika Enemark1
Author Affiliations
1Section for Health Promotion and Health Services Research, Department of Public health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
2Department of Health Statistics and Information Systems, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
3Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
4Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Published Online First 9 January 2015
Abstract
Background
Healthcare financing through out-of-pocket payments and inequities in healthcare utilisation are common in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Given the dearth of pertinent studies on these issues among older people in LMICs, we investigated the determinants of health service use, out-of-pocket and catastrophic health expenditures among older people in one LMIC, India.
Methods
We accessed data from a nationally representative, multistage sample of 2414 people aged 65 years and older from the WHO’s Study on global Ageing and adult health in India. Sociodemographic characteristics, health profiles, health service utilisation and out-of-pocket health expenditure were assessed using standard instruments. Multivariate zero-inflated negative binomial regression models were used to evaluate the determinants of health service visits. Multivariate Heckman sample selection regression models were used to assess the determinants of out-of-pocket and catastrophic health expenditures.
Results
Out-of-pocket health expenditures were higher among participants with disability and lower income. Diabetes, hypertension, chronic pulmonary disease, heart disease and tuberculosis increased the number of health visits and out-of-pocket health expenditures. The prevalence of catastrophic health expenditure among older people in India was 7% (95% CI 6% to 8%). Older men and individuals with chronic diseases were at higher risk of catastrophic health expenditure, while access to health insurance lowered the risk.
Conclusions
Reducing out-of-pocket health expenditure among older people is an important public health issue, in which social as well as medical determinants should be prioritised. Enhanced public health sector performance and provision of publicly funded insurance may protect against catastrophic health expenses and healthcare inequities in India.

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Review
Birth weight and childhood wheezing disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Teumzghi F Mebrahtu, Richard G Feltbower, Darren C Greenwood, Roger C Parslow
Author Affiliations
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Published Online First 22 December 2014
Abstract
Background
Previous observational studies have claimed that birth weight and childhood wheezing disorders are associated although the results remained inconsistent. One systematic review and two systematic reviews that included meta-analyses reported inconsistent results. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate this.
Methods
An online search of published papers linking childhood asthma and wheezing disorders with birth weight up to February 2014 was carried out using EMBASE and Medline medical research databases. Summary ORs were estimated using random-effects models. Subgroup meta-analyses were performed to assess the robustness of risk associations and between-study heterogeneity.
Results
A total of 37 studies comprising 1 712 737 participants were included in our meta-analysis. The unadjusted summary ORs for risk of childhood wheezing disorders associated with low birth weight (<2.5 kg) were 1.60 (95% CI 1.39 to 1.85, p<0.001) and 1.37 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.79, p=0.02) when compared with ≥2.5 and 2.5–4.0 kg birthweight groups, respectively. The overall summary OR for high birth weight (>4 kg) as compared to the 2.5–4.0 kg birthweight group was 1.02 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.04, p=0.13). There was substantial heterogeneity in the unadjusted low birth weight risk estimates which was not accounted for by predefined study characteristics. There was no significant heterogeneity in the high birth weight risk estimates. There was some evidence of funnel plot asymmetry and small study effects in the low birth weight (2.5 vs ≥2.5 kg and <2.5 vs 2.5–4 kg) OR estimates.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that low birth (<2.5 kg) is an independent risk factor for wheezing disorders during childhood and adolescence although there was substantial heterogeneity among the risk estimates. However, we found no significant association of high birth weight with wheezing disorders.

JAMA
April 21, 2015, Vol 313, No. 15
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx
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Viewpoint | April 21, 2015
Infant HIV-1 Vaccines – Supplementing Strategies to Reduce Maternal-Child Transmission
Genevieve G. Fouda, MD, PhD1,2; Coleen K. Cunningham, MD1; Sallie R. Permar, MD, PhD1,2
Author Affiliations
This Viewpoint proposes that development of an infant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 vaccine is equally important as adult HIV-1 vaccine development to reduce maternal-child HIV transmission.

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (JHCPU)
Volume 26, Number 2, May 2015
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_health_care_for_the_poor_and_underserved/toc/hpu.26.2.htm

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Part 2: Refugee, Immigrant, International, and LEP Patient Populations
Commentary
The Health Implications of Deportation Policy
pp. 406-409
Juliana E. Morris, Daniel Palazuelos

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Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Racialized Immigrants, Refugees, and Non-Status People Living with HIV/AIDS
pp. 505-518
Y.Y. Brandon Chen, Alan Tai-Wai Li, Kenneth Po-Lun Fung, Josephine Pui-Hing Wong

Journal of Public Health Policy
Volume 36, Issue 2 (May 2015)
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/journal/v36/n2/index.html

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Editorial
Is WHO ineffectual because its members are ministries not states?
Anthony Robbinsa and Phyllis Freemana
Journal of Public Health Policy (2015) 36, 131–133. doi:10.1057/jphp.2015.4; published online 19 February 2015

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A North/South collaboration between two national public health institutes – A model for global health protection
The authors describe a strategic collaboration between the national public health institutes of England and South Africa to protect their populations against infectious diseases and implement WHO International Health Regulations.
Chikwe Ihekweazu, Fortune Ncube, Barry Schoub, Lucille Blumberg, Ruth Ruggles, Mark Salter, Shabir Madhi, and Anthony Kessel
J Public Health Pol 36: 181-193; advance online publication, January 8, 2015; doi:10.1057/jphp.2014.52

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Translating active living research into policy and practice: One important pathway to chronic disease prevention Open
Concerned about rising rates of non-communicable diseases, the authors propose ten strategies that may facilitate translation of research into health-enhancing urban planning policy.
Billie Giles-Corti, James F Sallis, Takemi Sugiyama, Lawrence D Frank, Melanie Lowe, and Neville Owen
J Public Health Pol 36: 231-243; advance online publication, January 22, 2015; doi:10.1057/jphp.2014.53

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The Federation’s Pages
Public health at all levels in the recent Nigerian Ebola viral infection epidemic: lessons for community, public and international health action and policy
Michael C Asuzua, Adebayo T Onajoleb, and Yahya Disuc
aDepartment of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. E-mail:
bDepartment of Community Health, University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
cLagos State Local Government Service Commission, Lagos, Nigeria

The Lancet
Online First
Comment
Final results from a pivotal phase 3 malaria vaccine trial
Vasee S Moorthy, Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele
Published Online: 23 April 2015
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60767-X
Summary
In The Lancet, the RTS,S Clinical Trials Partnership1 report the most recent results from the pivotal phase 3 trial of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine, the fourth major publication from this randomised controlled trial.2–4 The trial enrolled 15,459 infants and young children at 11 centres in seven sub-Saharan African countries: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Two age groups were included: 6–12 weeks and 5–17 months at first dose. The schedule involved a primary series of three monthly doses, with a booster dose given 18 months later in one of the three trial groups.

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Articles
Efficacy and safety of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine with or without a booster dose in infants and children in Africa: final results of a phase 3, individually randomised, controlled trial
RTS,S Clinical Trials Partnership – Members listed at end of paper
Published Online: 23 April 2015
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60721-8
Summary
Background
The efficacy and safety of the RTS,S/AS01 candidate malaria vaccine during 18 months of follow-up have been published previously. Herein, we report the final results from the same trial, including the efficacy of a booster dose.
Methods
From March 27, 2009, until Jan 31, 2011, children (age 5–17 months) and young infants (age 6–12 weeks) were enrolled at 11 centres in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) at first vaccination by block randomisation with minimisation by centre to receive three doses of RTS,S/AS01 at months 0, 1, and 2 and a booster dose at month 20 (R3R group); three doses of RTS,S/AS01 and a dose of comparator vaccine at month 20 (R3C group); or a comparator vaccine at months 0, 1, 2, and 20 (C3C [control group]). Participants were followed up until Jan 31, 2014. Cases of clinical and severe malaria were captured through passive case detection. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were recorded. Analyses were by modified intention to treat and per protocol. The coprimary endpoints were the occurrence of malaria over 12 months after dose 3 in each age category. In this final analysis, we present data for the efficacy of the booster on the occurrence of malaria. Vaccine efficacy (VE) against clinical malaria was analysed by negative binomial regression and against severe malaria by relative risk reduction. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00866619.
Findings
8922 children and 6537 young infants were included in the modified intention-to-treat analyses. Children were followed up for a median of 48 months (IQR 39–50) and young infants for 38 months (34–41) after dose 1. From month 0 until study end, compared with 9585 episodes of clinical malaria that met the primary case definition in children in the C3C group, 6616 episodes occurred in the R3R group (VE 36•3%, 95% CI 31•8–40•5) and 7396 occurred in the R3C group (28•3%, 23•3–32•9); compared with 171 children who experienced at least one episode of severe malaria in the C3C group, 116 children experienced at least one episode of severe malaria in the R3R group (32•2%, 13•7 to 46•9) and 169 in the R3C group (1•1%, −23•0 to 20•5). In young infants, compared with 6170 episodes of clinical malaria that met the primary case definition in the C3C group, 4993 episodes occurred in the R3R group (VE 25•9%, 95% CI 19•9–31•5) and 5444 occurred in the R3C group (18•3%, 11•7–24•4); and compared with 116 infants who experienced at least one episode of severe malaria in the C3C group, 96 infants experienced at least one episode of severe malaria in the R3R group (17•3%, 95% CI −9•4 to 37•5) and 104 in the R3C group (10•3%, −17•9 to 31•8). In children, 1774 cases of clinical malaria were averted per 1000 children (95% CI 1387–2186) in the R3R group and 1363 per 1000 children (995–1797) in the R3C group. The numbers of cases averted per 1000 young infants were 983 (95% CI 592–1337) in the R3R group and 558 (158–926) in the R3C group. The frequency of SAEs overall was balanced between groups. However, meningitis was reported as a SAE in 22 children: 11 in the R3R group, ten in the R3C group, and one in the C3C group. The incidence of generalised convulsive seizures within 7 days of RTS,S/AS01 booster was 2•2 per 1000 doses in young infants and 2•5 per 1000 doses in children.
Interpretation
RTS,S/AS01 prevented a substantial number of cases of clinical malaria over a 3–4 year period in young infants and children when administered with or without a booster dose. Efficacy was enhanced by the administration of a booster dose in both age categories. Thus, the vaccine has the potential to make a substantial contribution to malaria control when used in combination with other effective control measures, especially in areas of high transmission.
Funding
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.

The Lancet
Apr 25, 2015 Volume 385 Number 9978 p1591-1696 e38-e44
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

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Editorial
Vaccines: a step change in malaria prevention?
The Lancet
According to WHO’s 2014 World Malaria Report there were an estimated 198 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2013, occurring in around half of the world’s countries. These infections resulted in some 584 000 deaths, principally associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection, of which 90% occurred in equatorial Africa. Most distressingly, malaria mortality is concentrated in children, with about 453 000 deaths of children aged younger than 5 years in 2013, the vast majority in African countries.

The Lancet
Apr 25, 2015 Volume 385 Number 9978 p1591-1696 e38-e44
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
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Comment
Research priorities to address violence against women and girls
Marleen Temmerman
Published Online: 20 November 2014
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61840-7
Violence against women and girls is increasingly visible on the global health and development agenda—both as a matter of social justice and equality for women and as a public health priority. After many years of dedicated efforts, more is known about the epidemiology of some forms of violence against women, and knowledge is increasing about what works to prevent and respond to such violence. However, as this Lancet Series on violence against women and girls1–5 highlights, in terms of research and evidence this is still an emerging field.

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Series
Prevention of violence against women and girls: lessons from practice
Lori Michau, MA, Jessica Horn, MSc, Amy Bank, BA, Mallika Dutt, JD, Cathy Zimmerman, PhD
Published Online: 20 November 2014
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61797-9
Summary
This Series paper describes programming to prevent violence against women and girls, and emphasises the importance of systematic, sustained programming across the social ecology (ie, the delicate equilibrium of interacting social, institutional, cultural, and political contexts of people’s lives) to transform gender-power inequalities. Effective prevention policy and programming is founded on five core principles: first, analysis and actions to prevent violence across the social ecology (individual, interpersonal, community, and societal); second, intervention designs based on an intersectional gender-power analysis; third, theory-informed models developed on the basis of evidence; fourth, sustained investment in multisector interventions; and finally, aspirational programming that promotes personal and collective thought, and enables activism on women’s and girls’ rights to violence-free lives. Prevention programming of the future will depend on all of us having a vision of, and a commitment to, gender equality to make violence-free lives for women and girls a reality.

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Series
Addressing violence against women: a call to action
Dr Claudia García-Moreno, MD, Cathy Zimmerman, PhD, Alison Morris-Gehring, PhD, Lori Heise, PhD, Avni Amin, PhD, Naeemah Abrahams, PhD, Oswaldo Montoya, MA, Padma Bhate-eosthali, SW, Nduku Kilonzo, PhD, Prof Charlotte Watts, PhD
Published Online: 20 November 2014
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61830-4
Summary
Violence against women and girls is prevalent worldwide but historically has been overlooked and condoned. Growing international recognition of these violations creates opportunities for elimination, although solutions will not be quick or easy. Governments need to address the political, social, and economic structures that subordinate women, and implement national plans and make budget commitments to invest in actions by multiple sectors to prevent and respond to abuse. Emphasis on prevention is crucial. Community and group interventions involving women and men can shift discriminatory social norms to reduce the risk of violence. Education and empowerment of women are fundamental. Health workers should be trained to identify and support survivors and strategies to address violence should be integrated into services for child health, maternal, sexual, and reproductive health, mental health, HIV, and alcohol or substance abuse. Research to learn how to respond to violence must be strengthened. The elimination of violence against women and girls is central to equitable and sustainable social and economic development and must be prioritised in the agenda for development after 2015.