ASEAN [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.asean.org/news

ASEAN Senior Information Officials Launch Virtual Learning Resource Centre Website
NGWE SAUNG BEACH, 26 March 2015 – The ASEAN Virtual Learning Resource Centre (AVLRC) website was soft launched at the 13th Senior Officials Meeting Responsible for Information (SOMRI) in Ngwe Saung Beach, Myanmar. His Excellency U Ye Htut, Union Minister for Information of Myanmar officiated the soft launch.

Capitalising on new media platforms, the AVLRC is primarily envisioned to become a reference for those studying ASEAN countries or the ASEAN Community. It aims to provide convenient, reliable, and timely information and knowledge about the ASEAN region such as its culture, history, natural and cultural heritage, educational opportunities, news, statistics and travel, among other information.

“The AVLRC will ensure that students who want to know more about the regional community have a ready and accessible source of information consolidated in one online portal,” stressed U Tint Swe, Director General of Myanma Radio and Television, Ministry of Information, Myanmar, and Chair of the 13th SOMRI… The AVLRC can be accessed through http://learning.asean.org/ .

UNCTAD [to 28 March 2015]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/AllPressRelease.aspx

UNCTAD designs business-to-consumer electronic-commerce index
E-commerce finally taking off in developing countries
UNCTAD/PRESS/PR/2015/003
Geneva, Switzerland, (24 March 2015)
Small European countries top the ranking of 130 economies according to their readiness for business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce, a new UNCTAD study shows. According to a new UNCTAD B2C E-commerce Index included in the study, the highest e-commerce readiness is found in Luxembourg, Norway and Finland.

Among developing and emerging economies, the front-runners are all in East Asia, namely the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong (China) and Singapore (see table). Meanwhile, in terms of actual levels of online shopping, countries with large populations – such as Brazil, China and the Russian Federation – are performing better than predicted, suggesting that large markets facilitate e-commerce.

The Information Economy Report 20151, subtitled “Unlocking the Potential of E-commerce for Developing Countries”, was released on 24 March. Its B2C E-commerce Index draws on data on Internet use, secure servers, credit card penetration and postal delivery. Assessing e commerce readiness can serve as a first step towards formulating a national e-commerce strategy.
:: Full report: http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ier2015_en.pdf
:: Overview: http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ier2015overview_en.pdf

.

Global mapping of cyberlaws reveals significant gaps despite progress
UNCTAD/PRESS/PR/2015/004
Geneva, Switzerland, (24 March 2015)
As growing concerns over cybercrime affect the willingness of both buyers and sellers to make transactions online, new UNCTAD research shows that the enactment of laws that facilitate security and trust in online transactions varies considerably across the world, with significant gaps in many developing countries.

The findings are included in UNCTAD’s Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the Potential of E-commerce for Developing Countries1, which was released on 24 March….

…The UNCTAD report underlines that compatibility and interoperability between different legal systems are essential to facilitate cross-border e-commerce. Even in developed regions with a certain degree of legal harmonization, different requirements set in national laws may hamper such transactions, and the need to align laws with international legal instruments remains.
Several Governments need to allocate sufficient resources to develop cyberlaws, while the next challenge they face is to enforce such laws, both domestically and in regard to cross-border transactions.

In addition, the UNCTAD report says, security and trust are fundamental aspects for creating an environment conducive to electronic commerce. An increased incidence of online fraud and of data breaches are growing concerns, requiring adequate legal responses at the national and international levels. The UNCTAD report presents a new global map of cyberlegislation in four areas: cybercrime, e-transactions, consumer protection, and privacy and data protection. It shows that the adoption of such laws is generally high in developed countries, but highly inadequate in many other parts of the world.

The share of countries that have adopted a law is typically highest for e-transactions and lowest for the protection of online consumers (see table). But patterns vary by region. For example, in Central America, seven out of eight countries have consumer protection legislation in place, but more than half of the countries lack laws related to data protection and cybercrime. The subregion with the weakest coverage of e-commerce legislation is Central Africa, where only two out of nine countries have laws on e-transactions, online consumer protection and data protection, and only one country has adopted cybercrime legislation…

:: UNCTAD’s global mapping of cyberlaws available online: unctad.org/cyberlawtracker.
:: Full report: http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ier2015_en.pdf

World Trade Organisation [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

26 March 2015
Azevêdo says lack of trade finance can be a significant trade barrier for developing countries
Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, in opening the seminar on “Trade Finance in Developing Countries” at the WTO on 26 March 2015, pointed to a recent WTO Secretariat paper that showed trade financing gaps are “the highest in the poorest countries, notably in Africa and Asia”. He said that “lack of development in the financial sector can be a significant barrier to trade”, and told participants “let’s redouble efforts to work together and resolve this problem”

26 March 2015
Azevêdo urges continued support for fund helping developing countries implement international standards
Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, at a reception for participants in the Standards and Development Facility (STDF) meeting at the WTO on 26 March, said that the one of the most frequent issues raised by business people in developing countries are the difficulties they face in meeting required standards. He welcomed the recent extension of the STDF programme for the next five years, stressing that the “partnership has accomplished a great deal”.

World Bank [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

New Poverty Mapping Report Helps Government Reach the Poorest
LUSAKA, March 27, 2015 – A new joint report by the World Bank and the Central Statistical Office (CSO) recommends that using poverty statistics at ward and constituency levels could be more effective in determining allocation of resources to reduce poverty in the country, compared to using other national level statistics. The report, titled Mapping Subnational Poverty in Zambia, shows poverty rates at district, constituency, and ward levels using data from the 2010 Population and Housing Census and the Living Conditions Monitoring Survey also of 2010. The report finds that national level averages of poverty mask important concentrations of poverty in some areas, and also a great heterogeneity of poverty incidence at subnational levels in many parts of the country…
Date: March 26, 2015

Surgery Could Save Millions of Lives in Developing Countries
Essential Surgery identifies 44 procedures as essential to provide in developing countries, including those that treat injuries, obstetric complications, abdominal emergencies, cataracts, and congenital anomalies, among others. It estimates that universal access to this set of procedures would prevent 6% to 7% of all preventable deaths in low- and middle-income countries. Such procedures rank among the most cost-effective of all health interventions and are feasible to promote globally. Many could be delivered at the first-level hospitals, says the book. The book adds that the cost-effectiveness of essential surgical services along with strong public demand for them suggest that “universal coverage of essential surgery should be implemented early on the path or universal health coverage.”…
Date: March 26, 2015

World Bank Significantly Expands Disaster Risk Management Product Offerings for Clients
March 24, 2015
Broader set of potential losses covered
WASHINGTON, March 24, 2015—The World Bank today announced the expansion of the menu of eligible instruments to transact with clients to manage disaster risk. The enhanced flexibility also broadens the definition of disaster risks from those related to meteorological and geological events, to now include pandemics, epidemics and other events affecting health issues such as morbidity, mortality and longevity.
Previously, the Bank could only offer member countries coverage in the form of derivatives. Now, the range of instruments has been expanded to include insurance and re-insurance contracts and other similar mechanisms. The World Bank has played an important role in developing the market for disaster risk transfer with 18 transactions worth $1.4 billion in coverage to date.
“This additional flexibility will allow the Bank to better respond to client needs by continuing to enhance what we can offer in our role as intermediary with the markets,” said World Bank Vice President and Treasurer, Madelyn Antoncic. Our participation in what ultimately becomes a risk transfer transaction provides an important demonstration effect to crowd in the private sector as risk takers.”
Engaging with the World Bank has a number of advantages. Clients benefit by leveraging private sector risk capital to manage the financial impact of natural disasters and other catastrophic events and by making use of the World Bank’s technical expertise, convening power and standing in the financial markets. World Bank intermediation also provides protection to the client against the credit risk of a private sector counterparty. Eligible clients include client countries, their sub-national entities and regional and international organizations.
The World Bank is a global leader in disaster risk management providing customized support to client countries to assess exposure to vulnerabilities and address disaster risks. It also provides technical and financial support for risk assessments, risk reduction, preparedness, financial protection, and resilient recovery and reconstruction.

Amref Health Africa [to 28 March 2015]
http://amref.org/news/news/

Amref Health Africa calls for greater synergy and investment to reach, treat and cure every TB case
Published: 24 March 2015
World TB Day 2015 Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest communicable diseases. In 2013, an estimated nine million people developed tuberculosis (TB) and 1.5 million died from the disease…

ICRC – International Committee of the Red Cross [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/index.jsp

Yemen: ICRC concerned at civilian casualties amid escalating violence
News release
26 March 2015
The ICRC in Yemen, worried by the recent escalation of violence in the country, expressed concern on Thursday at reports of civilian casualties following air strikes in the capital Sana’a and other parts of the country. Ordinary Yemenis – already hit hard by years of conflict – are now enduring the effects of this escalation.
“All parties involved in the current round of violence are bound by the rules governing the conduct of hostilities,” said Cedric Schweizer, who heads the ICRC delegation in Yemen.

Arms Trade Treaty: Newest addition to international humanitarian law discussed at Malaysia regional conference
News release
25 March 2015
Kuala Lumpur / Geneva (ICRC) – The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) – the newest addition to international humanitarian law (IHL) – is the focus of a regional conference being held in Kuala Lumpur this week.
70 experts from over 20 countries and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from across the Asia-Pacific region have gathered for the Regional Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty and Strengthening International Humanitarian Law, organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Niger: Humanitarian law manual for armed forces
News release
25 March 2015
Niamey (ICRC) – An instruction manual on international humanitarian law was officially presented today to Niger’s Ministry of National Defence. It was drafted by the country’s defence and security forces with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Jordan: Medical associations discuss health care in detention
News release
22 March 2015
The second regional conference on health care in detention organized by the ICRC started today in Amman, attended by representatives of medical associations from nine Middle Eastern and North African countries.

IRCT [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.irct.org/

Statements & declarations
Turkey cracks down on civil society organisations, fines Human Rights Foundation of Turkey
27 March 2015
The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, Europe’s largest IRCT member, was fined by the country’s Social Security Institution (SSI) due to an alleged administrative irregularity. Despite demonstrating no irregularities through official records and other strong evidence, the centre was fined…

News
IRCT urges African Commission to consider experts’ statement in support of Egyptian victims of virginity testing
27 March 2015
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) urges the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to consider experts’ statement in support of Egyptian victims of virginity testing.
The submission of the Independent Forensic Expert Group (IFEG) statement on Virginity Testing supports Samira Ibrahim Mahmoud and Rasha Ali Abdel-Rahman who were subjected to a forced genital examination while being detained at a military prison in 2011. Another 15 female detainees were forced to undergo the same examinations, aimed at protecting soldiers from allegations of rape.
The expert statement on Virginity Testing discusses the physical and psychological effects and medical perspectives on forcibly conducting virginity testing upon women. The experts conclude that virginity tests are “medically unreliable and inherently discriminatory, and, in almost all instances, when conducted forcibly, result in significant physical and mental pain and suffering.”…

Mercy Corps [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases

Mercy Corps Launches Humanitarian Response on Front Lines of Ukraine Conflict
Global Organization Responds to Ongoing Crisis Affecting Innocent Civilians

Kyiv, Ukraine, March 25, 2015 – The global humanitarian agency Mercy Corps is launching an emergency response on the front lines of the conflict in eastern Ukraine to help people in urgent need.

More than 1.8 million people – at least 60 percent of them elderly – have fled their homes since fighting erupted last April. Mercy Corps will initially work in the embattled region of Luhansk Oblast, delivering emergency assistance to an estimated 22-30,000 civilians.

“Thousands of innocent people caught in the crossfire have run out of resources – and options,” says Stu Willcuts, Mercy Corps’ country director in Ukraine. “Our goal is to ensure people have access to the basic necessities: food, clean water, shelter and essential household supplies.”

Throughout the harsh winter, people living in conflict-affected areas and those who have fled from the fighting have endured frigid temperatures reaching -22F (-30C), many without access to functioning heat or electricity. Primary public services have been shut down or interrupted by shelling and rocket attacks. Household items such as blankets, cold-weather clothing and wood and coal for heat are urgently needed.

“As we’ve worked to set up our operations, people are telling us, ‘If I am going to die, it will be at home,’” says Willcuts. “We hope all parties will hold to the peace agreement, thus allowing the global humanitarian community to enter the country, assess the humanitarian services needed in previously inaccessible areas and bring lifesaving help to battle-weary civilians.”

Funded by a $2.5 million grant from the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, Mercy Corps will first deliver non-food items, shelter repair items and vouchers to enable people to buy what they need, and some psychosocial support for children.

In addition, Mercy Corps will work with its partner HelpAge International to meet the unique needs of the elderly population…

Partners In Health [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.pih.org/blog

Mar 26, 2015
NIH Upgrades Status of PIH Clinician Infected with Ebola
The National Institutes for Health changed the clinical status of the PIH clinician infected with Ebola virus disease from critical to serious condition today.

Mar 26, 2015
Haiti: Mosaics to Bring Inspiration, Hope to Rehab Patients
Mosaic artist Laurel True, members of the Mirebalais Mosaic Collective, and University Hospital staff and patients collaborated to design, create, and install mosaics throughout the new Center of Excellence in Rehab and Education in Mirebalais, Haiti.The project was made possible through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

SOS-Kinderdorf International [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/about-sos/press/press-releases

26 March 2015
Bringing the voices of children to the United Nations
A 14-year-old boy who currently lives with an SOS family in Chile spoke in front of global leaders at an event in the United Nations on Wednesday, 25 March.

Rodrigo, who has been supported by SOS Children’s Villages Chile since he was 8 and is in the process of re-integrating with his biological family, advocated for young people’s rights to be listened to in the development of a new agenda to replace the Millennium Development Goals. UN member states will agree in September on the sustainable development goals, which will guide global efforts until 2030.

He was in New York City as youth representative for the Global Movement for Children in Latin America and the Caribbean, of which SOS Children’s Villages is member. “My role was to represent all the children of Latin America”, he explained…

Women for Women International [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.womenforwomen.org/press-releases

:: Women for Women International (WfWI) issued the following statement regarding the killing of Farkhunda at the Shah do Shamshira shrine in Kabul.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 (Kabul, Afghanistan) –

“As we mourn the brutal killing of Farkhunda, we stand in solidarity with fellow Afghans and echo calls for President Ghani to ensure that Farkhunda’s murder is fully investigated and that the perpetrators are held accountable. She was an educated woman and a respected religious scholar who used her voice in the public square. The violent and heinous attack that has sparked outrage does not represent the future of Afghanistan, but a turning point.

“On Sunday, our Social Empowerment Manager Frozan Marofi was one of the 35 women who defied local traditions and carried Farkhunda in the funeral procession. Frozan’s courage, faith and desire for justice guided her actions because in her words, ‘Farkhunda is every Afghan mother, daughter and sister.’ On Tuesday morning our staff joined thousands of Afghans in Kabul to rally and march for justice and security. And today in Washington, our local colleagues will join the rally in front of Congress to carry that message forward. The courage of the Afghan women who refused to allow men to carry Farkhunda’s body to the burial site continues to galvanize the call around the world for justice and security for all Afghans.

“Online and in the streets, we see an awakening in civil society that is rejecting violent extremism and manipulation of faith. The response to Farkhunda’s murder and calls for justice are an important reminder that the forces that claimed Farkhunda’s life are not the future of Afghanistan. Afghans value building a society that engenders equality, provides security and protects all of its citizens.”…

ODI [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.odi.org/media

Research Reports and Studies
Improving the odds for progress in Nigeria
Research reports and studies, March 2015
Victoria Chambers and Clare Cummings, with David Booth
This policy brief examines the experience of two public sector reform programmes which have made tangible advances in Nigeria – despite challenging political and socio-economic conditions – by utilising innovative working methods.

Social enterprise landscape in Ghana
Research reports and studies, March 2015
Emily Darko
This paper seeks to outline the social enterprise landscape in Ghana. It reviews the enabling environment and the scope of capacity-building activities supporting social enterprise to provide an overview of the profile of existing social enterprises and social innovation activity.

Transforming the lives of girls and young women – Year two country briefings
Research reports and studies, March 2015
Nicola Jones, Bekele Terefra, Janey Stephenson, Taveeshi Gupta, Paola Pereznieto, Anita Ghimire, Fiona Samuels, Carol Watson, Grace Bantebya Kyomuhendo, Florence Muhanguzi Kyoheirwe, Elizabteth Presler-Marshall, Tran Thi Van Anh
This set of four country briefings draws on evidence from the year 2 qualitative and participatory field research of the “Transforming the lives of girls and young women” project. They examine how social norms interact and impact on adolescent girls and their ability to achieve their full capabilities.

Understanding changing social norms and practices around girls’ education and marriage
Research reports and studies, March 2015
Carol Watson
The report details the lessons learned from the second year of fieldwork research conducted for the DFID funded project “Transforming the lives of girls and young women”.

What causes animosity between groups? Evidence from Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory
Research reports and studies, March 2015
Massimiliano Calì and Sami H. Miaari
This paper focuses on the impact of a specific policy, which accentuates the inequality in access to resources across groups in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Does the wage bill affect conflict? Evidence from Palestine
Research reports and studies, March 2015
Massimiliano Calì, Sami Miaari and Belal Fallah
This paper revisits the relationship between local economic conditions and political violence in the context of the Israeli Palestinian (I-P) conflict.

Trade, employment and conflict: Evidence from the Second Intifada
Research reports and studies, March 2015
Massimiliano Calì and Sami H. Miaari
This paper moves beyond the commodity prices analysis and considers how exogenous changes in the entire exports and imports baskets affect conflict.

Resilience scan 2014: A review of key 2014 literature, debates, social media, blogs and events on resilience
Research reports and studies, March 2015
Tanner, T., Bahadur, A.V., Simonet, C. and Betts, H
This ‘resilience scan’ summarises the developments during 2014 in thinking and practice in the field of resilience, framed by a set of summaries focused on: 1. Insights from renowned resilience experts; 2. A review of academic literature from 2014; 3. Recommended blogs and twitter feeds; 4. A calendar of key resilience events.

CHS International Alliance

The Boards of HAP and People In Aid have decided to merge, creating the CHS International Alliance
18 March 2015
We are now looking to appoint an Executive Director who will lead this new organisation from its inception into the future. The new Alliance will aim, through its mission, to ensure respect for the rights and dignity of communities and people affected by crisis and enhance the effectiveness and impact of humanitarian action by building a culture of quality and accountability.

The strategic mandates of the new organisation will be to:
:: Strengthen the capacity of individuals, organisations and systems to deliver quality and accountable assistance.
:: Lead and facilitate the development, promotion and maintenance of the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability.
:: Lead improvements in people management and engagement, in Humanitarian and Development organisations
:: Manage the development, promotion and maintenance of the Core Humanitarian Standard, including monitoring, reporting and verification.
:: Collect and use evidence to influence policy and practice at local, national, regional and international level.
:: Stimulate and facilitate learning, continuous improvement and innovation to contribute to organisational and operational effectiveness.

:: Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN)
http://www.odihpn.org/the-humanitarian-space/news/announcements
:: People In Aid
http://www.peopleinaid.org/

MacArthur Foundation [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.macfound.org/

March 24, 2015
Gauging Midwest Preparedness for Immigration Action
States in the Midwest are not uniformly prepared to implement immigration policies advanced by President Obama, potentially jeopardizing $650 million in additional tax revenues for their governments, according to a report from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The MacArthur-supported report highlights actions that state and city government agencies, immigrant-serving nonprofits, and legal service providers can take to ensure they are poised to support applications from hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers eligible for the President’s Expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents.

Rockefeller Foundation [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/newsroom

The Rockefeller Foundation Appoints Rajiv Shah to Board of Trustees
NEW YORK, March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Rockefeller Foundation, now in its second century of advancing the well-being of humanity, today announced the appointment of Dr. Rajiv Shah to its Board of Trustees. Dr. Shah was most recently head of the United States Agency for International Development, the international development arm of the Department of State, where he led a team of nearly 10,000 staff across more than 70 countries.

“The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to innovative thinking, and to forging effective partnerships in order to solve the biggest challenges of our time,” said Board Chair David Rockefeller, Jr. “Dr. Shah is an international development renaissance man, equally knowledgeable in health and agriculture, with experience in philanthropy and government, all of which makes him an outstanding addition to our board. I am delighted to welcome him…

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [to 28 March 2015]
http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/news-releases.html

County Health Rankings Show Declines in Premature Death Rates
Wed Mar 25
The 2015 County Health Rankings show that premature deaths are dropping, with 60 percent of the nation’s counties seeing declines. This marks the highest drop in the country for counties with populations of 65,000 or more.

Partners HealthCare to Boost and Sustain Personal Health Tracker Use
Tue Mar 24
RWJF grant will help consumers select personal health trackers that will help them develop and stick to physical activity plans.

‘Open Humans’ Project: Sharing Personal Health Information to Accelerate Medical Breakthroughs
Project describes how to donate your body to science—without having to die.
Tue Mar 24 2015 Boston, Mass.—A group of top university scientists just launched a project to build a community of researchers and participants who want to benefit medical progress—by using technology to open up health data.

The “Open Humans Network,” created by researchers from Harvard, New York University and the University of California San Diego, is backed by a $1 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, each of which contributed $500,000 in separate grants.

The project aims to break down barriers that make it difficult for willing individuals to access and share their data with researchers. To this end, the Open Humans Network creates an online system that helps match people who want to share their health data with researchers who would benefit from access to more information.

“Think of it as open-sourcing your body,” says the project’s director, Jason Bobe who also runs the project’s parent organization, PersonalGenomes.org. “There is tremendous potential for accelerating medical discoveries by helping individuals take their health and personal data out of data silos and making the data more broadly used.”

The Open Humans Network hopes to accelerate scientific discoveries by making far more data available. The premise is that more individuals will join scientific studies if they are empowered with the choice to share their data. And the greater availability of shared data will allow scientists to conduct more studies, and produce more robust and meaningful results…

American Journal of Public Health
Volume 105, Issue S2 (April 2015)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

Editor’s Choice
A New Era for Population Health: Government, Academia, and Community Moving Upstream Together
Bechair Choucair, Jay D. Bhatt
American Journal of Public Health: April 2015, Vol. 105, No. S2: S144–S144.
[No abstract]

Editorials
Improving Population Health by Learning From Systems and Services
Glen P. Mays, F. Douglas Scutchfield
American Journal of Public Health: April 2015, Vol. 105, No. S2: S145–S147.
[No abstract]

The Value of the “System” in Public Health Services and Systems Research
Craig W. Thomas, Liza Corso, Judith A. Monroe
American Journal of Public Health: April 2015, Vol. 105, No. S2: S147–S149
[No abstract]

Building a Culture of Health: A Critical Role for Public Health Services and Systems Research
Alonzo L. Plough
American Journal of Public Health: April 2015, Vol. 105, No. S2: S150–S152.
[No abstract]

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 28 March 2015)

Research article
Inefficiency, heterogeneity and spillover effects in maternal care in India: a spatial stochastic frontier analysis
Yohannes Kinfu1* and Monika Sawhney2
Author Affiliations
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:118 doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0763-x
Published: 25 March 2015
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Institutional delivery is one of the key and proven strategies to reduce maternal deaths. Since the 1990s, the government of India has made substantial investment on maternal care to reduce the huge burden of maternal deaths in the country. However, despite the effort access to institutional delivery in India remains below the global average. In addition, even in places where health investments have been comparable, inter- and intra-state difference in access to maternal care services remain wide and substantial. This raises a fundamental question on whether the sub-national units themselves differ in terms of the efficiency with which they use available resources, and if so, why?
Methods
Data obtained from round 3 of the country’s District Level Health and Facility Survey was analyzed to measure the level and determinants of inefficiency of institutional delivery in the country. Analysis was conducted using spatial stochastic frontier models that correct for heterogeneity and spatial interactions between sub-national units. Results Inefficiency differences in maternal care services between and within states are substantial. The top one third of districts in the country has a mean efficiency score of 90 per cent or more, while the bottom 10 per cent of districts exhibit mean inefficiency score of as high as over 75 per cent or more. Overall mean inefficiency is about 30 per cent. The result also reveals the existence of both heterogeneity and spatial correlation in institutional delivery in the country.
Conclusions
Given the high level of inefficiency in the system, further progress in improving coverage of institutional delivery in the country should focus both on improving the efficiency of resource utilization—especially where inefficiency levels are extremely high—and on bringing new resources in to the system. The additional investment should specifically focus on those parts of the country where coverage rates are still low but efficiency levels are already at a high level. In addition, given that inefficiency was also associated inversely with literacy and urbanization and positively related with proportion of households belonging to poor households, investment in these areas can also improve coverage of institutional delivery in the country.
Research article
Integrating an infectious disease programme into the primary health care service: a retrospective analysis of Chagas disease community-based surveillance in Honduras
Ken Hashimoto12*, Concepción Zúniga3, Jiro Nakamura24 and Kyo Hanada56
Author Affiliations
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:116 doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0785-4
Published: 24 March 2015
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Integration of disease-specific programmes into the primary health care (PHC) service has been attempted mostly in patient-centred disease control such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis but rarely in vector control. Chagas disease is controlled principally by interventions against the triatomine vector. In Honduras, after successful reduction of household infestation by vertical approach, the Ministry of Health implemented community-based vector surveillance at the PHC services (health centres) to prevent the resurgence of infection. This paper retrospectively analyses the effects and process of integrating a Chagas disease vector surveillance system into health centres.
Methods
We evaluated the effects of integration at six pilot sites in western Honduras during 2008–2011 on; surveillance performance; knowledge, attitude and practice in schoolchildren; reports of triatomine bug infestation and institutional response; and seroprevalence among children under 15 years of age. The process of integration of the surveillance system was analysed using the PRECEDE-PROCEED model for health programme planning. The model was employed to systematically determine influential and interactive factors which facilitated the integration process at different levels of the Ministry of Health and the community.
Results
Overall surveillance performance improved from 46 to 84 on a 100 point-scale. Schoolchildren’s attitude (risk awareness) score significantly increased from 77 to 83 points. Seroprevalence declined from 3.4% to 0.4%. Health centres responded to the community bug reports by insecticide spraying. As key factors, the health centres had potential management capacity and influence over the inhabitants’ behaviours and living environment directly and through community health volunteers. The National Chagas Programme played an essential role in facilitating changes with adequate distribution of responsibilities, participatory modelling, training and evaluation.
Conclusions
We found that Chagas disease vector surveillance can be integrated into the PHC service. Health centres demonstrated capacity to manage vector surveillance and improve performance, children’s awareness, vector report-response and seroprevalence, once tasks were simplified to be performed by trained non-specialists and distributed among the stakeholders. Health systems integration requires health workers to perform beyond their usual responsibilities and acquire management skills. Integration of non-patient-centred vector control is feasible and can contribute to strengthening the preventive capacity of the PHC service.

BMC Public Health
(Accessed 28 March 2015)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content

Study protocol
Supporting adolescent girls to stay in school, reduce child marriage and reduce entry into sex work as HIV risk prevention in north Karnataka, India: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
Tara S Beattie, Parinita Bhattacharjee, Shajy Isac, Calum Davey, Prakash Javalkar, Sapna Nair, Raghavendra Thalinja, Gautam Sudhakar, Martine Collumbien, James F Blanchard, Charlotte Watts, Stephen Moses, Lori Heise BMC Public Health 2015, 15:

Research article
A systematic review of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peer education and peer support in prisons
Anne-Marie Bagnall, Jane South, Claire Hulme, James Woodall, Karen Vinall-Collier, Gary Raine, Karina Kinsella, Rachael Dixey, Linda Harris, Nat Wright BMC Public Health 2015, 15:

Review
A new public health context to understand male sex work
Victor Minichiello, John Scott, Denton Callander BMC Public Health 2015, 15:282 (24 March 2015)

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 25, Issue 2, 01 April 2015
http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/suppl_1

Commentaries
The Ebola crisis: perspectives from European Public Health
Aura Timen , Marc Sprenger , Michael Edelstein , Jose Martin-Moreno , Martin McKee
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cku236 187-188 First published online: 12 January 2015
Extract
As of 26 November 2014, 15 935 cases of Ebola had been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), of whom 5689 have died.1 It is widely believed that these figures are underreported and the actual number of cases and deaths is higher.2 Six cases and one death were reported outside West Africa.3 This unprecedented outbreak took professionals and policy makers by surprise as it occurred where it was not expected and developed on a scale that could not have been predicted. Or at least, that has been the accepted view. A consideration of the population affected and the weak health infrastructure of the countries most affected should have led to a recognition that, once a contagious disease such as Ebola developed in this setting, the scope for rapid spread was great, given the high population density and degree of connectivity among the people of the region.4 Unlike previous outbreaks that occurred in remote rural areas of central Africa,5 this developed in a densely populated area and, very quickly, outbreaks occurred in the capitals of the main affected countries (Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia). Rapid initial spread was facilitated by lack …

Ebola’s media outbreak: lessons for the future
José Joaquín Mira , Susana Lorenzo , María Teresa Gea , Jesús Aranaz , Carlos Aibar
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cku237 188-189 First published online: 12 January 2015
Extract
On 8 August 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO’s) Emergency Committee declared the Ebola virus disease (EVD or ‘Ebola’) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On 6 October 2014, the first case of EVD contracted in Europe was diagnosed.1 A healthcare worker was infected, after providing treatment to an Ebola patient in Spain. This secondary case, like those that occurred in Dallas, tested both the responsiveness of the healthcare system, and the attitudes and skills of the population, the health professionals and the media.
Virulence and infectivity are epidemiological characteristics that define the magnitude and significance of an infectious disease. EVD virulence is evident as shown by its lethality. The number of cases this time exceeded past outbreaks suggesting people that infectivity was greater.2 These factors coalesced to generate social alarm.
Unlike EVD, transmitted by direct contact with an infected patient or contaminated material, virus fear can spread in…

Immigrants’ health and health inequality by type of integration policies in European countries
Davide Malmusi
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cku156 293-299 First published online: 18 September 2014
Abstract
Background: Recent efforts to characterize integration policy towards immigrants and to compare immigrants’ health across countries have rarely been combined so far. This study explores the relationship of country-level integration policy with immigrants’ health status in Europe.
Methods: Cross-sectional study with data from the 2011 European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions. Fourteen countries were grouped according to a typology of integration policies based on the Migrant Integration Policy Index: ‘multicultural’ (highest scores: UK, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, Norway, Finland), ‘exclusionist’ (lowest scores: Austria, Denmark) and ‘assimilationist’ (high or low depending on the dimension: France, Switzerland, Luxembourg). People born in the country (natives, n = 177 300) or outside the European Union with >10 years of residence (immigrants, n = 7088) were included. Prevalence ratios (PR) of fair/poor self-rated health between immigrants in each country cluster, and for immigrants versus natives within each, were computed adjusting by age, education, occupation and socio-economic conditions.
Results: Compared with multicultural countries, immigrants report worse health in exclusionist countries (age-adjusted PR, 95% CI: men 1.78, 1.49–2.12; women 1.58, 1.37–1.82; fully adjusted, men 1.78, 1.50–2.11; women 1.47, 1.26–1.70) and assimilationist countries (age-adjusted, men 1.21, 1.03–1.41; women 1.21, 1.06–1.39; fully adjusted, men 1.19, 1.02–1.40; women 1.22, 1.07–1.40). Health inequalities between immigrants and natives were also highest in exclusionist countries, where they persisted even after adjusting for differences in socio-economic situation.
Conclusion: Immigrants in ‘exclusionist’ countries experience poorer socio-economic and health outcomes. Future studies should confirm whether and how integration policy models could make a difference on migrants’ health.