From Google Scholar+ [to 24 May 2014]
Selected content from beyond the journals and sources covered above, aggregated from a range of Google Scholar monitoring algorithms and other monitoring strategies.

Information and communication technologies for disaster risk management in the Caribbean
Robert Crane Williams, Atiba Phillips
United Nations – ECLAS ISSN 1727-9917
February 2014
Abstract
This paper examines the role of information and communications technologies (ICTs) for disaster risk management (DRM) with a specific focus on the Caribbean. The study included the review of literature and case studies, as well the administration of a survey instrument that collected the feedback of 13 regional national DRM agencies.
Analysis of the survey suggests that while subregional disaster management agencies have fairly good access to technology infrastructure and enjoy an information sharing culture, challenges exist with regard to the information governance frameworks as well as the capacity and availability of human capital with regard to ICT. The study findings indicate that the regional DRM sector would do well to:
:: Deepen connections with policy makers and other communities of practice
:: Modernize ICT Infrastructure for DRM
:: Consider a subregional e-strategy for DRM
:: Improve ICT governance
:: Urgently develop programmes of ICT human capacity development.

BMC Research Notes
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcresnotes/content
Research Article
The psychological impact of a dual-disaster caused by earthquakes and radioactive contamination in Ichinoseki after the great East Japan earthquake
Tomihisa Niitsu, Kota Takaoka, Saho Uemura, Akiko Kono, Akihiko Saito, Norito Kawakami, Michiko Nakazato and Eiji Shimizu
Published: 20 May 2014
doi:10.1186/1756-0500-7-307
Abstract
Background
The psychological impact of dual-disasters (earthquakes and a nuclear accident), on affected
communities is unknown. This study investigated the impact of a dual-disaster (earthquakes
and radioactive contamination) on the prevalence of psychological distress in a landlocked
city within the Tohoku area, Japan.
Methods
A cross-sectional mail-in survey with a random sample of inhabitants from Ichinoseki city
was conducted eleven months after the disasters, and data from 902 respondents were
analyzed by logistic regression models, with multiple imputation methodology. The K6 was
used to determine psychological distress.
Results
The estimated prevalence of psychological distress was 48.0 percent. House damage due to
earthquakes and anxiety about radioactive contamination were significantly associated with
psychological distress (p < 0.05), while an interactive effect between house damage and
anxiety about radioactive contamination was not significant. Being female, middle-to-low
educational status and unemployed were additional risk factors for psychological distress.
Conclusions
This dual-disaster was associated with a moderate prevalence of psychological distress in the
area. The impact of the earthquake and radioactive contamination appeared additive.

Social Science & Medicine
Available online 14 May 2014
Disaster Medicine: Genealogy of a Concept
Cécile Stephanie Stehrenberger, Svenja Goltermann
Highlights
:: Humanitarian and disaster medicine developed along entangled but different paths.
:: Disaster medicine emerged and was developed in the context of industrialization and the Cold War.
:: Some of humanitarian medicine’s present issues date back to early 20th Century disaster medicine.
:: Throughout its history, the political character of disaster medicine has been both affirmed and denied.
:: Disaster medicine was heavily contested as “war medicine”.
Abstract
This paper evaluates disaster medicine from a historical perspective that facilitates the understanding of its present. Today, disaster medicine and humanitarian medicine are inextricably linked and the terms are sometimes used synonymously. An in-depth analysis of an extensive body of concrete empirical cases from various sources (i.e. archival records) reveals, however, that they have not always been the same. A genealogical, history-of-knowledge approach demonstrates that the concept of disaster medicine emerged in the early 20th century in Switzerland in the context of industrialization. Even though it gained important impetus during the First World War, the concept was informed by the experiences of forensic physicians in technological disasters such as mining explosions. The Cold War constituted the historical constellation in which disaster medicine was developed in West Germany during the 1960s and 1970s in a way that was paradigmatic for other Western European countries. At the same time, it was contested there in an unusual, historically unique way. Although focusing on a Western European context, this paper explores how medical interventions in disasters were international events and how the practice of disaster medicine was developed and “trained” through being applied in the Global South. It demonstrates the historicity of disaster medicine’s political character and of the controversies generated by its involvement in civil and military operations. Throughout the 20th century, the political nature and military involvement of disaster medicine resulted in a number of ethical and practical issues, which are similar to the challenges facing humanitarian medicine today. The exploration of disaster medicine’s past can therefore open up critical interventions in humanitarian medicine’s present.

Disaster Prevention and Management
Vol. 23 Iss: 3, pp.214 – 221
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0965-3562&volume=23&issue=3
Rights and obligations in international humanitarian assistance
George Kent, (Department of Political Science, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, USA)
DOI: 10.1108/DPM-07-2013-0122
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for understanding the rights and obligations of different parties in relation to international humanitarian assistance.
Design/methodology/approach – Past discourse on rights and obligations of the parties in various types of humanitarian emergencies is critically reviewed. Various moral and legal principles are used to assess that discourse.
Findings – Many governments emphasize their right to provide international humanitarian assistance, but appear reluctant to acknowledge any obligation to provide such assistance. Claims regarding the right to provide assistance under some conditions should be accompanied by acknowledgment of obligations to provide assistance under some conditions.
Originality/value – This analysis encourages national governments and international agencies to go beyond asserting their rights to assist to also recognize obligations to assist under some conditions

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (JHCPU)
Volume 25, Number 2, May 2014
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_health_care_for_the_poor_and_underserved/toc/hpu.25.2.html
Cervical Cancer and HPV: Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors among Women Living in Guatemala
Amy Petrocy, Mira L. Katz
Abstract:
This study was conducted to explore knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening, human papillomavirus (HPV), and acceptance of the HPV vaccine. A purposive sample of 40 women was interviewed during August 2012. Fisher’s exact test was used to evaluate differences among rural and urban women, and open-ended questions were coded independently by two individuals (Cohen’s kappa coefficient of 0.816). Among the 22 rural and 18 urban women, there was limited knowledge about cervical cancer, screening, HPV, and the HPV vaccine. Cervical cancer was described in language related to gender, science, severity, or associated with having children, a uterus, or menstruation. All rural and most urban participants were interested in the HPV vaccine for themselves and their daughters. Limited awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV was common among Guatemalan women, highlighting the need for additional information prior to developing cancer prevention educational materials and programs.

Human Rights Quarterly
Volume 36, Number 2, May 2014
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/human_rights_quarterly/toc/hrq.36.2.html
Book Review: Reshaping the Idea of Humanitarian Intervention: Norms, Causal Stories, and the Use of Force
Courtney Hillebrecht
Excerpt
With an ongoing human tragedy unfolding in Syria and the international community unable and unwilling to respond, Carrie Booth Walling’s All Necessary Measures reminds us that in international politics, power is “no longer simply about whose military can win but also about whose story can win.” That is, the narratives that shape our understanding of the causes and possible solutions of mass violence inherently shape our willingness to act. In this carefully researched and well-reasoned book, Walling argues that scholars and practitioners must take norms seriously, even in the arena of power politics.
All Necessary Measures considers how the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) began to entertain questions about human rights and then, how principled arguments for human rights led to humanitarian intervention. It contrasts examples of successful humanitarian intervention with those instances of mass atrocity in which the UNSC either refused or failed to act. By comparing these cases, the author convincingly demonstrates that principled ideas and arguments intersect with and change states’ interests. It also makes a secondary but no less important argument about the intersection of norms, arguing that human rights exist alongside other norms, particularly state sovereignty, and that these norms are constantly co-evolving. All Necessary Measures ultimately points to an emerging synthesis of sovereignty and human rights.
The book adds to the expansive literature on humanitarian intervention by showing that in order to understand when and why states engage in humanitarian intervention, we need to pay particular attention to the narratives states are telling about the use of force and how these narratives and the principled arguments that undergird them can alter states’ material interests. Much of the literature on humanitarian intervention focuses on the legitimacy of the idea of humanitarian intervention and the domestic and international hurdles in overcoming collective action problems related to intervention. Many, if not most, of these analyses regard states’ material interests as fixed. Walling reminds us that these interests are not fixed and are instead at least partially socially constructed.
All Necessary Measures puts forth a theory of causal stories. This theory emphasizes the discourse of human rights and humanitarianism used at the UNSC and suggests that the types of stories member states tell influences the decision to authorize force. Through content analysis of UNSC texts, the author identifies three types of causal stories. The first, the intentional causal story, characterizes conflicts as one-sided and premeditated, describing human rights abuses as “systematic, targeted, deliberate.” In intentional causal stories, there is a clear victim and a clear perpetrator, thus resulting in an impulse to punish the perpetrators and protect the victims. The main principles at play are justice and international law.
The second type of causal story, the inadvertent causal story, paints conflict as being two-sided. Civilian casualties are to be expected, but this type of story depicts these casualties as unintended and indiscriminate. Walling calls this a narrative of moral equivalency, meaning that there are multiple parties involved and the conflict often earns the label of civil war or ethnic conflict. The main principles at play are neutrality, sovereign equality, and domestic noninterference, while the main outcomes are framed in terms of providing assistance and protection or conducting observations.
Finally, the third type of causal story is the complex causal story, in which a combination of macro-level factors results in a complicated and tragic scenario that is, almost by definition, unsolvable. The main principles in these narratives are state sovereignty, stability, and the status quo, and the resulting policy outcomes involve reporting, documentation, condemnations, and appeals, but no other action.
This tripartite scale provides a unique lens through which to look at how UNSC members promote humanitarian intervention and understand the narratives they rely on to justify their action or inaction. Perhaps the two most compelling components of these narratives are the degree to which there is a clear perpetrator and the degree to which humanitarian intervention can actually solve the crisis at hand. The two are, not surprisingly, related. That is, in situations that are described as complex, with large, structural contributing factors, there is no one to clearly blame and the prognosis for humanitarian intervention is grim. Further, failing to identify…

Book: Social Innovation and Impact in Nonprofit Leadership
Tine Hansen-Turton, Nicholas Torres, M.E.D
Springer Publishing Company, May 28, 2014 304 pages
Overview
This timely textbook, reflecting the trends and developments in the nonprofit sector over the past decade, encompasses the core competencies required to lead nonprofit organizations through social innovation and impact during the 21st century. It fills a knowledge gap for leaders, managers, practitioners, students, faculty members, and providers in this rapidly growing field by providing a comprehensive framework for how to run and manage nonprofits. This includes all of the tools needed to affect social change through ethical business practices, management and leadership business strategies, social marketing, and policy analysis across government, nonprofits, and philanthropy.

Seven Steps to Assisting the People of South Sudan: Statement by Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
12 May 2014
Excerpt
On 20 May 2014, the international community will convene in Oslo, Norway, to discuss how to address the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. In just under five months since fighting erupted, the situation in South Sudan has deteriorated severely, causing 1.3 million people to flee from their homes, including an estimated 300,000 to neighbouring countries. Over 4 million people, including over 2.5 million children, are extremely vulnerable to food insecurity, as people have been displaced from their sources of survival. This crisis is worsening on a daily basis. Humanitarian actors have warned that by the end of this year half of all South Sudanese citizens could experience forced displacement (within the country or as a refugee), severe food insecurity, and/or threats to their protection.

The undersigned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) call on the UN member states and others to urgently focus on clear and immediate actions to provide assistance to the people of South Sudan and to rally national, regional and international support to this end. Furthermore, an inclusive and viable political framework for ending conflict is critical. As such, we call for the following seven steps in order to provide coherent assistance to the people of South Sudan.

1) Timely funding of the humanitarian response is critical to saving countless lives, preventing further suffering in the coming months, and supporting resilience to further shocks…
2) Protection of and respect for humanitarian staff, installations and operations is vital to allow the delivery of this assistance…
3) In South Sudan political and financial support to the Government of South Sudan has, until now, been generally quite high, but support to the humanitarian needs of the people has sometimes wavered… At this time, given the humanitarian impacts of the recent crisis, there is an imperative to protect the lives and security of all communities in South Sudan without delay…
4) Providing financial assistance cannot be an excuse for inaction or inertia at the political level. The people of South Sudan require a viable, inclusive and transparent mediation and political process….
5) In addition to an inclusive mediation and political process to address this crisis, other measures need to be taken to immediately protect the people of South Sudan. The upcoming renewal of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate – which current circumstances dictate be brought forward without delay – provides an opportunity to increase emphasis on the protection of civilians, and to provide greater clarity and resourcing for the UNMISS..
6) UNMISS alone cannot protect the people of South Sudan in the face of the extraordinary violence being levied against them by the multiple armed groups in South Sudan. Engaging with clear and direct drivers of the conflict is imperative…
7) Finally, but importantly, accountability for the violence should be a critical component in any eventual political settlement and peace effort. Building towards justice and reconciliation in South Sudan should be the genuine aim of the international community, requiring sustained diplomatic efforts and political will.

[Sixty NGOs were listed as signing the Statement including BRAC, Handicap International, International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Women for Women International]

Beyond expectations: 40 years of EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunization)
Margaret Chan
Director General, World Health Organization
The Lancet
Volume 383, Issue 9930, Pages 1697 – 1698, 17 May 2014
doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60751-0

[Excerpt; Editor’s text bolding]
The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) was established by the World Health Assembly in 1974 at a time of great optimism for public health. The imminent certification for the eradication of smallpox was taken as proof of the power of vaccines, delivered in well-managed programmes, to permanently improve the world.1

When EPI was established, only about 5% of the world’s children were protected from six diseases (polio, diphtheria, tuberculosis, pertussis, measles, and tetanus) targeted by four vaccines. Today, that figure is 83%, with some low-income countries reaching 99% immunisation coverage.2 The number of public health vaccines being used for universal protection has more than doubled since 1974. Almost all countries include vaccines against hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b in addition to the original six diseases, and quality-assured vaccines are used in 97% of all countries.3 Today, WHO estimates that immunisation programmes save the lives of 2•5 million people each year and protect many millions more from illness and disability.4 With the certification of WHO’s South-East Asia Region as polio-free, 80% of the world’s population now lives in a country where polio has been eradicated.5

What accounts for this success? Does EPI offer lessons of broader relevance as the world prepares for the post-2015 era? EPI had some advantages from the outset. The prevention of childhood deaths has great public and political appeal, and that helped create momentum within individual countries and the international community to support immunisation programmes. Vaccines are scheduled interventions that can be delivered even in the absence of well functioning health systems, and even in places where capacities are weak and skilled health workers are scarce. The costs of the initial six EPI antigens against polio, diphtheria, tuberculosis, pertussis, measles, and tetanus were low.

But EPI’s success must be attributed to more than these advantages. During the past four decades, EPI has encouraged new models of international cooperation, found new sources of funding, and stimulated innovation in technology and the operational performance of national immunisation programmes.3 EPI has also pioneered improvements in surveillance and monitoring as a contribution to accountability for results.3 Fundamental public health capacities have also been strengthened; as just one example, there are nearly 700 laboratories, in 164 countries, accredited by WHO to undertake laboratory-based surveillance for measles and other vaccine-preventable epidemic-prone diseases.6…

…I see many signs that this desire to aim ever higher, with ambitious yet feasible goals, such as exceeding the Millennium Development Goal for reducing childhood mortality, eliminating a number of the neglected tropical diseases, and reducing tuberculosis deaths by 75%, will characterise the post-2015 era for public health. The future of global health can benefit from the pioneering work done by EPI in many respects—for example, finding new ways to secure and increase funding, fostering cooperation between multiple partners to work together with shared yet flexible strategies, stimulating industry innovation, and promoting country ownership through the streamlining of programmatic demands. Above all, EPI carved out pathways and strategies to achieve universal access to immunisation services. This legacy provides guidance for reforms that move health systems towards universal coverage, another worthy ambition for the future…

Report: Global Overview 2014: People internally displaced by conflict and violence
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
Norwegian Refugee Council
May 2014 78 pages
Authors: Sebastián Albuja, Emilie Arnaud, Martina Caterina, Guillaume Charron, Florence Foster, Anne-Kathrin Glatz, Steve Hege, Caroline Howard, Johanna Klos, Frederik Kok, Vsevolod Kritskiy, Anais Pagot, Héloise Ruaudel, Elizabeth J Rushing, Wesli Turner, Nadine Walicki and Melanie Wissing

[Excerpt from Overview; Editor’s text bolding]
The Global Overview 2014 is IDMC’s flagship annual report, this year revealing a staggering increase in global displacement worldwide with a particular escalation in the figures in the Middle East and in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Global Overview 2014: people internally displaced by conflict and violence explores a number of key challenges including in terms of data collection, IDPs outside of camps, and the complexities around the compounding effects of natural hazards and conflict.

The report covers displacement occurring in 2013 and is based on data provided by governments, NGO partners and UN agencies. It documents the figures and analysis of internal displacement in five regions and in 60 conflict-affected countries and territories in 2013 – the year that IDMC celebrated its 15th year of global monitoring.

IDMC estimates that there were 33.3 million internally displaced people in the world as of the end of 2013. They were forced to flee their homes by armed conflict, generalised violence and human rights violations. This figure represents a 16 per cent increase compared with 2012, when we reported 28.8 million IDPs, and is a record high for the second year running.

In 2013, we marked our 15th year of monitoring internal displacement across the globe. In 1998, there were 19.3 million IDPs worldwide, and over the past decade there has been a longer term upward trend from around 25 million in 2001.

As of the end of 2013, sub-Saharan Africa had the largest number of IDPs with 12.5 million, followed by the Middle East and north Africa with 9.1 million. Sixty-three per cent of all IDPs globally come from just five countries affected by conflict: Syria, Colombia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sudan.

Report: Voice and Agency: Empowering women and girls for shared prosperity
World Bank
May 2014 226 pages
From Executive Summary
This report distills an array of data, studies and evidence to shine a spotlight on the pervasive deprivations and constraints that face women and girls worldwide—from epidemic gender-based violence to laws and norms that prevent women from owning property, working, making decisions about their own lives and having influence in society. It identifies some promising programs and interventions to address these deprivations and constraints.

Policymakers and stakeholders need to tackle this agenda, drawing on evidence about what works and systematically tracking progress on the ground. This must start with reforming discriminatory laws and follow through with concerted policies and public actions, including multi-sectoral approaches that engage with men and boys and challenge adverse social norms. There is much to gain. Increasing women’s voice and agency is a valuable end in its own right. And it underpins achievement of the World Bank Group’s twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity for girls and boys, women and men, around the world.

Report: Maternity and paternity at work: Law and practice across the world
ILO – Laura Addati, Naomi Cassirer and Katherine Gilchrist
13 May 2014 193 pages
978-92-2-128630-1[ISBN]
Overview
This report provides a picture of where we stand and what we have learned so far about maternity and paternity rights across the world. It offers a rich international comparative analysis of law and practice relating to maternity protection at work in 185 countries and territories, comprising leave, cash benefits, employment protection and non-discrimination, health protection, breastfeeding arrangements at work and childcare. Expanding on previous editions, it is based on an extensive set of new legal and statistical indicators, including coverage in law and in practice of paid maternity leave as well as statutory provision of paternity and parental leave and their evolution over the last 20 years.
The report also takes account of the recent economic crisis and austerity measures. It shows how well national laws and practice conform to the ILO Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183), its accompanying Recommendation (No. 191) and the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), and offers guidance on policy design and implementation.
This report shows that a majority of countries have established legislation to protect and support maternity and paternity at work, even if those provisions do not always meet the ILO standards. One of the persistent challenges is the effective implementation of legislation, to ensure that all workers are able to benefit from these essential labour rights.
:: Full report – [pdf 16620KB]
:: Overview of the report – [pdf 4098KB]

Annual Report 2014: International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)
IATI
07 May 2014 182 pages
Overview
This is the second IATI Annual Report to be published. IATI has reached critical mass in terms of membership and growth in publishers, now it is important to drive up the quality of data and ensure that it can be used to add value at country level. The IATI annual report highlights progress made in 2013…
:: Read the full report here.
From the Introduction
The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is a key element of the agreed, common,
open standard for the electronic publication and reporting of timely, comprehensive and forward looking development cooperation information. The common standard was called for in the Busan Partnership Agreement1 and further defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and IATI and reflected in the agreement endorsed by the final meeting of the Working Party on Aid Effectiveness in June 2012.
This common standard consists of three complementary systems and processes: the OECD DAC Creditor Reporting System (CRS), which contains comprehensive historical statistical information; its Forward Spending Survey (FSS); and IATI.
Since the original IATI Accra Statement in 20082, IATI has already gained significant momentum. This accelerated before and following the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness3, which produced the Busan Partnership agreement.
Outside of the DAC membership, IATI is also used by many international and local NGOs, as well as several foundations, private companies and other development actors to report data on their activities.

Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 17 May 2014

Essay
Show Them the Money
By Christopher Blattman and Paul Niehaus
May/June 2014
Excerpt
Every year, wealthy countries spend billions of dollars to help the world’s poor, paying for cows, goats, seeds, beans, textbooks, business training, microloans, and much more. Such aid is designed to give poor people things they can’t afford or the tools and skills to earn more. Much of this aid undoubtedly works. But even when assistance programs accomplish things, they often do so in a tremendously expensive and inefficient way. Part of this is due to overhead, but overhead costs get far more attention than they deserve. More worrisome is the actual price of procuring and giving away goats, textbooks, sacks of beans, and the like.

Most development agencies either fail to track their costs precisely or keep their accounting books confidential, but a number of candid organizations have opened themselves up to scrutiny. Their experiences suggest that delivering stuff to the poor is a lot more expensive than one might expect.

Take cows. Many Western organizations give poor families livestock, along with training in how to raise and profit from the animals. Cows themselves usually cost no more than a few hundred dollars each, but delivering them — targeting recipients, administering the donations, transporting the animals — gets expensive. In West Bengal, India, for example, the nonprofit Bandhan spends $331 to get $166 worth of local livestock and other assets to the poor, according to a report by the rating agency Micro-Credit Ratings International. Yet even this program sounds like a bargain compared to others. In Rwanda, a study led by the economist Rosemary Rawlins found that the cost of donating a pregnant cow, with attendant training classes and support services, through the charity Heifer International can reach $3,000.

Such programs surely reduce poverty: having a cow is undoubtedly better than not having one. But they also carry an opportunity cost, since the money spent on procuring and delivering the cows or other assets could instead go directly to the poor. Bandhan, for example, could give twice as many households cash grants equal to the local price of the livestock it now gives as it does actual livestock. And in place of each cow it provides, Heifer could give $300 — roughly half of Rwanda’s per capita income — to ten poor families.

Does the benefit of an in-kind donation to one family really outweigh the value of helping twice or even ten times as many households? For a growing number of antipoverty programs, the answer to that question appears to be no. New research suggests that cash grants to the poor are as good as or better than many traditional forms of aid when it comes to reducing poverty. The process of transferring cash, moreover, is only getting cheaper, thanks to the spread of technologies such as cell phones and satellite signals. And simply asking whether a given program is doing more good than it costs puts pressure on the aid sector to be more transparent and accountable. It’s well past time, then, for donors to stop thinking of unconditional cash payments as an oddball policy and start seeing them for what they are: one of the most sensible tools of poverty alleviation…

Amref Health Africa [to 17 May 2014]

Amref Health Africa International Health Conference, November 24-26, 2014, Nairobi, Kenya
From November 24-26, Amref Health Africa will be holding its first international conference themed ‘From Evidence to Action: Lasting Health Change for Africa’ at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. The three day conference will focus on exchange of scientific results and debates on strategic ideas and application of knowledge to inform health care financing, human resources for health, community systems strengthening and the post 2015 health agenda. It brings together leaders, scholars, players and partners in African health development and advocacy. It is an important forum for discussions on how Africa can influence the global health agenda to improve health and health rights on the continent. For further information, please visit the conference website at www.ahaic.org.
:: Call For Abstracts
Amref Health Africa is calling for submission of abstracts for the conference under five tracks: Reproductive health and maternal and neonatal child health; HIV TB and Malaria; Environmental and water resource management; New and emerging health priorities: NCDs and NTDs and Innovation, technology and health. Read more>>

BRAC [to 17 May 2014]

BRAC @BRACworld • 3h
BRAC’s vice chair to speak at @Sydney_Uni about “1 of the great mysteries of #globalhealth” – http://bit.ly/1lA3KBb

BRAC @BRACworld
What’s So Scary About Smart Girls? http://nyti.ms/1oAdq0C . Thanks @NickKristof for the mention! We have 1.3m in school in #Asia & #Africa

Casa Alianza [to 17 May 2014]
Covenant House [to 17 May 2014]

Casa Alianza UK @CasaAlianzaUK • May 13
Director of Casa Alianza #Honduras beaten by police for highlighting murders of children: http://bit.ly/1g42fgW #Honduras #humanrights

Retweeted by Covenant House
Kevin Ryan @CovHousePrez 1h
This year we celebrated 25 yrs of @CovenantHouse in Mexico & NJ, & 15 yrs in Philly. Thx everyone who makes this possible for homeless kids.

Kevin Ryan @CovHousePrez • May 13
Jon Bon Jovi discusses his 1st glance at the kids of @CovenantHouse more than 30 years ago, and why he wrote Runaway https://www.facebook.com/CovenantHouse

ECPAT [to 17 May 2014]

ECPAT International @ECPAT May 14
Executive Director of ECPAT International Dorothy Rozga is speaking in #Taiwan today @ECPATTaiwan’s 20th anniversary. pic.twitter.com/v3BIrfJoAA

Handicap International [to 17 May 2014]

Handicap Int’l-US @HI_UnitedStates • May 16
Great to show our Co-Founder Jean-Baptiste Richardier and new Director General Manuel Patrouillard our world in DC! pic.twitter.com/zb0GPg5F03

Handicap Intl UK ‏@HI_UK May 12
New photos and info: Find out about our emergency Typhoon Haiyan response http://bit.ly/1cQRdJY #humanitarian #inclusion #Philippines

Heifer International [to 17 May 2014]

Heifer International @Heifer • 17h
.@HeiferCEO discusses the importance of Heifer’s #FeastInField event & helping Arkansas farmers w/ @KATVNews

Heifer International @Heifer • May 16
Read an Q/A with Judith Schwartz about how cows are restoring soil and healing the Earth http://hefr.in/1jnYkfA

Heifer International @Heifer • May 16
After the Nepal Civil War tore her family apart, Sobha found new hope with Heifer: http://hefr.in/1jnNSVw

Heifer International ‏@Heifer
See how Heifer is working with @GreenMtnCoffee to help empower coffee growers: http://hefr.in/1sXzPrg pic.twitter.com/Lb6241aoIT

Heifer International @Heifer • May 15
Heifer is partnering with U.S. farmers like Ann Rose to help end hunger in Appalachia. http://hefr.in/1jkp9RP

HelpAge International [to 17 May 2014]

Retweeted by HelpAge
Charles Njanga @CNjanga • May 16
@helpage SIDA programme Annual Review and Planning Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya from 13th – 17th May 2014.

HelpAge @helpage • May 15
“@Age_Int makes strong case for tackling people of all ages in #post2015 framework” Comments from @UKHouseofLords http://ageinternational.org.uk/news-and-views/Latest-news/Age-inclusive-post-2015-recognised-by-Peers-and-MPs/ …

Retweeted by HelpAge
Toby Porter @tobyhporter • May 14
At launch of @helpage ambitious social protection project in Myanmar with Minister HE Dr Daw Myat Ohn Khin

International Rescue Committee [to 17 May 2014]

Seven Steps to Assisting the People of South Sudan: Statement by Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
12 May 2014

IRC Statement
12 May 2014 – The IRC welcomes the announcement of the joint The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces and the Free Syrian Army “Communiqué to Eliminate Sexual Violence”, signed on 30 April 2014 by Syrian Coalition President Ahmad al Jarba and Supreme Military Council Chief of Staff General Abdulilah al Bashir.
All parties to the conflict – the Syrian government and the opposition – must take the necessary steps to keep women and girls safe.
An important next step is that all parties allow unhindered humanitarian access within Syria, so that humanitarian agencies such as International Rescue Committee can reach women and girls with life saving services.

Retweeted by Intl Rescue Comm IRC
OPIC.gov @opicgov • May 16
Featured #photo: @theIRC, recent winner of OPIC’s Impact Award for Development Impact http://www.opic.gov/blog/?p=4666

Intl Rescue Comm IRC @theIRC • May 16
IRC brief on UN Mission mandate in #SouthSudan: http://bit.ly/1lq6q2Q

Intl Rescue Comm IRC @theIRC • May 16
An initial frame of reference towards becoming a more demand-responsive aid agency, on #FastSlow: http://bit.ly/1mZ1V67

Intl Rescue Comm IRC ‏@theIRC
IRC in #Mogadishu #Somalia is responding to health needs of thousands of people fleeing conflict in Lower Shabelle

Retweeted by Intl Rescue Comm IRC
WakaWaka @WakaWakaLight • May 13
A first-hand account of how effective WakaWakas are in #Syria, distributed by the IRC: http://bit.ly/1ab14JK

Intl Rescue Comm IRC @theIRC • May 13
Humanitarian impact bonds: Pipe dream or possibility? http://bit.ly/1lsz06I

Intl Rescue Comm IRC @theIRC • May 10
ALERT: Women fleeing Nigeria cite fear of abduction, reports @theIRC. http://bit.ly/1mILElE #BringBackOurGirls

IRCT [to 17 May 2014]

News
IRCT calls for justice as two physicians face jail for treating violence
13 May 2014

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 17 May 2014]

Five MSF Staff Held in Syria Released
May 15, 2014
Abduction forces closure of three MSF medical facilities providing care to 150,000 Syrians.

MSF International @MSF • May 16
#CARcrisis: One year of displacement. The conflict told through the testimonies of displaced people in PK12 and Mpoko http://bit.ly/1nWot4I

MSF International @MSF • May 15
#MSF requests privacy for 5 staff released from #Syria. #MSF will provide no further info beyond the statement http://bit.ly/1k5EbcQ

MSF International @MSF
A glimpse into the world of DR-TB patients and staff at an #MSF clinic in Mumbai http://bit.ly/1jx3IqL #TBmanifesto pic.twitter.com/Jh0E3khwk2

MSF International @MSF • May 14
“The situation is untenable”. Read the interview with Emmanuel Lampaert on #MSF in #DRC http://bit.ly/1v4gGpy

MSF International ‏@MSF
“Family and sexual violence is too common in #PapuaNewGuinea”. #MSF Read the article: http://bit.ly/1jBRdzg pic.twitter.com/ev76NN1kgE

MSF International @MSF • May 12
Want to see what we did last month? Watch the highlights for #MSF’s activities over the past month: A Month in Focus http://bit.ly/1mhrhtc

Operation Smile [to 17 May 2014]
Upcoming Mission Schedule
May 14 – 18 | El Bagre, Colombia
May 15 – 21 | Liangshan, China
May 15 – 21 | Huangshi, China
May 17 – 24 | David, Panama
May 23 – 31 | Lima, Peru

May 14, 2014
A Chance Encounter in Mexico

May 14, 2014
Operation Smile Volunteer Impacts Medical Care at Home

May 13, 2014
Operation Smile to host think tank of international medical teams and industry thought leaders during NEXT Medical Conference

Operation Smile @operationsmile • 20h
Every 3 mins a child is born with a cleft. http://ow.ly/wL8EU

Operation Smile @operationsmile • May 16
Health care providers from 45 countries in rare meeting to advance #GlobalSurgery. #NEXTCleftCare @Covidien http://prn.to/RHJQvb

Partners In Health [to 17 May 2014]

May 15, 2014
A Nurse Accompanier in Rwanda
A Boston-based oncology nurse reflects on her time working in Rwanda.

May 15, 2014
Chief Nursing Officer Raises the Bar for Nursing in Haiti
University Hospital’s chief nursing officer believes empowering nurses will improve patient care.

May 12, 2014
PIH’s Chief Nursing Officer Takes Questions on Twitter
As part of our celebration of nurses, PIH chief nursing officer Sheila Davis answered your questions about global nursing.

May 12, 2014
Empowering Nurses to Improve Care in Haiti
Partners In Health and Zanmi Lasante open a Nursing Center of Excellence. ▸

Retweeted by Partners In Health
Stephanie Garry @sgarry • May 16
Inspiring video about @PIH nurses around the world – http://bit.ly/RIwUF8 #GlobalNursesChat

Partners In Health @PIH • May 14
Congratulations to our colleagues at Zanmi Lasante on the opening of the Nursing Center of Excellence! http://bit.ly/1iUFWJQ