UNOCHA [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.unocha.org/

Press Releases
02 May 2014
World: Innovation Contest for World Humanitarian Summit Regional Consultation for West and Central Africa
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: World The OCHA Regional Office for West and Central Africa invites nominations for its Humanitarian Innovation Contest ahead of the June 2014 Regional Consultation in preparation of the World Humanitarian Summit. The contest is for humanitarian projects and initiatives, ongoing or under development, in the West and Central Africa Region that use an innovative approach to improve the efficiency of humanitarian response….

02 May 2014
Central African Republic: Statement on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator Claire Bourgeois on the killing of a UNHCR Staff
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Central African Republic (Bangui, 02 May 2014): The Senior Humanitarian Coordinator (SHC) in the Central African Republic, Claire Bourgeois condemns fervidly the killing of one staff member of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The attack took place on 01 May, close to Bangui. “I express my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the victim. I am also deeply saddened by the ongoing loss of civilian…

02 May 2014
Afghanistan: Landslides in Argo, Badakhshan – Statement Attributable to Mr. Mark Bowden, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Afghanistan Kabul, 2 May, 2014: A series of heavy rain induced landslides struck in the Argo district of Badakhshan in northeastern Afghanistan causing significant loss of life and widespread damage to homes and agriculture. Provincial authorities report that more than 350 Afghans have been killed, more are still missing and many families have been displaced. Mark Bowden, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator said: “On behalf…

02 May 2014
Afghanistan: UN deputy humanitarian chief to visit Afghanistan and Pakistan
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Afghanistan, Pakistan WHO: Kyung-Wha Kang, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator WHAT: Visit to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan WHEN: 3-8 May 2014 WHERE: Kabul and Hirat (Herat) (Afghanistan), Islamabad and Peshawar (Pakistan) UN Deputy Humanitarian Chief Kyung-Wha Kang will visit…

01 May 2014
Mali: Humanitarian response in the Sahel faces critical funding gap
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal (Dakar, 30 April 2014): Humanitarian operations in the Sahel require urgent funding to help vulnerable communities prepare a successful agricultural season and deliver live-saving food aid in the coming months. “We are facing a funding bottleneck at a very critical moment. The planting season is only a couple of months away,” said Robert…

01 May 2014
Mali: La réponse humanitaire au Sahel confrontée à un manque de financement
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal (Dakar, 30 avril 2014) : Un financement urgent est nécessaire pour les opérations humanitaires dans le Sahel, afin d’aider les communautés vulnérables à se préparer à une bonne campagne agricole et de fournir une assistance alimentaire vitale dans les prochains mois. « Nous sommes confrontés à un réel problème de financement à un moment très…

01 May 2014
Sudan: Statement attributable to the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Mr Ali Al-Za’tari, on influx of refugees from South Sudan in the Abyei area
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Sudan, South Sudan Khartoum, 30 April 2014. The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Mr. Ali Al-Za’tari, expressed concern over an increasing number of people from South Sudan seeking refuge in the Abyei area. Over the past few days, at least 3,000 people have arrived in a number of locations in Abyei after fleeing violence in Unity State, South Sudan. These newly arrived people from South Sudan…

01 May 2014
Sudan: Darfur: New Humanitarian Needs and Aid Delivery Fact Sheet, 29 April 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Sudan The new wave of insecurity and violence across Darfur has generated enormous additional humanitarian needs since late February 2014. Hostilities and violence involving Government forces supported by the Rapid Support Force, a Government-affiliated militia, armed movements and armed tribal militia in Darfur have spread across much of North and South Darfur, with some spillover effects to Central, West and East Darfur…

30 Apr 2014
Syrian Arab Republic: Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos Statement to the Media on Syria
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Syrian Arab Republic NEW YORK, 30 APRIL 2014 As delivered Good afternoon and thank you everyone. It is now two months since Resolution 2139 was adopted. As you know, the Secretary-General presented his report to the Council last week. It makes very grim reading. Far from getting better, the situation is getting worse. Violence has intensified over the past month, taking a horrific toll on ordinary Syrians. In the past…

29 Apr 2014
South Sudan: South Sudan Aid Chief Calls for One Month of Tranquility
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sudan Country: South Sudan Juba, 29 April 2014: “I call on all parties to the conflict in South Sudan to observe one month of tranquility this May; to stop the violence and to provide a safe environment for civilians caught by the conflict at this most crucial time of the year. I am calling for one month of tranquility for two reasons. First, stopping the fighting and ensuring…

WHO & Regionals [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.who.int/en/

GPEI Update: Polio this week – As of 30 April 2014
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Full report: http://www.polioeradication.org/Dataandmonitoring/Poliothisweek.aspx
[Editor’s extract and bolded text]
:: The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, is convening an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to advise on whether the current developments on the spread of poliovirus constitute a public health emergency of international concern and, if so, whether temporary recommendations are needed to reduce the risk and consequences of international spread. The Committee began consultations on 28 April 2014, and is expected to deliberate for several days.

GIN
April 2014
Oral Cholera Vaccine stockpile campaign amongst Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in South Sudan
Stephen Martin, WHO Headquarters
[Full text]
The first use of the global oral cholera vaccine (OCV) stockpile, created in 2013, under the management of the Inter-national Coordinating Group (ICG) recently deployed 252,000 doses of vaccine to South Sudan.
The mandate for the OCV stockpile is primarily for cholera outbreaks but will also consider vaccine requests for humanitarian crisis response.
As a result of recent conflict in South Sudan (December 2013), population displacement occurred, internally as IDPs and externally as refugees. Many of the IDPs are living in Protection of Civilian (POCs) areas within the United Nations Mission to South Sudan (UNMISS) compounds. Living conditions for the IDPs have deteriorated below international standards, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases including cholera. These conditions are anticipated to deteriorate further with the onset of seasonal rains.
A risk assessment completed by WHO CO concluded that the combination of historical outbreaks, the living conditions and the forthcoming rains placed the IDPs at an increased risk of cholera. At the request of the Ministry of Health, WHO facilitated the deployment of vaccine to the country.
The vaccine arrived in country on 22 February 2014. Over the following 38 days, two implementing partners MedAir and Medecins sans Frontiers have completed 3 campaigns in separate IDP locations, Mingkaman, Tomping and UN House delivering 132,925 doses. The vaccine regime requires two doses given as a single dose two weeks apart. Hygiene messaging was given with the vaccine. In Mingkaman the second dose was co-administered with Meningococcal A conjugate vaccine. Further campaigns are anticipated.
As a new public health intervention to complement established cholera prevention and control measures, greater frequency of use of the vaccine stockpile will increase awareness and acceptability while at the same time providing evidence to demonstrate the full public health potential of this intervention.
http://www.who.int/immunization/GIN_April_2014.pdf?ua=1

WHO: Experts probe Middle-Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2 May 2014
Excerpt
A team of experts from WHO started a two-day mission yesterday in Jeddah to assist national health authorities to investigate the recent increase in number of people infected by MERS-CoV.
From mid-March 2014, 111 people have tested positive in the Jeddah area; the biggest single surge in the MERS-CoV outbreak since the new virus was detected in April 2012. Thirty-one persons have died.
As a large proportion of infections in Jeddah occurred in health-care facilities, the WHO team began with analyzing transmission patterns in the city’s main hospitals.
“We need to understand how people got infected in health-care settings, and in the community; we are looking into possible infection routes and whether the virus has changed its ability to more easily infect people,” says Dr Jaouad Mahjour, WHO Team Leader, “but we know that the systematic application of basic infection prevention and control measures in health facilities is key to limiting transmission and protecting health-care workers and other patients.”
Following the confirmation of the first cases, health facilities increased laboratory testing of patients, close contacts and health-care workers and strengthened protective measures. One third of the people tested positive in the recent spate of cases are health-care workers with mild or no symptoms.
“Our priority is to stop the transmission inside the hospital by strengthening infection prevention and control activities,” says Dr Mohammed Al Ghamdi, an Infectious Disease Consultant at the King Fahd Hospital, the city’s main general hospital – where 78 people have tested positive so far. “WHO is helping us in getting answers on transmission routes not only in health facilities, but also in the community.”…
http://www.who.int/features/2014/saudi-arabia-coronavirus/en/

UNDP United Nations Development Program [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.us.undp.org/content/undp/en/home.html

04 May 2014
Helen Clark: Statement at the Abu Dhabi Ascent: Conference In Support Of the UN Climate Summit 2014
With strong partnerships, there is good potential to make a big breakthrough on curbing deforestation. Recent announcements by governments and the private sector pave the way, and I hope will inspire others to act. We must act on our conviction that it is possible to increase inclusive growth and improve local livelihoods, while forests are kept standing and contributing to climate change mitigation and maintaining biodiversity. Through REDD+ and with the support of all stakeholders, we CAN achieve these goals simultaneously.

01 May 2014
Sierra Leone launches vast youth plan to create 1 million new jobs and expand higher education
Sierra Leone has unveiled a USD 217 million plan to create one million new jobs by 2018. The initiative also aims to provide access to secondary and higher education to 300,000 new students over the next three years.

28 Apr 2014
Helen Clark: Speech at the 2014 EU High Level Resilience Forum
Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator
at the 2014 EU High Level Resilience Forum
28 April 2014, 9am to 10.15am
Brussels, Belgium
Excerpt
Thank you, Commissioner Georgieva, for inviting me to speak at the first EU High Level Forum on Resilience.
As a development organization, UNDP is very aware of the highly detrimental impact which disasters and crises – both man-made and those due to natural hazards – have on local, national, and global development efforts. Too often we see decades of hard work and billions of dollars in investments washed away by a hurricane, leveled by an earthquake, or destroyed in a war…
…The increasing importance given to supporting countries and communities to build resilience to all types of risk, stems from this growing understanding that the issues of poverty, crisis, and conflict are intertwined.
The EU’s Joint Instruction Letter on Resilience defines resilience as the “ability of an individual, a household, a community, a country or a region to withstand, to adapt, and to quickly recover from stresses and shocks”. This resonates with UNDP’s own understanding of resilience. Our approach also emphasizes the importance of transforming the structures and systems which repeatedly perpetuate fragility and undermine resilience.
External shocks can open up the space required to initiate transformation, but only if opportunities to negotiate a different, more inclusive, and fairer future, and lay the foundations for political, institutional, social and economic reform, are seized. With this definition in mind, forward momentum and action will depend on three components: the three 3Cs of commitment, collaboration, and clarity.
I have been particularly impressed by how swiftly the EU has been able to generate the first – namely, commitment and buy-in from its Member States. Engagement of key constituencies in capitals has helped secure the high level political commitment required to be an effective partner to crisis-affected populations in high-risk contexts..

28 Apr 2014
Advisory Committee calls on UNDP to address inequalities and enabling environment
The 11th annual meeting of the UNDP Civil Society Advisory Committee concluded last week following critical discussions on the new UNDP strategic plan, UNDP’s engagement with Civil Society at national and regional levels and the challenges and opportunities of the post-2015 development framework.

UN Women [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.unwomen.org/

Stories of survivors portrayed by journalists in Georgia
Posted on May 1, 2014
Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, a story from Georgia, where actors and playwrights are using interactive verbatim theatre to perform real-life stories produced by journalists trained at a UN Women workshop on gender-sensitive reporting.

Press Release: New research reveals violence against women in politics rampant in South Asia
Posted on April 30, 2014
Violence against women in politics is rampant in South Asia according to a new study conducted by the Centre for Social Research and UN Women. The study, ‘Violence against Women in Politics’ revealed that the insufficient implementation of laws, lack of support from police and judiciary, the socio-economic divide and current power structures are the major reasons for violence.

Press Release: “We Just Keep Silent”: A report on gender-based violence among Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Posted on April 28, 2014
UN Women has launched a new report on gender-based violence among Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq which reveals increased levels of intimate partner violence, high levels of sexual harassment by employers and taxi drivers, and a significant number of reports of sexual commercial transactions inside and outside camps. Almost all men also reported feeling afraid for the safety of their wives and daughters….
“We Just Keep Silent” Report: http://uniraq.org/images/documents/We%20Just%20Keep%20Silent%20final%20English.pdf

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.unfpa.org/public/

02 May 2014 – Statement
Statement for the International Day of the Midwife
Globally, in the past two decades, maternal death has declined by nearly half. In the same period, skilled birth attendance has increased by 15 per cent, with two out of three deliveries worldwide now attended by a skilled health professional. With just over 600 days left until the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline, concerted efforts are required to scale up cost-effective interventions in educating midwives and other professionals with midwifery skills. more

01 May 2014 – Dispatch
Finding More Than Food at the Markets in Liberia
MONROVIA, Liberia – Every Thursday, 39-year-old Jartu Kollie walks several kilometres to the market in Pleemu Town, near the Liberian capital Monrovia. But this vibrant local market is not only a place where she can sell her products; it is also where she goes to access the family planning services that have saved her life. more

30 April 2014 – Dispatch
UNFPA Pacific Assists Mothers, Youth Displaced by Solomon Islands Flooding
HONIARA, Solomon Islands – By 11 am on 4 April, residents knew the Mataniko River might breach its banks in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, but no one knew it would wash away their homes within the hour. More than four weeks later, most displaced people remain in evacuation centres. UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is providing humanitarian support for these families and others affected by the disaster. more

30 April 2014 – Press Release
260 parliamentarians from 6 continents reaffirm strong support for population, development agenda
UNITED NATIONS, New York, 28 April 2014 – At the sixth global parliamentarians’ conference on population and development, held in Stockholm from 23 to 25 April, parliamentarians from 134 countries issued their strongest call ever to implement the Programme of Action agreed to at the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994. more

29 April 2014 – Press Release
More Support Needed to Save Lives of Women and Girls in South Sudan
JUBA, South Sudan – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is calling for a sustained international community and donor support in South Sudan to ensure the safety and dignity of women and young girls who are mostly affected by the crisis. more

UNESCO [to 3 May 2014]
http://en.unesco.org/

5 May 2014
:: The UN General Assembly discusses Culture as an Enabler of Sustainable Development
:: UNESCO Signs Agreement with China’s Hisense Co. Ltd to Renew Equipment
:: Shared passions for World Press Freedom Day at UNESCO Bangkok event
:: Director-General awards UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Turkish journalist Ahmet Şık
:: Award ceremony of 2014 UNESCO Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture resounds with calls for cultural diversity and mutual respect
:: Knowledge-Based Economy Conference held in Riyadh

30 April 2014
:: The Future We Want: A Healthy Ocean for Prosperity in the Western Pacific
:: Voice of Jazz and Human Rights
:: Everybody on stage for International Jazz Day!
:: Gender awareness in media promoted in China thanks to IPDC project
:: Fighting HIV and AIDS: First UNESCO supported Codefest held in China
:: UNESCO literacy project in Senegal inspires other African countries

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.fao.org/home/en/

Global recognition for traditional farming systems in China, Iran and South Korea
FAO urges further protection of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems for sustainability, food security, livelihoods and culture
1-05-2014

FAO and National Geographic announce collaboration exploring future of food
The National Geographic Society and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are teaming up to raise awareness on food and agriculture issues as National Geographic, a U.S.-based nonprofit institution, begins an eight-month, in-depth report on food issues starting with a May cover story in National Geographic magazine and online at NatGeoFood.com.
30-04-2014

FAO strikes media deal with International Federation of Agricultural Journalists
29-04-2014

UNCTAD [to 3 May 2014]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/Home.aspx

02 May 2014 – Young entrepreneurs can unlock development potential for future generations, high-level panel from Africa tells UNCTAD Commission
01 May 2014 – Moldovan authorities unveil plans to increase FDI attractiveness
30 Apr 2014 – Mongolia Welcomes UNCTAD Report Recommending It Diversifies Foreign Investment Flows To Promote Sustainable Development
29 Apr 2014 – Bangladesh appreciates and takes note of UNCTAD recommendations to improve its FDI attractiveness and achieve sustainable development

CBD (Convention of Biological Diversity) [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.cbd.int/

2014-05-01
Four new ratifications edge landmark genetic resources treaty closer to entering into force
With four new ratifications in the last week, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization has received 66% of the necessary ratifications, with only 17 more ratifications needed for it to enter into force. Ratifications by Guyana, Hungary, Kenya and Vietnam bring to 33 the total number of ratifications to the ground-breaking treaty under the umbrella of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
[The full text of the Nagoya Protocol is available at: www.cbd.int/abs/doc/protocol/nagoya-protocol-en.pdf The list of signatories of the Nagoya Protocol is available at: www.cbd.int/abs/nagoyaprotocol/signatories/ ]

USAID [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/

Press Releases
USAID Increases Support for Media and Press Freedom in Ukraine
Friday, May 2, 2014
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing an additional $1.25 million to the U-MEDIA program in Ukraine, a project of Internews and its Ukrainian partner organizations aimed at supporting Ukrainian media outlets as they prepare for the Ukrainian presidential election on May 25th. Members of the media in Ukraine have faced serious challenges and dangers over the past several months. More than 500 journalists have been harassed, beaten, abducted and one journalist killed, since November. Media outlets have been attacked and news-gathering equipment has been seized or destroyed

USAID Selects 2014 Payne Fellows
May 1, 2014
A distinguished panel, chaired by retired Senior Foreign Service Officer Wayne King, selected five 2014 USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Fellows. This selection followed a rigorous competition that included over 275 applicants from around the United States and the world. The panel reviewed their applications, selected 18 finalists, and conducted a three-day assessment, which included interviews, timed essays, and group exercises.

Impact Blog
Why Free Media Matters
May 2, 2014 — Mark Koenig
Media independence has been tied to social stability, improved governance and reduced corruption, better health outcomes, faster economic growth and fewer famines. USAID’s support of open media environments in 31 countries around the world is having real impact on the lives of real people.

The Syrian Conflict Through the Lens of Women and Girls
May 2, 2014 — Carla Koppell, Chief Strategy Officer and Allison Salyer, Gender Advisor, USAID Task Force on Syria
The crisis in Syria presents humanitarian, developmental and demographic challenges particularly for women and children, who have been exposed to serious risks while fleeing their homes, in camps, and in unfamiliar countries’ cities and towns. Two USAID leaders recently visited Jordan and Turkey..

DFID [to 3 May 2014]
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development

Greening: Afghanistan landslide relief underway
3 May 2014 DFID Press release

Britain’s top diplomats visited Somalia on 28th April
2 May 2014 DFID and FCO Press release

Alan Duncan urges young Scots to join fight against poverty
2 May 2014 DFID Press release

UK pledges support for Pakistan’s growth
1 May 2014 DFID Press release

British students challenged to ‘shape the future’
30 April 2014 DFID Press release

ECHO [to 3 May 2014]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

Syria crisis: new refugee camp opens in Jordan
30/04/2014 – Three years into the Syrian conflict, Jordan officially opened a third refugee camp today to accommodate the never-ending flow of Syrians fleeing the violence.

EU hosts first-of-its-kind international forum on resilience
28/04/2014 – With the increase of natural and human-made crises worldwide, building the resilience of individuals and communities is of key importance. Today, the European Commission is opening its first edition of the ‘EU Resilience Forum’, bringing together experts from EU Member States; partner organisations such as the UN, Red Cross, the World Bank, NGOs and civil society; as well as donors including the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Participants will jointly assess the overall progress made to date, exchange best practices and lessons learnt, and outline a way to further reduce vulnerabilities in risk-prone environments.
Organised by the Commissions’ departments for Development and Cooperation (DEVCO) and Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the event will serve as catalyst for the global efforts to support people in areas facing recurrent disasters or conflicts – to prepare for, withstand and recover from stresses and shocks. Addressing root causes rather than dealing with their consequences lays the foundation for that approach.
The Commission is strongly committed to boosting the resilience of the most vulnerable. It has been instrumental in endeavours to break the vicious cycle of drought, hunger and poverty in regions like Africa – with the ‘Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative’ (AGIR) in the Sahel and West Africa and the ‘Supporting the Horn of Africa’s Resilience’ (SHARE) . The Commission’s Disaster Preparedness Programme (DIPECHO) has also proven successful in limiting damage when hazards strike. Furthermore, the recently adopted Communication on the post 2015 Hyogo Framework for Action sets a common EU position towards reducing the impact of natural and human-made crises across the globe.
Acting now to reduce future suffering and loss is vital – ethically correct and cost effective: investing €1 in preparedness can save up to €7 in response operations. In 2013, over 20% of the European Commission’s relief funding was used for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and two-thirds of all projects included DRR activities, reaching out 18 million people worldwide.

World Bank [to 3 May 2014]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

Extending Protection to the Poor Where the Needs are Greatest
Challenge The 2008-11 global economic crisis highlighted the importance of good social safety nets for reducing poverty and vulnerability. Countries with effective safety net programs used them to respond to the crises and disasters, while countries without such programs had to rely on ad hoc and less effective responses. Yet it is precisely in the poorest countries where the gap in the provision of SSNs is largest. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, four out of five poor families have no access to any safety nets program. However, it takes time and political will to build good safety nets. Crises or post-disaster situations are worst times to develop new safety nets. Effective and cost-effective programs need a process of refining and fine-turning systems and capacity. For countries that already have some programs in place the challenge is to overcome fragmentation, to integrate individual programs into coordinated, national systems. It is important to hold safety nets to high standard…

The American Journal of Bioethics
Volume 14, Issue 4, 2014
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/uajb20/current

Fostering IRB Collaboration for Review of International Research
Francis Barchia*, Megan Kasimatis Singletonb & Jon F. Merzc
pages 3-8
DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2014.892168
Abstract
This article presents a review of the literature, summarizes current initiatives, and provides a heuristic for assessing the effectiveness of a range of institutional review board (IRB) collaborative strategies that can reduce the regulatory burden of ethics review while ensuring protection of human subjects, with a particular focus on international research. Broad adoption of IRB collaborative strategies will reduce regulatory burdens posed by overlapping oversight mechanisms and has the potential to enhance human subjects protections.
[See also six Open Peer Commentaries on the theme above]

BMC Health Services Research
(Accessed 3 May 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content

Research article
Estimating age-based antiretroviral therapy costs for HIV-infected children in resource-limited settings based on World Health Organization weight-based dosing recommendations
Kathleen Doherty, Shaffiq Essajee, Martina Penazzato, Charles Holmes, Stephen Resch, Andrea Ciaranello BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:201 (2 May 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF
Background
Pediatric antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been shown to substantially reduce morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected infants and children. To accurately project program costs, analysts need accurate estimations of antiretroviral drug (ARV) costs for children. However, the costing of pediatric antiretroviral therapy is complicated by weight-based dosing recommendations which change as children grow.
Methods
We developed a step-by-step methodology for estimating the cost of pediatric ARV regimens for children ages 0-13 years old. The costing approach incorporates weight-based dosing recommendations to provide estimated ARV doses throughout childhood development. Published unit drug costs are then used to calculate average monthly drug costs. We compared our derived monthly ARV costs to published estimates to assess the accuracy of our methodology.
Results
The estimates of monthly ARV costs are provided for six commonly used first-line pediatric ARV regimens, considering three possible care scenarios. The costs derived in our analysis for children were fairly comparable to or slightly higher than available published ARV drug or regimen estimates.
Conclusions
The methodology described here can be used to provide an accurate estimation of pediatric ARV regimen costs for cost-effectiveness analysts to project the optimum packages of care for HIV-infected children, as well as for program administrators and budget analysts who wish to assess the feasibility of increasing pediatric ART availability in constrained budget environments.

Research article
Health care utilization for acute illnesses in an urban setting with a refugee population in Nairobi, Kenya: a cross-sectional survey
Abdinoor Haji Mohamed, Warren Dalal, Raymond Nyoka, Heather Burke, Jamal Ahmed, Erick Auko, Wilbert Shihaji, Irene Ndege, Robert F Breiman, Rachel B Eidex BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:200 (2 May 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF
Background
Estimates place the number of refugees in Nairobi over 100,000. The constant movement of refugees between countries of origin, refugee camps, and Nairobi poses risk of introduction and transmission of communicable diseases into Kenya. We assessed the care-seeking behavior of residents of Eastleigh, a neighborhood in Nairobi with urban refugees.
Methods
During July and August 2010, we conducted a Health Utilization Survey in Section II of Eastleigh. We used a multistage random cluster sampling design to identify households for interview. A standard questionnaire on the household demographics, water and sanitation was administered to household caretakers. Separate questionnaires were administered to household members who had one or more of the illnesses of interest.
Results
Of 785 households targeted for interview, data were obtained from 673 (85.7%) households with 3,005 residents. Of the surveyed respondents, 290 (9.7%) individuals reported acute respiratory illness (ARI) in the previous 12 months, 222 (7.4%) reported fever in the preceding 2 weeks, and 54 (1.8%) reported having diarrhea in the 30 days prior to the survey. Children <5 years old had the highest frequency of all the illnesses surveyed: 17.1% (95% CI 12.2-21.9) reported ARI, 10.0% (95% CI 6.2-13.8) reported fever, and 6.9% (3.8-10.0) reported diarrhea during the time periods specified for each syndrome. Twenty-nine [7.5% (95% CI 4.3-10.7)] hospitalizations were reported among all age groups of those who sought care. Among participants who reported >=1 illness, 330 (77.0%) sought some form of health care; most (174 [59.8%]) sought health care services from private health care providers. Fifty-five (18.9%) participants seeking healthcare services visited a pharmacy. Few residents of Eastleigh (38 [13.1%]) sought care at government-run facilities, and 24 (8.2%) sought care from a relative, a religious leader, or a health volunteer. Of those who did not seek any health care services (99 [23.0%]), the primary reason was cost (44.8%), followed by belief that the person was not sick enough (34.6%).
Conclusion
Health care utilization in Eastleigh is high; however, a large proportion of residents opt to seek care at private clinics or pharmacies, despite the availability of accessible government-provided health care services in this area.

BMC Public Health
(Accessed 3 May 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content

Research article
Sexual health is dead in my body: participatory assessment of sexual health determinants by refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands
Ines Keygnaert, Nicole Vettenburg, Kristien Roelens, Marleen Temmerman
BMC Public Health 2014, 14:416 (1 May 2014)
Abstract | Provisional PDF

Research article
“I don’t see an added value for myself”: a qualitative study exploring the social cognitive variables associated with influenza vaccination of Belgian, Dutch and German healthcare personnel
Birthe A Lehmann, Robert AC Ruiter, Sabine Wicker, Dick van Dam, Gerjo Kok
BMC Public Health 2014, 14:407 (28 April 2014)
Abstract | Full text | PDF | PubMed

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 92, Number 5, May 2014, 309-384
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/92/5/en/

Editorial
International Health Regulations (2005): taking stock
Isabelle Nuttall a
a. Department of Global Capacities, Alert and Response, World Health Organization, avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2014;92:310. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.14.138990
Excerpt
In 2007, the coming into force of the revised International Health Regulations (2005)1 [IHR (2005)] – the most powerful, far-reaching instrument of international law ever conceived to protect people’s health – was met with excitement. The purpose behind the IHR (2005) was to prevent and detect international health threats with minimal disruption to travel, trade and the economy. A simple logic lay at the heart of the IHR (2005): in an interconnected, interdependent world, a threat in one country puts all countries at risk.
Today, international public health threats, be they infectious or not, are harder to prevent and detect because of the mass movement of people, goods and animals facilitated by faster, cheaper modes of travel and complex trade systems. In the last couple of years alone, emerging pathogens such as avian influenza viruses A(H7N9) and A(H10N8) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus have for the first time been reported to cause human disease. Three out of four new diseases affecting humans emerge at the human–animal interface.
To ensure compliance with IHR (2005), countries were given until June 2012 to develop systems with capacity in several core areas: legislation and policy; coordination and IHR national focal points; preparedness, surveillance and response; risk communication; human resources; laboratory practice; and points of entry. However, the magnitude of the work led more than 100 countries to request a two-year extension for building up capacity in these domains. In June 2014 this extension period will be over and further requests for extension are expected. What does this mean?
…In terms of the IHR, it is time to take stock of the capacities amassed so far and those that still need to be developed. Countries have yet to implement their concrete plans to meet the capacity requirements of the IHR (2005). Some target capacities call for substantial investment, either from national budgets or international cooperation, and hence renewed financial commitments; others could probably be achieved through improved cost–effectiveness and collaboration between different sectors, including the animal and human health sectors. WHO is also striving, through its programme of reform, to serve its Member States better and in a more coordinated manner so that we can all live in a more secure and prosperous world.

Perspectives
Health system cost of delivering routine vaccination in low- and lower-middle income countries: what is needed over the next decade?
Patrick Lydon a, Gian Gandhi b, Jos Vandelaer b & Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele a
a. Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
b. United Nations Children’s Fund, New York, United States of America.
(Submitted: 12 September 2013 – Revised version received: 23 January 2014 – Accepted: 31 January 2014 – Published online: 07 February 2014.)
Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2014;92:382-384. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.13.130146
Excerpt
On the eve of the 40th anniversary of launching of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in 1974, during the twenty-seventh World Health Assembly (WHA), fundamental questions about the level of financing needed to sustain achievements and scale up the EPI in low- and lower-middle income countries continue to permeate the discourse on the economics of immunization. The answer to this question is all the more important in light of the fact that at the sixty-fifth WHA in 2012, ministers of health embraced the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) – a 10-year global strategic plan for immunization.1 But how much – and in what areas – are the investments needed for this decade?
Today, improved transparency in pricing information allows for relatively accurate vaccine cost estimates.2 Unfortunately, trends in the health system costs of delivering vaccination beyond the cost of the vaccines themselves continue to be poorly understood…

Climate and Development
Volume 6, Issue 2, 2014
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tcld20/current#.Uzg0pFcWNdc

The post-2015 global agenda: are the political decisions on climate change shifting to a new forum in the United Nations as it comes together with sustainable development and security?
Mukul Sanwala*
pages 93-95 DOI: 10.1080/17565529.2013.868336
Abstract
The way the issue of global environmentalism is now being framed around convergence of living standards within ecological limits may succeed in securing international cooperation in a manner that the focus on percentage reductions in greenhouse gases, that considered symptoms rather than the causes of climate change, was not able to achieve. The unresolved issue is no longer the approach of the USA but whether in writing its own urban future China will shape new rules and a new type of global partnership based on shared responsibility and prosperity.

Cyclones in a changing climate: the case of Bangladesh
Susmita Dasguptaa*, Mainul Huqb, Zahirul Huq Khanc, Manjur Murshed Zahid Ahmedc, Nandan Mukherjeed, Malik Fida Khand & Kiran Pandeye
pages 96-110 DOI: 10.1080/17565529.2013.868335
Abstract
This paper integrates information on climate-change, hydrodynamic models, and geographic overlays to assess the vulnerability of coastal areas in Bangladesh to larger storm surges and sea-level rise (SLR) by 2050. The approach identifies polders, coastal populations, settlements, infrastructure, and economic activity at risk of inundation, and estimates the damage from storm surge inundation versus the cost of several adaptation measures. A 27-centimetre SLR and 10% intensification of wind speed resulting from global warming suggest that the vulnerable zone increases in size by 69% given a +3-metre inundation depth, and by 14% given a +1-metre inundation depth. Estimates indicate investments including strengthening polders, foreshore afforestation, additional multi-purpose cyclone shelters, cyclone-resistant private housing, and further strengthening of the early warning and evacuation system would cost more than $2.4 billion, with an annual recurrent cost of more than $50 million. These estimates can serve as a prototype in climate negotiations of the adaptation costs of extreme weather events.

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Volume 8 – Issue 02 – April 2014 http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=DMP&tab=currentissue

Original Research
The Operating Room During a Severe Earthquake: Lessons From the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
Yasuyuki Suzukia1, Ikuo Fukudaa1 c1 and Shigeyuki Nakajia2
a1 Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Aomori, Japan
a2 Department of Thoracic and Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Aomori, Japan
Abstract
Objective The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred at 14:46 on March 11, 2011, producing serious and widespread damage. To assess damages in hospital operating departments during and after the earthquake, we surveyed hospitals in this region.
Methods Questionnaires were sent to 415 acute care hospitals in Tohoku and east Kanto areas. The questionnaires elicited the number of perioperative patients when the earthquake hit, obstacles to continuing surgery, structural and nonstructural damage to the operating department, and the effect on routine surgery after the earthquake.
Results Of the 213 hospitals (51%) that completed questionnaires, 474 patients were undergoing operations during the earthquake, and 222 operations were canceled afterward. Risk factors for continuing operations, as reported by 102 hospitals, were tremors and electrical blackouts (odds ratio [OR]: 79.3 and 110.5; P < .01). In 154 hospitals, difficulties in performing operations after the earthquake were reported. Significant obstacles to the management of operations after the earthquake were characterized by infrastructure disorder scores, seismic intensity, disruption of electrical power and air conditioning, and damage to out-of-hospital telecommunications (OR, 0.46; P = .04).
Conclusions Tremors and electrical blackouts were important risk factors for performing operations. Nonstructural damage, especially to out-of-hospital telecommunications, affected the management of the operating rooms. Hospital logistics are very important to achieve appropriate disaster management. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1–7)

Journal of Community Health
Volume 39, Issue 3, June 2014
http://link.springer.com/journal/10900/39/3/page/1

The Peru Cervical Cancer Screening Study (PERCAPS): The Design and Implementation of a Mother/Daughter Screen, Treat, and Vaccinate Program in the Peruvian Jungle
Carolina E. Abuelo, Kimberly L. Levinson, Jorge Salmeron, Carlos Vallejos Sologuren, Maria Jose Vallejos Fernandez, Jerome L. Belinson
Abstract
Peru struggles to prevent cervical cancer (CC). In the jungle, prevention programs suffer from significant barriers although technology exists to detect CC precursors. This study used community based participatory research (CBPR) methods to overcome barriers. The objective was to evaluate the utility of CBPR techniques in a mother–child screen/treat and vaccinate program for CC prevention in the Peruvian jungle. The CC prevention program used self-sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) for screening, cryotherapy for treatment and the HPV vaccine Gardasil for vaccination. Community health leaders (HL) from around Iquitos participated in a two half day educational course. The HLs then decided how to implement interventions in their villages or urban sectors. The success of the program was measured by: (1) ability of the HLs to determine an implementation plan, (2) proper use of research forms, (3) participation and retention rates, and (4) participants’ satisfaction. HLs successfully registered 320 women at soup kitchens, schools, and health posts. Screening, treatment, and vaccination were successfully carried out using forms for registration, consent, and results with minimum error. In the screen/treat intervention 100 % of participants gave an HPV sample and 99.7 % reported high satisfaction; 81 % of HPV + women were treated, and 57 % returned for 6-month follow-up. Vaccine intervention: 98 % of girls received the 1st vaccine, 88 % of those received the 2nd, and 65 % the 3rd. CBPR techniques successfully helped implement a screen/treat and vaccinate CC prevention program around Iquitos, Peru. These techniques may be appropriate for large-scale preventive health-care interventions.

The Joys of Caring for Older Adults: Training Practitioners to Empower Older Adults
Beverly P. Lyons,
Tai Dunson-Strane, Fredrick T. Sherman
Abstract
Many older adults lack knowledge concerning the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, atypical disease symptoms, the adverse effects of multiple medication use, and the hazards of frequent hospitalizations. Medically trained healthcare providers and community health practitioners can provide older adults with this information through health education classes. However, these healthcare professionals must continually update their knowledge as the science of gerontology and geriatrics is always expanding. The advanced certificate in gerontology administration program at LIU-Brooklyn hosted a 3-h train-the-trainer seminar, which was attended by 62 healthcare professionals to raise awareness concerning the realities of aging and to describe a range of behaviors that support health. For approximately 90 min, the keynote speaker presented issues and solutions that addressed the before-mentioned areas of knowledge deficit, followed by a question and answer period. Participants were asked to use an anonymous survey evaluation form featuring both quantitative and qualitative questions to rate the seminar. Close-ended questions were developed on a five-point scale ranging from 5 = strongly agree to 1 = strongly disagree. These items were analyzed to compute frequency and percent. The participants rated the seminar favorably with 98 % stating that they learned the benefits of exercise for older adults; 97 % learned how to avoid the hazards of hospitalization. Evaluations of the seminar suggest that it is feasible to develop educational programs targeting healthcare professionals and community health practitioners.

Well-Being and Perceived Quality of Life in Elderly People Displaced After the Earthquake in L’Aquila, Italy
Anna Rita Giuliani, Antonella Mattei, Flavio Santilli, Giovanna Clori, Maria Scatigna, Leila Fabiani
Open Access
Download PDF (222 KB)
Abstract
On 6 April 2009, the city of L’Aquila was hit by a violent earthquake that destroyed almost all of its medieval centre, and the surviving inhabitants were evacuated and relocated in temporary quarters or undamaged homes. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived quality of life of the elderly population 3 years after the earthquake in relation to the social and logistic issues of new housing. The study was carried out between October 2011 and March 2012, and involved 571 subjects aged over 65 years living in the municipality of L’Aquila. The interviews took place in the surgeries of general practitioners and the city’s Department of Prevention and Vaccination in the anti-influenza immunisation period. The instrument used was a 36-item questionnaire with closed, multiple choice answers divided into the following sections: demographics, everyday activities, health and perceived health, and the quality of life in the city. The results show that, 3 years after the earthquake, the elderly population living in the new towns and temporary housing of L’Aquila have a worse perception of their quality of life than the others. They feel a certain social isolation and wish to live elsewhere. Governments faced with the problems arising from a natural calamity should take into account all of the elements making up a good quality of life and, before making choices whose impact cannot be changed, consider both their immediate and long-term social consequences.