USAID [to 18 January 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/

USAID Administrator Calls for Immediate and Unconditional Humanitarian Access throughout South Sudan
January 18, 2014
Since its independence, South Sudan has made modest but important steps on the path to development. But today, fighting between government and rebel forces puts that progress at risk, wreaking havoc on a people who have faced more than their share of suffering and denial. Recent violence in South Sudan has left thousands dead and has driven nearly half a million people from their homes.

USAID and Partners to Boost U.S.-Africa Apparel Trade
January 17, 2014
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and the African Cotton & Textile Industries Federation (ACTIF) have entered into a memorandum of understanding to expand trade and investment linkages between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa in the cotton textile and apparel sectors.

World Bank [to 18 January 2014]

Region/Global actions and announcements
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Will Water Constrain Our Energy Future?
January 16, 2014
Energy and water security are crucial to human and economic development. The two resources are now more interconnected than ever — significant amounts of water are needed in almost all energy generation processes, from generating hydropower, to cooling and other purposes in thermal power plants, to extracting and processing fuels. Conversely, the water sector needs energy – mainly in the form of electricity – to extract, treat and transport water. Both energy and water are used in the production of crops, including those used to generate energy through biofuels .But energy and water resources are under unprecedented pressure, and there is growing competition for their use from people, industries, ecosystems, and growing economies. As the world’s population reaches 9 billion, demand will require a 50 percent increase in agricultural production and a 15 percent increase in already-strained water withdrawals. By 2035, the world’s energy consumption will increase by 35 percent…

BMC Public Health
(Accessed 18 January 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content

Research article
Influenza vaccines and influenza antiviral drugs in Africa: are they available and do guidelines for their use exist?
Jazmin Duque, Meredith L McMorrow and Adam L Cohen
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/41/abstract

Abstract (provisional)
Background
Influenza viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality in Africa, particularly among high-risk groups, but influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs may not be commonly available and used. The main aim of this study was to determine the availability and use of influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs as well as to describe existing related guidelines and policies in Africa.

Methods
A self-administered survey was distributed among key influenza experts in 40 African countries.

Results
Of the 40 countries surveyed, 31 (78%) responded; 14/31 (45%) reported availability of seasonal influenza vaccine, and 19/31 (65%) reported availability of antiviral drugs for the treatment of influenza. Vaccine coverage data were only available for 4/14 (29%) countries that reported availability of seasonal influenza vaccine and ranged from <0.5% to 2% of the population.

Conclusions
Influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs are available in many countries in Africa but coverage estimates are low and remain largely unknown. Describing the local burden of disease and identifying funding are essential to encourage countries to use influenza vaccine more widely.

Conflict and Health
http://www.conflictandhealth.com/
[Accessed 18 January 2014]

Research
A national population-based assessment of 2007-2008 election-related violence in Kenya
Johnson K, Scott J, Sasyniuk T, Ndetei D, Kisielewski M, Rouhani S, Bartels S, Mutiso V et al. Conflict and Health 2014, 8:2 (18 January 2014)

Abstract (provisional)
Background
Following the contested national elections in 2007, violence occurred throughout Kenya. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and health consequences of the 2007-2008 election-related violence.

Methods
A cross-sectional, national, population-based cluster survey of 956 Kenyan adults aged >= 18 years was conducted in Kenya in September 2011 utilizing a two-stage 90 x 10 cluster sample design and structured interviews and questionnaires. Prevalence of all forms of violence surrounding the 2007 election period, symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and morbidity related to sexual and physical violence were assessed.

Results
Of 956 households surveyed, 916 households participated (response rate 95.8%). Compared to pre-election, election-related sexual violence incidents/1000 persons/year increased over 60-fold (39.1-2370.1; p < .001) with a concurrent 37-fold increase in opportunistic sexual violence (5.2-183.1; p < .001). Physical and other human rights violations increased 80-fold (25.0-1987.1; p < .001) compared to pre-election. Overall, 50% of households reported at least one physical or sexual violation. Households reporting violence were more likely to report violence among female household members (66.6% vs. 58.1%; p = .04) or among the Luhya ethnic group (17.0% vs. 13.8%; p = 0.03). The most common perpetrators of election-related sexual violence were reported to be affiliated with government or political groups (1670.5 incidents/1000 persons per year); the Kalenjin ethnic group for physical violations (54.6%). Over thirty percent of respondents met MDD and PTSD symptom criteria; however, symptoms of MDD (females, 63.3%; males, 36.7%; p = .01) and suicide ideation (females, 68.5%; males, 31.5%; p = .04) were more common among females. Substance abuse was more common among males (males, 71.2%; females, 28.8%; p < .001).

Conclusion
On a national level in Kenya, politically-motivated and opportunistic sexual and physical violations were commonly reported among sampled adults with associated health and mental health outcomes

Global Public Health
Volume 8, Issue 10, 2013
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current#.UqNd7eKy_Kc

Cervical cancer and the global health agenda: Insights from multiple policy-analysis frameworks
Justin O. Parkhurst & Madhulika Vulimiri
pages 1093-1108
Open access  DOI:10.1080/17441692.2013.850524  Published online: 18 Nov 2013

Abstract
Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women globally, with an estimated 88% of deaths occurring in the developing world. Available technologies have dramatically reduced mortality in high-income settings, yet cervical cancer receives considerably little attention on the global health policy landscape. The authors applied four policy-analysis frameworks to literature on global cervical cancer to explore the question of why cervical cancer may not be receiving the international attention it may otherwise warrant. Each framework explores the process of agenda setting and discerns factors that either facilitate or hinder policy change in cases where there is both a clear problem and a potential effective solution. In combination, these frameworks highlight a number of crucial elements that may be needed to raise the profile of cervical cancer on global health agendas, including improving local (national or sub-national) information on the condition; increasing mobilisation of affected civil society groups; framing cervical cancer debates in ways that build upon its classification as a non-communicable disease (NCD) and an issue of women’s rights; linking cervical cancer screening to well-funded services such as those for HIV treatment in some countries; and identifying key global policy windows of opportunity to promote the cervical cancer agenda, including emerging NCD global health discussions and post-2015 reviews of the Millennium Development Goals.

Global Public Health
Volume 8, Issue 10, 2013
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rgph20/current#.UqNd7eKy_Kc

Listening to the rumours: What the northern Nigeria polio vaccine boycott can tell us ten years on
Isaac Ghinai, Chris Willott, Ibrahim Dadari & Heidi J. Larson
pages 1138-1150  DOI:10.1080/17441692.2013.859720  Published online: 03 Dec 2013

Abstract
In 2003 five northern Nigerian states boycotted the oral polio vaccine due to fears that it was unsafe. Though the international responses have been scrutinised in the literature, this paper argues that lessons still need to be learnt from the boycott: that the origins and continuation of the boycott were due to specific local factors. We focus mainly on Kano state, which initiated the boycotts and continued to reject immunisations for the longest period, to provide a focused analysis of the internal dynamics and complex multifaceted causes of the boycott. We argue that the delay in resolving the year-long boycott was largely due to the spread of rumours at local levels, which were intensified by the outspoken involvement of high-profile individuals whose views were misunderstood or underestimated. We use sociological concepts to analyse why these men gained influence amongst northern Nigerian communities. This study has implications on contemporary policy: refusals still challenge the Global Polio Eradication Initiative; and polio remains endemic to Nigeria (Nigeria accounted for over half of global cases in 2012). This paper sheds light on how this problem may be tackled with the ultimate aim of vaccinating more children and eradicating polio.

Journal of International Development
January 2014  Volume 26, Issue 1  Pages 1–154
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jid.v26.1/issuetoc

ANALYSING THE GENDER GAP IN EDUCATION ATTAINMENT: A SIMPLE FRAMEWORK WITH APPLICATION TO GHANA (pages 59–76)
Minh Cong Nguyen and Quentin Wodon
Article first published online: 22 JAN 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.2894

WHO GETS WHAT? DETERMINANTS OF LOAN SIZE AND CREDIT RATIONING AMONG MICROCREDIT BORROWERS: EVIDENCE FROM NICARAGUA (pages 77–90)
David R. Mason
Article first published online: 13 FEB 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.2899 Abstract

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTANCE AND MORAL HAZARD IN MICROCREDIT: EVIDENCE FROM COLOMBIA (pages 91–108)
Andrea F. Presbitero and Roberta Rabellotti
Article first published online: 25 FEB 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.2901 Abstract

POWER AND INTERESTS IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT: EXOGENOUS AND ENDOGENOUS DISCOURSES IN CONTENTION (pages 109–127)
Robin Mansell
Article first published online: 10 JUL 2011 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.1805 Abstract

AN ISLAND DRIFTING APART. WHY HAITI IS MIRED IN POVERTY WHILE THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FORGES AHEAD (pages 128–148)
Ewout Frankema and Aline Masé
Article first published online: 29 MAY 2013 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.2924 Abstract

Knowledge Management for Development Journal
September 2013 issue now online (27 November)
http://journal.km4dev.org/journal/index.php/km4dj/index

[PDF] Changing our ways: making sense of complex multi-stakeholder systems change by using the four quadrant model
H Walters
Abstract
This case study systematises the experiences of the ICCO Alliance in introducing a multi-stakeholder approach in all of its relations with partner organisations and in its development cooperation practice. Using Ken Wilber’s framework of institutional change, the author presents the internal as well as external influences that need to take place at the organisational level, the level of individual staff in these organisation as well as between organisations in the ICCO Alliance for the ICCO Alliance to be able to change. The change involves processes in which the ICCO Alliance changes from an organisation that works only through bilateral cooperation with partners to an organisation that seeks to work in multi-stakeholder arrangements with partners, that tries to do so herself in the ICCO Alliance and intends to promote this inter-organisational cooperative form for other organisations that are addressing the same issues in their work. The dynamics between the changes required at personal, relational, organisational culture and organisational systems levels are analysed in order to discover if, how and to what effect these dynamics have positive effects on the intended change, or are constraints or obstacles in really implementing the change towards working with a multi-stakeholder approach. Insights gained will help in identifying solutions for identified constraints, and also in identifying practices that have a positive effect that can be shared more widely with others. The author thinks that the experiences of the ICCO Alliance are worthwhile for others who intend to walk the pathway of change through promoting multi-stakeholder processes in the context of a much regulated development sector and strong practices that are not always conducive to good cooperative processes and creating shared added value.

Correspondence
Prioritizing investments in innovations to protect women from the leading causes of maternal death
Tara M Herrick*, Claudia M Harner-Jay, Alice M Levisay, Patricia S Coffey, Michael J Free and Paul D LaBarre
Author Affiliations: PATH, PO Box 900922, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2014, 14:10  doi:10.1186/1471-2393-14-10

Abstract
PATH, an international nonprofit organization, assessed nearly 40 technologies for their potential to reduce maternal mortality from postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia and eclampsia in low-resource settings. The evaluation used a new Excel-based prioritization tool covering 22 criteria developed by PATH, the Maternal and Neonatal Directed Assessment of Technology (MANDATE) model, and consultations with experts. It identified five innovations with especially high potential: technologies to improve use of oxytocin, a uterine balloon tamponade, simplified dosing of magnesium sulfate, an improved proteinuria test, and better blood pressure measurement devices. Investments are needed to realize the potential of these technologies to reduce mortality.

IOM: Including Health in Global Frameworks for Development, Wealth, and Climate Change – Workshop Summary
In the spring of 2013, the IOM held three webinars which examined frameworks for global development goals and connections to health indicators, the role for health in the context of novel sustainable economic frameworks, and scenarios to project climate change impacts and health outcomes. The webinars were based on themes identified by the IOM Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine’s Global Environmental Health and Sustainable Development Innovation Collaborative.

Read the Report >>

MICROFINANCE THROUGH SELF HELP GROUPS: A WAY TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Manpreet Arora, Swati Singh
International Journal of Entrepreneurship & Business Environment Perspectives, Vol 2, No 4 (2013)

Abstract
Sustainable Development has been one of the key agenda for discussion in recent times. Sustainability is a wider term. It does not mean taking care of environment only, it encompasses variety of issues. For achieving Sustainable Development, it is necessary that each sector should develop taking into consideration certain issues like poverty, unemployment, social, economic and political development.
Sustainable Development is a broad term having various dimensions benefitting the future generations. Rural development has always been at priority in developing countries. People in rural areas were denied access to banking services due various types of risk involved to the banking institutions. Thus, the concept of Microfinance emerged as the catalyst to boost up the economic growth of the country. Microfinance has proved to be development tool helping the developing countries to tackle various issues, which hampers the growth and the sustainable development. Disbursing Microfinance through Self Help Groups Banking has been a successful programme in India that is leading the country towards Sustainable Rural Development.
This conceptual paper aims at discussing the role of Self Help Groups and Bank Linkage Programme in attaining a way towards Sustainable Development through lending credit to the sustainable projects, which not only support the rural people but also take care of future generations by preserving and conserving the natural resources.

Streamlining humanitarian and peacekeeping supply chains: Anticipation capability for higher responsiveness
N Merminod, J Nollet, G Pache
Society and Business Review, 2014, Vol. 9 Iss: 1, pp.4 – 22

Abstract
Purpose – Over the last decade, temporary supply chains (TSCs) have become a well-recognized logistics model. In TSCs, supply chain members are organized for an ad hoc project; they pool resources in order to make the project successful. Although it might be perceived that TSCs are unstable due to their temporary nature, this paper aims to discuss how TSCs can be managed so as to be both stable and agile, while achieving the stated objectives; since the stability-agility context could be really challenging in humanitarian and peacekeeping supply chains, this is the one that has been selected.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed the literature, research reports and electronic documents on humanitarian and peacekeeping supply chains, to understand the main challenges in terms of managerial and social impacts of logistical operations in a disaster context.

Findings – The disaster context is very peculiar, since it requires tremendous agility when a natural or man-made catastrophe hits, so that as many lives as possible can be saved and that the situation could get back rapidly to a relatively normal level. The paper shows that TSCs require an advanced level of time and organizational stability of the human and material resources involved in order to be highly flexible. In other words, an efficient TSC relies on “anticipated responsiveness”, a major managerial challenge in the years to come.

Originality/value – The paper clarifies the management of humanitarian and peacekeeping supply chains and identifies the importance of anticipation capability to improve logistical responsiveness.

Book: Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine – A Practical Guide
http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4471-2927-1
Editors: James M. Ryan, Adriaan P.C.C. Hopperus Buma, Charles W. Beadling, Aroop Mozumder, David M. Nott, Norman M. Rich, David MacGarty
ISBN: 978-1-4471-2926-4 (Print) 978-1-4471-2927-1 (Online)

Excerpt from Foreword
…It seems then that wars, confl icts and humanitarian calamities will be exercising our thoughts for the coming decades at least. The world too has become a dangerous place for humanitarian volunteers who face kidnap and murder by extremists and criminals with little sympathy for humanitarian ideals. The term “failed states” has entered the language of diplomacy, anthropology, politics and the media. When we edited the fi rst edition in 2002, we knew much of this – what we did not know was how the problem would grow and threaten to engulf us. Never has there been a greater need to prepare and plan for humanitarian interventions in a wide variety of hostile environments. Never has there been a greater need for properly trained humanitarians to work in these challenging environments. We hope that the third edition of this textbook will play a role in this preparation…

Book: Disaster Relief in the Asia Pacific: Agency and Resilience
Routledge Contemporary Asia Series
Editors: Minako Sakai, Edwin Jurriëns, Jian Zhang, Alec Thornton
Routledge, 2014  256 pages

A UN report recently found that the Asia Pacific is the world’s most disaster-prone region. Indeed, considering that the region accounts for more than half of the total number of disasters in the world, building capacity and resilience to mitigate the devastating impact of disasters is a pressing task for local actors.

This book takes a regional, multidisciplinary and multi-actor approach to improve understandings of how various actors respond to natural and human-induced disasters in the Asia-Pacific region. It examines the ideas and activities of four different categories of agents: civil society; military and state institutions; local cultural knowledge and the media; and economic initiatives, and these themes are approached from various academic disciplines, ranging from anthropology and cultural studies to economics, human geography and political science. The contributors draw their findings from a variety of countries in the region, including China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar and Samoa, and importantly, focus on the interconnection between vulnerability and resilience. In turn, the book highlights how the nature and magnitude of disasters are influenced by social conditions, and aims to contribute to policies that prioritize development opportunities to enhance resilience. Further, it explores the complicated and multifaceted role of agency in building resilience, and presents a comparative framework for analysis and key findings from the Asia-Pacific region.

The focus of this book on recent and ongoing disasters makes it a topical and timely contribution to the growing field of disaster management, and as such it will appeal to students and scholars of environmental studies, development studies and Asian politics.

Ethics and images of suffering bodies in humanitarian medicine
Philippe Calain

Social Science & Medicine, 2013, vol. 98, issue C, pages 278-285
Abstract: Media representations of suffering bodies from medical humanitarian organisations raise ethical questions, which deserve critical attention for at least three reasons. Firstly, there is a normative vacuum at the intersection of medical ethics, humanitarian ethics and the ethics of photojournalism. Secondly, the perpetuation of stereotypes of illness, famine or disasters, and their political derivations are a source of moral criticism, to which humanitarian medicine is not immune. Thirdly, accidental encounters between members of the health professions and members of the press in the humanitarian arena can result in misunderstandings and moral tension. From an ethics perspective the problem can be specified and better understood through two successive stages of reasoning. Firstly, by applying criteria of medical ethics to the concrete example of an advertising poster from a medical humanitarian organisation, I observe that media representations of suffering bodies would generally not meet ethical standards commonly applied in medical practice. Secondly, I try to identify what overriding humanitarian imperatives could outweigh such reservations. The possibility of action and the expression of moral outrage are two relevant humanitarian values which can further be spelt out through a semantic analysis of ‘témoignage’ (testimony). While the exact balance between the opposing sets of considerations (medical ethics and humanitarian perspectives) is difficult to appraise, awareness of all values at stake is an important initial standpoint for ethical deliberations of media representations of suffering bodies. Future pragmatic approaches to the issue should include: exploring ethical values endorsed by photojournalism, questioning current social norms about the display of suffering, collecting empirical data from past or potential victims of disasters in diverse cultural settings, and developing new canons with more creative or less problematic representations of suffering bodies than the currently accepted stereotypes