MacArthur Foundation [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Publication
Plan Proposed to Stabilize Illinois Finances
Published February 11, 2016
The Civic Federation, a MacArthur grantee, has proposed a comprehensive three-year plan to address Illinois’ ongoing financial crisis with spending limits and revenue enhancements. More than seven months into the current fiscal year, Illinois continues to operate without a budget, and the Federation stresses that if current revenue and expenditure policies continue, the state will aggregate a backlog of debt reaching $25.9 billion by the end of FY2019.

Publication
Voluntary Consensus Standards Can Establish Efficient and Safe Nuclear Operations
Published February 9, 2016
The increase of climate change and energy security concerns are resulting in countries looking to nuclear power for electricity needs, according to a study by the Stimson Center, a recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. With an increase in nuclear demand, security measures need to be incorporated into new builds to reduce the chances and consequences of nuclear incidents. The report outlines a plan to implement nuclear security and safety into international agreements, and recommends that a business case for nuclear security be facilitated by policymakers and governments. Stimson’s report suggests that voluntary consensus standards should be established with stakeholders to ensure efficient nuclear.

Publication
Peace Agreement Success Depends on Inclusion of Natural Resources
Published February 9, 2016
A study by Forest Trends, recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, suggests that the failure of peace agreements is largely due to the lack of natural resource management. The report finds that resources such as oil, gas, timber and diamonds have become a significant factor in armed conflicts and can lead to the eradication of peace agreements. To avoid natural resources fueling further conflict, they must not be viewed solely as a commodity or winnings from war, the study finds. Resources are vitally important to local livelihoods, and carry high cultural, social, and ecosystem value that peace agreements must recognize.

David and Lucile Packard Foundation [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.packard.org/news/

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February 11, 2016
Remembering Robin Chandler Duke, a Champion for Women’s Rights
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation remembers the extraordinary life of Robin Chandler Duke, former Trustee of the Foundation who passed away on February 6 at the age of 92. Robin served on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees from 1989 through 2000. Until the end of her life, she campaigned for women’s reproductive rights and was a tireless advocate for improving access to contraception, family planning, education, and health care in the United States and abroad…

Packard Foundation and Caring for Colorado Establish New Partnership in Pueblo
February 10, 2016
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Caring for Colorado Foundation are pleased to announce that they have entered into an exciting new partnership to continue and strengthen the Packard Foundation’s community grantmaking in Pueblo, Colorado…

Quality Innovation Challenge Finalists
February 9, 2016
At the 2016 International Conference on Family Planning, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation hosted its second Quality Innovation Challenge – a global call for creative ideas to improve quality in sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescents and youth.

Packard Foundation Joins Blue Meridian Partners
February 8, 2016
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is joining the Blue Meridian Partners, a collaborative-funding model with a goal of investing at least $1 billion in high-performance nonprofits that are poised to have truly national impact…

Pew Charitable Trusts [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases
Press Release
Pew: Laws Governing Mobile Payments Leave Room for Error
Analysis conducted on mobile payments points to legal gaps, ambiguities, and overlap
February 10, 2016 – Consumer Banking
WASHINGTON—The Pew Charitable Trusts released an issue brief today describing the uncoordinated and uncertain regulatory environment surrounding the use of mobile devices to make payments. The brief highlights the significant risks to consumers at each stage of the mobile payments process—contracting for services, using mobile devices to make payments, and tracking transactions after making payments.

The brief, “Mobile Payments: Regulatory Gaps, Ambiguities, and Overlap Summary Report,” summarizes the findings of a white paper commissioned by Pew and authored by Mark E. Budnitz, professor emeritus at the Georgia State University College of Law.

Issue Brief: Mobile Payments – Regulatory gaps, ambiguities, and overlap

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [to 13 February 2016]
http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/news-releases.html

Tue Feb 09 10:07:00 EST 2016
RWJF Names Donald F. Schwarz, MD, MPH, MBA as Vice President, Program
Donald F. Schwarz has been named vice president, Program. In this role, Schwarz will help guide the Foundation’s strategies and work closely with colleagues, external partners and community leaders to build a Culture of Health in America.

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 13 February 2016)

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Research article
Inequalities in utilization of maternal and child health services in Ethiopia: the role of primary health care
Solomon Tessema Memirie, Stéphane Verguet, Ole F. Norheim, Carol Levin and Kjell Arne Johansson
BMC Health Services Research 2016 16:51
Published on: 12 February 2016
Abstract
Background
Health systems aim to narrow inequality in access to health care across socioeconomic groups and area of residency. However, in low-income countries, studies are lacking that systematically monitor and evaluate health programs with regard to their effect on specific inequalities. We aimed to measure changes in inequality in access to maternal and child health (MCH) interventions and the effect of Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities expansion on the inequality in access to care in Ethiopia.
Methods
The Demographic and Health Survey datasets from Ethiopia (2005 and 2011) were used. We calculated changes in utilization of MCH interventions and child morbidity. Concentration and horizontal inequity indices were estimated. Decomposition analysis was used to calculate the contribution of each determinant to the concentration index.
Results
Between 2005 and 2011, improvements in aggregate coverage have been observed for MCH interventions in Ethiopia. Wealth-related inequality has remained persistently high in all surveys. Socioeconomic factors were the main predictors of differences in maternal and child health services utilization and child health outcome. Utilization of primary care facilities for selected maternal and child health interventions have shown marked pro-poor improvement over the period 2005–2011.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that expansion of PHC facilities in Ethiopia might have an important role in narrowing the urban-rural and rich-poor gaps in health service utilization for selected MCH intervention.

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 13 February 2016)

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Research article
Measuring the potential of individual airports for pandemic spread over the world airline network
Glenn Lawyer
BMC Infectious Diseases 2016 16:70
Published on: 9 February 2016
Abstract
Background
Massive growth in human mobility has dramatically increased the risk and rate of pandemic spread. Macro-level descriptors of the topology of the World Airline Network (WAN) explains middle and late stage dynamics of pandemic spread mediated by this network, but necessarily regard early stage variation as stochastic. We propose that much of this early stage variation can be explained by appropriately characterizing the local network topology surrounding an outbreak’s debut location.
Methods
Based on a model of the WAN derived from public data, we measure for each airport the expected force of infection (AEF) which a pandemic originating at that airport would generate, assuming an epidemic process which transmits from airport to airport via scheduled commercial flights. We observe, for a subset of world airports, the minimum transmission rate at which a disease becomes pandemically competent at each airport. We also observe, for a larger subset, the time until a pandemically competent outbreak achieves pandemic status given its debut location. Observations are generated using a highly sophisticated metapopulation reaction-diffusion simulator under a disease model known to well replicate the 2009 influenza pandemic. The robustness of the AEF measure to model misspecification is examined by degrading the underlying model WAN.
Results
AEF powerfully explains pandemic risk, showing correlation of 0.90 to the transmission level needed to give a disease pandemic competence, and correlation of 0.85 to the delay until an outbreak becomes a pandemic. The AEF is robust to model misspecification. For 97 % of airports, removing 15 % of airports from the model changes their AEF metric by less than 1 %.
Conclusions
Appropriately summarizing the size, shape, and diversity of an airport’s local neighborhood in the WAN accurately explains much of the macro-level stochasticity in pandemic outcomes.

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 13 February 2016)

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Debate
Ebola vaccine development plan: ethics, concerns and proposed measures
Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan, Aminu Yakubu, Bridget Haire and Kristin Peterson
Published on: 8 February 2016
Abstract
Background
The global interest in developing therapies for Ebola infection management and its prevention is laudable. However the plan to conduct an emergency immunization program specifically for healthcare workers using experimental vaccines raises some ethical concerns. This paper shares perspectives on these concerns and suggests how some of them may best be addressed.
Discussion
The recruitment of healthcare workers for Ebola vaccine research has challenges. It could result in coercion of initially dissenting healthcare workers to assist in the management of EVD infected persons due to mistaken beliefs that the vaccine offers protection. It could also affect equity and justice. For example, where people who are not skilled health care professionals but who provide care to patients infected with Ebola (such as in home care settings) are not prioritized for vaccination. The possibility of study participants contracting Ebola infection despite the use of experimental vaccine, and the standard of care they would receive, needs to be addressed clearly, transparently and formalized as part of the ethics review process. Future access to study products in view of current status of the TRIPS agreement needs to be addressed. Finally, broad stakeholder engagement at local, regional and international levels needs to be promoted using available communication channels to engage local, regional and international support. These same concerns are applicable for current and future epidemics.
Summary
Successful Ebola vaccine development research requires concerted efforts at public dialogue to address misconceptions, equity and justice in participant selection, and honest discussions about risks, benefits and future access. Public dialogue about Ebola vaccine research plans is crucial and should be conducted by trusted locals and negotiated between communities, researchers and ethics committees in research study sites.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content
(Accessed 13 February 2016)

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Research article
Improved pregnancy outcomes with increasing antiretroviral coverage in South Africa
An improvement in birth outcomes is likely associated with the increased coverage of triple antiretroviral treatment for pregnant women. And untreated HIV infected women and women who do not seek antenatal care should be considered most at risk for poor birth outcomes.
Theron Moodley, Dhayendre Moodley, Motshedisi Sebitloane, Niren Maharaj and Benn Sartorius
Published on: 11 February 2016

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 13 February 2016)

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Research article
Effects of parent and child behaviours on overweight and obesity in infants and young children from disadvantaged backgrounds: systematic review with narrative synthesis
Catherine Georgina Russell, Sarah Taki, Rachel Laws, Leva Azadi, Karen J. Campbell, Rosalind Elliott, John Lynch, Kylie Ball, Rachael Taylor and Elizabeth Denney-Wilson
BMC Public Health 2016 16:151
Published on: 13 February 2016
Abstract
Background
Despite the crucial need to develop targeted and effective approaches for obesity prevention in children most at risk, the pathways explaining socioeconomic disparity in children’s obesity prevalence remain poorly understood.
Methods
We conducted a systematic review of the literature that investigated causes of weight gain in children aged 0–5 years from socioeconomically disadvantaged or Indigenous backgrounds residing in OECD countries. Major electronic databases were searched from inception until December 2015. Key words identified studies addressing relationships between parenting, child eating, child physical activity or sedentary behaviour and child weight in disadvantaged samples.
Results
A total of 32 articles met the inclusion criteria. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool quality rating for the studies ranged from 25 % (weak) to 100 % (strong). Studies predominantly reported on relationships between parenting and child weight (n = 21), or parenting and child eating (n = 12), with fewer (n = 8) investigating child eating and weight. Most evidence was from socio-economically disadvantaged ethnic minority groups in the USA. Clustering of diet, weight and feeding behaviours by socioeconomic indicators and ethnicity precluded identification of independent effects of each of these risk factors.
Conclusions
This review has highlighted significant gaps in our mechanistic understanding of the relative importance of different aspects of parent and child behaviours in disadvantaged population groups.

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Research article
What is positive youth development and how might it reduce substance use and violence? A systematic review and synthesis of theoretical literature
Chris Bonell, Kate Hinds, Kelly Dickson, James Thomas, Adam Fletcher, Simon Murphy, G. J. Melendez-Torres, Carys Bonell and Rona Campbell
BMC Public Health 2016 16:135
Published on: 10 February 2016
Abstract
Background
Preventing adolescent substance use and youth violence are public health priorities. Positive youth development interventions are widely deployed often with the aim of preventing both. However, the theorised mechanisms by which PYD is intended to reduce substance use and violence are not clear and existing evaluated interventions are under-theorised. Using innovative methods, we systematically searched for and synthesised published theoretical literature describing what is meant by positive youth development and how it might reduce substance use and violence, as part of a broader systematic review examining process and outcomes of PYD interventions.
Methods
We searched 19 electronic databases, review topic websites, and contacted experts between October 2013 and January 2014. We included studies written in English, published since 1985 that reported a theory of change for positive youth development focused on prevention of smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use or violence in out-of-school settings. Studies were independently coded and quality-assessed by two reviewers.
Results
We identified 16 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Our synthesis suggests that positive youth development aims to provide youth with affective relationships and diverse experiences which enable their development of intentional self-regulation and multiple positive assets. These in turn buffer against or compensate for involvement in substance use and violence. Existing literature is not clear on how intentional self-regulation is developed and which specific positive assets buffer against substance use or violence.
Conclusions
Our synthesis provides: an example of a rigorous systematic synthesis of theory literature innovatively applying methods of qualitative synthesis to theoretical literature; a clearer understanding of how PYD might reduce substance use and violence to inform future interventions and empirical evaluations.

Conflict and Health
http://www.conflictandhealth.com/
[Accessed 13 February 2016]

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Research
Psychometric properties and reliability of the Assessment Screen to Identify Survivors Toolkit for Gender Based Violence (ASIST-GBV): results from humanitarian settings in Ethiopia and Colombia
Alexander Vu, Andrea Wirtz, Kiemanh Pham, Sonal Singh, Leonard Rubenstein, Nancy Glass and Nancy Perrin
Published on: 9 February 2016
Abstract
Background
Refugees and internally displaced persons who are affected by armed-conflict are at increased vulnerability to some forms of sexual violence or other types of gender-based violence. A validated, brief and easy-to-administer screening tool will help service providers identify GBV survivors and refer them to appropriate GBV services. To date, no such GBV screening tool exists. We developed the 7-item ASIST-GBV screening tool from qualitative research that included individual interviews and focus groups with GBV refugee and IDP survivors. This study presents the psychometric properties of the ASIST-GBV with female refugees living in Ethiopia and IDPs in Colombia.
Methods
Several strategies were used to validate ASIST-GBV, including a 3 month implementation to validate the brief screening tool with women/girls seeking health services, aged ≥15 years in Ethiopia (N = 487) and female IDPs aged ≥ 18 years in Colombia (N = 511).
Results
High proportions of women screened positive for past-year GBV according to the ASIST-GBV: 50.6 % in Ethiopia and 63.4 % in Colombia. The factor analysis identified a single dimension, meaning that all items loaded on the single factor. Cronbach’s α = 0.77. A 2-parameter logistic IRT model was used for estimating the precision and discriminating power of each item. Item difficulty varied across the continuum of GBV experiences in the following order (lowest to highest): threats of violence (0.690), physical violence (1.28), forced sex (2.49), coercive sex for survival (2.25), forced marriage (3.51), and forced pregnancy (6.33). Discrimination results showed that forced pregnancy was the item with the strongest ability to discriminate between different levels of GBV. Physical violence and forced sex also have higher levels of discrimination with threats of violence discriminating among women at the low end of the GBV continuum and coercive sex for survival among women at the mid-range of the continuum.
Conclusion
The findings demonstrate that the ASIST-GBV has strong psychometric properties and good reliability. The tool can be used to screen and identify female GBV survivors confidentially and efficiently among IDPs in Colombia and refugees in Ethiopia. Early identification of GBV survivors can enable safety planning, early referral for treatment, and psychosocial support to prevent long-term harmful consequence of GBV.

Development in Practice
Volume 26, Issue 2, 2016
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cdip20/current

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Articles
Supporting farmer participation in formal seed systems: lessons from Tharaka, Kenya
Megan Mucioki, Gordon M. Hickey, Lutta Muhammad & Timothy Johns
pages 137-148
DOI:10.1080/09614524.2016.1131812
Published online: 10 Feb 2016
ABSTRACT
This article examines contemporary challenges of formal seed sector participation for resource-poor farmers in Tharaka and engages in a wider discussion of national seed policy and formal seed sector development in Kenya. While many farmers reported utilising modern seed varieties developed by the formal seed sector, the majority of these were introduced through seed aid and maintained through seed saving, supporting seed system integration strategies. Building on these findings, the article discusses ways in which national seed policy in Kenya might be refined to better meet national and regional development goals focused on decreasing the incidence of hunger and poverty.

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African solutions to African problems and the Ebola virus disease in Nigeria
Nathaniel Umukoro
pages 149-157
DOI:10.1080/09614524.2016.1133563
Published online: 10 Feb 2016
ABSTRACT
Africa grapples with the world’s most serious public health crisis, but this article shows that there are public health solutions that work in the African setting. When the Ebola virus disease outbreak was announced in Nigeria in July 2014, some public health specialists worried that an apocalyptic outbreak would sweep through the vast slums of Lagos. The words “Ebola” and “Lagos” in the same sentence were viewed as a dangerous combination, due to the large population of Lagos and the inefficient health care system in the city. Contrary to this view, the outbreak of Ebola virus disease was successfully contained in Nigeria. This article focuses on the factors that were responsible for this success. It examines strategies developed within Nigeria that help to ensure the successful containment of the disease. The paper identifies lessons that can be learnt by other countries from the Nigerian experience.

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Practical Note
Management and safety of a medical mission: occupational hazards of volunteering
Aidan Tan, Yuke Tien Fong, Sweet Far Ho, Boon Keng Tay & Yeow Leng Chua
pages 251-257
DOI:10.1080/09614524.2016.1131245
Published online: 10 Feb 2016
ABSTRACT
Medical aid missions involve travel to conflict or danger zones, posing safety risks in addition to the usual occupational risks arising from daily medical work. The note reports on a volunteer mission, using personal reports, anecdotal experiences, and the formal annual report to undertake an assessment similar to worksite assessments for hazards and control measures. Hazards were found to be prevalent, including physical noise and heat, infectious exposure from patients and local vectors, poor water sanitation, and psychosocial stress from unfamiliar environments and large patient numbers with limited means. Implementable preventative measures include increasing awareness with appropriate protective equipment usage and safety guidelines. Mission planning and management should also involve occupational health input.

Epidemiology and Infection
Volume 144 – Issue 04 – March 2016
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=HYG&tab=currentissue

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Original Papers
Other respiratory infections
Shelter crowding and increased incidence of acute respiratory infection in evacuees following the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and tsunami
T. KAWANO, Y. TSUGAWA, K. NISHIYAMA, H. MORITA, O. YAMAMURA and K. HASEGAWA
SUMMARY
Although outbreaks of acute respiratory infection (ARI) at shelters are hypothesized to be associated with shelter crowding, no studies have examined this relationship. We conducted a retrospective study by reviewing medical records of evacuees presenting to one of the 37 clinics at the shelters in Ishinomaki city, Japan, during the 3-week period after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011. On the basis of a locally weighted scatter-plot smoothing technique, we categorized 37 shelters into crowded (mean space <5·5 m2/per person) and non-crowded (≥5·5 m2) shelters. Outcomes of interest were the cumulative and daily incidence rate of ARI/10 000 evacuees at each shelter. We found that the crowded shelters had a higher median cumulative incidence rate of ARI [5·4/10 000 person-days, interquartile range (IQR) 0–24·6, P = 0·04] compared to the non-crowded shelters (3·5/10 000 person-days, IQR 0–8·7) using Mann–Whitney U test. Similarly, the crowded shelters had an increased daily incidence rate of ARI of 19·1/10 000 person-days (95% confidence interval 5·9–32·4, P < 0·01) compared to the non-crowded shelters using quasi-least squares method. In sum, shelter crowding was associated with an increased incidence rate of ARI after the natural disaster.

The European Journal of Public Health
Volume 26, Issue 1, 1 February 2016
http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/1

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Viewpoints
Europe’s migration challenges: mounting an effective health system response
Govin Permanand, Allan Krasnik, Hans Kluge, Martin McKee
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv249 3-4 First published online: 1 February 2016
Extract
Health systems are at the forefront of the response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing refugees and other migrants fleeing to Europe, both as a first point of contact for arrivals and later during their resettlement and beyond. (The term ‘migrant’ is used here with the understanding that there are numerous groups that fall within this categorization, but which are distinct in terms of their status, e.g. asylum-seeker, refugee, undocumented migrant, economic migrant, family-reunited migrant, etc., where a specific group is mentioned by name, it is in a context where this specificity is required.) Yet even if the scale of migration is new, at least in the post-war period, some European countries have considerable experience of sudden large-scale immigration, whether from Algeria to France in the 1960s, East African Asians coming to the United Kingdom in the 1970s, refugees from former Yugoslavia in the 1990s and, more recently, across the Mediterranean to Italy, Malta and Spain.

However, few lessons seem to have been learnt, and European health systems vary greatly in their ability to respond to this new challenge.1The situation is complicated further by differences in formal entitlement to health care,2 even though it is now clear that restricting access costs more money in the long run.3 The challenges facing undocumented migrants are particularly alarming, as many of those now moving either fall into this category already or will soon do so if their applications for asylum are rejected.

Even where migrants are entitled to care they may face many barriers. These include language barriers and inadequate information about their rights and how to claim them…

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Europe’s response to the refugee crisis: why relocation quotas will fail to achieve ‘fairness’ from a health perspective
Kayvan Bozorgmehr, Joachim Szecsenyi, Christian Stock, Oliver Razum
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv246 5-6 First published online: 1 February 2016
Extract
EU refugee law is deficient—this has become obvious as thousands of refugees cross the Mediterranean and EU borders to reach a safe destination. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel calls for a scheme of compulsory relocation of refugees to EU member states to achieve a ‘fair’ distribution1 based on ‘objective, quantifiable and verifiable criteria’ such as GDP, population size and unemployment rates.2 While we strongly believe that providing international protection to refugees is a collective duty of EU member states, we argue that the concept of their ‘fair’ (but factually enforced) relocation across the EU is flawed and may ultimately be detrimental from a public health perspective.

First, if fairness is defined as the product of a quota based on a contract between EU member states, the interests of non-contractors (here refugees) remain neglected—a dilemma inherent in contractarian concepts of fairness.3…

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 13 February 2016]

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Research
Sexual and reproductive health of young people with disability in Ethiopia: a study on knowledge, attitude and practice: a cross-sectional study
Tigist Alemu Kassa, Tobias Luck, Assegedech Bekele and Steffi G. Riedel-Heller
Published on: 10 February 2016
Abstract
Background
As is common in developing countries, in Ethiopia young people with disabilities (YPWD) are more likely than the general population to be illiterate, unemployed and impoverished. They often lack equal access to information and education for reasons ranging from barriers regarding physical access to services to varied special learning needs. Very little is known about knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of YPWD regarding sexual and reproductive health (SRH) related issues. We, therefore, aimed to assess the KAP of 426 YPWD in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2012. Data were collected by trained interviewers using a structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic information, as well as information on KAP regarding SRH.
Results
Only 64.6 % of YPWD were aware of SRH services. Radio and TV were mentioned as the main sources of information by 62.2 % of the participants. 77.9 % had never had a discussion about SRH topics with their parents. Even though 96.7 % of the respondents had heard about HIV, 88 % had poor knowledge about ways of preventing HIV. Perception of the risk of getting infected with HIV was found to be generally low in YPWD; only 21.6 % believed that they were at risk of acquiring HIV.
Conclusions
Our study, in general, demonstrated that there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge, appropriate practice and favorable attitude of YPWD regarding different SRH-related issues. Our findings thus clearly indicate the need for strategies and programs to raise SRH-related awareness and to help YPWD to develop the appropriate skills and attitudes needed for a healthy reproductive life.

Health Affairs
February 2016; Volume 35, Issue 2
http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/current
Issue Focus: Vaccines
Vaccine Discovery, Production, And Delivery
Alan R. Weil
Extract
Vaccines are a bit like a wonder drug. A shot or two is all it takes to prevent premature death or a lifetime of disability. What more do we need to know? Quite a lot, it turns out. The gap between the potential vaccines offer and what we actually achieve is determined by myriad social, economic, political, and health system factors.

As Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, notes in an interview in these pages: “Vaccines do not deliver themselves.” They also don’t finance their own development or distribution, educate the public about their benefits, or eliminate income disparities in access to health services.
The complex environment in which vaccines are discovered, produced, and delivered is the theme of this month’s Health Affairs.

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DataGraphic
Why The Decade Of Vaccines?
Health Aff February 2016 35:188-189; doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1518

Interview
Eliminating Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Around The World
Alan R. Weil

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Value Of Vaccines
Return On Investment From Childhood Immunization In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, 2011–20
Sachiko Ozawa, Samantha Clark, Allison Portnoy, Simrun Grewal, Logan Brenzel, and Damian G. Walker

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Sustainable Financing For Vaccines
Vaccine Assistance To Low- And Middle-Income Countries Increased To $3.6 Billion In 2014
Annie Haakenstad, Maxwell Birger, Lavanya Singh, Patrick Liu, Stephen Lim, Marie Ng, and Joseph L. Dieleman

Gavi’s Transition Policy: Moving From Development Assistance To Domestic Financing Of Immunization Programs
Judith Kallenberg, Wilson Mok, Robert Newman, Aurélia Nguyen, Theresa Ryckman, Helen Saxenian, and Paul Wilson
Health Aff February 2016 35:250-258; doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1079

EPIC Studies: Governments Finance, On Average, More Than 50 Percent Of Immunization Expenses, 2010–11
Logan Brenzel, Carl Schütte, Keti Goguadze, Werner Valdez, Jean-Bernard Le Gargasson, and Teresa Guthrie

ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY: Routes Countries Can Take To Achieve Full Ownership Of Immunization Programs
Michael McQuestion, Andrew Carlson, Khongorzul Dari, Devendra Gnawali, Clifford Kamara, Helene Mambu-Ma-Disu, Jonas Mbwanque, Diana Kizza, Dana Silver, and Eka Paatashvili
Health Aff February 2016 35:266-271; doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1067

PERSPECTIVE: Country Ownership And Gavi Transition: Comprehensive Approaches To Supporting New Vaccine Introduction
Angela K. Shen, Jonathan M. Weiss, Jon Kim Andrus, Clint Pecenka, Deborah Atherly, Katherine Taylor, and Michael McQuestion

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Strengthening Immunization Programs
ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY: The Global Polio Eradication Initiative: Progress, Lessons Learned, And Polio Legacy Transition Planning
Stephen L. Cochi, Lea Hegg, Anjali Kaur, Carol Pandak, and Hamid Jafari
Health Aff February 2016 35:277-283; doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1104

Reorganizing Nigeria’s Vaccine Supply Chain Reduces Need For Additional Storage Facilities, But More Storage Is Required
Ekundayo Shittu, Melissa Harnly, Shanta Whitaker, and Roger Miller

INNOVATION PROFILE: Argentina’s Successful Implementation Of A National Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program
Hannah Patel, Ellen Wilson, Carla Vizzotti, Greg Parston, Jessica Prestt, and Ara Darzi

Strategies To Boost Maternal Immunization To Achieve Further Gains In Improved Maternal And Newborn Health
Mark R. Steedman, Beate Kampmann, Egbert Schillings, Hanan Al Kuwari, and Ara Darzi

As Oral Vaccines Fall Short In Low-Income Countries, Researchers Look For Solutions
Carina Storrs

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Eliminating Measles & Rubella
ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY: Combining Global Elimination Of Measles And Rubella With Strengthening Of Health Systems In Developing Countries
Jon Kim Andrus, Stephen L. Cochi, Louis Z. Cooper, and Jonathan D. Klein

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Human Rights Quarterly
Volume 38, Number 1, February 2016
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/human_rights_quarterly/toc/hrq.38.1.html

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Articles
Rigorous Morality: Norms, Values, and the Comparative Politics of Human Rights
pp. 1-20
Todd Landman
ABSTRACT:
This article argues that there is a strong role for empirical analysis to be used to address fundamental normative questions. Using human rights as an example, the article shows that the evolution of the international regime of human rights provides a standard against which country level performance can be both judged and explained through the application of empirical approaches in comparative politics. It argues further that different kinds of human rights measures (events, standards, surveys, and official statistics) and comparative methods (large-N, small-N, and single-country studies) offer systematic ways in which to map, to explain, and to understand the variation in human rights abuse around the world. The comparative politics of human rights is a prime example of how the “is” of the world can be used to address the “ought” of international human rights theory, philosophy, and law. The example of human rights analysis in comparative politics shows a strong role for value-based and problem-based research that remains systematic in its approach while at the same time producing outputs that are of public value.

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Uncloaking Secrecy: International Human Rights Law in Terrorism Cases
pp. 58-84
Jeffrey Davis
Abstract
ABSTRACT:
When those swept up in counterterrorism operations try to hold governments accountable for rights violations, legal secrecy doctrines such as the “state secrets privilege” and “public interest immunity” frequently derail their efforts. This article shows the effects of legal secrecy doctrines on efforts to hold officials accountable for rights violations in counterterrorism cases. It sets out the limits imposed by international human rights law on these secrecy doctrines, and it explores how these limits are handled in US and British courts. Finally, it sets out requirements in order for legal secrecy practices to comply with international human rights law.

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Reaching the Tipping Point?: Emerging International Human Rights Norms Pertaining to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
pp. 134-163
Elizabeth Baisley
ABSTRACT:
This article challenges a few assumptions about emerging international norms pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). First, although UN experts and expert bodies were the first to address SOGI issues at the UN, they have not been the most progressive. Second, social movement actors have not always been the most effective norm entrepreneurs. Third, although states are often accused of failing to take action on SOGI issues, there is a clear, emerging pattern of state involvement and progress. The norms constructed by states are less radical than those constructed by UN experts and civil society organizations, but they are more effective.

Health Research Policy and Systems
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content
[Accessed 13 February 2016]

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Research
A multiple case study of intersectoral public health networks: experiences and benefits of using research
Anita Kothari, Charmaine McPherson, Dana Gore, Benita Cohen, Marjorie MacDonald and Shannon L. Sibbald
Published on: 11 February 2016

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Research
Setting priorities in health research using the model proposed by the World Health Organization: development of a quantitative methodology using tuberculosis in South Africa as a worked example
Damian Hacking and Susan Cleary
Published on: 9 February 2016

Journal of Global Infectious Diseases (JGID)
January-March 2016 Volume 8 | Issue 1 Page Nos. 1-56
http://www.jgid.org/currentissue.asp?sabs=n

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SPECIAL ARTICLE
The emergence of zika virus as a global health security threat: A review and a consensus statement of the INDUSEM Joint working Group (JWG)
DOI: 10.4103/0974-777X.176140
Veronica Sikka1, Vijay Kumar Chattu2, Raaj K Popli3, Sagar C Galwankar4, Dhanashree Kelkar4, Stanley G Sawicki5, Stanislaw P Stawicki6, Thomas J Papadimos7
1 Department of Emergency Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Orlando, USA
2 Institute for International Relations, The University of West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, USA
3 Digestive Disease Consultants of Central Florida, Altamonte Springs, Florida, USA
4 Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
5 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and the Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, USA
6 Department of Research and Innovation, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
7 Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZIKV), first discovered in 1947, has emerged as a global public health threat over the last decade, with the accelerated geographic spread of the virus noted during the last 5 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that millions of cases of ZIKV are likely to occur in the Americas during the next 12 months. These projections, in conjunction with suspected Zika-associated increase in newborn microcephaly cases, prompted WHO to declare public health emergency of international concern. ZIKV-associated illness is characterized by an incubation period of 3-12 days. Most patients remain asymptomatic (i.e., ~80%) after contracting the virus. When symptomatic, clinical presentation is usually mild and consists of a self-limiting febrile illness that lasts approximately 2-7 days. Among common clinical manifestations are fever, arthralgia, conjunctivitis, myalgia, headache, and maculopapular rash. Hospitalization and complication rates are low, with fatalities being extremely rare. Newborn microcephaly, the most devastating and insidious complication associated with the ZIKV, has been described in the offspring of women who became infected while pregnant. Much remains to be elucidated about the timing of ZIKV infection in the context of the temporal progression of pregnancy, the corresponding in utero fetal development stage(s), and the risk of microcephaly. Without further knowledge of the pathophysiology involved, the true risk of ZIKV to the unborn remains difficult to quantify and remediate. Accurate, portable, and inexpensive point-of-care testing is required to better identify cases and manage the current and future outbreaks of ZIKV, including optimization of preventive approaches and the identification of more effective risk reduction strategies. In addition, much more work needs to be done to produce an effective vaccine. Given the rapid geographic spread of ZIKV in recent years, a coordinated local, regional, and global effort is needed to generate sufficient resources and political traction to effectively halt and contain further expansion of the current outbreak.

The Lancet
Feb 13, 2016 Volume 387 Number 10019 p619-716 e20
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

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Editorial
Australia’s immigration centres are no place for children
The Lancet
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00317-2
Summary
Last week, the High Court in Australia ruled that the country was within its constitutional rights to detain asylum seekers offshore. This ruling is scandalously objectionable not only for the health and wellbeing of individuals seeking asylum or refuge in Australia, but also for the more than 260 people, including children, on the mainland who are now at risk of deportation.

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Comment
A crucial time for public health preparedness: Zika virus and the 2016 Olympics, Umrah, and Hajj
Published Online: 06 February 2016
Habida Elachola, Ernesto Gozzer, Jiatong Zhuo, Ziad A Memish
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00274-9

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Series
Ending preventable stillbirths
Stillbirths: recall to action in high-income countries
Vicki Flenady, Aleena M Wojcieszek, Philippa Middleton, David Ellwood, Jan Jaap Erwich, Michael Coory, T Yee Khong, Robert M Silver, Gordon C S Smith, Frances M Boyle, Joy E Lawn, Hannah Blencowe, Susannah Hopkins Leisher, Mechthild M Gross, Dell Horey, Lynn Farrales, Frank Bloomfield, Lesley McCowan, Stephanie J Brown, K S Joseph, Jennifer Zeitlin, Hanna E Reinebrant, Claudia Ravaldi, Alfredo Vannacci, Jillian Cassidy, Paul Cassidy, Cindy Farquhar, Euan Wallace, Dimitrios Siassakos, Alexander E P Heazell, Claire Storey, Lynn Sadler, Scott Petersen, J Frederik Frøen, Robert L Goldenberg, The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirths study group, The Lancet Stillbirths In High-Income Countries Investigator Group

Ending preventable stillbirths
Stillbirths: ending preventable deaths by 2030
Luc de Bernis, Mary V Kinney, William Stones, Petra ten Hoope-Bender, Donna Vivio, Susannah Hopkins Leisher, Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Metin Gülmezoglu, Matthews Mathai, Jose M Belizán, Lynne Franco, Lori McDougall, Jennifer Zeitlin, Address Malata, Kim E Dickson, Joy E Lawn, The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirths Series study group, The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirths Series Advisory Group

Lancet Global Health
Feb 2016 Volume 4 Number 2 e69-e136
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

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Editorial
Stillbirths: still neglected?
Zoë Mullan
Summary
5 years ago, The Lancet published a groundbreaking (and taboo-breaking) Series on stillbirths. Its powerful mix of advocacy and hard data attracted more media attention than perhaps any other Series, and made waves on numerous levels, from the individual to the intergovernmental. Working closely with countries and WHO, the Series authors fought to bring “out of the shadows” the unacceptable toll of intrapartum stillbirths in low-income countries, the addressable differences in stillbirth rates between countries with advanced health systems, and the deplorable absence of such devastating events from global tracking efforts such as those of the UN, the Millennium Development Goals, and the Global Burden of Disease.

Comment
Success of rotavirus vaccination in Africa: good news and remaining questions
Timo Vesikari

Borders and migration: an issue of global health importance
James Smith, Leigh Daynes

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Articles
National, regional, and worldwide estimates of stillbirth rates in 2015, with trends from 2000: a systematic analysis
Hannah Blencowe, Simon Cousens, Fiorella Bianchi Jassir, Lale Say, Doris Chou, Colin Mathers, Dan Hogan, Suhail Shiekh, Zeshan U Qureshi, Danzhen You, Joy E Lawn, The Lancet Stillbirth Epidemiology Investigator Group
Summary
Background
Previous estimates have highlighted a large global burden of stillbirths, with an absence of reliable data from regions where most stillbirths occur. The Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) targets national stillbirth rates (SBRs) of 12 or fewer stillbirths per 1000 births by 2030. We estimate SBRs and numbers for 195 countries, including trends from 2000 to 2015.
Methods
We collated SBR data meeting prespecified inclusion criteria from national routine or registration systems, nationally representative surveys, and other data sources identified through a systematic review, web-based searches, and consultation with stillbirth experts. We modelled SBR (≥28 weeks’ gestation) for 195 countries with restricted maximum likelihood estimation with country-level random effects. Uncertainty ranges were obtained through a bootstrap approach.
Findings
Data from 157 countries (2207 datapoints) met the inclusion criteria, a 90% increase from 2009 estimates. The estimated average global SBR in 2015 was 18·4 per 1000 births, down from 24·7 in 2000 (25·5% reduction). In 2015, an estimated 2·6 million (uncertainty range 2·4–3·0 million) babies were stillborn, giving a 19% decline in numbers since 2000 with the slowest progress in sub-Saharan Africa. 98% of all stillbirths occur in low-income and middle-income countries; 77% in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Interpretation
Progress in reducing the large worldwide stillbirth burden remains slow and insufficient to meet national targets such as for ENAP. Stillbirths are increasingly being counted at a local level, but countries and the global community must further improve the quality and comparability of data, and ensure that this is more clearly linked to accountability processes including the Sustainable Development Goals.
Funding
Save the Children’s Saving Newborn Lives programme to The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

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Effect of pentavalent rotavirus vaccine introduction on hospital admissions for diarrhoea and rotavirus in children in Rwanda: a time-series analysis
Fidele Ngabo, Jacqueline E Tate, Maurice Gatera, Celse Rugambwa, Philippe Donnen, Philippe Lepage, Jason M Mwenda, Agnes Binagwaho, Umesh D Parashar
Summary
Background
In May, 2012, Rwanda became the first low-income African country to introduce pentavalent rotavirus vaccine into its routine national immunisation programme. Although the potential health benefits of rotavirus vaccination are huge in low-income African countries that account for more than half the global deaths from rotavirus, concerns remain about the performance of oral rotavirus vaccines in these challenging settings.
Methods
We conducted a time-series analysis to examine trends in admissions to hospital for non-bloody diarrhoea in children younger than 5 years in Rwanda between Jan 1, 2009, and Dec 31, 2014, using monthly discharge data from the Health Management Information System. Additionally, we reviewed the registries in the paediatric wards at six hospitals from 2009 to 2014 and abstracted the number of total admissions and admissions for diarrhoea in children younger than 5 years by admission month and age group. We studied trends in admissions specific to rotavirus at one hospital that had undertaken active rotavirus surveillance from 2011 to 2014. We assessed changes in rotavirus epidemiology by use of data from eight active surveillance hospitals.
Findings
Compared with the 2009–11 prevaccine baseline, hospital admissions for non-bloody diarrhoea captured by the Health Management Information System fell by 17–29% from a pre-vaccine median of 4051 to 2881 in 2013 and 3371 in 2014, admissions for acute gastroenteritis captured in paediatric ward registries decreased by 48–49%, and admissions specific to rotavirus captured by active surveillance fell by 61–70%. The greatest effect was recorded in children age-eligible to be vaccinated, but we noted a decrease in the proportion of children with diarrhoea testing positive for rotavirus in almost every age group.
Interpretation
The number of admissions to hospital for diarrhoea and rotavirus in Rwanda fell substantially after rotavirus vaccine implementation, including among older children age-ineligible for vaccination, suggesting indirect protection through reduced transmission of rotavirus. These data highlight the benefits of routine vaccination against rotavirus in low-income settings.
Funding
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Government of Rwanda.