The Sphere Project [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.sphereproject.org/news/
03 February 2016 | Sphere Project
New training module on the Core Humanitarian Standard and the Sphere Handbook
A new training module on the Core Humanitarian Standard and its usage in conjunction with the Sphere Handbook is now available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish.
The Sphere Project office has developed a new training module to introduce the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) on Quality and Accountability and its guidance notes and indicators. The module can be used in a two-hour interactive training session…

Center for Global Development [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Selected Press Releases, Blog Posts, Publications

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2/3/16
Alternatives to HIPC for African Debt-Distressed Countries: Lessons from Myanmar, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe
Tendai Biti, Ben Leo, Scott Morris, and Todd Moss
Despite the success of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) in reducing the debt burdens of low-income countries, at least eleven Sub-Saharan African countries are currently in, or face a high risk of, debt distress. A few of those currently at risk include countries that have been excluded from traditional debt relief frameworks. For countries outside the HIPC process, this paper lays out the (formidable) steps for retroactive HIPC inclusion, concluding with lessons for countries seeking exceptional debt relief treatment.

ODI [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.odi.org/media

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Research Reports
Women and power: what can the numbers tell us about women’s voice, leadership and decision-making?
Research reports and studies | February 2016 | Joseph Wales
This briefing provides an overview of existing global indicators for measuring women’s voice and leadership.

Costing the impacts of gender-based violence (GBV) to business: a practical tool
Toolkits | February 2016 | David Walker, Neta Duvvury
This toolkit outlines a step-by-step guide for ascertaining the cost of gender-based violence (GBV) to business and also has a broader purpose of providing a discrete measure of GBV impacts.

Enhancing aid architecture in the regional response to the Syria crisis
Research reports and studies | February 2016 | Victoria Metcalfe, Marcus Manuel and Alastair McKechnie
This Policy Note outlines a strategic approach to addressing the Syrian refugee crisis by enhancing the aid architecture in the Middle East.

How to design a monitoring and evaluation framework for a policy research project
Working and discussion papers | February 2016 | Tiina Pasanen and Louise Shaxson
This guidance note aims to support the first steps in designing and structuring the monitoring and evaluation framework for a policy research project.

How do healthy rivers benefit society?
Working and discussion papers | February 2016 | Helen Parker and Naomi Oates
Rivers are essential to human well-being, yet many rivers around the world are at risk. This paper provides a synthesis of the evidence regarding the relationship between river health and benefits for society.

World Economic Forum [to 6 February 2016]
https://agenda.weforum.org/news/

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News 5 Feb 2016
Cheryl Martin to Join World Economic Forum as Head of Centre for Global Industries
Geneva, Switzerland – Dr Cheryl Martin, a globally recognized expert in energy technology and innovation, will join the World Economic Forum as Head of the Centre for Global Industries, the foremost global multistakeholder platform shaping global and regional industry agendas. The Centre for Global Industries comprises over 20 industry sectors and employs around 200 strategic specialists in offices in Geneva, New York, Beijing and Tokyo…

Aga Khan Foundation [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.akdn.org/pr.asp

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04 February 2016
The Aga Khan deplores devastation in Syria, Calls for Islands of Stability
His Highness the Aga Khan today called for the establishment of ‘islands of stability’ in war-ravaged Syria that could provide areas of relative safety in the midst of conflict.

Clinton Foundation [to 6 February 2016]
https://www.clintonfoundation.org/press-releases-and-statements

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Press Release
2016 Class of Presidential Leadership Scholars Announced
February 2, 2016
The Presidential Leadership Scholars program, a unique leadership development initiative that draws upon the resources of the presidential centers of Lyndon B. Johnson, George H.W. Bush,William J. Clinton, and George W. Bush, today announced the 61 scholars invited to participate in the program’s second class.

These diverse leaders were chosen because of their desire and capacity to take their leadership strengths to a higher level in order to help their communities and our country. The 6-month executive-style program begins this week at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home…

Ford Foundation [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.fordfoundation.org/?filter=News

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News
February 3, 2016
Ford Foundation and Cannes’ Marché du Film sign agreement
Doc Corner, a Marché du Film program, and the Ford Foundation have entered into a two-year partnership that will amplify the social justice storytelling program, JustFilms, in Cannes.

The announcement comes as Ford enters into the second phase of this multi-faceted program to reduce inequality in all its forms through supporting visual story tellers, new media projects, and organizations that work toward these ends.

The Ford Foundation places a special focus on documentary work in the field. Through a series of initiatives of the renowned programs of the Marché du Film, such as the Doc Corner, the Producers Network, NEXT and a Documentary Mixer, it is expected that this new agreement will give wider exposure to documentary cinema in Cannes and provide a vital platform to make the resulting body of work more clearly visible to key players in the global film industry…

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/news

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Our News
“Start Out Right”: A celebration of National Catholic Schools Week
By Sister Rosemarie Nassif, SSND, Ph.D., February 2, 2016
In observance of National Catholic Schools Week, Sister Rosemarie Nassif, Director of the Foundation’s Catholic Sisters Initiative, discusses the three “w’s” that are essential in delivering the promise of Catholic education and the current defining moment of Catholic Schools…

HHMI – Howard Hughes Medical Institute [to 6 February 2016]
https://www.hhmi.org/news

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Institute [ February 3, 2016 ]
Erin O’Shea Named New HHMI President
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has named Erin O’Shea its sixth president, effective September 1, 2016. O’Shea currently serves as HHMI’s chief scientific officer, a position she has held since 2013.

O’Shea will succeed Robert Tjian, HHMI’s president since 2009. Tjian announced last year that he would step down and return to the University of California, Berkeley.

Kurt Schmoke, chairman of the HHMI Trustees and head of the committee that conducted the search, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Dr. O’Shea into her new leadership role as the next president of HHMI. She is not only a distinguished scientist but also a leader committed to advancing HHMI’s unique role in the research community. Going forward, Dr. O’Shea will build on her accomplishments at HHMI, as well as the success of outgoing HHMI President Bob Tjian. We look forward to this exciting new chapter.”

O’Shea, 50, is a leader in the fields of gene regulation, signal transduction, and systems biology. An HHMI investigator since 2000, she has served on the faculty of Harvard University and the University of California, San Francisco. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. O’Shea received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Smith College and her PhD degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology…

MacArthur Foundation [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Publication
Study Finds Hope for Amphibians Battling Deadly Fungus
Published February 2, 2016
A study by the Wildlife Conservation Society finds that climate change may make environmental conditions for the deadly chytrid fungus, which is killing amphibians worldwide, unsuitable in some regions and could stave off spread of the disease in African amphibian populations. The MacArthur-supported research found that the majority of infected frogs did not show the presence of the disease, indicating they may be regionally resistant. The study took place in Africa’s wildlife-rich Albertine Rift, extending along parts of Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Tanzania.

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation [to 6 February 2016]
https://www.moore.org/newsroom/press-releases

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Press Releases
Peninsula Open Space Trust announces groundbreaking initiative to triple preserved farmland in San Mateo County
Peninsula Open Space Trust – February 4, 2016
The Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) today announced a groundbreaking new initiative to triple the amount of preserved farmland acreage and the number of preserved farms on the San Mateo coast over the next 10 years.
One of the most ambitious farming conservation programs in the history of the Bay …

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$3.6M awarded from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to advance a West Coast Earthquake Early Warning system
February 2, 2016
At the White House Summit on Earthquake Resilience today, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced $3.6 million in grants to advance a West Coast Earthquake Early Warning system. The funding to California Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, University of Washington and the U.S. Geological Survey supports the …
Press Releases

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Final agreement will permanently safeguard 85 percent of Great Bear Rainforest
Rainforest Solutions Project
February 1, 2016
Vancouver, British Columbia — Today First Nations governments and the BC government, with the support of ForestEthics Solutions, Greenpeace, Sierra Club BC and five forestry companies, announced the fulfilment of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements. Eighty-five percent (3.1 million hectares) of the remote wilderness region’s coastal temperate rainforests are now permanently …
Press Releases

David and Lucile Packard Foundation [to 6 February 2016]
http://www.packard.org/news/

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January 12, 2016
Indonesia Peat Prize Announcement
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, in partnership with the Government of Indonesia, is pleased to announce a new prize competition…

…The “Indonesian Peat Prize” seeks to engage the world’s best scientists and engineers to apply existing and novel technologies to the task of developing more accurate and efficient approaches to mapping peat soils. There is every reason to believe that the application of recent advances in remote sensing technologies and the experience of scientists in related fields such as oil exploration could significantly advance the science of peat mapping. The competition protocol requires that entrants register by May 2016 and develop their approaches by June 2017 using test sites in Indonesia where the extent and depth of peat soils have already been mapped. The approaches will then be demonstrated in August 2017 on a second set of test sites where the entrants don’t have access to the ground-truthed data. Prizes totaling $1 million will be awarded to the wining approaches.

Indonesia’s Geospatial Information Agency and the Packard Foundation are co-hosting the Peat Prize. The competition is being administered by World Resources Institute – Indonesia and Context Partners under the guidance of a Science Advisory Board chaired by Dr. Supiandi Sabiham (Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Indonesia, and Dr. David Schimel (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, United States). More information about the prize is available here…

American Journal of Public Health
Volume 106, Issue 2 (February 2016)
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/toc/ajph/current

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AJPH PERSPECTIVES
Protecting Personally Identifiable Information When Using Online Geographic Tools for Public Health Research
American Journal of Public Health: February 2016, Vol. 106, No. 2: 206–208.
Michael D. M. Bader, Stephen J. Mooney, Andrew G. Rundle
[No abstract]

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Integrating Systems Science and Community-Based Participatory Research to Achieve Health Equity
American Journal of Public Health: February 2016, Vol. 106, No. 2: 215–222.
Leah Frerichs, Kristen Hassmiller Lich, Gaurav Dave, Giselle Corbie-Smith
ABSTRACT
Unanswered questions about racial and socioeconomic health disparities may be addressed using community-based participatory research and systems science. Community-based participatory research is an orientation to research that prioritizes developing capacity, improving trust, and translating knowledge to action. Systems science provides research methods to study dynamic and interrelated forces that shape health disparities. Community-based participatory research and systems science are complementary, but their integration requires more research. We discuss paradigmatic, socioecological, capacity-building, colearning, and translational synergies that help advance progress toward health equity.

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
February 2016; 94 (2)
http://www.ajtmh.org/content/current

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Perspective Piece
Clinical Research and the Training of Host Country Investigators: Essential Health Priorities for Disease-Endemic Regions
Ousmane A. Koita, Robert L. Murphy, Saharé Fongoro, Boubakar Diallo, Seydou O. Doumbia, Moussa Traoré, and Donald J. Krogstad
Am J Trop Med Hyg 2016 94:253-257; Published online November 23, 2015, doi:10.4269/ajtmh.15-0366
Abstract
The health-care needs and resources of disease-endemic regions such as west Africa have been a major focus during the recent Ebola outbreak. On the basis of that experience, we call attention to two priorities that have unfortunately been ignored thus far: 1) the development of clinical research facilities and 2) the training of host country investigators to ensure that the facilities and expertise necessary to evaluate candidate interventions are available on-site in endemic regions when and where they are needed. In their absence, as illustrated by the recent uncertainty about the use of antivirals and other interventions for Ebola virus disease, the only treatment available may be supportive care, case fatality rates may be unacceptably high and there may be long delays between the time potential interventions become available and it becomes clear whether those interventions are safe or effective. On the basis of our experience in Mali, we urge that the development of clinical research facilities and the training of host country investigators be prioritized in disease-endemic regions such as west Africa.

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 6 February 2016)

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Research article
Pattern of animal bites and post exposure prophylaxis in rabies: A five year study in a tertiary care unit in Sri Lanka
Rabies is a global problem which occurs in more than 150 countries and territories including Sri Lanka, where human deaths from rabies are in decline whilst resources incurred for prevention of rabies are in sharp incline over the years…
Senanayake Abeysinghe Mudiyanselage Kularatne, Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Priyantha Udaya Kumara Ralapanawa, Koasala Weerakoon, Usha Kumari Bokalamulla and Nanada Abagaspitiya
BMC Infectious Diseases 2016 16:62
Published on: 4 February 2016

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 6 February 2016)

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Research article
Exceptions to the rule of informed consent for research with an intervention
Susanne Rebers, Neil K. Aaronson, Flora E. van Leeuwen and Marjanka K. Schmidt
BMC Medical Ethics 2016 17:9
Published on: 6 F ebruary 2016
Abstract
Background
In specific situations it may be necessary to make an exception to the general rule of informed consent for scientific research with an intervention. Earlier reviews only described subsets of arguments for exceptions to waive consent.
Methods
Here, we provide a more extensive literature review of possible exceptions to the rule of informed consent and the accompanying arguments based on literature from 1997 onwards, using both Pubmed and PsycINFO in our search strategy.
Results
We identified three main categories of arguments for the acceptability of a consent waiver: data validity and quality, major practical problems, and distress or confusion of participants. Approval by a medical ethical review board always needs to be obtained. Further, we provide examples of specific conditions under which consent waiving might be allowed, such as additional privacy protection measures.
Conclusions
The reasons legitimized by the authors of the papers in this overview can be used by researchers to form their own opinion about requesting an exception to the rule of informed consent for their own study. Importantly, rules and guidelines applicable in their country, institute and research field should be followed. Moreover, researchers should also take the conditions under which they feel an exception is legitimized under consideration. After discussions with relevant stakeholders, a formal request should be sent to an IRB.

BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/content
(Accessed 6 February 2016)

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Research article
Post-marketing withdrawal of 462 medicinal products because of adverse drug reactions: a systematic review of the world literature
Igho J. Onakpoya, Carl J. Heneghan and Jeffrey K. Aronson
BMC Medicine 2016 14:10
Published on: 4 February 2016
Abstract
Background
There have been no studies of the patterns of post-marketing withdrawals of medicinal products to which adverse reactions have been attributed. We identified medicinal products that were withdrawn because of adverse drug reactions, examined the evidence to support such withdrawals, and explored the pattern of withdrawals across countries.
Methods
We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, the WHO’s database of drugs, the websites of drug regulatory authorities, and textbooks. We included medicinal products withdrawn between 1950 and 2014 and assessed the levels of evidence used in making withdrawal decisions using the criteria of the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine.
Results
We identified 462 medicinal products that were withdrawn from the market between 1953 and 2013, the most common reason being hepatotoxicity. The supporting evidence in 72 % of cases consisted of anecdotal reports. Only 43 (9.34 %) drugs were withdrawn worldwide and 179 (39 %) were withdrawn in one country only. Withdrawal was significantly less likely in Africa than in other continents (Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australasia and Oceania). The median interval between the first reported adverse reaction and the year of first withdrawal was 6 years (IQR, 1–15) and the interval did not consistently shorten over time.
Conclusion
There are discrepancies in the patterns of withdrawal of medicinal products from the market when adverse reactions are suspected, and withdrawals are inconsistent across countries. Greater co-ordination among drug regulatory authorities and increased transparency in reporting suspected adverse drug reactions would help improve current decision-making processes.

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Research article
A scoping review of competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals
Biomedical journals are the main route for disseminating the results of health-related research. Despite this, their editors operate largely without formal training or certification. To our knowledge, no body of literature systematically identifying core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals exists. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a scoping review to determine what is known on the competency requirements for scientific editors of biomedical journals.
James Galipeau, Virginia Barbour, Patricia Baskin, Sally Bell-Syer, Kelly Cobey, Miranda Cumpston, Jon Deeks, Paul Garner, Harriet MacLehose, Larissa Shamseer, Sharon Straus, Peter Tugwell, Elizabeth Wager, Margaret Winker and David Moher
BMC Medicine 2016 14:16
Published on: 2 February 2016

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content
(Accessed 6 February 2016)

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Research article
Determinants of early initiation of breastfeeding in Nigeria: a population-based study using the 2013 demograhic and health survey data
Provision of mother’s breast milk to infants within one hour of birth is referred to as Early Initiation of Breast Feeding (EIBF) which is an important strategy to reduce perinatal and infant morbidities and m…
Anselm S. Berde and Siddika Songül Yalcin
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2016 16:32
Published on: 6 February 2016

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 6 February 2016)

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Research article
Mental health outcomes in times of economic recession: a systematic literature review
Diana Frasquilho, Margarida Gaspar Matos, Ferdinand Salonna, Diogo Guerreiro, Cláudia C. Storti, Tânia Gaspar and José M. Caldas-de-Almeida
BMC Public Health 2016 16:115
Published on: 3 February 2016
Abstract
Background
Countries in recession experience high unemployment rates and a decline in living conditions, which, it has been suggested, negatively influences their populations’ health. The present review examines the recent evidence of the possible association between economic recessions and mental health outcomes.
Methods
Literature review of records identified through Medline, PsycINFO, SciELO, and EBSCO Host. Only original research papers, published between 2004 and 2014, peer-reviewed, non-qualitative research, and reporting on associations between economic factors and proxies of mental health were considered.
Results
One-hundred-one papers met the inclusion criteria. The evidence was consistent that economic recessions and mediators such as unemployment, income decline, and unmanageable debts are significantly associated with poor mental wellbeing, increased rates of common mental disorders, substance-related disorders, and suicidal behaviours.
Conclusion
On the basis of a thorough analysis of the selected investigations, we conclude that periods of economic recession are possibly associated with a higher prevalence of mental health problems, including common mental disorders, substance disorders, and ultimately suicidal behaviour. Most of the research is based on cross-sectional studies, which seriously limits causality inferences. Conclusions are summarised, taking into account international policy recommendations concerning the cost-effective measures that can possibly reduce the occurrence of negative mental health outcomes in populations during periods of economic recession.

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Research article
Estimating the magnitude of female genital mutilation/cutting in Norway: an extrapolation model
Mai M. Ziyada, Marthe Norberg-Schulz and R. Elise B. Johansen
BMC Public Health 2016 16:110
Published on: 2 February 2016
Abstract
Background
With emphasis on policy implications, the main objective of this study was to estimate the numbers of two main groups affected by FGM/C in Norway: 1) those already subjected to FGM/C and therefore potentially in need for health care and 2) those at risk of FGM/C and consequently the target of preventive and protective measures. Special attention has been paid to type III as it is associated with more severe complications.
Methods
Register data from Statistics Norway (SSB) was combined with population-based survey data on FGM/C in the women/girls’ countries of origin.
Results
As of January 1st 2013, there were 44,467 first and second-generation female immigrants residing in Norway whose country of origin is one of the 29 countries where FGM/C is well documented. About 40 pct. of these women and girls are estimated to have already been subjected to FGM/C prior to immigration to Norway. Type III is estimated in around 50 pct. of those already subjected to FGM/C. Further, a total of 15,500 girls are identified as potentially at risk, out of which an approximate number of girls ranging between 3000 and 7900 are estimated to be at risk of FGM/C.
Conclusion
Reliable estimates on FGM/C are important for evidence-based policies. The study findings indicate that about 17,300 women and girls in Norway can be in need of health care, in particular the 9100 who are estimated to have type III. Preventive and protective measures are also needed to protect girls at risk (3000 to 7900) from being subjected to FGM/C. Nevertheless, as there are no appropriate tools at the moment that can single these girls out of all who are potentially at risk, all girls in the potentially at risk group (15,500) should be targeted with preventive measures.

BMC Research Notes
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcresnotes/content
(Accessed 6 February 2016)

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Research article
Research participation after terrorism: an open cohort study of survivors and parents after the 2011 Utøya attack in Norway
Reliable estimates of treatment needs after terrorism are essential to develop an effective public health response. More knowledge is required on research participation among survivors of terrorism to interpret the results properly and advance disaster research methodology. This article reports factors associated with participation in an open cohort study of survivors of the Utøya youth camp attack and their parents.
Lise Eilin Stene and Grete Dyb
BMC Research Notes 2016 9:57
Published on: 1 February 2016