ODI [to 28 November 2015]
http://www.odi.org/media

.
Financing climate technology transfer
Briefing papers | November 2015 | Sam Barnard and Smita Nakhooda
We discuss the opportunities to encourage and finance technology transfer in developing countries, informed by the experience of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

World Economic Forum  [to 28 November 2015]
https://agenda.weforum.org/news/

.
City Planning Needed as 6 out of 10 Global Consumers Expect Driverless Revolution
Report News 24 Nov 2015
:: Nearly 60% of consumers in cities around the world are willing to travel in self-driving vehicles, according to a new World Economic Forum survey; acceptance highest in emerging markets such as China, India and UAE; around 50% in US and UK; lowest in Japan and Germany
:: City planners and governments need to prepare for introduction of self-driving cars; smart mobility cities such as Gothenburg and Singapore are already doing so
:: Find the full results of the survey here
New York, USA 24 November 2015 – The age of autonomous vehicles is fast approaching, and city leaders need to take steps to prepare as the disruptive technology becomes a reality, according to new survey results by the World Economic Forum released today…

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation [to 28 November 2015]
https://www.moore.org/newsroom/press-releases

.
Janet Corrigan, Ph.D., M.B.A., joins Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
November 23, 2015
Palo Alto, Calif. – Today, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced the appointment of Janet Corrigan, Ph.D., M.B.A., as the new chief program officer for patient care. Dr. Corrigan will lead the team responsible for distributing more than $40 million a year to improve the experience and outcomes of patient care…

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
December 2015 Volume 49, Issue 6, p811-988, e89-e134
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

.
A Systematic Review of the Impact of Juvenile Curfew Laws on Public Health and Justice Outcomes
Elyse R. Grossman, Nancy A. Miller
p945–951
Published online: October 8 2015
Preview
Automobile crashes cause more than 800,000 youth injuries and deaths each year. Other youth suffer the consequences from being either a perpetrator or victim of a crime. One type of law that has an effect on youth behavior is juvenile curfew laws. These laws restrict the times that youth may occupy public places or streets. We systematically reviewed studies evaluating the effectiveness of these laws to address the question: Can juvenile curfew laws be used to improve youth public health and juvenile justice outcomes?

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 28 November 2015)

.
Research article
Population level usage of health services, and HIV testing and care, prior to decentralization of antiretroviral therapy in Agago District in rural Northern Uganda
G. Abongomera, S. Kiwuwa-Muyingo, P. Revill, L. Chiwaula, T. Mabugu, A. Phillips, E. Katabira, V. Musiime, C. Gilks, A. Chan, J. Hakim, R. Colebunders, C. Kityo, D. Gibb, J. Seeley, D. Ford, for the Lablite Project Team
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:527 (28 November 2015)

.
Research article
Survey of patient perceptions towards short-term mobile medical aid for those living in a medically underserved area of Swaziland
Yi-Hao Weng, Hung-Yi Chiou, Chi-Cheng Tu, Say-Tsung Liao, Patience Bhembe, Chun-Yuh Yang, Ya-Wen Chiu
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:524 (27 November 2015)

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 28 November 2015)

.
Research article
Health care workers in Pearl River Delta Area of China are not vaccinated adequately against hepatitis B: a retrospective cohort study
Yu-Bao Zheng, Yu-Rong Gu, Min Zhang, Ke Wang, Zhan-lian Huang, Chao-Shuang Lin, Zhi-Liang Gao BMC Infectious Diseases 2015, 15:542 (22 November 2015)
Abstract
Backgrounds
Health-care workers’ (HCWs) exposure to bodily fluids puts them at risk of hepatitis B virus HBV infection. This study investigated HBV vaccination practices and outcomes in HCWs and assessed postvaccination seroprotection across HCWs in different departments.
Methods
A survey of HCWs in a Chinese public general hospital was carried out with a retrospective cohort of 1420 hospital HCWs (458 males and 962 females). HBV vaccination status (10-μg/dose used) was investigated in the cohort from vaccination records from the period of 1988 to 2008. Blood samples were collected and tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV antibodies (anti-HBs).
Results
The overall vaccination (complete course) and HBsAg carrier rates among HCWs were 40.42 % (574/1420) and 6.13 % (87/1420), respectively. Vaccination rates differed by department, with HCWs in internal medicine (39.5 %) and emergency (42.0 %) departments having particularly low rates. The natural infection rate was 7.53 % (107/1420) among HCWs. HCWs in the department of infectious diseases (vaccination rate, 57.8 %) had the highest rate of antibody produced by natural infection (88.2 %).
Conclusion
The vaccination rate was a disappointingly low among HCWs in Pearl River Delta Area of China. HCWs working in infectious diseases departments and technicians were at particularly likely to have been infected with HBV. A concerted effort is needed to bring vaccination rates up among Chinese HCWs in Pearl River Delta Area of southern China.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpregnancychildbirth/content
(Accessed 28 November 2015)

.
Research article
Direct observation of respectful maternity care in five countries: a cross-sectional study of health facilities in East and Southern Africa
Heather Rosen, Pamela Lynam, Catherine Carr, Veronica Reis, Jim Ricca, Eva Bazant, Linda Bartlett, on behalf of the Quality of Maternal and Newborn Care Study Group of the Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2015, 15:306 (23 November 2015)
Abstract
Background
Poor quality of care at health facilities is a barrier to pregnant women and their families accessing skilled care. Increasing evidence from low resource countries suggests care women receive during labor and childbirth is sometimes rude, disrespectful, abusive, and not responsive to their needs. However, little is known about how frequently women experience these behaviors. This study is one of the first to report prevalence of respectful maternity care and disrespectful and abusive behavior at facilities in multiple low resource countries.
Methods
Structured, standardized clinical observation checklists were used to directly observe quality of care at facilities in five countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, and the United Republic of Tanzania. Respectful care was represented by 10 items describing actions the provider should take to ensure the client was informed and able to make choices about her care, and that her dignity and privacy were respected. For each country, percentage of women receiving these practices and delivery room privacy conditions were calculated. Clinical observers’ open-ended comments were also analyzed to identify examples of disrespect and abuse.
Results
A total of 2164 labor and delivery observations were conducted at hospitals and health centers. Encouragingly, women overall were treated with dignity and in a supportive manner by providers, but many women experienced poor interactions with providers and were not well-informed about their care. Both physical and verbal abuse of women were observed during the study. The most frequently mentioned form of disrespect and abuse in the open-ended comments was abandonment and neglect.
Conclusions
Efforts to increase use of facility-based maternity care in low income countries are unlikely to achieve desired gains if there is no improvement in quality of care provided, especially elements of respectful care. This analysis identified insufficient communication and information sharing by providers as well as delays in care and abandonment of laboring women as deficiencies in respectful care. Failure to adopt a patient-centered approach and a lack of health system resources are contributing structural factors. Further research is needed to understand these barriers and develop effective interventions to promote respectful care in this context.

BMC Public Health
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content
(Accessed 28 November 2015)

.
Research article
Provider costs for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and related conditions in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Elizabeth Brouwer, David Watkins, Zachary Olson, Jane Goett, Rachel Nugent, Carol Levin
BMC Public Health 2015, 15:1183 (26 November 2015)

.
Research article
Systematic review of structural interventions for intimate partner violence in low- and middle-income countries: organizing evidence for prevention
Christine Bourey, Whitney Williams, Erin Bernstein, Rob Stephenson BMC Public Health 2015, 15:1165 (23 November 2015)

.
Research article
Health literacy and refugees’ experiences of the health examination for asylum seekers – a Swedish cross-sectional study
Josefin Wångdahl, Per Lytsy, Lena Mårtensson, Ragnar Westerling
BMC Public Health 2015, 15:1162 (23 November 2015)

.
Research article
A systematic review of studies evaluating Australian indigenous community development projects: the extent of community participation, their methodological quality and their outcomes
Mieke Snijder, Anthony Shakeshaft, Annemarie Wagemakers, Anne Stephens, Bianca Calabria BMC Public Health 2015, 15:1154 (21 November 2015)

Globalization and Health
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
[Accessed 28 November 2015]

.
Research
Conceptual and institutional gaps: understanding how the WHO can become a more effective cross-sectoral collaborator
Gopinathan U, Watts N, Hougendobler D, Lefebvre A, Cheung A, Hoffman SJ and Røttingen JA Globalization and Health 2015, 11:46 (24 November 2015)
Abstract
Background
Two themes consistently emerge from the broad range of academics, policymakers and opinion leaders who have proposed changes to the World Health Organization (WHO): that reform efforts are too slow, and that they do too little to strengthen WHO’s capacity to facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration. This study seeks to identify possible explanations for the challenges WHO faces in addressing the broader determinants of health, and the potential opportunities for working across sectors.
Methods
This qualitative study used a mixed methods approach of semi-structured interviews and document review. Five interviewees were selected by stratified purposive sampling within a sampling frame of approximately 45 potential interviewees, and a targeted document review was conducted. All interviewees were senior WHO staff at the department director level or above. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data from interview transcripts, field notes, and the document review, and data coded during the analysis was analyzed against three central research questions. First, how does WHO conceptualize its mandate in global health? Second, what are the barriers and enablers to enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration between WHO and other intergovernmental organizations? Third, how do the dominant conceptual frames and the identified barriers and enablers to cross-sectoral collaboration interact?
Results
Analysis of the interviews and documents revealed three main themes: 1) WHO’s role must evolve to meet the global challenges and societal changes of the 21st century; 2) WHO’s cross-sectoral engagement is hampered internally by a dominant biomedical view of health, and the prevailing institutions and incentives that entrench this view; and 3) WHO’s cross-sectoral engagement is hampered externally by siloed areas of focus for each intergovernmental organization, and the lack of adequate conceptual frameworks and institutional mechanisms to facilitate engagement across siloes.
Conclusion
There are a number of external and internal pressures on WHO which have created an organizational culture and operational structure that focuses on a narrow, technical approach to global health, prioritizing disease-based, siloed interventions over more complex approaches that span sectors. The broader approach to promoting human health and wellbeing, which is conceptualized in WHO’s constitution, requires cultural and institutional changes for it to be fully implemented.

Health Economics, Policy and Law
Volume 11 – Issue 01 – January 2016
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=HEP&tab=currentissue

.
Special Section
Making fair choices on the path to universal health coverage: a précis
Alex Voorhoevea1 c1, Trygve Ottersena2 and Ole F. Norheima2
a1 Philosophy, Logic, and Scientific Method, London School of Economics, UK
a2 Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Norway
Abstract
We outline key conclusions of the World Health Organisation’s report ‘Making Fair Choices on the Path to Universal Health Coverage (UHC)’. The Report argues that three principles should inform choices on the path to UHC: I. Coverage should be based on need, with extra weight given to the needs of the worse off; II. One aim should be to generate the greatest total improvement in health; III. Contributions should be based on ability to pay and not need. We describe how these principles determine which trade-offs are (un)acceptable. We also discuss which institutions contribute to fair and accountable choices.

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 11, Issue 11, 2015
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

.
Vaccination of healthcare workers: A review
pages 2522-2537
DOI:10.1080/21645515.2015.1082014
Skerdi Haviari, Thomas Bénet, Mitra Saadatian-Elahi, Philippe André, Pierre Loulergue & Philippe Vanhems
Abstract
Vaccine-preventable diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. As new vaccines are proving to be effective and as the incidence of some infections decreases, vaccination practices are changing. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are particularly exposed to and play a role in nosocomial transmission, which makes them an important target group for vaccination. Most vaccine-preventable diseases still carry a significant risk of resurgence and have caused outbreaks in recent years. While many professional societies favor vaccination of HCWs as well as the general population, recommendations differ from country to country. In turn, vaccination coverage varies widely for each microorganism and for each country, making hospitals and clinics vulnerable to outbreaks. Vaccine mandates and non-mandatory strategies are the subject of ongoing research and controversies. Optimal approaches to increase coverage and turn the healthcare workforce into an efficient barrier against infectious diseases are still being debated.

.

Immunization of pregnant women: Future of early infant protection
pages 2549-2555
DOI:10.1080/21645515.2015.1070984
Azure N Faucette, Michael D Pawlitz, Bo Pei, Fayi Yao & Kang Chen
Abstract
Children in early infancy do not mount effective antibody responses to many vaccines against commons infectious pathogens, which results in a window of increased susceptibility or severity infections. In addition, vaccine-preventable infections are among the leading causes of morbidity in pregnant women. Immunization during pregnancy can generate maternal immune protection as well as elicit the production and transfer of antibodies cross the placenta and via breastfeeding to provide early infant protection. Several successful vaccines are now recommended to all pregnant women worldwide. However, significant gaps exist in our understanding of the efficacy and safety of other vaccines and in women with conditions associated with increased susceptible to high-risk pregnancies. Public acceptance of maternal immunization remained to be improved. Broader success of maternal immunization will rely on the integration of advances in basic science in vaccine design and evaluation and carefully planned clinical trials that are inclusive to pregnant women.

.

Vaccinations in prisons: A shot in the arm for community health
pages 2615-2626
Open access
DOI:10.1080/21645515.2015.1051269
Víctor-Guillermo Sequera, Salomé Valencia, Alberto L García-Basteiro, Andrés Marco & José M Bayas
Abstract
From the first day of imprisonment, prisoners are exposed to and expose other prisoners to various communicable diseases, many of which are vaccine-preventable. The risk of acquiring these diseases during the prison sentence exceeds that of the general population. This excess risk may be explained by various causes; some due to the structural and logistical problems of prisons and others to habitual or acquired behaviors during imprisonment. Prison is, for many inmates, an opportunity to access health care, and is therefore an ideal opportunity to update adult vaccination schedules. The traditional idea that prisons are intended to ensure public safety should be complemented by the contribution they can make in improving community health, providing a more comprehensive vision of safety that includes public health.

.

Vaccine-preventable diseases in humanitarian emergencies among refugee and internally-displaced populations
pages 2627-2636
DOI:10.1080/21645515.2015.1096457
Eugene Lam, Amanda McCarthy & Muireann Brennan
Abstract
Humanitarian emergencies may result in breakdown of regular health services including routine vaccination programs. Displaced populations including refugees and internally displaced persons are particularly susceptible to outbreaks of communicable diseases such as vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Common VPDs encountered in humanitarian emergencies include measles, polio, and depending on geographical location, meningococcal meningitis, yellow fever, hepatitis A, and cholera. We conducted a review of 50 published articles from 2000 to 2015 concerning VPDs in humanitarian emergencies. This article provides an update on the available literature regarding vaccinations among this highly vulnerable population and describes the unique challenges of VPDs during humanitarian emergencies. Humanitarian emergencies place affected populations at risk for elevated morbidity and mortality from VPDs due to creation or exacerbation of factors associated with disease transmission such as mass population movements, overcrowding, malnutrition, and poor water and sanitation conditions. Vaccination is one of the most basic and critical health interventions for protecting vulnerable populations during emergencies. Growing insecurity, as seen in the increasing number of targeted attacks on health workers in recent years, as well as destruction of cold chain and infrastructure for transportation of supplies, are creating new challenges in provision of life saving vaccines in conflict settings. Population displacement can also threaten global VPD eradication and elimination efforts. While highly effective vaccines and guidelines to combat VPDs are available, the trend of increasing number of humanitarian emergencies globally poses new and emerging challenges in providing vaccination among displaced populations.

.

Research Paper
Immunizing nomadic children and livestock – Experience in North East Zone of Somalia
pages 2637-2639
DOI:10.1080/21645515.2015.1038682
Raoul Kamadjeua*, Abraham Mulugetab, Dhananjoy Guptac, Abdirisak Abshir Hirsid, Asalif Belaynehb, Marianne Clark-Hattinghc, Clement Adamsc, Payenda Abedc, Brenda Kyeyunec, Tajudin Ahmedb, Mohamed Salihe, Cyprien Biaoue & Brigitte Tourea
Abstract
Nomads and pastoralists represent around 30% of the population of North East zone of Somalia (Puntland) and have very limited access to basic health including immunization. During the 2013–2014 polio outbreak in Somalia, an increase number of polio cases notified health services among these underserved communities highlighted the urgent need to devise innovative strategies to reach them. Harnessing the high demand for veterinary services among pastoralist communities, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Livestock, with support from UNICEF, WHO and FAO launched an integrated human and animal vaccination campaign on 19 October 2014. Over 30 days, 20 social mobilizers conducted shelter to shelter social mobilization and interpersonal communication for nomadic/pastoralist hamlets, 20 human vaccination teams, accompanied by local community elders, traveled with animal vaccination teams to administer polio and measles vaccination to pastoralist communities in the 5 regions of Puntland. 26,393 children (0 to 10 years) received Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) out of which 34% for the first time ever; 23,099 were vaccinated against measles. and 12,556 Vitamin A. Despite various operational challenges and a significantly higher operational cost of $6.2 per child reached with OPV, the integrated human and animal vaccination campaign was effective in reaching the unvaccinated children from nomadic and pastoralist communities of Somalia.

JAMA
November 24, 2015, Vol 314, No. 20
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/issue.aspx

.
Viewpoint | November 24, 2015
Forced Migration – The Human Face of a Health Crisis
Lawrence O. Gostin, JD1; Anna E. Roberts, LLB, MIPH1
Extract
This Viewpoint discusses ways in which countries can help safeguard the rights and health of refugees, asylum-seekers, and forced migrants.
Addressing a joint session of Congress, Pope Francis said that migrants “travel for a better life.…Is that not what we want for our own children?”1 With that plea, the pontiff placed a human face on the modern migration crisis, with nearly 60 million refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing predominantly from war-torn Syria, Afghanistan, and Somalia2; children comprise half the group. The global response is wholly incommensurate with the need: the European Union agreed to distribute only 120 000 asylum-seekers, and the United States will increase its annual refugee cap from 70 000 to 100 000 by 2017—neither of which will substantially affect the humanitarian crisis.

.

Original Investigation | November 24, 2015
Prevalence of Body Mass Index Lower Than 16 Among Women in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Fahad Razak, MD, MSc1,2,3; Daniel J. Corsi, PhD3,4; Arthur S. Slutsky, MD, MASc1,2; Anura Kurpad, MD, PhD5; Lisa Berkman, PhD3; Andreas Laupacis, MD, MSc1,2; S. V. Subramanian, PhD3
Abstract
Importance
Body mass index (BMI) lower than 16 is the most severe category of adult undernutrition and is associated with substantial morbidity, increased mortality, and poor maternal-fetal outcomes such as low-birth-weight newborns. Little is known about the prevalence and distribution of BMI lower than 16 in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
Objective
To determine the prevalence and distribution of BMI lower than 16 and its change in prevalence over time in women in LMIC.
Design, Settings, and Participants
Cross-sectional data analysis composed of nationally representative surveys from 1993 through 2012 from the Demographic and Health Surveys Program. Women aged 20 through 49 years from 60 LMIC (N = 500 761) and a subset of 40 countries with repeated surveys (N = 604 144) were examined.
Exposures
Wealth was measured using a validated asset index, age was categorized in deciles, education by highest completed level (none, primary, secondary, or greater), and place of residence as urban vs rural.
Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary outcome was BMI lower than 16. Analyses assessed the prevalence of BMI lower than 16, its association with sociodemographic factors, and change in prevalence. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs), adjusting for survey design and age structure.
Results
Among countries examined, the pooled, weighted, and age-standardized prevalence of BMI lower than 16 was 1.8% (95% CI, 1.7% to 1.8%) with the highest prevalence in India (6.2% [95% CI, 5.9% to 6.5%]), followed by Bangladesh (3.9% [95% CI, 3.4% to 4.3%]), Madagascar (3.4% [95% CI, 2.8% to 4.0%], Timor-Leste (2.9% [95% CI, 2.4% to 3.2%]), Senegal (2.5% [95% CI, 1.9% to 3.2%]), and Sierra Leone (2.2% [95% CI, 1.3% to 3.0%]); and 6 countries had prevalences lower than 0.1% (Albania, Bolivia, Egypt, Peru, Swaziland, and Turkey). The prevalence of BMI lower than 16 in women with a secondary or higher education level was 0.51% (95% CI, 0.47% to 0.55%), and in mutually adjusted models, a less than primary education level was associated with an OR of 1.4 (95% CI, 1.2 to 1.6). The prevalence of BMI lower than 16 was 0.43% (95% CI, 0.37% to 0.48%) in the highest wealth quintile with an OR of 3.0 (95% CI, 2.4 to 3.7) in the lowest wealth quintile. Among the 24 of 39 countries with repeated surveys, there was no decrease in prevalence. In Bangladesh and India, rates were declining with an average absolute change annually of −0.52% (95% CI, −0.58% to −0.46%) in Bangladesh and −0.11% (95% CI, −0.12% to −0.10%) in India.
Conclusions and Relevance
Among women in 60 LMIC, the prevalence of BMI lower than 16 was 1.8%, and was associated with poverty and low education levels. Prevalence of BMI lower than 16 did not decrease over time in most countries studied.

Journal of International Development
November 2015 Volume 27, Issue 8 Pages 1351–1545
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jid.v27.6/issuetoc
Special Issue: AID, SOCIAL POLICY, AND DEVELOPMENT

.
Aid, Social Policy and Development (pages 1351–1365)
Tony Addison, Miguel Niño-Zarazúa and Finn Tarp
Article first published online: 10 NOV 2015 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.3187
Abstract
This paper discusses past and current social policy strategies in the international aid architecture as an introduction to the UNU-WIDER Special Issue. Beginning in the 1990s, aid strategy and policy shifted to put a stronger emphasis on human development. This accelerated with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and will continue under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which have even more ambitious targets. The paper also assesses some of the concerns associated with the ‘Paris-style’ aid modalities, and discusses major challenges for the future global development agenda.

.

Donor Coordination for Effective Government Policies? (pages 1422–1445)
Stefan Leiderer
Article first published online: 10 NOV 2015 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.3184
Abstract
New aid approaches devised under the Paris/Accra agenda for more effective aid are expected to make a particular difference in health and education as, arguably, in these sectors aid fragmentation is particularly prevalent. This article reviews evidence from recent in-depth country work on the extent to which the harmonisation and alignment principles, implemented through new aid modalities, have contributed to health and education outcomes in Zambia. Evidence suggests that even in a ‘model’ case for adopting Paris-style aid instruments such as Zambia, implementation of good aid principles has been insufficient to overcome the negative side effects of uncoordinated and fragmented aid. © 2015 UNU-WIDER.

.

How to Assess the Effectiveness of Development Aid Projects: Evaluation Ratings versus Project Indicators (pages 1496–1520)
Laura Metzger and Isabel Guenther
Article first published online: 10 NOV 2015 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.3189
Abstract
Most studies on project-based aid effectiveness rely on subjective evaluation ratings to measure projects’ performance. Using the example of drinking water projects, this study compares evaluation ratings to objective, quantitative project indicators based on water supply to better understand the drivers of evaluation ratings. We find that evaluation ratings are only weakly correlated with improvements in water supply. Whereas the water supply-based project indicators are best explained by project design variables, evaluation ratings put more weight on project management and implementation.

The Lancet
Nov 28, 2015 Volume 386 Number 10009 p2117-2226 e45
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

.
Editorial
The Global Burden of Diseases: living with disability
The Lancet
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01096-X
Summary
The UN observes the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec 3, 2015. This year, three themes are highlighted in the agenda: making cities inclusive for all, improving disability data and statistics, and including those with invisible disabilities in society and development. These themes echo the specific mention of persons with disabilities in five of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): education; economic growth and employment; creation of inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities; reduction of inequalities; and data collection related to monitoring the SDGs.

.

Editorial
Ebola: lessons for future pandemics
The Lancet
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01097-1
Summary
At the time of writing, hopes that the devastating west African Ebola outbreak was finally coming to its end were diminished by the recent confirmation of three new cases of the disease in Liberia. The country had previously been declared Ebola free on Sept 3—followed by Sierra Leone on Nov 7 and Guinea on Nov 19. The outbreak, which killed more than 11 000 people and infected at least 28 000, is the largest of its kind and a stark reminder of the fragility of health security in an interdependent world.

.

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 306 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 188 countries, 1990–2013: quantifying the epidemiological transition
GBD 2013 DALYs and HALE Collaborators Christopher J L Murray et al
Summary
Background
The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) aims to bring together all available epidemiological data using a coherent measurement framework, standardised estimation methods, and transparent data sources to enable comparisons of health loss over time and across causes, age–sex groups, and countries. The GBD can be used to generate summary measures such as disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) that make possible comparative assessments of broad epidemiological patterns across countries and time. These summary measures can also be used to quantify the component of variation in epidemiology that is related to sociodemographic development.
Methods
We used the published GBD 2013 data for age-specific mortality, years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) to calculate DALYs and HALE for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2013 for 188 countries. We calculated HALE using the Sullivan method; 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) represent uncertainty in age-specific death rates and YLDs per person for each country, age, sex, and year. We estimated DALYs for 306 causes for each country as the sum of YLLs and YLDs; 95% UIs represent uncertainty in YLL and YLD rates. We quantified patterns of the epidemiological transition with a composite indicator of sociodemographic status, which we constructed from income per person, average years of schooling after age 15 years, and the total fertility rate and mean age of the population. We applied hierarchical regression to DALY rates by cause across countries to decompose variance related to the sociodemographic status variable, country, and time.
Findings
Worldwide, from 1990 to 2013, life expectancy at birth rose by 6·2 years (95% UI 5·6–6·6), from 65·3 years (65·0–65·6) in 1990 to 71·5 years (71·0–71·9) in 2013, HALE at birth rose by 5·4 years (4·9–5·8), from 56·9 years (54·5–59·1) to 62·3 years (59·7–64·8), total DALYs fell by 3·6% (0·3–7·4), and age-standardised DALY rates per 100 000 people fell by 26·7% (24·6–29·1). For communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders, global DALY numbers, crude rates, and age-standardised rates have all declined between 1990 and 2013, whereas for non–communicable diseases, global DALYs have been increasing, DALY rates have remained nearly constant, and age-standardised DALY rates declined during the same period. From 2005 to 2013, the number of DALYs increased for most specific non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms, in addition to dengue, food-borne trematodes, and leishmaniasis; DALYs decreased for nearly all other causes. By 2013, the five leading causes of DALYs were ischaemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, cerebrovascular disease, low back and neck pain, and road injuries. Sociodemographic status explained more than 50% of the variance between countries and over time for diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, and other common infectious diseases; maternal disorders; neonatal disorders; nutritional deficiencies; other communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases; musculoskeletal disorders; and other non-communicable diseases. However, sociodemographic status explained less than 10% of the variance in DALY rates for cardiovascular diseases; chronic respiratory diseases; cirrhosis; diabetes, urogenital, blood, and endocrine diseases; unintentional injuries; and self-harm and interpersonal violence. Predictably, increased sociodemographic status was associated with a shift in burden from YLLs to YLDs, driven by declines in YLLs and increases in YLDs from musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, and mental and substance use disorders. In most country-specific estimates, the increase in life expectancy was greater than that in HALE. Leading causes of DALYs are highly variable across countries.
Interpretation
Global health is improving. Population growth and ageing have driven up numbers of DALYs, but crude rates have remained relatively constant, showing that progress in health does not mean fewer demands on health systems. The notion of an epidemiological transition—in which increasing sociodemographic status brings structured change in disease burden—is useful, but there is tremendous variation in burden of disease that is not associated with sociodemographic status. This further underscores the need for country-specific assessments of DALYs and HALE to appropriately inform health policy decisions and attendant actions.
Funding
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

.

Health Policy
Will Ebola change the game? Ten essential reforms before the next pandemic. The report of the Harvard-LSHTM Independent Panel on the Global Response to Ebola
Suerie Moon, Devi Sridhar, Muhammad A Pate, Ashish K Jha, Chelsea Clinton, Sophie Delaunay, Valnora Edwin, Mosoka Fallah, David P Fidler, Laurie Garrett, Eric Goosby, Lawrence O Gostin, David L Heymann, Kelley Lee, Gabriel M Leung, J Stephen Morrison, Jorge Saavedra, Marcel Tanner, Jennifer A Leigh, Benjamin Hawkins, Liana R Woskie, Peter Piot
Summary
The west African Ebola epidemic that began in 2013 exposed deep inadequacies in the national and international institutions responsible for protecting the public from the far-reaching human, social, economic, and political consequences of infectious disease outbreaks. The Ebola epidemic raised a crucial question: what reforms are needed to mend the fragile global system for outbreak prevention and response, rebuild confidence, and prevent future disasters? To address this question, the Harvard Global Health Institute and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine jointly launched the Independent Panel on the Global Response to Ebola.

.

Viewpoint
The International Health Regulations 10 years on: the governing framework for global health security
Prof Lawrence O Gostin, JD, Mary C DeBartolo, JD, Eric A Friedman, JD
Published Online: 22 November 2015
Summary
Fundamental revisions to the International Health Regulations in 2005 were meant to herald a new era of global health security and cooperation. Yet, 10 years later, the International Health Regulations face criticism, particularly after the west African Ebola epidemic. Several high-level panels1 are reviewing the International Health Regulations’ functions and urging reforms.2 The Global Health Security Agenda, a multilateral partnership focused on preventing, detecting, and responding to natural, accidental, or intentional disease outbreaks, has similar capacity building aims, but operates largely outside the International Health Regulations.

PLOS Currents: Disasters
http://currents.plos.org/disasters/
[Accessed 28 November 2015]

.
Criteria for Site Selection of Temporary Shelters after Earthquakes: a Delphi Panel
November 23, 2015 · Research article
Introduction: After a devastating earthquake, the site selection for the sheltering of earthquake victims is an important task. In order to generate a list of appropriate criteria for deciding on temporary sheltering site selection, we systematically combined the experience of experts and the findings of published documents in this study.
Methods: Having explored published papers, we generated a list of criteria for the selection of the best location for temporary sheltering. In the next step, all criteria were presented to a group of experts in Iran and after a scientific discussion, the list was updated. In the last step, the final list of criteria was developed using the Delphi method in three rounds.
Results: Based on our previous systematic review, 27 criteria were presented for sheltering site selection. Expert interviews added 12 more items to them. The Delphi process approved 21 criteria of all proposed ones. These items then grouped into four categories: land suitability, socio-cultural considerations, service availability and disaster risk reduction.
Discussion: After an earthquake, our list of criteria may help the disaster team to select the best locations for temporary sheltering with minimum confusion. The consent of the earthquake victims and cost reduction of the operation would be the minimum benefits of using the appropriate criteria. These criteria also could be used by researchers to make objective and reproducible assessments of temporary sheltering site selection.,

PLoS Medicine
http://www.plosmedicine.org/
(Accessed 28 November 2015)

.
The HIV Treatment Gap: Estimates of the Financial Resources Needed versus Available for Scale-Up of Antiretroviral Therapy in 97 Countries from 2015 to 2020
Arin Dutta, Catherine Barker, Ashley Kallarakal
Research Article | published 24 Nov 2015 | PLOS Medicine
10.1371/journal.pmed.1001907
Conclusions
The projected number of people receiving ART across three scenarios suggests that countries are unlikely to meet the 90-90-90 treatment target (81% of people living with HIV on ART by 2020) unless they adopt a test-and-offer approach and increase ART coverage. Our results suggest that future resource needs for ART scale-up are smaller than stated elsewhere but still significantly threaten the sustainability of the global HIV response without additional resource mobilization from domestic or innovative financing sources or efficiency gains. As the world moves towards adopting the WHO 2015 guidelines, advances in technology, including the introduction of lower-cost, highly effective antiretroviral regimens, whose value are assessed here, may prove to be “game changers” that allow more people to be on ART with the resources available.

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
http://www.plosntds.org/
(Accessed 28 November 2015)

.
Impact of the Neglected Tropical Diseases on Human Development in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Nations
Peter J. Hotez, Jennifer R. Herricks
Editorial | published 25 Nov 2015 | PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
10.1371/journal.pntd.0003782
Extract
The employment of a new “worm index” of human development, together with additional published health information, confirms the important role neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) play in hindering the advancement of many of the world’s Muslim-majority countries.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC, previously the Organisation of the Islamic Conference) is the major inter-governmental organization of 57 Muslim-majority countries, with a mission to promote human rights (especially those of children, women, and the elderly), education, trade, and good governance (Fig 1) [1]. Under the OIC charter, the advancement of science and technology through cooperative research is also a key component [1,2]. In 2009, one of us (PJH) reviewed the available data on the major NTDs and found that many of these diseases disproportionately affected OIC countries, particularly the poorest nations of the Sahel and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia [3]. A previous survey of the 28 largest OIC nations—each with a population of at least 10 million people and comprising more than 90% of the populations of the OIC—found that they accounted for 35%–40% of the world’s soil-transmitted helminth infections and 46% of cases of schistosomiasis, in addition to approximately 20% of the cases of trachoma and leprosy [3]. Given the known impact of these NTDs on both public health and socioeconomic development, it was recommended that scale-up of mass treatment for these diseases should commence in the most affected OIC nations [3]. However, we find that it has been difficult to make progress against poverty and NTDs in the OIC nations…

Refugee Survey Quarterly
Volume 34 Issue 4 December 2015
http://rsq.oxfordjournals.org/content/current

.
A Continuum of Violence? Linking Sexual and Gender-based Violence during Conflict, Flight, and Encampment
Ulrike Krause
Refugee Survey Quarterly (2015) 34 (4): 1-19 doi:10.1093/rsq/hdv014
Abstract
During the past years, scholars have studied sexual and gender-based violence during conflict and in refugee situations worldwide and produced a significant body of literature. However, little attention has been paid to connecting this type of violence during different phases, instead presenting it as different sets of cases. This article challenges this prevailing notion that violence during conflict, flight, and displacement are separate cases but suggests that it forms a continuum of violence. Based on a case study in Uganda, the article provides in-depth insights of scope, forms, and conditions of violence, and informs about factors impacting the violence. It is eventually argued, that the linearity of the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence during conflict, flight, and encampment reveals a continuum with widening patterns since especially the forms, perpetrator structures, and conditions show a diachronic increase of complexity.

.

The Contribution of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to the Protection of Irregular Immigrants’ Rights: Opportunities and Challenges
Ana Beduschi*
Lecturer in Law, University of Exeter, School of Law.
Abstract
This article aims to re-evaluate and clarify the significance of the contribution of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to the protection of irregular immigrants’ rights. It argues that this Court has placed itself at the forefront of a renewed approach to immigration, confirming its potential to promote an extended form of protection of irregular immigrants’ rights in Latin America. However, the actual protection of irregular immigrants’ rights promoted by the Court depends on Latin American countries’ capability to overcome several important challenges, in particular with respect to the compliance with judicial decisions and the effectiveness of the protection of rights. These challenges, which are not purely legal or institutional, are strongly dependent on the Latin American cultural, political, and societal context. They may, therefore, hinder the impact of a stronger human rights-based approach to the protection of irregular immigrants’ rights in Latin America.

Reproductive Health
http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/content
[Accessed 28 November 2015]

.
Research
Predictors of skilled assistance seeking behavior to pregnancy complications among women at southwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional community based study
Serawit Lakew, Erdaw Tachbele, Terefe Gelibo
Reproductive Health 2015, 12:109 (28 November 2015)

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 28 November 2015]

.
Beyond Rational Decision-Making: Modelling the Influence of Cognitive Biases on the Dynamics of Vaccination Coverage
Marina Voinson, Sylvain Billiard, Alexandra Alvergne
Research Article | published 23 Nov 2015 | PLOS ONE
10.1371/journal.pone.0142990
Abstract
Background
Theoretical studies predict that it is not possible to eradicate a disease under voluntary vaccination because of the emergence of non-vaccinating “free-riders” when vaccination coverage increases. A central tenet of this approach is that human behaviour follows an economic model of rational choice. Yet, empirical studies reveal that vaccination decisions do not necessarily maximize individual self-interest. Here we investigate the dynamics of vaccination coverage using an approach that dispenses with payoff maximization and assumes that risk perception results from the interaction between epidemiology and cognitive biases.
Methods
We consider a behaviour-incidence model in which individuals perceive actual epidemiological risks as a function of their opinion of vaccination. As a result of confirmation bias, sceptical individuals (negative opinion) overestimate infection cost while pro-vaccines individuals (positive opinion) overestimate vaccination cost. We considered a feedback between individuals and their environment as individuals could change their opinion, and thus the way they perceive risks, as a function of both the epidemiology and the most common opinion in the population.
Results
For all parameter values investigated, the infection is never eradicated under voluntary vaccination. For moderately contagious diseases, oscillations in vaccination coverage emerge because individuals process epidemiological information differently depending on their opinion. Conformism does not generate oscillations but slows down the cultural response to epidemiological change.
Conclusion
Failure to eradicate vaccine preventable disease emerges from the model because of cognitive biases that maintain heterogeneity in how people perceive risks. Thus, assumptions of economic rationality and payoff maximization are not mandatory for predicting commonly observed dynamics of vaccination coverage. This model shows that alternative notions of rationality, such as that of ecological rationality whereby individuals use simple cognitive heuristics, offer promising new avenues for modelling vaccination behaviour.