WHO: Ebola response roadmap – Situation report 10 December 2014
Summary [Excerpt]
A total of 17 942 confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) have been reported in five affected countries (Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and the United States of America) and three previously affected countries (Nigeria, Senegal and Spain) up to the end of 7 December. There have been 6388 reported deaths. Reported case incidence is slightly increasing in Guinea (103 confirmed and probable cases reported in the week to 7 December), declining in Liberia (29 new confirmed cases in the 3 days to 3 December), and may still be increasing in Sierra Leone (397 new confirmed cases in the week to 7 December). The case fatality rate across the three most-affected countries in all reported cases with a recorded definitive outcome is 76%; in hospitalized patients the case fatality rate is 61%.

Response activities in the three intense-transmission countries continue to progress in line with the UNMEER aim to isolate and treat 100% of EVD cases and safely bury 100% of EVD-related deaths by 1 January. At a national level, there is now sufficient bed capacity in EVD treatment facilities to treat and isolate all reported EVD cases in each of the three intense-transmission countries, although the uneven distribution of beds and cases means there are serious shortfalls in some areas. Similarly, each country has sufficient and widespread capacity to bury all reported EVD-related deaths; however, because not all EVD-related deaths are reported, and many reported burials are of non-EVD-related deaths, it is possible that some areas still have insufficient burial capacity. Every district that has reported a case of EVD in the three intense-transmission countries has access to a laboratory within 24 hours from sample collection. All three countries report that more than 80% of registered contacts associated with known cases of EVD are being traced, although contact tracing is still a challenge in areas of intense transmission and in areas of community resistance. Rapidly increasing capacity for case finding and contact tracing in areas with low and moderate levels of transmission will be necessary to end local chains of transmission….

United Nations – Selected Press Releases [to 13 December 2014]
Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

Secretary General
12 December 2014
SG/SM/16421-HR/5237
Secretary-General, at Launch of Action Plan, Says Human Rights Education Strengthens Values, Increases Chance for Peace
Following is UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon’s remarks at the launch of the National Plan of Action for Human Rights Education, in Lima today.

12 December 2014
SG/SM/16422
Secretary-General Tells Peruvian Congress He Cannot Overstate Importance of Foundation Being Laid at United Nations Climate Conference in Lima
Following is UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon’s address, as prepared for delivery, to the Congress of Peru, in Lima, today.

10 December 2014
SG/SM/16413-HR/5234-OBV/1418
Secretary-General Encourages Concerted Action to Uphold Human Rights, Improve Lot of Afrodescendants, in Message for International Observance
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, as delivered by Valerie Amos, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, at the launch of the Decade for People of African Descent, in New York today.

10 December 2014
SG/SM/16414-ENV/DEV/1478
Secretary-General, at Lima Conference, Says All Stakeholders Must Join Forces to Make Climate Change Opportunity for Creating Safer, Healthier Planet
Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the Head of State segment of the twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Lima today.

8 December 2014
SG/SM/16404-OBV/1416
Marking Global Anti-Corruption Day, Secretary General Urges ‘Breaking the Chain’ as Eliminating the Scourge Remains ‘Crucial’ to World’s Well-Being
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on International Anti-Corruption Day, to be observed 9 December.

UNICEF [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_71508.html

Media Releases [selected]
One year after conflict, children still under daily threat in South Sudan
JUBA/GENEVA, 12 December 2014 – The future for a generation of children in South Sudan is being stolen by the year-long conflict in the country, which has driven hundreds of thousands of children from their homes, schools and communities; subjecting them to violence, malnutrition and disease, the UNICEF said today.

To boost fight against Ebola and strengthen community-based services for the future, UNICEF raises appeal to US$500 million
NEW YORK/GENEVA, 12 December 2014 – UNICEF today announced an expanded fight against the Ebola virus in West Africa over the next six months, costing a total of US$500 million – of which just 24 per cent ($125.7 million) has been secured.

UNHCR [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/hom

Focus on saving lives, says UNHCR, as numbers of people taking to the seas in search of asylum or migration passes 348,000 globally
8 December 2014

UNHCR, IOM, IMO, UNODC and OHCHR Joint Statement on Protection at Sea in the Twenty-First Century
8 December 2014

Donors pledge an initial US$ 500.8 million for UNHCR operations in 2015
8 December 2014

Governments pledge to take in around 100,000 Syrian refugees
8 December 2014

WHO & Regionals [to 13 December 2014]
:: The Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) 12 December 2014, , vol. 89, 50 (pp. 561–576) includes:
– Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization, October 2014 – conclusions and recommendations

:: World Malaria Report 2014
WHO, 2014 :: 242 pages ISBN: 978 92 4 156483 0
Overview
The World Malaria Report 2014 summarizes information received from malaria-endemic countries and other sources, and updates the analyses presented in the 2013 report.
The World Malaria Report is WHO’s flagship malaria publication, released each year in December. It assesses global and regional malaria trends, highlights progress towards global targets, and describes opportunities and challenges in controlling and eliminating the disease. Most of the data presented in this report is for 2013.

:: New study highlights need to scale up violence prevention efforts globally
10 December 2014 — The “Global status report on violence prevention 2014” reveals that 475 000 people were murdered in 2012, and homicide is the third leading cause of death globally for males aged 15–44 years, highlighting the urgent need for more decisive action to prevent violence.

WHO Regional Offices
WHO African Region AFRO
:: Democratic Republic of the Congo: The country that knows how to beat Ebola
In DRC there was long experience with Ebola – this was the seventh outbreak of the disease here. The country had the knowledge and the people needed to stop an outbreak – plus strong technical assistance and support from WHO.
:: Liberia: Sharing his experience fighting Ebola – 09 December 2014

WHO Region of the Americas PAHO
:: First-ever Universal Health Coverage Day urges “Health for all – everywhere” (12/12/2014)
:: Developing countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have world’s highest homicide rates (12/10/2014)
:: PAHO/WHO provides training in risk communication for possible Ebola introduction (12/09/2014)

WHO South-East Asia Region SEARO
:: WHO targets implementation of new guidelines for indoor air quality 11 December 2014
:: Address at the Ebola Preparedness Partners Meeting 5 December 2014, SEARO, New Delhi
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia

WHO European Region EURO
[website unreachable]

WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region EMRO
:: WHO delivers six tonnes of medicines to west Harasta in Syria
8 December 2014 – As part of an UN inter-agency convoy, WHO, in collaboration with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), has delivered 6 tonnes of medicines and other items to west Harasta in Syria for a population of 2200 families. Since the beginning of the crisis, WHO has supported local health authorities, SARC and nongovernmental organization partners with the provision of medicines and medical equipment, including surgical supplies for over 12.5 million people across the country. It was the first time that medical support has reached west Harasta since October 2011.
:: Government of Saudi Arabia provides support for purpose-built mobile medical clinics in Erbil, Iraq 11 December 2014
:: Afghanistan’s midwifery report highlights need for still greater investment 10 December 2014
:: Vaccinators, health educators and volunteers in Aden: working enthusiastically with vulnerable groups 8 December 2014

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

11 Dec 2014
Helen Clark, Speech on “Democratic Governance, Human Rights, and Development”. Keynote address at The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) Annual Conference on Development Cooperation: Democracy and Human Rights, Oslo, Norway

11 Dec 2014
Millions at risk of losing their incomes in Ebola-affected countries, says UNDP
The Ebola outbreak is threatening the livelihoods of millions of women and men, according to a just released United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) study on the socio-economic impact of the disease in West Africa.

09 Dec 2014
Community volunteers in Liberia are limiting the spread of Ebola
The number of new cases of Ebola in Liberia is decreasing each day and community volunteers’ work has contributed substantially to this result. UNDP Liberia has recruited 1,300 volunteers who are being paid $80 per month to go door to door, every day in their communities, to track down anyone who shows symptoms of the disease and get urgent medical help.

ILO International Labour Organization [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm

Universal Health Coverage Day
Global health protection crisis leaves almost 40% of the world’s population without any coverage
12 December 2014
New ILO study reveals large health coverage gaps, including in West African countries, where 80 per cent have no coverage.

USAID [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/

United States Announces Results of Grand Challenge to Fight Ebola
December 12, 2014
Innovative personal protective equipment solutions selected for funding, testing and deployment
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today the first nominees for awards in the Fighting Ebola: a Grand Challenge for Development. Following a rigorous selection process, these innovators have been identified for the solutions they presented to increase the protection and comfort of healthcare workers battling Ebola.

DFID [to 13 December 2014]
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development
Selected Releases

Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict Report published
10 December 2014 DFID, FCO and OLHC Press release

OECD [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.oecd.org/

Inequality hurts economic growth, finds OECD research
9 December 2014
Reducing income inequality would boost economic growth, according to new OECD analysis. This work finds that countries where income inequality is decreasing grow faster than those with rising inequality.

World Bank [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all

500+ Organizations Launch Global Coalition to Accelerate Access to Universal Health Coverage
On first-ever Universal Health Coverage Day, all countries urged to make quality health coverage accessible to everyone, everywhere.NEW YORK, 12 December 2014 – A new global coalition of more than 500 leading health and development organizations worldwide is urging governments to accelerate reforms that ensure everyone, everywhere, can access quality health services without being forced into poverty. The coalition was launched today, on the first-ever Universal Health Coverage Day, to stress the importance of universal access to health services for saving lives, ending extreme poverty, building resilience against the health effects of climate change and ending deadly epidemics such as Ebola.Universal Health Coverage Day marks the two-year anniversary of a United Nations resolution, unanimously passed on 12 December 2012, which endorsed universal health coverage as a pillar of sustainable development and global security. Despite progress in combatting global killers such as HIV/AIDS…
Date: December 12, 2014

Statement from World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim on 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Winners Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi
WASHINGTON, December 10, 2014—World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim welcomed the awarding of the 2014 Nobel Prize for Peace to Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi today in Stockholm: “Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi have inspired the world with their their courageous efforts on behalf of children everywhere—for their fundamental right to be educated, to live free of fear and exploitation, to fulfill their unique potential. Malala’s bravery in raising her young voice and standing up to brutal extremism has given new hope to girls everywhere. Kailash Satyarthi’s Bachpan Bachao Andolan–the Save Childhood Movement—has peacefully shone a spotlight on the unconscionable exploitation of countless children, rescuing them from slavery and restoring them to childhood. “Both follow in the tradition of Nobel Peace laureates before them, championing the most fundamental rights of all human beings, including and especially the youngest and most vulnerable among us.
Date: December 10, 2014

World Bank Hosts 2nd Urbanization and Poverty Reduction Research Conference
In his keynote address on Cities in the Developing World, Edward Glaeser (Harvard University) told a packed audience that the rise of poor country urbanization is the defining development statistic today. He highlighted the need for strong institutions to manage the pressures of urbanization in the future. “There are demons of urbanization, and they need to be tamed. But the future is not rural poverty,” Glaeser said. In the second keynote address on The Power of the Grid, Paul Romer (New York University) emphasized the need for countries to plan in advance for urban expansion. In his presentation on “The Power of the Grid” he used New York City as an example of how urban planning decisions made two centuries ago still affect the development of the city’s infrastructure and commercial activities to this day. Romer urged policy practitioners to “focus on dimensions that can have enormous impact, and that explain why some countries are rich and some are poor…
Date: December 8, 2014

ECPAT [to 13 December 2014]

ECPAT Releases New CMRs for Latin America
12/11/2014
On December 11th during the XXI Pan-American Congress of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Brasilia, ECPAT International and the Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN), a specialised body of the OAS, will call public attention to the gravity of the situation of CSEC in the region and to the fact that it has not been adequately addressed by the majority of OAS Member States.
To support its call for action, ECPAT International is releasing ten Country Monitoring Reports (CMRs) on December 11th focused on various Latin American countries as well as a Regional Overview on the situation of CSEC throughout Latin America. The Country Monitoring Reports have been produced for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay (with the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua to be released in the near future). These publications provide a comprehensive baseline of information, as well as an assessment of achievements, challenges and priority actions necessary to assist in the formulation of a successful strategic framework…

IRCT [to 13 December 2014]

IRCT calls on the US to ensure access to rehabilitation to the victims of the CIA torture program
10-12-2014
The IRCT calls for a firm commitment by the United States on granting reparations to the victims of the CIA torture including granting access to rehabilitation services.
The upcoming executive summary of the CIA torture report from the US Senate Intelligence Committee confirms many of the earlier claims made about CIA’s torture program post 9/11. The report reveals the repeated use of torture by the agency including threats, beatings, waterboarding, cloaking and sleep deprivation, and, most importantly, that the use of torture was unnecessary and yielded no critical intelligence on terror plots.
However, one question remains unanswered: will the victims be granted access to rehabilitation?
“The torture used by the CIA throughout the years has had a traumatic and life-changing impact on the victims, which will require multiple interventions in order to restore their dignity and enable them to be as fully functional as possible,” said Miriam Reventlow, IRCT Director of Advocacy.
Throughout the timeline of this report, and in the production of the report itself, the victims have had no say, and the reparations to the victims, including access to health-based rehabilitation and redress have not been a priority for the US government.
The victims of the CIA torture program have suffered a serious violation of their rights and have an explicit right to rehabilitation under international human rights and international humanitarian law, as referred to in Article 14 of the UN Convention against Torture.
Furthermore, the lengthy political process to release this report has created an unacceptable delay in truth and justice.
The IRCT calls on the government of the United States to fulfil its obligation under international human rights and international humanitarian law to ensure that the victims have free and prompt access to rehabilitation services.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 13 December 2014]

Press release
Doctors Without Borders Distributes Antimalarial Drugs in Sierra Leone
December 10, 2014
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE—As part of its ongoing emergency response to Ebola in West Africa, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has begun its largest-ever distribution of antimalarials in Sierra Leone, alongside the Ministry of Health, the medical humanitarian organization announced Wednesday. Teams distributed 1.5 million antimalarial treatments to residents of Freetown and five districts in the surrounding Western area over four days, with the aim of protecting people from malaria during the disease’s peak season.
“In the context of Ebola, malaria is a major concern, because people who are sick with malaria have the same symptoms as people sick with Ebola,” said Patrick Robataille, MSF field coordinator in Freetown. “As a result, most people turn up at Ebola treatment centers thinking that they have Ebola, when actually they have malaria. It’s a huge load on the system, as well as being a huge stress on patients and their families.”
Sierra Leone has the fifth highest prevalence of malaria globally, and the disease is the biggest killer of children under five in the country. Malaria symptoms include high fever, dizziness, headaches, muscle aches and fatigue, many of which are similar to the symptoms of early-stage Ebola.
The antimalarial drug artesunate amodiaquine can be used both to prevent and to treat malaria. Its widescale use is recommended in the context of an Ebola outbreak by the World Health Organization (WHO).
At 1.5 million treatments, this is the largest-ever distribution of antimalarials in an Ebola outbreak, as well as the largest ever conducted in Sierra Leone.
“The size of this campaign is in proportion to the scale of the Ebola epidemic –it’s massive,”said Robataille….

GAVI Watch [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.gavialliance.org/library/news/press-releases/

:: Gavi commits to purchasing Ebola vaccine for affected countries 
Vaccine Alliance ready to begin procurement as soon as WHO recommends a vaccine for use
Geneva, 11 December 2014 – Plans to purchase millions of doses of an Ebola vaccine to support large-scale vaccination efforts were today agreed by the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Today’s decision means that Gavi will be ready to act as soon as a safe, effective vaccine is recommended for use by the World Health Organization.
The Gavi Board endorsed plans that could see up to US$ 300 million committed to procure the vaccines, to be used to immunise at risk populations in affected countries. Up to an additional US$ 90 million could be used to support countries to introduce the vaccines and to rebuild devastated health systems and restore immunisation services for all vaccines in Ebola-affected countries.

:: Dr Flavia Bustreo appointed Vice Chair of Gavi Board
11 December 2014
WHO Assistant Director-General will also chair the Board’s Governance Committee
Geneva, 11 December 2014 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has today appointed World Health Organization Assistant Director-General for Family, Women’s and Children’s Health Dr Flavia Bustreo as the new Vice Chair of its Board.
Dr Bustreo has been a Gavi Board member since 2010 and will take up the position of Vice Chair on the January 1st 2015. As part of her responsibilities as Vice Chair of the Board, Dr Bustreo will also be the Chair of the Board’s Governance Committee and Vice Chair of the Executive Committee.
“I am very humbled by the Board’s decision, which is I believe is a reflection of the value of WHO’s critical role and contribution to the Alliance,” said Dr Bustreo. “I am also delighted that my appointment coincides with Human Rights Day and at a time when Gavi is embarking on its new strategy for 2016-2020, given that Gavi is such a critical instrument to saving and improving the lives of women and children and increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower income countries “
Dr Bustreo succeeds UNICEF Deputy Executive director Dr Geeta Rao Gupta who has served as Vice Chair since 2011.
“I am grateful to Geeta Rao Gupta for her strong support and counsel during a period of remarkable expansion of Gavi’s programmes,” said Gavi Board Chair Dagfinn Høybråten. “Geeta Rao Gupta was, along with Flavia Bustreo, a leading advocate in support of crucial board decisions including the approval of support for human papillomavirus vaccine and measles-rubella vaccine.”
“Flavia Bustreo’s appointment comes at an important moment for Gavi as we seek to secure funds for immunisation programmes between 2016 and 2020. We have a great deal of work to do if we are to reach every child with lifesaving vaccines and the knowledge and experience that Flavia will bring to her new role will help us address the challenges we face,” added Mr Høybråten.
Dr Bustreo has served as the WHO Assistant Director-General for Family, Women’s and Children’s Health since 2010. Her responsibilities include the oversight of WHO’s work on immunisation, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, social and environmental determinants of health, gender, equity and human rights and ageing.

Global Fund Watch [to 13 December 2014]
Press releases

:: 11 December 2014 – New Approach on Buying HIV Drugs Will Save $100 Million
GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is putting into place a new agreement for purchasing HIV medication that will save close to US$100 million over two years, money that can be reinvested in lifesaving drugs and programs all over the world.
By using a Pooled Procurement Mechanism, the agreement means lower prices, swifter delivery and more predictable and sustainable long-term supply – delivering on the goals of the Global Fund’s Market Shaping Strategy.
It also yields greater transparency, reducing risks and expenses for countries that implement programs treating people with HIV. The new approach will also deliver better HIV medication options for children.
The improvements were achieved by bundling the purchase of, high volume drugs with lower volume ones which are sometimes more difficult to obtain. Negotiators also focused on improved shelf life and active pharmaceutical ingredient security.
The Global Fund is entering agreements with eight suppliers, with three of them as long-term strategic partnerships…

:: 10 December 2014 – Côte d’Ivoire Launches Giveaway of 13 Million Nets to Fight Malaria

:: 09 December 2014 – UNAIDS and Global Fund Sign Cooperation Agreement
GENEVA – UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria signaled their strong partnership with a renewed cooperation agreement to help countries achieve Fast-Track targets to end the AIDS epidemic as a global health threat by 2030.
At the core of the agreement is an improved way of collaborating that strengthens coordination mechanisms, and information-sharing at all levels and mutual accountability.
The UNAIDS Fast-Track approach emphasizes the need to focus on the countries, cities and communities most affected by HIV and recommends that resources be concentrated on the areas with the greatest impact. The new agreement will focus on maximizing support to countries and optimizing investments and impact at country level…

Start Network [Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies] [to 13 December 2014]
http://www.start-network.org/news-blog/#.U9U_O7FR98E

Humanitarian interoperability: is humanitarianism coming of age?
December 10, 2014
David Hockaday, Transition Manager
At the heart of the December 2014 UNOCHA global humanitarian policy conference was the concept of “humanitarian interoperability”. It is likely, as with all new buzzwords, that this concept will gather increasing momentum over the next 12 months, as practitioners, policy makers and decision-makers grapple to make sense of this new addition to the humanitarian lexicon…
Central to humanitarian interoperability will be common standards, values and principles, particularly as the currently insular aid system will need to collaborate with the new voices needed to be able to take gains to the necessary scale to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
These normative standards could be the uniting force, which help the aid agencies and private sector, business and commercial organisations find a common ground in the humanitarian endeavour..

Rockefeller Foundation
http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/newsroom

500+ Organizations Launch Global Coalition to Accelerate Access to Universal Health Coverage
Dec 12, 2014
The coalition was launched today, on the first-ever Universal Health Coverage Day, to stress the importance of universal access to health services for saving lives, ending extreme poverty, building resilience against the health effects of climate change and ending deadly epidemics.

BMC Infectious Diseases
(Accessed 13 December 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content

Study protocol
Multicenter case–control study protocol of pneumonia etiology in children: Global Approach to Biological Research, Infectious diseases and Epidemics in Low-income countries (GABRIEL network)
Valentina Sanchez Picot, Thomas Bénet, Melina Messaoudi, Jean-Noël Telles, Monidarin Chou, Tekchheng Eap, Jianwei Wang, Kunling Shen, Jean-William Pape, Vanessa Rouzier, Shally Awasthi, Nitin Pandey, Ashish Bavdekar, Sonali Sanghvi, Annick Robinson, Bénédicte Contamin, Jonathan Hoffmann, Maryam Sylla, Souleymane Diallo, Pagbajabyn Nymadawa, Budragchaagiin Dash-Yandag, Graciela Russomando, Wilma Basualdo, Marilda M Siqueira, Patricia Barreto, Florence Komurian-Pradel, Guy Vernet, Hubert Endtz, Philippe Vanhems, Gláucia Paranhos-Baccalà* and and on behalf of the pneumonia GABRIEL network
Author Affiliations
BMC Infectious Diseases 2014, 14:635 doi:10.1186/s12879-014-0635-8
Published: 10 December 2014
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Data on the etiologies of pneumonia among children are inadequate, especially in developing countries. The principal objective is to undertake a multicenter incident case-control study of <5-year-old children hospitalized with pneumonia in developing and emerging countries, aiming to identify the causative agents involved in pneumonia while assessing individual and microbial factors associated with the risk of severe pneumonia.
Methods/design
A multicenter case-control study, based on the GABRIEL network, is ongoing. Ten study sites are located in 9 countries over 3 continents: Brazil, Cambodia, China, Haiti, India, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, and Paraguay. At least 1,000 incident cases and 1,000 controls will be enrolled and matched for age and date. Cases are hospitalized children <5-years with radiologically confirmed pneumonia, and the controls are children without any features suggestive of pneumonia. Respiratory specimens are collected from all enrolled subjects to identify 19 viruses and 5 bacteria. Whole blood from pneumonia cases is being tested for 3 major bacteria. S. pneumoniae-positive specimens are serotyped. Urine samples from cases only are tested for detection of antimicrobial activity. The association between procalcitonin, C-reactive protein and pathogens is being evaluated. A discovery platform will enable pathogen identification in undiagnosed samples.
Discussion
This multicenter study will provide descriptive results for better understanding of pathogens responsible for pneumonia among children in developing countries. The identification of determinants related to microorganisms associated with pneumonia and its severity should facilitate treatment and prevention.

BMC Medical Ethics
(Accessed 13 December 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content

Debate
Community engagement and the human infrastructure of global health research
Katherine F King, Pamela Kolopack, Maria W Merritt and James V Lavery
BMC Medical Ethics 2014, 15:84 doi:10.1186/1472-6939-15-84
Published: 13 December 2014
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Biomedical research is increasingly globalized with ever more research conducted in low and middle-income countries. This trend raises a host of ethical concerns and critiques. While community engagement (CE) has been proposed as an ethically important practice for global biomedical research, there is no agreement about what these practices contribute to the ethics of research, or when they are needed.
Discussion
In this paper, we propose an ethical framework for CE. The framework is grounded in the insight that relationships between the researcher and the community extend beyond the normal bounds of the researcher-research participant encounter and are the foundation of meaningful engagement. These relationships create an essential “human infrastructure” – a web of relationships between researchers and the stakeholder community–i.e., the diverse stakeholders who have interests in the conduct and/or outcomes of the research. Through these relationships, researchers are able to address three core ethical responsibilities: (1) identifying and managing non-obvious risks and benefits; (2) expanding respect beyond the individual to the stakeholder community; and (3) building legitimacy for the research project.
Summary
By recognizing the social and political context of biomedical research, CE offers a promising solution to many seemingly intractable challenges in global health research; however there are increasing concerns about what makes engagement meaningful. We have responded to those concerns by presenting an ethical framework for CE. This framework reflects our belief that the value of CE is realized through relationships between researchers and stakeholders, thereby advancing three distinct ethical goals. Clarity about the aims of researcher-stakeholder relationships helps to make engagement programs more meaningful, and contributes to greater clarity about when CE should be recommended or required.

Research article
Shortcomings of protocols of drug trials in relation to sponsorship as identified by Research Ethics Committees: analysis of comments raised during ethical review
Marlies van Lent, Gerard A Rongen and Henk J Out
BMC Medical Ethics 2014, 15:83 doi:10.1186/1472-6939-15-83
Published: 10 December 2014
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Submission of study protocols to research ethics committees (RECs) constitutes one of the earliest stages at which planned trials are documented in detail. Previous studies have investigated the amendments requested from researchers by RECs, but the type of issues raised during REC review have not been compared by sponsor type. The objective of this study was to identify recurring shortcomings in protocols of drug trials based on REC comments and to assess whether these were more common among industry-sponsored or non-industry trials.
Methods
Retrospective analysis of 226 protocols of drug trials approved in 2010-2011 by three RECs affiliated to academic medical centres in The Netherlands. For each protocol, information on sponsorship, number of participating centres, participating countries, study phase, registration status of the study drug, and type and number of subjects was retrieved. REC comments were extracted from decision letters sent to investigators after review and were classified using a predefined checklist that was based on legislation and guidelines on clinical drug research and previous literature.
Results
Most protocols received comments regarding participant information and consent forms (n = 182, 80.5%), methodology and statistical analyses (n = 160, 70.8%), and supporting documentation, including trial agreements and certificates of insurance (n = 154, 68.1%). Of the submitted protocols, 122 (54.0%) were non-industry and 104 (46.0%) were industry-sponsored trials. Non-industry trials more often received comments on subject selection (n = 44, 36.1%) than industry-sponsored trials (n = 18, 17.3%; RR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.47), and on methodology and statistical analyses (n = 95, 77.9% versus n = 65, 62.5%, respectively; RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.37). Non-industry trials less often received comments on supporting documentation (n = 72, 59.0%) than industry-sponsored trials (n = 82, 78.8%; RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.95).
Conclusions
RECs identified important ethical and methodological shortcomings in protocols of both industry-sponsored and non-industry drug trials. Investigators, especially of non-industry trials, should better prepare their research protocols in order to facilitate the ethical review process.