Women for Women International [to 17 May 2014]
Women for Women Intl @WomenforWomen • May 15
WfWI joins the Global Day of Action 1 month since kidnapping of 300+ Nigerian girls @FemnetProg #BringBackOurGirls http://ow.ly/wTFLS
Women for Women Intl @WomenforWomen • May 13
Learn more about our involvement in #Kosovo and the #women we serve. #WfWI http://ow.ly/wOfqc
United Nations – Selected Meetings Coverage and Press Releases [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/
Meetings
In Sombre Depiction of Indigenous Children Caught in Bitter Land Disputes, Speakers in Permanent Forum Describe Myriad Threats, Urge Solutions (16 May 2014)
Against a backdrop pockmarked by cultural disintegration, “suicide clusters” and family displacements from extractive industries, speakers today in the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples urged prompt and concerted action to reverse those trends and improve the lives of indigenous children and youth worldwide.
HR/5182
Speakers in Permanent Forum, Noting Majority of World’s Indigenous Live in Asia, Say Governments Put Economic Interests over Respect for Traditional Cultures (15 May 2014)
Asia had the highest concentration of indigenous and tribal peoples in the world — more than 150 million — yet many were disproportionately vulnerable to poverty, marginalization and human rights violations, as Governments prioritized economic development over respect for traditional cultures, lands and identities, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues heard today during a half-day panel discussion on the region.
HR/5181
Press Releases
Secretary-General, in Video Message, Calls for Efforts to Help Smallholder Farmers Worldwide Produce Enough Food, Increase Resilience (15 May 2014)
SG/SM/15844
Secretary-General, in Video Message, Urges Universal Acceptance of Amendment to Rome Statute on Crime of Aggression (15 May 2014)
SG/SM/15843-L/T/4433
Migration Should Be ‘a Journey of Hope, Not a Perilous Gamble’, Secretary-General Tells Stockholm Forum, Urging Fresh Ideas, Innovative Partnerships (14 May 2014)
SG/SM/15842-DEV/3091
Strong, Well-Functioning Families Reduce Poverty, Promote Gender Equality, Says Secretary-General in Message (13 May 2014)
SG/SM/15840-OBV/1330
Security Council Press Statement on Central African Republic (13 May 2014)
SC/11394-AFR/2886
Secretary-General, in Message, Calls for Shared Effort to Bridge Digital Divide, Harness Power of Technology (13 May 2014)
SG/SM/15841-OBV/1331-PI/2093
Sustainable Energy ‘Golden Thread’ Connecting Economic Growth, Increased Social Equity, Secretary-General Tells Ministerial Meeting (12 May 2014)
SG/SM/15839-EN/288
Secretary-General Calls on South Sudan Leaders to Accelerate ‘Momentum for Peace’, in Security Council Briefing (12 May 2014)
SG/SM/15838-SC/11392-AFR/2885
States to Discuss Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems at Geneva Meeting, 13-16 May (12 May 2014)
DC/3499
Use Deepening Ties to Intensify Fight against Poverty, Disease, Climate Change, Secretary-General Urges China–Africa People’s Forum (12 May 2014)
SG/SM/15835-AFR/2884
Indigenous Peoples Must Have Right to Determine Priorities while Maintaining Traditions, Cultures, Identity, Secretary-General Tells Permanent Forum (12 May 2014)
SG/SM/15837-HR/5178
UNICEF [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_71508.html
Media Releases [selected]
UNICEF calls on football fans to take the protection of children into their own hands
NEW YORK/BRASILIA, 16 May 2014 – UNICEF Brazil has launched an app that allows users, with a few taps on their smartphones or tablets, to report cases of abuse, violence or exploitation of children.
Going the last mile for children in China
BEIJING, 16 May 2014 – At the conclusion of a five day visit to China, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake commended the Government of China for its commitment to address socio-economic disparities facing the country. He also discussed with the Government, the continued need to prioritize efforts to reduce inequity, especially for children in the remotest corners of the country.
Over 1,000 children released from armed groups in Central African Republic this year
BANGUI, Central African Republic / GENEVA, 16 May 2014 – UNICEF and partners have secured the release of over 1,000 children from armed groups in the Central African Republic this year, more than five times the total number of children released in 2013.
Worrying trend of violence against children emerging in Honduras, warns UNICEF
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, 15 May 2014 – UNICEF is alarmed by the increasing generalized violence against children in Honduras. In a series of incidents, including domestic and gang-related violence, some 24 children are reported to have been murdered across the country in the past month.
The European Union and UNICEF launch ‘Voices of Children in Emergencies’ campaign
BRUSSELS/NEW YORK, 15 May 2014 – The European Union and UNICEF today launched a campaign to highlight the situation of millions of children around the world affected by disasters, catastrophes and conflicts — by giving some of these boys and girls the opportunity to tell their stories.
Children swept up in violence in Ukraine, says UNICEF
NEW YORK/GENEVA/KYIV, 15 May 2014 – “UNICEF is deeply concerned about the unrest in Ukraine and its damaging impact on the lives of children. We know that children have been involved in violent demonstrations and we are examining reports of children being killed and injured in Odessa. UNICEF condemns these grave violations of children’s rights in the strongest possible terms.
Children, Not Soldiers: Yemen Signs Action Plan to End Recruitment and Use of Children by Armed Forces
SANAA, Yemen, 14 May – In a landmark development for the protection of children today, the Government of Yemen signed an action plan with the United Nations to end and prevent the recruitment of children by the Yemeni Armed Forces
UNOCHA [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.unocha.org/
Press Releases
16 May 2014
Philippines: Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) Consolidated Cluster Briefs, 14 May 2014
Source: Government of the Philippines, International Labour Organization, International Organization for Migration, World Health Organization, UN Development Programme, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, World Food Programme, UN Children’s Fund, Food and Agriculture Organization, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, WASH Cluster, Logistics Cluster, Nutrition Cluster, Protection Cluster, CCCM Cluster, Education Cluster, Shelter Cluster, Emergency Telecommunications…
16 May 2014
Philippines: Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster: Response to Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), 14 May 2014
Source: International Organization for Migration, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, CCCM Cluster Country: Philippines OVERVIEW The Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster tracks and monitors displacement flows in all displacement sites in order to define caseloads, identify vulnerable groups, monitor and coordinate service provision and advocate durable solutions for IDPs. The CCCM Cluster, led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) …
16 May 2014
South Sudan: Guide to Giving: Key ways of contributing to the crisis response in South Sudan
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, South Sudan CLUSTERS AND PROJECTS IN THE CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN The Plan comprises the humanitarian programmes of 125 non-governmental organizations and 11 UN agencies. If you wish to sponsor a specific project or organization, visit goo.gl/PYfoDf for detailed information on all partners and projects. We urge donors to make cash donations. If you can only consider in-kind contributions,…
16 May 2014
Myanmar: Humanitarian situation deteriorates in Myanmar’s southern Kachin state and northern Shan state
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Myanmar Renewed clashes displace over 3,000 people since early April 2014 (Yangon, 16 May 2014): Humanitarian organisations remain seriously concerned by an increase in insecurity and the displacement of thousands of people over the past weeks in southern Kachin State and northern Shan State. Fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) broke out on 10 April 2014 in Man Win Gyi in southern…
UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html
17 May 2014
Helen Clark: Statement on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
UN Women [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.unwomen.org/
UN Women Executive Director Statement on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Posted on May 17, 2014
Statement by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
In Cambodia social causes find new partner in technology
Posted on May 16, 2014
“The Internet provides a space where we can speak openly about violence against women[ and girls] ,” says Man Keo Sema, a 22-year-old business administration student at the Build Bright University, in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Statement by UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri at a panel discussion on violence against women across the European Union
Posted on May 15, 2014
Statement by UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri at a panel discussion on violence against women across the European Union: presentation of a 2014 European Union-wide survey, New York, 14 May 2014.
New Gender Alert for South Sudan warns of increased sexual and gender-based violence and the need to include women and girls in the humanitarian response
Posted on May 15, 2014
Since the initial eruption of violence in December 2013, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated sharply in South Sudan. According to the UN’s Office of Humanitarian Affairs, an estimated 959,000 people are internally displaced (of which 192,000 are in inaccessible areas) with an additional 293,000 refugees in neighbouring countries. The crisis has further increased the exposure of girls and women to health-related risks and to sexual and gender-based violence. Women and girls continue to struggle to make their voices heard and are increasingly marginalized by the overall humanitarian response
#WomenCan: World Bank, UN Women and Hillary Clinton to launch ground-breaking report
Posted on May 14, 2014
After two years of research and many in-depth consultations, on 14 May the World Bank team will launch a ground-breaking report, with Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Indigenous voices
Posted on May 12, 2014
As indigenous organizations and activists gather for the 13th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (12-23 May), we spotlight five indigenous women who speak in their own words of their struggle and triumphs.
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.unfpa.org/public/
UNFPA News
16 May 2014 – Dispatch
Côte d’Ivoire rolls out campaign to reduce adolescent pregnancies
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire – Faced with alarming numbers of adolescent pregnancies,the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, with support from UNFPA, the United Nations Fund for Population, launched a national campaign to educate youth about sexual and reproductive health.
15 May 2014 – Dispatch
‘Lost Children’ Reveal Need to Support Families – and Women
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Gladys Kalibbala, a journalist in Uganda, knows what loss looks like. She has seen it hundreds of times, in the faces of children without homes and in the desperation of mothers searching for their children. Around the world, vulnerable families are fracturing under the strain of extreme poverty. Households headed by women, who receive fewer opportunities and less pay than men, are among the most vulnerable.
15 May 2014 – Statement
Statement on the International Day of Families
Twenty years ago, at the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, the world community recognized that families, in their various forms, should be strengthened and enjoy comprehensive protection and support. As we prepare a roadmap for development beyond 2015, it is particularly fitting that the theme of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family is “Families Matter for the Achievement of Development Goals”.
15 May 2014 – Press Release
30,000 South Sudanese Women at Risk of Dying in Childbirth, Warns UNFPA
UNITED NATIONS, New York–As the conflict in South Sudan continues to intensify, UNFPA, warns that an estimated 200,000 pregnant women will be in need of urgent care this year alone.
14 May 2014 – Dispatch
Tailoring Services to Nigeria’s Young People
ABUJA, Nigeria – Twenty-three per cent of Nigerian youth between ages 15 and 19 have already begun to have children, according to the country’s 2008 Demographic and Health Survey. But sexual and reproductive health information and services can empower adolescents to make informed choices about their bodies, health and futures.
UNESCO [to 17 May 2014]
http://en.unesco.org/
16 May 2014
:: UNESCO and European Union undertake to reconstruct the cultural heritage of Timbuktu
:: Bahrain ratifies the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001)
:: UNESCO activities this week on school bullying on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity – IDAHOT
:: Asia-Pacific Memory of the World Register enriched with sixteen new collections
:: The Philippines: Resilient Cities, Brighter Futures
15 May 2014
:: Rallying the International Community to Safeguard Syria’s Cultural Heritage
:: Asia-Pacific Underwater Cultural Heritage Conference Opened in Honolulu
:: Muscat global meeting calls for a strong Education goal in the development agenda for post-2015
14 May 2014
:: 60th anniversary of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
13 May 2014
:: Reconstruction of the Tombs of the Buganda Kings begins
:: Director-General Condemns the Abduction of Nigerian Schoolgirls
FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.fao.org/home/en/
Crisis-hit farmers receive seeds and tools in Central African Republic
A major operation to distribute seeds and tools has been launched in the Central African Republic to support crisis-hit farming families.
16-05-2014
Syria: Poor crop prospects reflect the impact of continued conflict and drought conditions
Vulnerable families at risk amid expected severe cereal crop reduction in 2014.
15-05-2014
Land ownership still lagging for women in Western Balkans
Even in countries where clear legal protections for women’s ownership of land and property exist, local customs often continue to work against equality for female farmers, according to new data released this week by FAO and the World Bank.
14-05-2014
Potential of insects as resources for animal feed
Wageningen University and FAO host international conference on the role of insects in sustainable food production.
14-05-2014
WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.wipo.int/portal/en/index.html
WIPO Launches Unique Image-Based Search for Trademarks, Other Brand Information
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has unveiled a one-of-a-kind image-search function for its Global Brand Database, adding a new feature that allows users to upload an image to search for visually similar trademark and other brand-information records from among the millions of images in the collection.
May 12, 2014 PR/2014/760
USAID [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/
Press Releases
USAID Transports Critical Relief Supplies to the Central African Republic
May 16, 2014
On May 15, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance began airlifting life-saving relief supplies to the Central African Republic (CAR), where ongoing violence has left an estimated 2.5 million people—more than half the country’s population—in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
ECHO [to 17 May 2014]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm
EU assistance underway for flood victims in Serbia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina
17/05/2014 – The European Union is providing coordinated assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism which has been activated upon the request of Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina due to the severe flooding in the two countries.
EU and UNICEF launch ‘Voices of Children in Emergencies’ joint campaign
15/05/2014 – Every year, the European Union and UNICEF work together to help millions of children affected by emergencies in their hour of greatest need.
First year anniversary of the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre
14/05/2014 – A year ago tomorrow, on 15 May 2013, the European Commission launched its Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC), enabling a better coordinated and faster European response to disasters in Europe and the world.
World Bank [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
Education Plays Key Role in Advancing Women, Girls, and Communities, Report Says
Less educated girls far more likely to suffer violence, child marriageWASHINGTON, May 14, 2014—Girls with little or no education are far more likely to be married as children, suffer domestic violence, live in poverty, and lack a say over household spending or their own health care than better-educated peers, which harms them, their children, and communities, a new report by the World Bank Group finds.Some 65 percent of women with primary education or less globally are married as children, lack control over household resources, and condone wife-beating, compared with 5 percent of women who finish high school, Voice and Agency: Empowering Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity finds.The report distills vast data and hundreds of studies to shed new light on constraints facing women and girls worldwide, from epidemic levels of gender-based violence to biased laws and norms that prevent them from owning property, working, and making decisions about their own lives. [see report summary in Week in Review above]
Africa’s Leaders Commit to Reducing Disaster Risks
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2014 – Hundreds of participants committed to reducing disaster risks and losses in Africa will gather in Abuja, Nigeria for the 5th Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, May 13 – 16, 2014. The platform is a multi-stakeholder event that includes high-level government representatives, members of intergovernmental regional organizations, bilateral and multilateral donors, the United Nations, academic and technical institutions, mayors, community leaders, parliamentarians, youth, media and the private sector.
The Sphere Project [to 17 May 2014]
http://www.sphereproject.org/news/
Mainstreaming economic recovery into humanitarian response programming
11 May 2014 | Sphere Project
The first stages of a humanitarian response may have crucial consequences for the longer-term recovery that should begin once the crisis has subsided. If not properly done, economic development programs can do more harm than good. That’s where the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) enter the picture, providing guidance to humanitarian practitioners who are not necessarily trained in market development.
BMC Public Health
(Accessed 17 May 2014)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth/content
Research article
Expanded program of immunization coverage and associated factors among children age 12 – 23 months in Arba Minch town and ZuriaDistrict, Southern Ethiopia, 2013
Worku Animaw, Wondimagegn Taye, Behailu Merdekios, Marilign Tilahun and Gistane Ayele
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Immunization averts an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths every year globally. In Ethiopia only quarter of children are fully immunized; the rest are remained at risk for vaccine-preventable mortality. To increase the immunization, its coverage and predictors has to be identified. This study has measured immunization coverage and identified the predictors.
Methods
Cross-sectional community based study has been conducted within 630 age 12-23 months children in 15 districts of Arba Minch town and Arba Minch Zuria district, Southern Ethiopia in March 2013. Census was done to identify eligible children. The 2005 world health organization expanded program of immunization cluster sampling method has been used. Data were collected using semi-structured pretested Amharic version questionnaire by interviewing index children’s mothers/caretakers, copying from vaccine card and observing BCG vaccine scar. Data were processed using SPSS version 16. Associations between dependent and independent variables has been assessed and presented using three consecutive logistic regression models. Result: Nearly three fourth (73.2%) of children in Arba Minch Town and Arba Minch Zuria district were fully immunized. The rest 20.3% were partially immunized and 6.5% received no vaccine. Mother education, mothers’ perception to accessibility of vaccines, mothers’ knowledge to vaccine schedule of their site, place of delivery and living altitude were independent predictors of children immunization status.
Conclusion
Expanded program of immunization (EPI) coverage at Arba Minch town and Arba Minch Zuria district is better than the national immunization coverage but still below the goal. Educating mother, promoting institution delivery could help to maintain and enhance current immunization coverage. More emphasis should be given to the highland areas of the area.
British Medical Journal
17 May 2014 (Vol 348, Issue 7958)
http://www.bmj.com/content/348/7958
Editorial
Collecting data on female genital mutilation
Katrina Erskine, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist
BMJ 2014; 348 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g3222 (Published 13 May 2014)
Cite this as: BMJ 2014;348:g3222
Excerpt
UK government’s actions still characterised by a failure to think things through
Female genital mutilation is defined by the World Health Organization as “all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genitalia for non-medical reasons.” A horrendous form of child abuse, in its most extreme form (type 3) it involves removing the clitoris and labia and narrowing the vaginal introitus. More than 100 million women worldwide are affected.
The procedure has many complications including dyspareunia, sepsis, and death—procedure related mortality was estimated at 2.3% in one country.1 It is done for many reasons—there is no single religious basis. In some cultures a woman who has not undergone the procedure may be thought unmarriageable. In women with type 3 mutilation, the introitus may be too narrow for childbirth, and the tissues that have sealed together need to be separated; this is termed deinfibulation. Female genital mutilation was made an offence in 1985 in the United Kingdom, with a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.
A government declaration to end the practice …
Brown Journal of World Affairs
20.1 Fall/Winter 2013
http://www.bjwa.org/index.php?subpage=currentissue
The Fight is for Women’s Rights
Michael Soussan
Abstract
When Daniel Cruise, Alex Scribner, and I started the Brown Journal of World Affairs 20 years ago, the cause of women’s rights was hardly on the forefront of the international agenda. When we marched for women’s rights causes, it was to support abortion rights in the United States. At the international level, policymakers and academics most often considered women’s rights as a development challenge. Dramatic circumstances have since made women’s rights one of the overarching security challenges of the international system and the single most productive area for investment worldwide in pursuit of further democratization, peace, and prosperity.
The conclusion is not simply derived from either the bad news—such as horrible acts of violence against women spanning from West and East Africa to the Middle East and South Asia, where most of the political instability in the globe persists—or even from the good news—such as advances in microcredit and the proven benefits of family planning, women’s education, and the strengthening of constitutional rights for women. It is derived from a macro-level analysis of the international system as it has evolved in the past 20 years. The following retrospective guides my firm belief today that the central focus of U.S. efforts, as the United States interacts with societies in conflict around the globe, must be on empowering women—and creating a powerful system of incentives and retribution for governments to get on board with this objective.
Meeting the Health Care Needs of Aging Societies
John W. Rowe & Linda P. Fried
Abstract
It is ironic that one of civilization’s greatest accomplishments—the dramatic and progressive increase in life expectancy around the globe—has also yielded one of its greatest challenges. Worldwide, countries struggle to develop effective approaches to design and finance health care services for their rapidly increasing numbers of older persons. Aging is universal in today’s world, and the progressive shift to longer life expectancies and lower fertility rates has led to numerous “aging societies.”
In discussions of national responses to the demographic transition, the observation “developed countries became rich before they grew old while poor countries are growing old before becoming rich” often serves to bifurcate the conversation into separate groups of national experiences and strategies based on GDP. We believe this division of debate into countries grouped by wealth diminishes recognition of the important commonalities both developed and developing nations face in dealing with their populations’ longer lives.
A 20-Year Perspective on Rural Poverty and Sustainability: Where are we Today?
Andrew Shephard
[No abstract]
Decreasing Gender Inequality in Agriculture: Key to Eradicating Hunger
Marcela Villarreal
[No abstract]
Conflict and Health
http://www.conflictandhealth.com/
[Accessed 17 May 2014]
Editorial
Conflict and Health: seven years of advancing science in humanitarian crises
Ruwan Ratnayake, Olivier Degomme, Bayard Roberts and Paul Spiegel
doi:10.1186/1752-1505-8-7
Published: 12 May 2014
Abstract (provisional)
Conflict and Health began in 2007 with an aim to provide a forum to document public health responses during and after conflict across the world. The journal has published over 120 articles that span the range of public health domains including, but not limited to, infectious disease control, reproductive health and sexual and gender-based violence, mental health, health system reconstruction, and ethics in emergencies. The growth of Conflict and Health has taken place during a time of increasing focus on evidence-based approaches to reducing mortality and morbidity in humanitarian emergencies, and increasing prominence of open-access peer-reviewed literature (1-3).
Globalization and Health
[Accessed 17 May 2014]
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/
Research
Patient factors to target for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Coceka N Mnyani, Adonia Simango, Joshua Murphy, Matthew Chersich and James A McIntyre
Abstract (provisional)
Background
There is great impetus to achieve elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (eMTCT) by 2015, and part of this is to identify factors to target to achieve the goal. This study thus identified key patient factors for MTCT in a high HIV prevalence setting in Johannesburg, South Africa. Between November 2011 and May 2012, we conducted a case-control study among HIV-infected women with HIV-infected (cases) and uninfected (controls) infants diagnosed around six weeks of age as part of routine, early infant diagnosis. Mothers and infants were identified through registers in six healthcare facilities that provide antenatal, postpartum and HIV care. Structured interviews were conducted with a focus on history of HIV infection, antenatal, intrapartum and immediate postpartum management of the mother-infant pair. Patient-related risk factors for MTCT were identified.
Results
A total of 77 women with HIV-infected infants and 154 with -uninfected infants were interviewed. Among HIV-infected cases, 13.0% of the women knew their HIV status prior to conception, and 83.1% reported their pregnancies as unplanned. Antenatal antiretroviral coverage was high in the control group – only 1/154 (0.7%) reported receiving no prophylaxis or treatment compared with 17/74 (22.9%) of cases. In multivariate analysis, key patient-related risks for HIV transmission were: unknown HIV status prior to conception (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.6; 95%CI = 2.4 – 18.4; p < 0.001); accessing antenatal care after 20 weeks gestation (AOR = 4.3; 95%CI = 2.0 – 9.3; p < 0.001); less than 12 years of formal education (AOR = 3.4; 95%CI = 1.6 – 7.5; p = 0.002); and unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 2.7; 95%CI = 1.2 to 6.3; p = 0.022). Mean age at first HIV test was 6.6 weeks (SD = 3.5) for infants who were diagnosed as HIV-infected, and the mean age at antiretroviral treatment initiation was 10.8 weeks (SD = 4.4). HIV-uninfected infants were diagnosed at a mean age of 6.0 weeks (SD = 0.2).
Conclusions
Undiagnosed maternal HIV infection prior to conception, unplanned pregnancies, delays in accessing antenatal care, and low levels of education were the most significant patient risk factors associated with MTCT. While the emphasis has been on increasing availability and coverage of efficacious antiretroviral regimens, and strengthening health systems within eMTCT initiatives, there is a need to also address patient-related factors if we are to achieve eMTCT goals.
Research
Translation, cultural adaptation and field-testing of the Thinking Healthy Program for Vietnam
Jane Fisher, Hau Nguyen, Priya Mannava, Ha Tran, Thao Dam, Huong Tran, Thach Tran, Kelly Durrant, Atif Rahman and Stanley Luchters
Abstract (provisional)
Background
Depression and anxiety are prevalent among women in low- and lower-middle income countries who are pregnant or recently delivered. There is promising evidence that culturally-adapted, evidence-informed, perinatal psycho-educational programs implemented in local communities are effective in reducing mental health problems. The Thinking Healthy Program (THP) has proved effective in Pakistan. The aims were to adapt the THP for rural Vietnam; establish the program’s comprehensibility, acceptability and salience for universal use, and investigate whether administration to small groups of women might be of equivalent effectiveness to administration in home visits to individual women.
Methods
The THP Handbook and Calendar were made available in English by the program developers and translated into Vietnamese. Cultural adaptation and field-testing were undertaken using WHO guidance. Field-testing of the four sessions of THP Module One was undertaken in weekly sessions with a small group in a rural commune and evaluated using baseline, process and endline surveys.
Results
The adapted Vietnamese version of the Thinking Healthy Program (THP-V) was found to be understandable, meaningful and relevant to pregnant women, and commune health centre and Women’s Union representatives in a rural district. It was delivered effectively by trained local facilitators. Role-play, brainstorming and small-group discussions to find shared solutions to common problems were appraised as helpful learning opportunities.
Conclusions
The THP-V is safe and comprehensible, acceptable and salient to pregnant women without mental health problems in rural Vietnam. Delivery in facilitated small groups provided valued opportunities for role-play rehearsal and shared problem solving. Local observers found the content and approach highly relevant to local needs and endorsed the approach as a mental health promotion strategy with potential for integration into local universal maternal and child health services. These preliminary data indicate that the impact of the THP-V should be tested in its complete form in a large scale trial.
Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Volume 4 issue 1 – Current Issue
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=2042-6747&volume=4&issue=1
Application of humanitarian last mile distribution model
Daria Battini, (Department of Management and Engineering (DTG), University of Padova, Vicenza, Italy), Umberto Peretti, (Department of Management and Engineering (DTG), University of Padova, Vicenza, Italy), Alessandro Persona, (Department of Management and Engineering (DTG), University of Padova, Vicenza, Italy), Fabio Sgarbossa, (Department of Management and Engineering (DTG), University of Padova, Vicenza, Italy)
10.1108/JHLSCM-01-2013-0001 (Permanent URL)
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend a routing model so that it may be applied to a real case study of material deliveries involved in a development operation, typical of regular humanitarian logistics, and to explore the impact of variations in available logistic assets.
Design/methodology/approach – The introduced model is a conceptual evolution of the study recently presented. It concerns the resource allocation and vehicle routing decisions in the well-known Haitian case. Different scenarios are analyzed and a sensitivity analysis is provided. Constraints related to transportation resources in a complex environment, transportation vehicle capacities, and delivery time restrictions are here considered.
Findings – This research shows how the logistic assets characteristics and their availability affect the distribution system performances, in terms of total distribution cost and shortages.
Originality/value – The present work explores the last mile distribution problem by providing a case study to assist decision makers in making effective and efficient distribution across the last mile. The research focusses upon the distribution systems management coupled with material distribution modalities.
