Pediatrics
May 2014, VOLUME 133 / ISSUE 5
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/current.shtml
Article
Effectiveness of Trivalent Flu Vaccine in Healthy Young Children
Christopher C. Blyth, MBBSa,b,c,d, Peter Jacoby, MScc, Paul V. Effler, MD, MPHe, Heath Kelly, MPHf,g, David W. Smith, MBBSd,h, Christine Robinsc, Gabriela A. Willis, MBBSc, Avram Levy, PhDd, Anthony D. Keil, MBBSd, and Peter C. Richmond, MBBSa,b,c
on behalf of the WAIVE Study Team
Author Affiliations
aSchool of Paediatrics and Child Health and
hSchool of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia;
bPrincess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Australia;
cTelethon Institute of Child Health Research, West Perth, Australia;
dPathWest Laboratory Medicine, Nedlands, Australia;
eCommunicable Disease Control Directorate, Department of Health, Perth, Australia;
fVictorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Australia; and
gAustralian National University, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There are few studies evaluating the effectiveness of trivalent influenza vaccination (TIV) in young children, particularly in children <2 years. The Western Australian Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Study commenced in 2008 to evaluate a program providing TIV to children aged 6 to 59 months.
METHODS: An observational study enrolling children with influenza-like illness presenting to a tertiary pediatric hospital was conducted (2008–2012). Vaccination status was determined by parental questionnaire and confirmed via the national immunization register and/or vaccine providers. Respiratory virus polymerase chain reaction and culture were performed on nasopharyngeal samples. The test-negative design was used to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE) by using 2 control groups: all influenza test-negative subjects and other-virus-detected (OVD) subjects. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated from models with season, month of disease onset, age, gender, indigenous status, prematurity, and comorbidities as covariates. Subjects enrolled in 2009 were excluded from VE calculations.
RESULTS: Of 2001 children enrolled, influenza was identified in 389 (20.4%) children. Another respiratory virus was identified in 1134 (59.6%) children. Overall, 295 of 1903 (15.5%) children were fully vaccinated and 161 of 1903 (8.4%) children were partially vaccinated. Vaccine uptake was significantly lower in 2010–2012 after increased febrile adverse events observed in 2010. Using test-negative controls, VE was 64.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 33.7%–81.2%). No difference in VE was observed with OVD controls (65.8%; 95% CI: 32.1%–82.8%). The VE for children <2 years was 85.8% (95% CI: 37.9%–96.7%).
CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals the effectiveness of TIV in young children over 4 seasons by using test-negative and OVD controls. TIV was effective in children aged <2 years. Despite demonstrated vaccine effectiveness, uptake of TIV remains suboptimal.

Science
2 May 2014 vol 344, issue 6183, pages 441-548
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl
Policy Forum
Climate Adaptation
Evaluating Flood Resilience Strategies for Coastal Megacities
Jeroen C. J. H. Aerts1,*, W. J. Wouter Botzen1, Kerry Emanuel2, Ning Lin3, Hans de Moel1,
Erwann O. Michel-Kerjan4,*
Author Affiliations
1Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University, 1081HV, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
2Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
4Center for Risk Management and Operations and Information Management Department, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Recent flood disasters in the United States (2005, 2008, 2012); the Philippines (2012, 2013); and Britain (2014) illustrate how vulnerable coastal cities are to storm surge flooding (1). Floods caused the largest portion of insured losses among all catastrophes around the world in 2013 (2). Population density in flood-prone coastal zones and megacities is expected to grow by 25% by 2050; projected climate change and sea level rise may further increase the frequency and/or severity of large-scale floods (3–7).

Social Science & Medicine
Volume 110, Pages 1-96 (June 2014)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02779536/110
A qualitative exploration of access to urban migrant healthcare in Nairobi, Kenya
Original Research Article
Pages 1-9
Christine Arnold, Jason Theede, Anita Gagnon
Abstract
In recent years, Kenya’s capital city Nairobi has experienced an influx of international economic migrants, as well as migrants forced to flee their neighboring countries of origin, or coming from UNHCR-managed refugee camps into the city. Urban migrants regularly face challenges integrating with host communities and consequently face health vulnerabilities. The International Organization for Migration in Kenya was concerned about the potential marginalization of urban migrants from mainstream health programming and a lack of data upon which to base their activities. The purpose of this project was to gain a greater understanding of urban migrants’ barriers to accessing healthcare in Nairobi compared with barriers faced by Kenyans living in the same locations. Guiding our work was a conceptual framework for assessing access to healthcare, which defines availability, geographic accessibility, financial accessibility and acceptability as the four dimensions of access. We identified key informants in collaboration with The National Organisation for Peer Educators, and these individuals assisted in identifying communities within Nairobi where large proportions of migrants reside. Four communities were selected for further study. In each, interviews with government officials and service providers were conducted, and focus group discussions were held with both migrants and Kenyans. Verbatim transcripts were content-analyzed using an open coding technique. Common barriers to accessing care that were shared by migrants and Kenyans included waiting times, drug availability, transportation and cost. Barriers unique to migrants were: threat of harassment; cost discrepancies between migrant and Kenyan clients; real or perceived discrimination; documentation requirements and language barriers. Despite articles from the 2010 Constitution of Kenya that assert the right to health for every person in Kenya, migrants continue to experience unique barriers in accessing healthcare. Efforts to eliminate these barriers should address policy-level interventions, strengthened networks and partnerships, improved migrant-sensitive services and especially continued research in migrant health.

From Google Scholar+ [to 3 May 2014]
Selected content from beyond the journals and sources covered above, aggregated from a range of Google Scholar monitoring algorithms and other monitoring strategies.

Tropical Medicine and Health
[Advance Publication] Released 2014/04/23
Review
Current Trends of Immunization in Nigeria: Prospect and Challenges
Endurance A. Ophori1) 2), Musa Y. Tula1), Azuka V. Azih1), Rachel Okojie1), Precious E. Ikpo1)
1) Department of Microbiology (Immunology unit), Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin 2) Present address: Novena University
doi: 10.2149/tmh.2013-13
Abstract
Immunization is aimed at the prevention of infectious diseases. In Nigeria, the National Programme on Immunization (NPI) suffers recurrent setbacks due to many factors including ethnicity and religious beliefs. Nigeria is made up of 36 states with its federal capital in Abuja. The country is divided into six geo-political zones; north central, north west, north east, south east, south west and south south. The population is unevenly distributed across the country. The average population density in 2006 was estimated at 150 people per square kilometres with Lagos, Anambra, Imo, Abia, and Akwa Ibom being the most densely populated states. Most of the densely populated states are found in the south east. Kano with an average density of 442 persons per square kilometre, is the most densely populated state in the northern part of the country. This study presents a review on the current immunization programme and the many challenges affecting its success in the eradication of childhood diseases in Nigeria.

The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics
Volume 42, Issue 1, pages 72–87, Spring 2014
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jlme.12120/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false
Special Issue: SYMPOSIUM: The Right Not to Know
Nonbinding Legal Instruments in Governance for Global Health: Lessons from the Global AIDS Reporting Mechanism
Allyn Taylor1, Tobias Alfoén2, Daniel Hougendobler3 andKent Buse4
Article first published online: 28 APR 2014
DOI: 10.1111/jlme.12120
Abstract
Recent debate over World Health Organization reform has included unprecedented attention to international lawmaking as a future priority function of the Organization. However, the debate is largely focused on the codification of new binding legal instruments. Drawing upon lessons from the success of the Global AIDS Reporting Mechanism, established pursuant to the United Nations’ Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, we argue that effective global health governance requires consideration of a broad range of instruments, both binding and nonbinding.
A detailed examination of the Global AIDS Reporting Mechanism reveals that the choice of the nonbinding format makes an important contribution to its effectiveness. For instance, the flexibility and adaptability of the nonbinding format have allowed the global community to: (1) undertake commitments in a timely manner; (2) adapt and experiment in the face of a dynamic pandemic; and (3) grant civil society an unparalleled role in monitoring and reporting on state implementation of global commitments. UNAIDS’ institutional support has also played a vital role in ensuring the continuing effectiveness of the Global AIDS Reporting Mechanism. Overall, the experience of the Global AIDS Reporting Mechanism evidences that, at times, nimbler nonbinding instruments can offer benefits over slower, more rigid binding legal approaches to governance, but depend critically, like all instruments, on the perceived legitimacy thereof.

Disaster Prevention and Management
Volume 23 issue 3 – Current Issue
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0965-3562&volume=23&issue=3
Qualitative research can improve understandings about disaster preparedness for independent older adults in the community
Robyn Tuohy, (Massey University), Christine Stephens, (Massey University), David Johnston, (Massey University)
Abstract
Purpose – Improving older adults’ preparedness for and response to natural disasters has become an important issue. Population ageing, together with concerns about increasing extreme weather related events, has added further impetus to the need to reduce older adults’ vulnerability to disasters.
Design/methodology/approach – Social and environmental influences on community dwelling independent older adults have not been accounted for in models of hazard adjustment, which have invariably used quantitative research methods.
Findings – To date much of the preparedness and response research has focused on organisational responses to preparedness, while perspectives from older adults have received less attention. Furthermore social and environmental influences on community dwelling independent older adults have not been accounted for in models of hazard adjustment, which have invariably used quantitative research methods.
Originality/value – Extending research to include qualitative methodologies, which recognises older adults as active participants in research about themselves, would contribute to increasing understandings about influences on disaster preparedness and response; and inform social policies and prevention programmes.

Research on Social Work Practice (RSWP)
March 2014; 24 (2)
http://rsw.sagepub.com/content/current
Haiti and the Earthquake Examining the Experience of Psychological Stress and Trauma
Ed Risler1, Sara Kintzle1, Larry Nackerud1
1School of Social Work, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
Abstract
For approximately 35 seconds on January 10, 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the small Caribbean nation of Haiti. This research used a preexperimental one-shot posttest to examine the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and associated trauma symptomatology from the earthquake experienced by a sample of adult Haitians who were living in temporary shelters located in “tent cities” in Port-au-Prince and a comparative group of displaced individuals who left the capital city and took up residence in the northern rural town of Terrier Rouge. Sixty-five (N-65) participants completed the Impact of Events Scale–Revised (IES-R) to assess the severity of trauma symptomology in the study groups. Data presented are comparisons between the groups on total IES-R scores and the measure subscales for intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Based on the scores on the measure for the comparison groups 4 months after the earthquake, the findings suggests that all participants in the study exceeded the threshold of an acute stress disorder and most likely experienced PTSD. Implications of using the data in future longitudinal studies on trauma in Haiti are also discussed.

International Journal of Mass Emergencies & Disasters
Mar 2014, Vol. 32 Issue 1, p220-240. 21p.
Fifteen Years of Disaster Volunteers in Japan: A Longitudinal Fieldwork Assessment of a Disaster Non-Profit Organization.
Atsumi, Tomohide; Goltz, James D.
Abstract:
Since the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake, Japanese society has become accustomed to the presence of volunteers in the pre- and post-disaster environments, more specifically, in preparedness, response and recovery. The present study draws on the disaster research literature in exploring the social contexts in which groups of Kobe earthquake volunteers converged in January 1995 and formed organizations that continued to respond to national and international disasters during the 15 years that followed the 1995 earthquake. Based on the first author’s own longitudinal participant observation at a non-profit organization, the Nippon Volunteer Network Active in Disaster (NVNAD), the present study traces the development of the NVNAD over the last 15 years. The study’s basic conclusion is that, over the years, organized volunteerism in Japan has witnessed a struggle between the development of formal organizations emphasizing interagency cooperation and coordination of volunteers on one hand and the maintenance of a more affective social support-oriented approach with volunteers being physically and emotionally present to disaster survivors on the other.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
2014, 11(5), 4607-4618
doi:10.3390/ijerph110504607
Behavioural Change, Indoor Air Pollution and Child Respiratory Health in Developing Countries: A Review
Review
Brendon R. Barnes
Received: 8 December 2013; in revised form: 31 March 2014 / Accepted: 1 April 2014 /
Published: 25 April 2014
Abstract
Indoor air pollution caused by the indoor burning of solid biomass fuels has been associated with Acute Respiratory Infections such as pneumonia amongst children of less than five years of age. Behavioural change interventions have been identified as a potential strategy to reduce child indoor air pollution exposure, yet very little is known about the impact of behavioural change interventions to reduce indoor air pollution. Even less is known about how behaviour change theory has been incorporated into indoor air pollution behaviour change interventions. A review of published studies spanning 1983–2013 suggests that behavioural change strategies have the potential to reduce indoor air pollution exposure by 20%–98% in laboratory settings and 31%–94% in field settings. However, the evidence is: (1) based on studies that are methodologically weak; and (2) have little or no underlying theory. The paper concludes with a call for more rigorous studies to evaluate the role of behavioural change strategies (with or without improved technologies) to reduce indoor air pollution exposure in developing countries as well as interventions that draw more strongly on existing behavioural change theory and practice.

Weather and Climate Extremes
Available online 24 April 2014
Adapting to Climate Change and Addressing Drought– learning from the Red Cross Red Crescent experiences in the Horn of Africa
Joy C.-Y. Muller,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2014.03.009
Abstract
The paper presented here is intended to share lessons learnt from the operations that the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and its National Societies undertook from 2008 to 2010 in the Horn of Africa related to the adaption to climate change and addressing drought. It acknowledges that to avoid further suffering from drought, not only in Africa (in the Horn and the Sahel region) but also other parts of the world, we need to change the way we invest. The IFRC advocates that for a national drought policy to be effective in its implementation, the policy itself will need to be developed with an integrated approach, a strong linkage to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in a country.

Joint statement by heads of UN humanitarian agencies on Syria
[Full text]
NEW YORK, GENEVA, ROME, 23 April, 2014. One year ago, as leaders of UN agencies struggling to deal with the growing human impact of the Syrian crisis, we issued an urgent ap-peal on behalf of millions of people whose lives and futures hang in the balance: Enough, we said, enough!

That appeal has gone largely unanswered. The war escalates in many areas. The humanitarian situation deteriorates day after day. And for the civilians remaining in the cities of Aleppo and the Old City of Homs, as well as other parts of the country experiencing heavy fighting, the worst days seem yet to come.

As the fighting has intensified in recent weeks, at least one million people are now in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in Aleppo alone. The road from Damascus to Aleppo – a vital lifeline – has often been cut. 1.25 million people are in need of food in Aleppo city and rural parts of the governorate. Other key roads are blocked by different armed forces and groups.

All too often, humanitarian access to those in need is being denied by all sides. Aerial bombardment, rockets, mortars and other indiscriminate attacks slaughter innocent men, women, and children. In Aleppo it is reported that there are now only 40 doctors for a population of 2.5 mil-lion people – once there were more than 2,000 – and medical supplies are scarce. The city is surrounded on all sides.

Across Syria, the lives of more than 9.3 million people are now affected in this, the fourth year of conflict. With a third of the nation’s water treatment plants no longer functioning, with 60 per cent of health centres destroyed, and with some 3.5 million people living in areas under siege or unable to be reached with humanitarian assistance, the innocent civilians of Syria seem to be surviving on sheer courage.

As humanitarian agencies, working closely with international and national non-governmental organizations, we are doing all we can to save lives and alleviate suffering – even in the face of great danger to, and sacrifice by, our colleagues on the ground. But we know that what we can do is not sufficient. Not nearly so.

If we are to do more, to reach and help more people, those engaged in this horrific conflict, and those with influence over them, must do more.

Today, we call upon all parties to this brutal conflict to take urgent action to:
– Enable unconditional humanitarian access to all people in need, using all available routes either across lines inside Syria or across its borders.
– Lift the sieges on civilians currently being imposed by all sides, such as those now sealing off parts of Aleppo, the Old City of Homs, Yarmouk, East Ghouta, Moadhamieh, Nubl and Zahra.
– End the indiscriminate bombing and shelling of civilians by the Government and opposition groups and stop all other violations of international humanitarian law.

Thus far, diplomatic efforts designed to end years of suffering have failed. What have not failed are the courage and determination of extraordinary Syrian civilians to survive. Can those with the responsibility and the power and the influence to stop this terrible, tragic war find the same courage? The same will?

For if the civilians of Syria have not given up, how can the world give up on its efforts to save them – and save Syria?

– Valerie Amos
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
– Anthony Lake
Executive Director, UNICEF
– António Guterres
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
– Ertharin Cousin
Executive Director, World Food Programme
– Dr. Margaret Chan
Director-General, World Health Organization

UNICEF and Global Fund Coordinate Efforts to Reach Mothers, Newborns and Children
22 April 2014
Full Release
GENEVA/NEW YORK – UNICEF and the Global Fund today reinforced their long-standing partnership through a new agreement to better coordinate efforts aimed at reducing the burden of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria and improving the health of mothers, newborns, and children.

Mark Dybul, Executive Director of the Global Fund, and UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake signed a new Memorandum of Understanding that emphasizes the importance of coordinating investments in commodities to prevent and treat HIV, tuberculosis and malaria with those designed to improve overall maternal, newborn, and child health.

“The Global Fund has helped expand access for millions of mothers and children to lifesaving commodities that prevent and treat HIV, TB, and malaria,” said Lake. “This new agreement will help governments integrate these critical investments with health services that support basic maternal, newborn, and child health. This integration will increase the effectiveness of both efforts and potentially save millions of lives.”

Specifically, the Global Fund and UNICEF agreed to jointly identify countries where HIV and malaria investments for mothers and children could be better aligned with investments in basic maternal, newborn and child health. As a first step, these commodities could include iron and folic acid, tetanus vaccinations, syphilis screening and treatment for pregnant women, and antibiotics to treat pneumonia and oral rehydration salts and zinc to treat diarrheal disease in children.

Under the new agreement, the Global Fund and UNICEF will encourage governments and Country Coordinating Mechanisms to integrate packages of care and support for mothers and children, and to apply for Global Fund grants that align HIV, TB and malaria programming with broader maternal, newborn and child health efforts. UNICEF will support governments that wish to review and revise national strategies to strengthen this alignment and will help mobilize additional funding where necessary to purchase supplies and equipment for the care of mothers, newborns and children.
“This partnership between UNICEF and the Global Fund strengthens what is already operating on the ground in many countries,” said Dr. Dybul. “We have much further to go, and by working together we can achieve tremendous progress for women and children around the world.”

http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/mediacenter/newsreleases/2014-04-22_UNICEF_and_Global_Fund_Coordinate_Efforts_to_Reach_Mothers_Newborns_and_Children/

Stockholm 2014: 6th International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD (International Conference on Population and Development) Programme of Action (IPCI)

The 6th International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI) aims to promote dialogue among parliamentarians from all regions of the world on the implementation of the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action, with a view to achieving further commitment to collective action in the areas of resource mobilization and the creation of an enabling policy environment for population and development.

The 6th IPCI/ICPD conference marks the 20th anniversary of the ICPD and the end of the original Cairo mandate. Despite the passage of time, the Cairo Programme of Action has proved to remain relevant and still resonates today as it did in 1994. Therefore, we should redouble our efforts to promote its visionary recommendations in any future development framework, as has already been done with the Millennium Development Goals.

The conference produced a forward-looking and action-oriented declaration and action plan that will build upon previous IPCI Commitments. It will also serve as a launching pad for the second phase of the visionary Cairo Programme and provide parliamentarians with a chance to consider strategic actions needed to significantly boost the implementation of the ICPD.
:: Stockholm Statement of Commitment

:: Declaration on Human Rights:
Declaration adopted by acclamation at the 6th IPCI held in Stockholm, Sweden from 23-25 April 2014 at the request of conference participants
The principles of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development affirm “that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”, and are entitled to all rights and freedoms as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, without distinction of any kind. These principles underscore the urgent need to eradicate all forms of discrimination and establish the link between dignity and human rights and individual well-being. Yet many people throughout the world, in particular children, adolescent girls, youth, women, older persons, indigenous people, ethnic and visible minorities, LGBTQI, people with disabilities, migrants, refugees and displaced persons, including hosting communities, among others continue to suffer from discrimination, a fact affirmed at the ICPD beyond 2014 regional review meetings.

We express concern that LGBTQI in particular suffer from risk of harassment and physical violence in parts of the world. The commitment to individual well-being cannot co-exist with tolerance of hate crimes or any other form of discrimination against any person, and we request that this issue will be taken up at the 7th IPCI.

We support calls on States and the international community to express grave concern at acts of violence, discrimination and hate crimes committed against individuals on the grounds of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

We note that the ICPD beyond 2014 regional review outcomes contain various commitments requiring States to protect the human rights of all individuals, including the right to gainful employment, residence, access to services and equality before the law.

We call on all States to guarantee equality before the law and non-discrimination for all people, by adopting laws and policies to protect the human rights of all individuals, without distinction of any kind, in the exercise of their social, cultural, economic, civil and political rights.

We also call on all States to promulgate, where absent, and enforce laws to prevent and punish any kind of violence or hate crimes, and to take active steps to protect all persons from discrimination, stigma, and violence, without distinction of any kind.

JAMA Internal Medicine
Online First
Original Investigation | April 21, 2014
The Relationship of Health Aid to Population Health Improvements
Eran Bendavid, MD1,2; Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD2
Author Affiliations
JAMA Intern Med. Published online April 21, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.292
Abstract [Editor’s bolded text]
Importance
International aid to the health sector is an important component of all health spending in many developing countries. The relationship between health aid and changes in population health among aid recipients remains unknown.
Objective
To quantify the relationship between health aid and changes in life expectancy and mortality in children younger than 5 years (under-5 mortality) among aid recipient nations.
Design
Cross-country panel data analysis of the relationship between measures of health aid, life expectancy, and under-5 mortality. Using difference models for longitudinal data with fixed effects for countries and years, we estimated the unique relationship between health aid and changes in life expectancy and under-5 mortality, controlling for gross domestic product per capita, urbanization, and total fertility rate.
Setting and Participants
A total of 140 aid-recipient countries between 1974 and 2010.
Exposure
Annual amount of development assistance directed to the health sector in constant 2010 US dollars.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Improvements in under-5 mortality and life expectancy in the period following aid receipt.
Results
Between 1974 and 2010, each 1% increase in health aid was associated with 0.24 months greater increase in life expectancy (95% CI, 0.02-0.46) (P=.03) and a 0.14 per 1000 live births faster decline in the probability of under-5 deaths per 1000 live births (95% CI, 0.02-0.26) (P=.02). The association between health aid and health improvements has strengthened over time, with the closest association occurring between 2000 and 2010. Health improvements associated with health aid are measurable for 3 to 5 years after aid disbursement. These findings imply that an increase of $1 billion in health aid could be associated with 364,800 fewer under-5 deaths (95% CI, 98 400-630 000).
Conclusions and Relevance
International aid to the health sector is related to increasing life expectancy and declining under-5 mortality. The benefits from aid appear to last for several years and have been greatest between 2000 and 2010, possibly because of improving health technologies or effective targeting of aid.

Foreign Affairs
March/April 2014 Issue

The Mobile-Finance Revolution
How Cell Phones Can Spur Development
By Jake Kendall and Rodger Voorhies
Excerpt
The roughly 2.5 billion people in the world who live on less than $2 a day are not destined to remain in a state of chronic poverty. Every few years, somewhere between ten and 30 percent of the world’s poorest households manage to escape poverty, typically by finding steady employment or through entrepreneurial activities such as growing a business or improving agricultural harvests. During that same period, however, roughly an equal number of households slip below the poverty line. Health-related emergencies are the most common cause, but there are many more: crop failures, livestock deaths, farming-equipment breakdowns, even wedding expenses.

In many such situations, the most important buffers against crippling setbacks are financial tools such as personal savings, insurance, credit, or cash transfers from family and friends. Yet these are rarely available because most of the world’s poor lack access to even the most basic banking services. Globally, 77 percent of them do not have a savings account; in sub-Saharan Africa, the figure is 85 percent. An even greater number of poor people lack access to formal credit or insurance products. The main problem is not that the poor have nothing to save — studies show that they do — but rather that they are not profitable customers, so banks and other service providers do not try to reach them. As a result, poor people usually struggle to stitch together a patchwork of informal, often precarious arrangements to manage their financial lives.

Over the last few decades, microcredit programs — through which lenders have granted millions of small loans to poor people — have worked to address the problem. Institutions such as the Grameen Bank, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, have demonstrated impressive results with new financial arrangements, such as group loans that require weekly payments. Today, the microfinance industry provides loans to roughly 200 million borrowers — an impressive number to be sure, but only enough to make a dent in the over two billion people who lack access to formal financial services…

Amref Health Africa [to 26 April 2014]

Amref Health Africa Calls for Increased Investment to Consolidate Gains in Malaria Control –
25 April 2014
Excerpt
…As the world celebrates the World Malaria Day, Amref Health Africa renews its commitment to lasting health change in African communities. Our new name, which better reflects the scope of our work and our mandate, also underlines our commitment to working side by side with communities to combat major diseases, including malaria. It is notable that Amref Health Africa has since its inception 57 years ago prioritised malaria prevention and control programming at community level because we are convinced that investing in malaria is critical to improving the quality of life of present and future generations.

Amref Health Africa strengthens community systems for effective malaria response with better access to prevention measures, prompt diagnostics and treatment. In this regard, the organisation has implemented numerous successful and sustainable community-based malaria programmes in Africa. The most recent one is the Community Case Management Programme, implemented by Amref Health Africa in Kenya since 2012 as the principal recipient of the Round 10 Global Fund grant for civil society organisations. More than 3,600 community health workers in malaria-endemic regions have been trained and equipped to be the first point of contact to health care services, providing prompt diagnostics using rapid tests and adequate care to patients close to their homes. So far about 40,000 confirmed malaria cases have been treated with appropriate drugs by the community volunteers.

Implemented together with the Government of Kenya and development partners in line with the National Malaria Strategy, the programme has resulted in significant gains in malaria control that need to be scaled up and consolidated to ensure that they are sustainable. It is therefore encouraging that the Global Fund, the Government of Kenya, and Amref Health Africa recently signed grant agreements worth US$80 million to support Kenya’s continuing fight against malaria in the second phase of the programme. Main interventions under this phase include maintenance of universal coverage through widespread use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and access to prompt diagnostic services and quality-assured treatment at community and public health facility levels. This is supported by focused advocacy, communication and social mobilisation. The investment aims to scale up community case management in a total population of 3,175,416, which will definitely reduce the burden of malaria and improve the health and lives of the target communities.

Amref Health Africa calls on governments, donors, the private sector and partners to reinforce and renew their commitment to investing in malaria control and elimination, and to build strong partnerships to scale up interventions and strengthen community systems for sustainable malaria responses in Africa.

.

Amref Health Africa @AMREF_UK Apr 25
World #Malaria day. #Defeatmalaria &maintain commitment to wiping it out. Amref Health Africa’s statement: http://www.amrefuk.org/homepage-items/item/377-world-malaria-day-amref-health-africas-statement …

BRAC [to 26 April 2014]

BRAC listed 32 amongst Global Think Tanks
27 April 2014, Dhaka. BRAC has been listed number 32 in the 2013 Global Go-To Think Tank Index report by the University of Pennsylvania. BRAC secured this position in the category of social policy as the first organisation from South Asia amongst 50 countries worldwide. The list includes Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, RAND Corporation and Fraser Institute. The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania conducts research on the role…

BRAC USA contributes $1.25 million to Bangladesh garment workers
Excerpt
22 April 2014, New York — The Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund, an initiative of BRAC USA, announces a grant of $1.25 million to create employment opportunities and secure sustainable futures for 250 garment workers from the Rana Plaza factory complex, which collapsed last year near Dhaka, Bangladesh.
BRAC USA is seeking additional donations to this fund. “Rana Plaza was like Bangladesh’s 9/11,” says Susan Davis, president and CEO of BRAC USA. “Those who died on April 24 did so working in dangerous conditions to provide a better future for their families and make our own clothing more affordable. For those still grieving, there’s nothing that can offset the loss of their loved ones. But we can and should show our solidarity with those who survived…
…“Bangladesh has seen significant gains in living standards, halving poverty rates in the last 20 years, thanks largely to women’s empowerment. The garment industry has played a tremendous role in this,” said Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of BRAC, last month when the Bangladesh Humanitarian Fund was announced. “But these gains will mean little if we allow tragedies like Rana Plaza to continue. The words ‘Made in Bangladesh’ should be a mark of pride, not shame.”
BRAC’s involvement in Rana Plaza relief began in the immediate hours after the building’s collapse, when first-response medical teams from BRAC’s health, nutrition and population program worked alongside the Bangladesh Army’s medical teams at the site. Later, staff and counselors from BRAC, BRAC University and Dhaka University provided psychosocial support to 473 survivors and victims’ families. The BRAC Limb and Brace Center in Savar, the Dhaka subdistrict in which Rana Plaza was located, provided braces to 29 survivors with spinal injuries and prosthetic limbs to an additional 12 survivors…

BRAC @BRACworld • Apr 24
Meet Khadija, a client of BRAC who survived the #RanaPlaza tragedy (which completes its 1 year mark today) – http://brac.net/node/1607#.U1jUteaSzXF …

BRAC @BRACworld • Apr 22
BRAC Chairperson Sir Abed will deliver the #Mahindra Lecture on 4/24 @HarvardSAI. Register – http://bit.ly/1mhxQND

Handicap International [to 26 April 2014]

Founders to be Knighted to French Legion of Honor
Excerpt
Takoma Park, MD, March 12, 2014 — Jean-Baptiste Richardier, Claude Simonnot, and Philippe Chabasse, three of the historic leaders of Handicap International, have been named as knights of France’s Legion of Honor, the highest decoration bestowed in France. The list of individuals to be knighted for 2014 was published on April 20 in the official journal of the French government.
“Although this honor is awarded to each of us individually, it rewards far more than our own individual merits,” said Jean-Baptiste Richardier, the current Executive Director of Handicap International Federation. “It acknowledges and honors Handicap International’s work with people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups which been carried out by every member of our association over the last 32 years. We would like to dedicate this great honor to them, and to the hundreds of thousands of individual donors who continue to place their trust in our ability to successfully carry out our mission.”…

Handicap Int’l-US @HI_UnitedStates • Apr 24
Are you an American with disabilities who has had challenges traveling or studying abroad? Share your story http://bit.ly/shareCRPD #CRPD

Handicap Int’l-US @HI_UnitedStates • Apr 18
We’re ensuring that children with disabilities in Sierra Leone, like 7-year-old Fanta, have the chance to go school. http://bit.ly/1hSLzYT

Heifer International [to 26 April 2014]

Heifer International @Heifer • Apr 24
Did you miss the #womenagchat? Check out this Storify to catch up: http://hefr.in/1ht6cWC

Pierre Ferrari @HeiferCEO • Apr 24
Nandamaya in Nepal raises goats from @Heifer, earns more income bc knows better livestock management: http://www.heifer.org/join-the-conversation/blog/2014/April/holi-goats.html … #womenagchat

Heifer International @Heifer • Apr 24
TODAY: #womenagchat with @Heifer @Kiva @ONECampaign @Half & @HeiferCEO Join us 4/24 1PM ET #IYFF

Heifer International @Heifer • Apr 22
It’s #EarthDay! See how animals used in our projects help us get our green on: http://hefr.in/1hmRu3h

HelpAge International [to 26 April 2014]

HelpAge @helpage • Apr 25
Blog: New #data on the use of #health facilities in #Pakistan (via @QureshiwaqasA) http://bit.ly/1mLjOEr

HelpAge @helpage • Apr 24
Our CEO @tobyhporter at @GlobalPhilGrp forum. If ur 60+ or hope 2 be 60+ one day, watch this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCZd9BQMzV0&feature=share&t=50m9s … … (via @mayurpaul)

HelpAge @helpage • Apr 23
We’ve helped set up a new alliance in #Bangladesh to help fight stigma of #alzheimers and support those affected: http://bit.ly/1ieCvys

HelpAge @helpage • Apr 22
If you missed our event at @odi_development on situation of older & disabled Syrian #refugees, you can watch it here: http://youtu.be/nb7KT5r6AVQ

HelpAge @helpage • Apr 21
Age Helps is out! http://paper.li/helpage/1360751304 … Stories via @GlobalAgeing @IntFedAgeing @ILCUK

International Rescue Committee [to 26 April 2014]

South Sudan is at tipping point – International Rescue Committee calls for immediate action
27 Apr 2014 –
Excerpt
The International Rescue Committee is calling on the world not to give up on South Sudan but to make every effort to ensure that the fighting stops. Since the conflict started in December 2013, and despite a Cessation of Hostilities agreement signed in January, violations are committed regularly by all sides to the conflict, increasingly accompanied by widespread human rights abuses.
Protected areas, supposed to be safe havens for the displaced, are under attack. On 17 April armed men attacked a UN base in Bor and massacred 58 unarmed civilians including two IRC staff members. Children as young as two months were killed. On the same day armed men attacked churches, mosques and hospitals in Bentiu.
“South Sudan is at tipping point,” says the IRC’s president, David Miliband. “Without immediate, high level engagement to stop the violence, the people of South Sudan will face more killings and be plunged further into a food crisis. Having lost two of our own staff in the recent wave of killings, we know that people fear they are running out of options on where to flee.”
Miliband says, “There must be increased political pressure on the government and opposition and much greater support for the UN presence — both actions are critical to curb the crisis. It is easy to dismiss this as an ethnic conflict but the root of the crisis is political, exacerbated by easy access to weaponry. The interruption of planting and the consequent fear of famine top off the dangerous brew.”
The IRC welcomes the decision by the U.S government to allow targeted sanctions and is calling for the resumption of negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The IRC is also stressing that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) should establish a permanent, independent presence in South Sudan to monitor violations of human rights committed by all parties. “The atrocities perpetrated by all parties are proof enough that more accountability is crucial,” says Miliband.
The IRC further emphasizes the need for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to deploy more peacekeepers on the ground. “Last December, the UN Security Council authorized deployment of an additional 5,500 UNMISS troops,” Miliband says. “Only 1,400 have arrived so far. The case for more troops remains pressing.”…

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Intl Rescue Comm IRC@theIRC • Apr 25
Test for #malaria at Tham Hin camp,where IRC is sole provider of health care: http://bit.ly/1kdi2IL #WorldMalariaDay

Intl Rescue Comm IRC@theIRC • Apr 24
#SouthSudan: World’s newest state that threatens to become one of the world’s bloodiest. @DMiliband on @Channel4News: http://bit.ly/1l7G3lC

Intl Rescue Comm IRC @theIRC • Apr 22
In 2013, IRC gave 1.4 million people access to clean drinking water & sanitation. http://bit.ly/IRCin2013 #EarthDay

Intl Rescue Comm IRC @theIRC • Apr 21
We confirm with great sadness that two members of our South Sudan staff were killed last Thursday: http://bit.ly/1h8hMdY

IRCT [to 26 April 2014]

Retweeted by IRCT
WorldWithoutTorture ‏@withouttorture Apr 15
New blog: We hear from three doctors from @IRCT partner PCATI about their work and what inspired them to end #torture http://wp.me/p1FGNE-yu

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 26 April 2014]

Heat-Stable Vaccines Urgently Needed to Reach the One in Five Children Missed by Immunization Worldwide
April 22, 2014

Doctors w/o Borders @MSF_USA • Apr 25
“Not a miracle cure,” but a strong new weapon in the fight against #malaria http://bit.ly/1rtkttN #MalariaDay

MSF International @MSF • Apr 25
#CARcrisis not yet over: #MSF teams conducted more than 300,000 consultations between Jan and Mar 2014.

Retweeted by MSF International
MSF Science @MSFsci • Apr 24
Save the date! MSF Scientific Day will be streamed live on our website May 23rd. More info at http://msf.me/12jlyco

MSF International @MSF • Apr 24
Portrait of a refugee kid during a #vaccination campaign at Yida refugee camp, #SouthSudan http://bit.ly/QAdMsU

MSF International @MSF • Apr 20
Heavy rains this weekend; dire living conditions get worse for 50,000 in Mpoko camp next to Bangui airport #CARcrisis pic.twitter.com/2yi5gVl3Am

Operation Smile [to 26 April 2014]
Upcoming Mission Schedule
April 21 – 25 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
April 23 – 26 | Babahoyo, Ecuador
April 23 – 27 | Comayagua, Honduras
April 24 – 27 | Arauca, Colombia
April 24 – 30 | Nanchang, China
April 25 – 27 | Sihanoukville, Cambodia

April 24, 2014
Operation Smile World Care Patient from Haiti Prepares to Undergo Surgery at CHKD to Remove a Massive Facial Tumor

April 21, 2014
Purveyor of Smiles Brings New Smiles to More Than 200 Children
Through this partnership with Operation Smile, Lifetouch brings the gift of a smile and hope for a brighter future to children around the world.

Retweeted by Operation Smile
Microsoft in Health ‏@Health_IT Apr 24
How technology is helping @OperationSmile communicate and collaborate around the world: http://msft.it/60199LPh

Partners In Health [to 26 April 2014]

Apr 25, 2014
Samson Njolomole: The Spirit of Togetherness
Samson Njolomole shares the amazing story of how he came to PIH/APZU, and reflects on the importance of working to eliminate the stigma of HIV. Read More ▸

Apr 22, 2014
The Trip to Lebakeng Health Center
What does it take to get from Maseru, Lesotho’s capital city, to the Lebakeng Health Center? An 8-hour car drive, a rowboat ride across the Telle River, and a 30-minute hike up the mountainside. During one recent trip, PIH/Lesotho staff delivered obstetrical and clinical supplies to nurses from Lebakeng Health Center. In exchange, the nurses handed over sputum samples to be taken back to Maseru for GeneXpert testing to determine if patients have TB and/or drug-resistant tuberculosis. Learn more about PIH/Lesotho.

Apr 21, 2014
Partners In Health Welcomes FACE AIDS Students
Student organization FACE AIDS joins forces with Partners In Health to strengthen the movement for the right to health. Read More ▸

Partners In Health ‏@PIH 1h
Help us raise awareness of the dangers of pregnancy for women in Haiti, Lesotho, & Malawi: http://bit.ly/1mzpyP9 pic.twitter.com/2qCx28clat

Partners In Health ‏@PIH Apr 25
In #Malawi, our mobile clinics work to treat & prevent malaria: http://bit.ly/1k19HGq #WorldMalariaDay

PATH [to 26 April 2014]

Announcement
April 17, 2014
PATH marks World Malaria Day 2014
Events in Seattle and Berkeley, California, highlight progress and commitment toward eliminating malaria

PATH @PATHtweets Apr 26
VIDEO: A vaccine could help eradicate malaria. @MalariaVaccine #vaccineswork #defeatmalaria http://youtu.be/2f5_kt77mtQ

PATH @PATHtweets Apr 25
RT @SteveDavisPATH: At PATH we’re working hard to #defeatmalaria permanently & we have a plan: http://bit.ly/1iaEzqr pic.twitter.com/dl1DQGWr5T

PATH @PATHtweets Apr 25
Dr. Ashley Birkett, Director of @MalariaVaccine says a world without malaria is possible @guardian #defeatmalaria http://bit.ly/1k94v4V

PATH @PATHtweets Apr 22
PATH is proud of our contributions to JE and ROTAVAC vaccines highlighted in this @gatesfoundation blog post: http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2014/04/Building-for-Impact-The-2014-Global-Health-Product-Development-Forum …

PATH @PATHtweets Apr 19
Our partnership with @msftcitizenship helped deliver this lifesaving vaccine in Laos. http://www.path.org/blog/2014/04/partnership-in-laos/ … pic.twitter.com/9ZfNYK2ifA