Irregular Migration/Deportations – Children

Children returned to Central America and Mexico at heightened risk of violence, stigma and deprivation
UNICEF Child Alert report shows dangerous journeys and deportations intensify root causes of irregular migration

NEW YORK/PANAMA CITY, 16 August 2018 – Extreme violence, poverty and lack of opportunity are not only powerful drivers of irregular child migration from northern Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras) and Mexico, but also consequences of deportations from Mexico and the United States – UNICEF said today in a new report. The children’s agency also urged governments to work together in implementing solutions shown to help alleviate the root causes of irregular and forced migration and safeguard the wellbeing of refugee and migrant children along the journey.

Uprooted in Central America and Mexico examines the array of challenges and dangers faced by migrant and refugee children and families during the arduous process of migration and return.
“As this report shows, millions of children in the region are victims of poverty, indifference, violence, forced migration and the fear of deportation,” said María Cristina Perceval, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “In many cases, children who are sent back to their countries of origin have no home to return to, end up deep in debt or are targeted by gangs. Being returned to impossible situations makes it more likely that they will migrate again.”

More specifically, the report’s findings include:
Poverty – El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are among the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, with 44, 68 and 74 per cent of children living in poverty in each country respectively. Poor children and families often take out loans to finance their irregular migration to the U.S., leaving them in an even more precarious financial situation when they are apprehended and sent back without money and unable to repay their loans. This economic pressure can leave children and families without homes or the resources to pay for essentials.

Violence – Gang violence is pervasive in many communities across northern Central America, with children targeted for recruitment, abuse and even murder. Between 2008 and 2016 in Honduras, for instance, roughly one child fell victim to homicide each day. Likewise, in El Salvador, 365 children were murdered in 2017, while in Guatemala 942 violent deaths of children were reported last year. Children and families who migrate due to the threat of violence may be at even greater risk if they are forcibly returned without any support or protection to these communities where they were previously in danger. Many returnees end up being internally displaced because it is unsafe for them to return home.

Stigmatization – Returned children and families face stigmatization within the community because of their failed attempts to make it to Mexico or the U.S. This can make it harder for returning children to reintegrate into school and for adults to find employment.

Separation and detention – Detention and family separation by migration authorities are deeply traumatizing experiences that can adversely affect a child’s long-term development. Keeping families together and supporting alternatives to detention are key measures to ensure the best interest of migrant and refugee children.

The report also outlines a series of recommendations to keep refugee and migrant children safe and reduce the factors that push families and children to leave their homes in search of safety or a more hopeful future via irregular and dangerous migration routes.

“It’s essential to address the risks faced by migrant and refugee children and the root causes that contribute to large-scale population movements,” said Perceval. “Government leaders have an opportunity now to do the right thing. This means implementing proven approaches that can help alleviate the root causes; protect children in transit and upon reaching their destinations; provide children with access to essential services throughout the migration journey; ensure that deportation and return take place only when they are in the best interest of the child; and provide them with the protection and support needed to successfully reintegrate.”

UNICEF-supported programmes in northern Central America and Mexico are making a difference, but while many young migrants, refugees and returnees are benefitting, these initiatives would have to be scaled up enormously to meet all of the challenges facing the region’s children at risk.

Key Data
:: 68,409 migrant children were detained in Mexico between 2016 and April 2018 – 91 per cent of whom were deported to Central America.
:: Some 96,216 migrants from northern Central America, including 24,189 women and children, were returned from Mexico and the U.S. between January and June of this year. More than 90 per cent were deported from Mexico

Conflict – Displacement – Risk

Risk Preferences and the Decision to Flee Conflict
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper – Ceriani, Lidia; Verme, Paolo.
2018 :: 41 pages
Abstract
Despite the growing numbers of forcibly displaced persons worldwide, many people living under conflict choose not to flee. Individuals face two lotteries — staying or leaving — characterized by two distributions of potential outcomes. This paper proposes to model the choice between these two lotteries using quantile maximization as opposed to expected utility theory. The paper posits that risk-averse individuals aim at minimizing losses by choosing the lottery with the best outcome at the lower end of the distribution, whereas risk-tolerant individuals aim at maximizing gains by choosing the lottery with the best outcome at the higher end of the distribution. Using a rich set of household and conflict panel data from Nigeria, the paper finds that risk-tolerant individuals have a significant preference for staying and risk-averse individuals have a significant preference for fleeing, in line with the predictions of the quantile maximization model. These findings are contrary to findings on economic migrants, and call for separate policies toward economic and forced migrants.

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Press Release
New Study Focuses on Risk Aversion to Understand Why Some People Flee Conflict, While Others Don’t
Date: August 13, 2018
Despite growing numbers of people that are forcibly displaced due to conflict, the reality is that many do not flee and continue to live under difficult circumstances. To understand how people make this choice, a new World Bank working paper, “Risk Preferences and the Decision to Flee Conflict,” examines the role of risk aversion and concludes that the risk-averse are the ones who prefer to flee, while the risk-tolerant stay in their own countries.

If confirmed more broadly, these findings contrast sharply with economic migrants, who are known to be risk takers seeking economic opportunities, underscoring the need to distinguish between these two groups with an appropriate policy response for each.

According to the paper, people living under conflict are faced with two choices or lotteries ¬– staying or leaving – characterized by two distributions of potential outcomes. Using a Quantile Maximization (QM) model and risk aversion, it posits that risk-averse individuals aim to minimize losses by choosing the lottery with the best outcome at the lower end of the distribution, whereas risk-tolerant individuals aim to maximize gains by choosing the lottery with the best outcome at the higher end of the distribution.

A four-step approach was used to test the model with household and conflict panel data collected from Nigeria for the period 2010-2016, which coincides with the Boko Haram conflict:
Estimation of the distributions of outcomes (lotteries) for people living under conflict who decide to stay or leave.
Predictions of migration choices for people with different risk preferences based on the QM model.
Test whether the QM predictions match observed risk preferences among stayers and leavers.
Test for any confounding factors.
It found that risk-tolerant individuals preferred to stay, while risk averse individuals chose to flee, in line with its prediction.

While these are early results in an area that has received very little attention in the past, derived from a country case study, it calls attention to the difference between previous findings on economic migrants and risk preferences. Economic migrants tend to be risk-takers and move with the expectation that it would lead to an overall better quality of life.

On the other hand, the forcibly displaced are more risk-averse. They move to protect their lives and minimum living standards. Evidence has shown that economic migrants move with the intention of finding opportunities for growth far away from their home countries, while forcibly displaced persons want to settle close to the place of origin with the expectation of returning home.

These results need to be validated with further work in Nigeria and elsewhere, but if confirmed more broadly, this means that combining the two groups is not beneficial for the place of origin nor the place of destination. Separate policies by host governments should be considered for economic migrants and forcibly displaced persons.

This work is part of the program “Building the Evidence on Protracted Forced Displacement: A Multi-Stakeholder Partnership.” funded by UK aid from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

Governance – Census/Citizenship

Packard Foundation Joins Over 300 U.S. Philanthropic Leaders to Call for Removal of Citizenship Question from 2020 Census [U.S.]
Packard Foundation Joins Over 300 U.S. Philanthropic Leaders to Call for Removal of Citizenship Question from 2020 Census

August 16, 2018 (Los Altos, CA) —The Packard Foundation joined 303 other philanthropic leaders calling on the U.S. Department of Commerce to withdraw a citizenship question from the 2020 census, reflecting an unprecedented consensus in philanthropy from local foundations to national grantmaking organizations.

In a public comment letter submitted to the U.S. Commerce Department ahead of an August 7 deadline, the large collection of foundation presidents and chief executives, trustees and others speaking for their organizations said the question would “significantly undermine efforts to achieve a fair and accurate census in 2020.” The letter continues:

We have different funding priorities, are ideologically diverse, and do not always agree with each other. But we wholeheartedly agree that the citizenship question should not be part of the 2020 Census.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

The State of Global Giving by U.S. Foundations, 2011-2015
Foundation Center and the Council on Foundations
Published 13-8-2018 :: 36 pages
The State of Global Grantmaking Giving by U.S. Foundations is the latest report in a decades-long collaboration between Foundation Center and The Council on Foundations and aims to help funders and civil society organizations better navigate the giving landscape as they work to effect change around the world. The analysis reveals that global giving by U.S. foundations increased by 29% from 2011 to 2015, reaching an all-time high of $9.3 billion in 2015. In addition to a detailed analysis of trends by issue area, geographic region, population group, and donor strategy, this analysis also relates these trends to key events and developments, including the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, the spread of Ebola in West Africa, and the increasing legal restrictions faced by civil society in countries around the world.
PDF: http://www.issuelab.org/requester/sdgs/id/31306?_ga=2.11085044.1123716257.1534702527-887887441.1512259776

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Press Release
New Report by Council on Foundations and Foundation Center Reveals Global Giving by U.S. Foundations Increased by 29% Over Five-Year Period
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
… Key findings from this trends analysis include:
:: Just 12% of international grant dollars from U.S. foundations went directly to organizations based in the country where programs were implemented. The remaining 88% was channeled through organizations based elsewhere.
:: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation accounted for 51% of global giving by U.S. foundations from 2011 to 2015, with $6.5 billion going to Sub-Saharan Africa.
:: Sub-Saharan Africa benefited from the largest share of global grantmaking by U.S. foundations, accounting for 25% of international grant dollars from 2011 to 2015.
:: Grants focused on climate change represented just 2% of global grantmaking by U.S. foundations.
Global giving by U.S. foundations for reproductive health care increased nearly threefold in the five years after the global gag rule, a U.S. rule forbidding the use of federal money to fund organizations that provide abortions or information on them, was reversed.
:: “U.S. foundations are making a tremendous impact in communities all over the world. By tracking trends in support for global programs, we play a valuable role in supporting and strengthening the sector’s ability to continue to promote the common good globally” said Gene Cochrane, interim president and CEO of the Council on Foundations.

Indigenous Peoples

Organization of American States
Statement of the OAS Secretary General on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
August 9. 2018
The indigenous population of the world is approximately 370 million people, who live in more than 70 countries, according to estimates of international organizations. Today is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, but unfortunately many of them have little to celebrate. Despite the fact they represent 5 percent of the world´s population, indigenous peoples make up 15 percent of the poorest people in the world and continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups. This situation of vulnerability is closely linked to colonization, racism, discrimination and the historic denial of their individual and collective rights.

ECLAC states that in Latin America there are 826 indigenous peoples, with a population nearing 45 million people, in addition to the 10 million that live in the United States and Canada, according to official data. These peoples are characterized by their broad demographic, social, territorial and political diversity, and include peoples living in voluntary isolation to those present in large urban settlements.

In the framework of the OAS we have advanced in the protection and recognition of the rights of these peoples. In 2016, after 17 years of negotiation with the active participation of the representatives of the indigenous peoples, the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted, the principal instrument for the promotion of the rights of the indigenous peoples in the Americas. The Inter-American Convention Against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance, adopted in 2013, is another important juridical tool to prevent, punish and eliminate racism and discrimination against indigenous peoples.

Additionally, in February 2018, the OAS Permanent Council resolved that each year the Inter-American Week for Indigenous Peoples would be held in the second week of August. We are celebrating the first edition this week.

However, there is still much to be done, especially to facilitate indigenous peoples’ real and effective access to these rights. As with all members of our societies, with the inclusion of indigenous peoples we all win, our democracy wins, our ethnic-cultural diversity benefits, and our environment wins. Their inclusion makes us better societies. I invite you to join us to work for more rights for more indigenous people in the Americas.

Featured Journal Content

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 96, Number 8, August 2018, 513-588
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/96/8/en/
RESEARCH
A post-conflict vaccination campaign, Central African Republic
– Nicolas Peyraud, Michel Quéré, Geraldine Duc, Corinne Chèvre, Theo Wanteu, Souheil Reache, Thierry Dumont, Robin Nesbitt, Ellen Dahl, Etienne Gignoux, Manuel Albela, Anna Righetti, Marie-Claude Bottineau, Jean-Clément Cabrol, Micaela Sarafini, Samuel Nzalapan, Pauline Lechevalier, Clotilde Rambaud & Monica Rull
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.17.204321
Abstract
Objective
To rapidly increase childhood immunization through a preventive, multi-antigen, vaccination campaign in Mambéré-Kadéï prefecture, Central African Republic, where a conflict from 2012 to 2015 reduced vaccination coverage.
Methods
The three-round campaign took place between December 2015 and June 2016 using: (i) oral poliomyelitis vaccine (OPV); (ii) combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) and hepatitis B (DTP–Hib–hepatitis B) vaccine; (iii) pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV); (iv) measles vaccine; and (v) yellow fever vaccine. Administrative data were collected on vaccines administered by age group and vaccination coverage surveys were carried out before and after the campaign.
Findings
Overall, 294,054 vaccine doses were administered. Vaccination coverage for children aged 6 weeks to 59 months increased to over 85% for the first doses of OPV, DTP–Hib–hepatitis B vaccine and PCV and, in children aged 9 weeks to 59 months, to over 70% for the first measles vaccine dose. In children aged 6 weeks to 23 months, coverage of the second doses of OPV, DTP–Hib–hepatitis B vaccine and PCV was over 58% and coverage of the third doses of OPV and DTP–Hib–hepatitis B vaccine was over 20%. Moreover, 61% (5804/9589) of children aged 12 to 23 months had received two PCV doses and 90% (25933/28764) aged 24 to 59 months had received one dose.
Conclusion
A preventive, multi-antigen, vaccination campaign was effective in rapidly increasing immunization coverage in a post-conflict setting. To sustain high coverage, routine immunization must be reinforced.

Emergencies
 
POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 14 August 2018 [GPEI]
:: Take a look at how the Papua New Guinea Government, the World Health Organization, and partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative are responding to the country’s recent outbreak of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus.

Summary of new viruses this week:
Afghanistan – one new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and one new WPV1 positive environmental sample.
Pakistan – four new WPV1 positive environmental samples.
Nigeria – one new case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
Papua New Guinea – one new case of cVDPV1
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WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 18 Aug 2018]
Iraq  
: Special health situation report from Mosulpdf, 543kb  27 July 2017
…WHO organized a 5-day polio data quality self-assessment training workshop in Erbil to support the five directorates of health of Erbil, Suleimaniya, Duhok, Kirkuk and Ninewa in the area of quality data collection and analysis…
Nigeria 
:: Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 – Nigeria
Disease outbreak news   8 August 2018
On 5 June 2018, a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreak was confirmed in Sokoto State, Nigeria. From 30 January through 23 May 2018, ten environmental samples collected from two collection sites all tested positive for genetically-related VDPV2 viruses. No associated cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) have been detected with this cVDPV2.
Nigeria is also affected by an ongoing separate cVDPV2 outbreak. A cluster of cVDPV2 was detected in Yobe State from a stool sample from an AFP case with onset on 16 June 2018, and an environmental sample collected on 31 May 2018. The same cVDPV2 was detected in Gombe State from an environmental sample collected on 9 April 2018. Previously, the same cVDPV2 was detected in Jigawa State from an AFP case with onset of paralysis on 15 April 2018 and six environmental samples collected from 10 January through 2 May 2018…
 
South Sudan  – No new announcements identified
The Syrian Arab Republic – No new announcements identified
Yemen  – No new announcements identified
 
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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 18 Aug 2018]
[Several emergency pages were not available at inquiry]
Cameroon  – No new announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new announcements identified.
Democratic Republic of the Congo  – No new announcements identified
Ethiopia  – No new announcements identified.
Libya – No new announcements identified.
Myanmar  – No new announcements identified
Niger  – No new announcements identified.
Ukraine – No new announcements identified.

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UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Yemen
:: Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 30 July – 9 August 2018 | Issue 23
Published on 09 Aug 2018

Syrian Arab Republic   – No new announcements identified.
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UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Ethiopia 
:: Ethiopia Humanitarian Bulletin Issue 61 | 30 July-12 August 2018  Published on 12 Aug 2018
Government continues peace and reconciliation process to return IDPs in Gedeo and Guji zones

Somalia   – No new announcements identified.
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The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 28 July 2018

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF: The Sentinel_ period ending 28 July 2018

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals

Global Governance

Crimea Declaration
Press Statement
Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State. Washington, DC
July 25, 2018
Russia, through its 2014 invasion of Ukraine and its attempted annexation of Crimea, sought to undermine a bedrock international principle shared by democratic states: that no country can change the borders of another by force. The states of the world, including Russia, agreed to this principle in the United Nations Charter, pledging to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. This fundamental principle — which was reaffirmed in the Helsinki Final Act — constitutes one of the foundations upon which our shared security and safety rests.

As we did in the Welles Declaration in 1940, the United States reaffirms as policy its refusal to recognize the Kremlin’s claims of sovereignty over territory seized by force in contravention of international law. In concert with allies, partners, and the international community, the United States rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored.

The United States calls on Russia to respect the principles to which it has long claimed to adhere and to end its occupation of Crimea. As democratic states seek to build a free, just, and prosperous world, we must uphold our commitment to the international principle of sovereign equality and respect the territorial integrity of other states. Through its actions, Russia has acted in a manner unworthy of a great nation and has chosen to isolate itself from the international community.

Human Rights

Global Disability Summit sparks 170 commitments to tackle stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities
The UK Government’s first ever Global Disability Summit has yielded ambitious commitments from a host of governments and other organisations.
24 July 2018 DFID Press release
:: The Global Disability Summit has resulted in 170 ambitious commitments from all over the world to take action on stigma and discrimination against people with disabilities
:: The commitments follow the call to “move from rhetoric to action” from the International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, in the build up to the Summit
:: 301 organisations and governments have signed the Charter for Change – an action plan to implement the UN International Convention on Disability

The UK Government’s first ever Global Disability Summit has yielded ambitious commitments from a host of governments and other organisations to tackle discrimination and stigma against peop
le with disabilities…

Among the most significant pledges made were commitments to pass transformative new laws to protect the rights of people with disabilities, as well as assurances to help those affected by humanitarian crises. There were also commitments to help people with disabilities to access vital technology and work with the private sector around the world to reduce their prices.
:: Nine national governments have committed to passing or formulating new or revised laws to give people with disabilities greater rights in the countries in which they live
:: 18 governments and other organisations have committed to new action plans on disability inclusion
:: 33 governments and other organisations have pledged to specifically support more people with disabilities affected by humanitarian crises – this includes the Australian government who will give $16.4m to support disability inclusive action in response to the Syria crisis
:: Nine organisations and governments, including USAID, The World Health Organisation and UNICEF, have, along with the UK, joined the Global Partnership on assistive technology, aimed at transforming access to, and the affordability of, life changing devices and basic technology, like wheelchairs and glasses

Seven UN agencies attended the Summit, and they committed to change the way they include people with disabilities into their work…

Featured Journal Content

The Lancet
Jul 28, 2018 Volume 392 Number 10144 p253-358
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current
The Lancet Commissions
Advancing global health and strengthening the HIV response in the era of the Sustainable Development Goals: the International AIDS Society—Lancet Commission
Linda-Gail Bekker, George Alleyne, Stefan Baral, Javier Cepeda, Demetre Daskalakis, David Dowdy, Mark Dybul, Serge Eholie, Kene Esom, Geoff Garnett, Anna Grimsrud, James Hakim, Diane Havlir, Michael T Isbell, Leigh Johnson, Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Parastu Kasaie, Michel Kazatchkine, Nduku Kilonzo, Michael Klag, Marina Klein, Sharon R Lewin, Chewe Luo, Keletso Makofane, Natasha K Martin, Kenneth Mayer, Gregorio Millett, Ntobeko Ntusi, Loyce Pace, Carey Pike, Peter Piot, Anton Pozniak, Thomas C Quinn, Jurgen Rockstroh, Jirair Ratevosian, Owen Ryan, Serra Sippel, Bruno Spire, Agnes Soucat, Ann Starrs, Steffanie A Strathdee, Nicholas Thomson, Stefano Vella, Mauro Schechter, Peter Vickerman, Brian Weir, Chris Beyrer

Key messages
:: The HIV pandemic is not on track to end, and the prevailing discourse on ending AIDS has bred a dangerous complacency and may have hastened the weakening of global resolve to combat HIV

:: Existing HIV tools and strategies are insufficient, and although dramatic gains can be made through maximizing existing prevention and treatment strategies, the HIV pandemic is likely to remain a major global challenge for the foreseeable future

:: Tens of millions of people will require sustained access to antiretroviral therapy for decades to come, vigilance will be needed to prevent a resurgence of the epidemic as the largest-ever generation of young people age into adolescence and young adulthood, and intensified efforts are required to address HIV among populations and settings that are being left behind

:: Allowing the pandemic to rebound after achieving such remarkable progress would not only increase the human and financial costs of HIV, but it would potentially demoralise the global health field and diminish support for similarly ambitious global health undertakings

:: A rejuvenated global effort on HIV is essential; to renew and strengthen the global HIV response, the world’s impressive commitment to the scaling up of HIV treatment services must be matched by a similarly robust commitment to expanded access to HIV prevention

:: The HIV response must make common cause with the broader global health field to herald a new era of global solidarity for health, and specific action is urgently needed to respond to the rapidly rising health toll associated with non-communicable diseases, including taking health into account in the development of public policies of all kinds. HIV services should, where feasible, be integrated with broader health services, in co-located sites where possible, with the aim of improving both HIV-related and non-HIV-specific health outcomes; greater integration of HIV and global health must preserve and build on key attributes of the HIV response, including participatory community and civil society engagement and an ironclad commitment to human rights, gender equality, and equitable access to health and social justice

:: The new era of global health solidarity should focus on the development of robust, flexible, people-centred health systems to end communicable diseases, develop effective measures to address the steady rise of non-communicable diseases, achieve universal health coverage, provide coordinated services tailored to the needs of health service users, and effectively address the social and structural determinants of health.

Featured Journal Content

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
August 2018 Volume 55, Issue 2, p133-280, e19-e52
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current
Global Health Promotion and Prevention
Human Rights as Political Determinants of Health: A Retrospective Study of North Korean Refugees
Jiho Cha, Pamela J. Surkan, Jaeshin Kim, Isabel A. Yoon, Courtland Robinson, Barbara Lopes Cardozo, Hayoung Lee
p271–279
Published online: June 19, 2018
Introduction
The gravity, scale, and nature of human rights violations are severe in North Korea. Little is known about the mental health consequences of the lifelong exposures to these violations.
Methods
In 2014–2015, a retrospective study was conducted among 383 North Korean refugees in South Korea using respondent-driven sampling to access this hidden population. This study collected information on the full range of political and economic rights violations and measured post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression symptoms, and social functioning by standard instruments. Multivariate regression analysis was performed with the adjustment of political, economic, and demographic variables in 2016–2017.
Results
The results indicate elevated symptoms of anxiety (60.1%, 95% CI=54.3%, 65.7%), depression (56.3%, 95% CI=50.8%, 61.9%), and post-traumatic stress disorder (22.8%, 95% CI=18.6%, 27.4%), which are significantly associated with exposures to political rights violations (ten to 19 items versus non-exposure: anxiety AOR=16.78, p<0.001, depression AOR=12.52, p<0.001, post-traumatic stress disorder AOR=16.71, p<0.05), and economic rights violations (seven to 13 items versus non-exposure: anxiety AOR=5.68, p<0.001, depression AOR=4.23, p<0.01, post-traumatic stress disorder AOR=5.85, p<0.05). The mean score of social functioning was also lower in those who were exposed to political (adjusted difference=–13.29, p<0.001) and economic rights violations (adjusted difference= –11.20, p<0.001).
Conclusions
This study highlights mental health consequences of lifelong human rights violations in North Korea. Beyond the conventional approach, it suggests the need for a collaborative preventive response from global health and human rights activists to address human rights in regard to mental health determinants of the 20 million people in North Korea.

Heritage Stewardship

African Development Bank reiterates support for Lake Chad Basin Heritage Project
25/07/2018 – The African Development Bank will continue its support for an environmental initiative to protect the shrinking Lake Chad – a source of water to millions of people in central and West Africa, the Bank’s Director General for Central Africa Region, Ousmane Dore told UN bodies and representatives of west and central African UN missions.

In the past decade, the Bank has invested more than $160 Million through regional projects aimed at fighting the ecological and humanitarian crises in the Lake Chad region.

The UNESCO Biosphere and Heritage of Lake Chad (BIOPALT) project, funded by the Bank, is a multi-disciplinary project, linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project is implemented in five countries within the Lake Chad area: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

The lake has shrunk to nine tenths of its size due to climate change, population growth and irrigation.
Addressing participants at the meeting, UNESCO Assistant Director General Flavia Schlegel described it as a platform for governments, UN agencies, civil society and academia to reflect on the relevance of adopting a multisectoral response to solving the region’s humanitarian and ecological crisis.

The Lake Chad area is important for its terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, but a 90% reduction in rainfall has affected more than 40 million people, Zacharie Serge Raoul Nyanid, Permanent Mission of Cameroon, said.

Dore who represented the Bank at the meeting, reiterated its commitment to work closely with the five member countries’ governments to restore and rehabilitate degraded ecosystems, improve the livelihoods of the communities and bring back lasting peace in the region…

Ebola – DRC

Ebola outbreak in DRC ends: WHO calls for international efforts to stop other deadly outbreaks in the country
24 July 2018
News Release – KINSHASA/GENEVA
Today marks the end of the ninth outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates the country and all those involved in ending the outbreak, while urging them to extend this success to combatting other diseases in DRC.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, joined Minister of Health Dr Oly Ilunga for the announcement in Kinshasa.
“The outbreak was contained due to the tireless efforts of local teams, the support of partners, the generosity of donors, and the effective leadership of the Ministry of Health. That kind of leadership, allied with strong collaboration between partners, saves lives,” said Dr Tedros.

Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks in the country, this one involved four separate locations, including an urban centre with river connections to the capital and to neighbouring countries, as well as remote rainforest villages. There were initial concerns that the disease could spread to other parts of DRC, and to neighbouring countries.

Within hours of the outbreak being declared on 8 May, WHO released US$2 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies, deployed a team to augment capacity in the field, and activated an emergency incident management system.

“WHO moved quickly and efficiently,” said Dr Moeti, “We also demonstrated the tremendous capacity of the African region. More than three-quarters of the 360 people deployed to respond came from within the region. Dozens of experts from Guinea spent weeks leading Ebola vaccination efforts here, transferring expertise which will enable the DRC to mount an effective response both within its borders and beyond.”

Dr Tedros urged the DRC Government and the international community to build on the positive momentum generated by the quick containment of the Ebola outbreak.

“This effective response to Ebola should make the Government and partners confident that other major outbreaks affecting the country such as cholera and polio can also be tackled,” said Dr Tedros. “We must continue to work together, investing in strengthened preparedness and access to healthcare for the most vulnerable.”

Funding
:: WHO’s rapid response and scale up of operations in the DRC was funded by a total of US$4 million disbursement from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE).
:: WHO and partners appealed for US$57 million to stop the spread of Ebola. The total funds received by all partners, as tracked by OCHA, amount to US$63 million.
:: Funding towards WHO’s contribution to the Ebola response was provided from: Italy (€ 300 000), UN CERF (US$ 800 000), Gavi (US$ 1 million), USAID (US$ 5.3 million), Wellcome Trust and UK-DFID (US$ 4.1 million), UK-DFID (£5 million), Germany (€5 million), Norway (NOK 8 million), Canada (CAD$1 million), World Bank PEF (US$ 6.8 million), Japan (US$1.3 million), EU ECHO (€ 1.5 million) and from the Ebola MPTF (US$ 428,000) bringing the total to approximately US$ 36 million.
:: Germany’s contribution is in recognition of the critical role the WHO CFE has played in responding to the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and will go to replenish the CFE, which provided initial funds for the response efforts.
:: In-kind contributions for medical evacuation were received from Norway. EU ECHO support was provided for flights between Kinshasa and Mbandaka. Technical expertise was provided by Guinea, the UK, USA and Germany through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). Merck provided the vaccines that were used to protect over 3300 people.

WHO partners in the DRC Ebola response included the following:
The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo Red Cross), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF), the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC), ECHO, the Department for International Development (DFID), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, UNCERF, UNOCHA, MONUSCO, UNFPA, International Organization for Migration (IOM), the FAO Emergency Management Centre – Animal Health (EMC-AH), the International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), the UK Public Health Rapid Support team, the EPIET Alumni Network (EAN), the International Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Emerging Diseases Clinical Assessment and Response Network (EDCARN), the World Bank and PATH. The Government of Guinea deployed more than 30 Ministry of Health staff to assist with the ring vaccination campaign, and Merck provided the Ebola vaccine. Additional coordination and technical support through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), Association pour le développement de l’épidémiologie de terrain (EPITER), European Mobile Laboratory (EMLab), Infection Control Africa Network (ICAN), Institut Pasteur (IP), National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), South Africa, Robert Koch Institut (RKI), and Emergency Medical Teams (EMT).

Children in fragile states missing out on lifesaving vaccines – Gavi
New vaccination figures show millions more children being immunised in world’s poorest countries.
Geneva, 26 July 2018 – Children in fragile states are being left behind in the global effort to improve immunisation rates in the world’s poorest countries, an analysis by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance of the latest global immunisation statistics has shown.

For the 68 developing countries in which Gavi works, the latest WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunisation Coverage (WUENIC) show that coverage for the basic Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine (DTP3) rose to 86% in 2017 from 80% in 2010, when fragile states are excluded.

However coverage has stagnated at 62% in fragile states. Five of the six Gavi-supported countries with less than 50% DTP3 coverage in 2017 were classed as fragile. The number of under-immunised children has also increased by 170,000 in Gavi-supported countries to 16.2 million children. Just under half of these children were in fragile countries.

In July 2017, Gavi introduced a new fragility, emergencies and refugee policy to boost the number of children receiving vaccines in fragile settings, especially among vulnerable populations. Bangladesh became the first country to take advantage of the policy in late 2017, carrying out Gavi-funded vaccination campaigns for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar.

“Over the last two decades we have made enormous progress in boosting vaccination coverage in many of the world’s poorest countries,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “Gavi is helping more children receive lifesaving vaccines than at any point in our history but millions of children are still being left behind, with half of these under-immunised children living in fragile countries. As an alliance we need to redouble our efforts and maintain our focus on routine immunisation as the most sustainable way to improve child health, strengthen health systems and boost economies.”..

Emergencies
 
POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
Polio this week as of 24 July 2018 [GPEI]
:: Strengthening vaccine trust in Pakistan: How a vaccine refuser became an advocate for polio eradication.
:: Disease surveillance innovations help defeat the poliovirus: Across the Lake Chad Basin, e-Surve technology is reshaping the way that the polio programme conducts disease surveillance.

Summary of new cases this week:
Afghanistan:
::   Following advance notification last week, one wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case in Chawkay district, Kunar province, has been confirmed. The case had onset of paralysis on 22 June.
:: Five new WPV1 positive environmental samples were reported in the past week. Two samples were collected in Kabul province on 26 June, two samples were collected in Kandahar province, one on 26 June and one on 5 July, and one sample was collected in Nangarhar province, on 26 June.
Pakistan:
:: Three new WPV1 positive environmental samples were reported in the past week. All samples were collected on 10 July, one in Islamabad province, one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and one in Punjab province.
Nigeria:
:: Two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples detected in Sokoto State have been confirmed, following advance notification last week. The samples were collected on 5 June and 12 June.

::::::
::::::

WHO Grade 3 Emergencies  [to 28 Jul 2018]
Yemen 
:: WHO airlifts 168 tonnes of life-saving medicines and medical supplies to Yemen
20 July 2018— Seven WHO-chartered aircraft have landed in Sana’a Airport this week, while between 30 to 50 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies reach Aden regularly by a UN ship run by the World Food Programme (WFP). In total this week more than 200 tonnes of life-saving medicines and medical supplies, and emergency equipment have been delivered in Yemen by WHO, in partnership with WFP and the logistic cluster, as health needs in Yemen grow at an alarming pace.
The shipments contain Interagency Emergency Health Kits (IEHK), surgical kits, cholera kits, intravenous (IV) fluids and various types of antibiotics which are much-needed by health facilities across the country, particularly in Hudaydah and Aden. Around 120 tonnes of these supplies will be distributed to Al Hudaydah as part of WHO plans to scale up health interventions in the governorates affected by the recent intensification of the military operations…

Iraq  – No new announcements identified
Nigeria  – No new announcements identified
South Sudan  – No new announcements identified
The Syrian Arab Republic – No new announcements identified
 
::::::
 
WHO Grade 2 Emergencies  [to 28 Jul 2018]
[Several emergency pages were not available at inquiry]
Cameroon  – No new announcements identified
Central African Republic  – No new announcements identified.
Democratic Republic of the Congo  – No new announcements identified
Ethiopia  – No new announcements identified.
Libya – No new announcements identified.
Myanmar  – No new announcements identified
Niger  – No new announcements identified.
Ukraine – No new announcements identified.

::::::
::::::
 
UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Syrian Arab Republic 
:: Syrian Arab Republic: Dar’a, Quneitra, As-Sweida Situation Report No. 4 as of 26 July 2018

 Yemen
:: Yemen: Al Hudaydah Update Situation Report No. 9 – Reporting Period: 14 – 24 July 2018

::::::

UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
Ethiopia  – No new announcements identified.
Somalia   – No new announcements identified.

::::::
:::::

MERS-CoV [to 28 Jul 2018]
http://who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/
:: MERS situation update, June 2018
:: At the end of June 2018, a total of 2229 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), including 791 associated deaths (case–fatality rate: 35.5%) were reported globally; the majority of these cases were reported from Saudi Arabia (1853 cases, including 717 related deaths with a case–fatality rate of 38.7%).
:: During the month of June, a total of 4 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS were reported in Saudi Arabia including 1 associated death (case-fatality rate: 25%). No healthcare associated transmission or hospital outbreak was reported during this month.
:: The demographic and epidemiological characteristics of reported cases, when compared during the same corresponding period of 2013 to 2018, do not show any significant difference or change. Owing to improved infection prevention and control practices in hospitals, the number of hospital-acquired cases of MERS has dropped significantly since 2015.
:: The age group 50–59 years continues to be at highest risk for acquiring infection of primary cases. The age group 30–39 years is most at risk for secondary cases. The number of deaths is higher in the age group 50–59 years for primary cases and 70–79 years for secondary cases.
,
Yellow Fever  [to 28 Jul 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/yellowfev/en/
– No new announcements identified.
.
Zika virus  [to 28 Jul 2018]
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/zika/en/
:: Progress toward discovery of Zika virus vaccines and therapeutics
23 July 2018
…Studies in animal models have shown promising results of Zika virus vaccines for preventing maternal-fetal transmission and generating immunity in the vaccine recipient, but further validation is still required in clinical settings. Several vaccine candidates are currently in phase 1 and 2 of human clinical trials, summarized in the WHO vaccine pipeline tracker.
Many hurdles remain, however, before a vaccine will become available. The limited number of cases occurring globally limits the ability of studies to evaluate the protective effects of vaccines in phase 3 human trials. To prepare sites for future clinical trials, mathematical modelling is being used to predict when and where potential future Zika outbreaks may occur, but accurately predicting and preparing sites for future multi-centre clinical trials present unique logistical challenges. In the absence of a suitable population and/or environment to test a candidate vaccine, other options for clinical evaluation are being considered…
:: Zika vaccines and therapeutics: landscape analysis and challenges ahead
Wilder-Smith A, Vannice K, Durbin A, Hombach J, Thomas SJ, Thevarjan I, Simmons CP. BMC Med. 2018 Jun; 16(1):84.
 

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 21 July 2018

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF – The Sentinel_ period ending 21 July 2018

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals

Governance/Human Rights – Nicaragua

.
OHCHR – Press briefing notes on Nicaragua, Mali and Kashmir
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(1) Nicaragua
Tomorrow, Wednesday, will mark three months since demonstrations began in Nicaragua, initially against planned pension reforms but which have evolved into protests against President Daniel Ortega’s government.

The violence that has to date left an estimated 280 people dead and 1830 injured has been overwhelmingly perpetrated by the State and by pro-government armed elements. Those killed include at least 19 police officers.

Police, armed elements and other violent groups have carried out so-called “clean-up operations” in different parts of the country, forcibly removing barricades erected by demonstrators and local communities. At least 12 people were killed over the weekend, including two when shots were fired at the Divina Misericordia Church in Managua where student demonstrators had sought refuge after the university premises they had been occupying came under attack.

The violence is all more horrific as armed elements loyal to the government are operating with the active or tacit support of and in coordination with the police and other state authorities. UN Human Rights Office staff on the ground report that a wide range of human rights violations are being committed, including extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary detentions, and denying people the right to freedom of expression. There has been incitement to hatred and smear campaigns, including against human rights defenders. The backdrop for all these violations is the absence of rule of law and due process…

.

OAS Resolution “The Situation in Nicaragua”
Organization of American States
July 18, 2018
CP/RES. 1108 (2172/18)
THE SITUATION IN NICARAGUA
(Adopted by the Permanent Council at its special meeting, held on July 18, 2018)

THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,
BEARING IN MIND the principles enshrined in the Charter of the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, of which Nicaragua is a State party;

REAFFIRMING declaration AG/DEC. 97 (XLIII-O/18), adopted by the OAS General Assembly on June 5, 2018;

TAKING NOTE of the Central American Integration System’s (SICA) “Special Declaration on Nicaragua” of 30 June, 2018; and

NOTING with deep concern the situation confirmed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in the final report on its visit to Nicaragua, from May 17 to 21, 2018, titled “Gross Human Rights Violations in the Context of Social Protests in Nicaragua” and presented to the Permanent Council on June 22 and July 11, 2018,

RESOLVES:
[1] To reiterate its vigorous condemnation of and grave concern over all acts of violence, repression, and human rights violations and abuses committed by police, parapolice groups, and others against the people of Nicaragua, as documented by the IACHR; to encourage that steps be taken to identify the individuals responsible, through the corresponding legal procedures; and to demand that parapolice groups be disbanded.

[2] To also condemn attacks on the clergy, the harassment of Roman Catholic bishops engaged in the National Dialogue process, and the acts of violence at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), the headquarters of CARITAS, and against other peaceful protesters.

[3] To urge the Government of Nicaragua and all the parties to participate actively and in good faith in the National Dialogue as a mechanism to generate peaceful and sustainable solutions to the situation unfolding in Nicaragua, and for the strengthening of democracy in that country.

[4] To call on the Government of Nicaragua to consider all options to achieve this objective, to collaborate in the effective pursuit of efforts to strengthen democratic institutions in Nicaragua through the implementation of the recommendations of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission, and to support an electoral calendar jointly agreed to in the context of the National Dialogue process.

[5] To support the recently established Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) to investigate the acts of violence which have been taking place in the country, as documented by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), as well as the Special Follow-up Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) and the initiative to strengthen democratic institutions advanced by the OAS General Secretariat, and to urge the Government of Nicaragua to provide the conditions necessary to allow these groups to fulfill their duties.

[6] To reiterate the willingness of the Permanent Council to collaborate and consider all possible measures and mechanisms it deems appropriate to find a peaceful solution to the situation faced by Nicaragua, as provided for by the Organization’s regulations.

[7] To invite the IACHR to keep the Permanent Council informed as to the functioning of the mechanisms specifically established by the IACHR to monitor the human rights situation in Nicaragua and the follow-up of the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the IACHR.

[8] To request the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the OAS Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the OAS Secretary General and the European Union to support the work of the Verification and Security Commission.