Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 21/2014 Table of Contents: Healthy
Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 21/2014 A bi-weekly newsletter supported by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) 12 October 2014 You can download back issues (2010 - 2014) of this newsletter at: http://www.health.bmz.de/en/services/newsletters/HESP_News_Notes/index.jsp Table of Contents: HIGHLIGHTS from Healthy DEvelopments ...................... 4 Germany’s commitment to health and social protection ......................................................... 4 Kyrgyzstan hosts first Midwifery Conference in Central Asia.................................................. 4 Opening Pandora’s Box: Training trainers to challenge health workers’ attitudes towards clients from sexual minority groups ......................................................................................... 4 HIV prevention in Ukraine: Opportunities lost and found ........................................................ 4 The GIZ Strategy Initiative for Regional Response on HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa (STIRS).................................................................................................................................... 4 Side Event at the Special Session of the UN General Assembly ‘ICPD Beyond 2014’.......... 4 ICPD and Beyond: Investing in Health and Rights ................................................................. 4 BOOKS ................................................................................ 4 Participatory Action Research in Health Systems: A Methods Reader .................................. 4 South African Women as Champions of Change.................................................................... 4 Development Co-operation Report 2014: Mobilising Resources for Sustainable Development ........................................................................................................................... 5 The World Bank Group A to Z ................................................................................................. 5 Everything you always wanted to know about European Union health policies but were afraid to ask ............................................................................................................................. 5 ONLINE PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 6 Global Health.............................................................................................................. 6 Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Global Health......................................... 6 HIV - AIDS - STI ......................................................................................................... 6 Migration, sexual networks, and HIV in Agbogbloshie, Ghana ............................................... 6 Risk of HIV transmission from patients on antiretroviral therapy: A position statement from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Reference Group for Antiviral Therapy ................................................................................................................................... 7 Sexual & Reproductive Health .................................................................................... 7 Women’s perceptions about abortion in their communities: Perspectives from western Kenya ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Simple technology for simple solutions: Part 2 – MakaPads .................................................. 7 Neglecting sexuality in sexual and reproductive health: A case of sex workers in Madagascar............................................................................................................................. 8 Preconception interventions - Reviews ................................................................................... 8 Maternal & Child Health.............................................................................................. 8 Using the infrastructure of a conditional cash transfer program to deliver a scalable integrated early child development program in Colombia: cluster randomized controlled trial ................................................................................................................................................. 8 The costs and economic impact of violence against children ................................................. 9 HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 1 Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2000-13, with projections to inform post-2015 priorities: an updated systematic analysis ............................................................. 9 Struggle for Maternal Health: Barriers to Antenatal Care in South Africa ............................... 9 Maternal mortality in Bangladesh: a Countdown to 2015 country case study ...................... 10 Malaria ..................................................................................................................... 10 Delayed Anemia after Treatment with Injectable Artesunate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Manageable Issue........................................................................................... 10 Rapid diagnostic tests for diagnosing uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in endemic countries ................................................................................................................................ 10 Accessibility, availability and utilisation of malaria interventions among women of reproductive age in Kilosa district in central Tanzania.......................................................... 11 Tuberculosis ............................................................................................................. 11 Global Financing and Long-Term Technical Assistance for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis: Scaling Up Access to Treatment .................................................................... 11 Ebola / Other Infectious Diseases............................................................................. 12 Laboratory Guidance for the Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease - Interim Recommendations ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD): Waste Management Guidance ................................................ 12 WHO: Ebola Response Roadmap Situation Report - 8 October 2014 ................................. 12 WHO: Ebola Response Roadmap Update - 10 October 2014.............................................. 13 Dengue fever: a Wikipedia clinical review............................................................................. 13 Food & Nutrition........................................................................................................ 13 Communication for Behavior Change in Nutrition Projects: A Guide for World Bank Task Managers .............................................................................................................................. 13 Essential Medicines .................................................................................................. 13 Trading Away Access to Medicines – Revisited.................................................................... 13 Medicines in Health Systems: Advancing access, affordability and appropriate use ........... 14 WHO Drug Information Vol. 28, N° 3 .................................................................................... 14 Social Protection....................................................................................................... 14 Acceptability of conditions in a community-led cash transfer programme for orphaned and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe........................................................................................... 14 Social protection for older persons: Key policy trends and statistics .................................... 15 Water, Sanitation & Hygiene..................................................................................... 15 Effectiveness of a rural sanitation programme on diarrhoea, soil-transmitted helminth infection, and child malnutrition in Odisha, India: a cluster-randomised trial ........................ 15 Human Resources.................................................................................................... 16 A Community Health Worker "logic model": towards a theory of enhanced performance in low- and middle-income countries......................................................................................... 16 Health Systems & Research ..................................................................................... 16 Science and Practice of People-Centred Health Systems (PCHS) ...................................... 16 How people-centred health systems can reach the grassroots: experiences implementing community-level quality improvement in rural Tanzania and Uganda .................................. 16 Tackling health inequities: from concepts to practice: The experience of Västra Götaland . 17 Purchasing arrangements with the private sector to provide primary health care in underserved areas ................................................................................................................ 17 Effects of librarian-provided services in healthcare settings: a systematic review ............... 17 Information & Communication Technology ............................................................... 18 Science for sale: the rise of predatory journals ..................................................................... 18 African medical journals partner with leading journals to boost impact ................................ 18 Open access for operational research publications from low- and middle-income countries: who pays? ............................................................................................................................. 18 Education ................................................................................................................. 19 A glimpse at the school dropout problem.............................................................................. 19 Millennium Development Goals ................................................................................ 19 Making it happen: Oxfam’s proposals for the post-2015 framework..................................... 19 Post-2015 agenda: mission impossible?............................................................................... 20 Health, equity and the post-2015 agenda: raising the voices of marginalized communities 20 Development Assistance .......................................................................................... 20 Financing Growth: Foreign Aid vs. Foreign Loans ................................................................ 20 The World Bank Annual Report 2014 ................................................................................... 21 HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 2 ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ............................................ 21 South African Medical Journal - Vol. 104 No. 10 .................................................................. 21 Bulletin of the World Health Organization – Vol. 92, Nr. 10, October 2014 .......................... 21 Emerging Infectious Diseases............................................................................................... 22 INTERESTING WEB SITES .............................................. 22 The Woman and Child Health Research Centre (W&CHRC) ............................................... 22 TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES............................................ 22 Online Course: Fundamentals of Global Health.................................................................... 22 CONFERENCES................................................................ 22 th 9 European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health................................ 22 CARTOON ......................................................................... 23 TIPS & TRICKS ................................................................. 23 A quick search shortcut in MS Windows ............................................................................... 23 The Trick to Unlimited Gmail Addresses............................................................................... 23 Fair Use: This Newsletter is produced under the principles of 'fair use'. We source relevant news articles, resources and research documents and strive to attribute sources by providing reference and/or direct links to authors and websites. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter, do not necessarily represent those of GIZ or the editor of HESP-News & Notes. While we make every effort to ensure that all facts and figures quoted by authors are accurate, GIZ and the editor of the Newsletter cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies contained in any articles. Please contact [email protected] if you believe that errors are contained in any article and we will investigate and provide feedback. To subscribe for free to the newsletter send an e-mail to: [email protected] leave the ‘Subject’ line empty with the following commands in the body of the message: subscribe hpn-news-notes end (If you have problems subscribing, send me a note ([email protected]) that you would like to receive the newsletter). We encourage you to share the newsletter with your friends & colleagues. HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 3 HIGHLIGHTS from Healthy DEvelopments Germany’s commitment to health and social protection Kyrgyzstan hosts first Midwifery Conference in Central Asia Opening Pandora’s Box: Training trainers to challenge health workers’ attitudes towards clients from sexual minority groups HIV prevention in Ukraine: Opportunities lost and found The GIZ Strategy Initiative for Regional Response on HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa (STIRS) Side Event at the Special Session of the UN General Assembly ‘ICPD Beyond 2014’ ICPD and Beyond: Investing in Health and Rights More at: http://health.bmz.de/ BOOKS Participatory Action Research in Health Systems: A Methods Reader by Rene Loewenson, Asa C Laurell, Christer Hogstedt et al. Published by the Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) in association with Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC), Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR), World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada, 2014 125 pp. 3.5 MB: http://www.equinetafrica.org/bibl/docs/PAR%20Methods%20Reader2014%20for%20web.pdf In the 21st century there is a growing demand to channel collective energy towards justice and equity in health, and to better understand the social processes that influence health and health systems. Communities, frontline health workers and other grass-roots actors play a key role in responding to this demand, in raising critical questions, building new knowledge and provoking and carrying out action to transform health systems and improve health. There is a widening array of methods, tools and capacities – old and new – to increase social participation and power in generating new knowledge through participatory research. At the same time, we need to be clear about exactly what participatory research is and what it can offer. *** South African Women as Champions of Change by Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Selma Karuaihe, Vasu Reddy et al. Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), March 2014 Download chapter by chapter (103 pp.) at: http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/product.php?productid=2313&cat=0&page=1 &featured&freedownload=1# The publication of this book forms part of a civil society programme of action for the African Women’s Decade, co-ordinated by South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID). It reports on the main issues facing South African women, namely: 1) poverty eradication HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 4 in the context of gender; 2) early childhood development in the context of gender; 3) violence against women; and 4) co-ordination of civil society initiatives. A fifth theme which cuts across all the others is employment creation. *** Development Co-operation Report 2014: Mobilising Resources for Sustainable Development by Erik Solheim, Hildegard Lingnau, Julia Sattelberger et al. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Publishing, 07 October 2014 430 pp. 16.9 MB(!): http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development-co-operation-report2014_5jz2lq2522xp.pdf?contentType=%2fns%2fOECDBook%2c%2fns%2fBook&itemId=%2fcontent%2fbook%2 fdcr-2014-en&mimeType=application%2fpdf&containerItemId=%2fcontent%2fserial%2f20747721&accessItemIds= Successful south-south aid initiatives by Brazil and China have included infrastructure and employment initiatives. If the world is to meet its goals for sustainable development, traditional donors must think more globally, cooperate more closely with emerging donors and mobilise the huge sums that exist in untapped resources. The report addresses important challenges for the international development community and provides pra ctical guidance and recommendations on how to tackle them. Moreover, it reports the profiles and performance of Development Assistance Committee (DAC) development co-operation providers and presents DAC statistics on official development assistance (ODA) and private resource flows. *** The World Bank Group A to Z by Stephen McGroarty, Jewel McFadden, Dana Lane et al. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2015 258 pp. 17.3 MB (!): https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/20 192/9781464803826.pdf?sequence=8 The book provides ready-reference insight into the history, mission, organization, policies, financial services, and knowledge products of the institution’s five agencies. Each of the more than 200 entries are arranged in encyclopedic A-to-Z format and are extensively cross-referenced to related information in the book. This volume also has a detailed index, reference materials on World Bank Group country membership, organizational charts of the five agencies, and information about how to connect with or work for the institution. *** Everything you always wanted to know about European Union health policies but were afraid to ask by Scott L. Greer, Nick Fahy, Heather A. Elliott et al. The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, 2014 162 pp. 3.7 MB: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/259955/Everyt hing-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-European-Union-health-policiesbut-were-afraid-to-ask.pdf HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 5 What does the European Union mean for health and health systems? More than one would think. This short book makes EU health policy in its entirety (and complexity) a ccessible to political and technical debate. To this end the volume focuses on four aspects of EU health policy: the EU institutions, processes and powers related to health; the EU action taken on the basis of this health mandate; the non-health action affecting health and health systems; and, because of its growing importance, financial governance and what it means for European health systems. ONLINE PUBLICATIONS Global Health Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Global Health by Jonathan A. Patz, Howard Frumkin, Tracey Holloway et al. JAMA, Published online September 22, 2014 16 pp. 492 kB: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/data/Journals/JAMA/0/jsc140007.pdf?v=635467564 978030000 Health is inextricably linked to climate change. It is important for clinicians to understand this relationship in order to discuss associated health risks with their patients and to i nform public policy. The study thoroughly assesses the health risks associated with climate change. Some well-known - heat stress, increased cardiac arrests, decreased work productivity - and others that are not as widely reported, including weakened respiratory health, increases in infectious diseases and higher levels of mental stress. HIV - AIDS - STI Migration, sexual networks, and HIV in Agbogbloshie, Ghana by Susan Cassels, Samuel M. Jenness, Adriana A. E. Biney et al. Demographic Research, Vol. 31, Article 28, pp. 861-888 (10 October 2014) 30 pp. 1.6 MB: http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol31/28/31-28.pdf HIV is spread through structured sexual networks, which are influenced by migration patterns, but network-oriented studies of mobility and HIV risk behaviour have been limited. The authors conclude that population-based surveys of migration and sexual risk behaviour using relationship history calendars in low-resource settings can produce high quality data. Residents in Agbogbloshie are disproportionately affected by HIV, and have high levels of short-term mobility. HIV prevention interventions targeted to highly mobile populations in high prevalence settings may have far-reaching and long-term implications. *** HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 6 Risk of HIV transmission from patients on antiretroviral therapy: A position statement from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Reference Group for Antiviral Therapy by Jan Albert, Torsten Berglund, Magnus Gisslén et al. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2014; 46: 673–677 5 pp. 69 kB: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/00365548.2014.926565 Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been shown to reduce the transmission risk from individual patients as well as the spread of the infection at the population level. This position statement summarizes the latest research and knowledge on the risk of HIV transmi ssion from patients on ART, with a focus on the risk of sexual transmission. Based on current knowledge, the risk of transmission through vaginal or anal intercourse involving the use of a condom has been judged to be minimal, provided that the person infected with HIV fulfils the criteria for effective ART. ART is judged to markedly reduce the risk of blood-borne transmission between people who share injection equipment. Finally, the risk of transmission from mother to child is very low, provided that ART is started well in advance of delivery. Sexual & Reproductive Health Women’s perceptions about abortion in their communities: Perspectives from western Kenya by Heather M Marlow, Sylvia Wamugi, Erick Yegon et al. Reproductive Health Matters 2014;22(43):149–158 10 pp. 545 kB: http://www.ipas.org/~/media/Files/Ipas%20Publications/MarlowRHM2014.ashx The results of the study indicate that abortion outside public health facilities was mentioned frequently. Because of the need for secrecy to avoid condemnation, uncertainty about the law, and perceived higher cost of safer abortion methods, women sought u nsafe abortions from community midwives, drug sellers and/or untrained providers at lower cost. Many groups incorrectly believed that abortion was safer at higher gestational ages, but that there was no such thing as a safe abortion method. Barriers to seeking safe services such as high cost, perceived illegality, and fear of insults and abuse at public facilities among both age groups must be addressed. *** Simple technology for simple solutions: Part 2 – MakaPads by Lonnie Kehler Consultancy Africa Intelligence (Pty) Ltd, 25 September 2014 Read online at: http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=171 5:simple-technology-for-simple-solutions-part-2-makapads&catid=90:optimisticafrica&Itemid=295 The myths and misconceptions surrounding the taboo subject of menstruation affect the HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 7 quality of education for many young girls in Africa, who often lack proper access to san itary protection and facilities. Using only cheap and abundant local resources, MakaPads are a simple technological innovation that provides schoolgirls with affordable prote ction, and in turn, greater comfort, confidence and learning ability. This paper is part two of a two-part series that discusses the benefits and potential of utilizing simple and attainable technologies to tackle issues affecting Africans. *** Neglecting sexuality in sexual and reproductive health: A case of sex workers in Madagascar by Kumud Rana Consultancy Africa Intelligence (Pty) Ltd, 17 September 2014 Read online at: http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=171 2:neglecting-sexuality-in-sexual-and-reproductive-health-a-case-of-sex-workers-inmadagascar&catid=91:rights-in-focus&Itemid=296 This paper analyses sexual and reproductive health (SRH) interventions aimed at female sex workers in Madagascar in order to understand the extent to which they meet the workers’ sexual and reproductive rights. The paper argues that a dissociation of rights from the SRH paradigm and the limited consideration of issues of sexuality are inadequate in ensuring equal rights related to non-discrimination and well-being of all groups of women. *** Preconception interventions - Reviews Edited by Jose Belizan Reproductive Health, Volume 11, Suppl 3 (26 September 2014) http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/supplements/11/S3 The journal Reproductive Health has published a supplement entitled 'Preconception Interventions' which includes a series of systematic reviews regarding the impact of public health interventions during the preconception period on maternal and child health. These articles describe the role that poor preconception health plays in creating health disparities across the globe. The reviews highlight our current understanding (or lack thereof) regarding how both maternal and paternal preconception health and knowledge shapes the long-term health of not only children, but of families, communities, and nations. Maternal & Child Health Using the infrastructure of a conditional cash transfer program to deliver a scalable integrated early child development program in Colombia: cluster randomized controlled trial Orazio P Attanasio, Camila Fernández, Emla O A Fitzsimons et al. BMJ 2014;349:g5785 - Published 29 September 2014 HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 8 12 pp. 1.9 MB: http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g5785.full.pdf+html Using the infrastructure of a national welfare program the authors implemented an integrated early child development intervention on a large scale and showed its potential for improving children’s cognitive development. They found no effect of supplementation on developmental or health outcomes. Moreover, supplementation did not interact with stimulation. The implementation model for delivering stimulation suggests that it may serve as a promising blueprint for future policy on early childhood development. *** The costs and economic impact of violence against children by Paola Pereznieto, Andres Montes, Solveig Routier et al. Overseas Development Institute (ODI), September 2014 79 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publicationsopinion-files/9177.pdf This study estimates that the global economic impacts and costs resulting from the consequences of physical, psychological and sexual violence against children can be as high as US$ 7 trillion. This massive cost is higher than the investment required to pr event much of that violence. *** Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality in 2000-13, with projections to inform post-2015 priorities: an updated systematic analysis by Li Liu, Shefali Oza, Daniel Hogan et al. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 1 October 2014 11 pp. 797 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS01406736 14616986.pdf Trend data for causes of child death are crucial to inform priorities for improving child survival by and beyond 2015. The authors report child mortality by cause estimates in 2000-13, and cause-specific mortality scenarios to 2030 and 2035. Their projection results provide concrete examples of how the distribution of child causes of deaths could look in 15-20 years to inform priority setting in the post-2015 era. More evidence is needed about shifts in timing, causes, and places of under-5 deaths to inform child survival agendas by and beyond 2015, to end preventable child deaths in a generation, and to count and account for every newborn and every child. *** Struggle for Maternal Health: Barriers to Antenatal Care in South Africa Amnesty International, October 2014 100 pp. 1.9 MB: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR53/006/2014/en/37182be0-efcd4740-82b9-759a8ff8e3cd/afr530062014en.pdf HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 9 Access to antenatal care early in pregnancy is vital to protect the health and lives of women and girls. In South Africa, however, even though such care is free, many women and girls do not attend clinics until the later stages of their pregnancy. This has grave consequences for their health, and can be fatal in a country where around a third of pregnant women are living with HIV and three-quarters are living in poverty. The report calls on the South African authorities to remove these barriers, so that women and girls can access their right to health. *** Maternal mortality in Bangladesh: a Countdown to 2015 country case study by Shams El Arifeen, Kenneth Hill, Karar Zunaid Ahsan et al. The Lancet, Vol. 384, Issue 9951, pp. 1366-1374, 11 October 2014 9 pp. 660 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673614609557.pdf Bangladesh is one of the only nine Countdown countries that are on track to achieve the primary target of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 by 2015. The decrease in m aternal mortality rate (MMR) in Bangladesh seems to have been the result of factors both within and outside the health sector. This finding holds important lessons for other cou ntries as the world discusses and decides on the post-MDG goals and strategies. For Bangladesh, this case study provides a strong rationale for the pursuit of a broader developmental agenda alongside increased and accelerated investments in improving a ccess to and quality of public and private health-care facilities providing maternal health in Bangladesh. Malaria Delayed Anemia after Treatment with Injectable Artesunate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Manageable Issue by Christian Burri, Giovanfrancesco Ferrari, Henry Maggi Ntuku et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014, Vol. 91, No. 4, 821-823 3 pp. 571 kB: http://www.ajtmh.org/content/91/4/821.full.pdf#page=1&view=FitH Cases of delayed hemolytic anemia have been described after treatment with injectable artesunate, the current World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended first-line drug for the treatment of severe malaria. The proportion of patients with severe anemia in this study groups was below 1% for the whole duration of the follow-up period. In all cases, delayed anemia was clinically manageable with appropriate and prompt care. *** Rapid diagnostic tests for diagnosing uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in endemic countries by Katharine Abba, Jonathan J Deeks, Piero L Olliaro et al. The Cochrane Library, Published Online: 6 July 2011 HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 10 271 pp. 2.4 MB: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/14651858.CD00812 2.pub2/asset/CD008122.pdf The World Health Organization now recommends that malaria is always confirmed with a diagnostic test before treatment. The gold standard test is light microscopy, but this is often unavailable in rural areas of Africa. Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) are simple to use diagnostic kits which do not require laboratory facilities or extensive training, and can provide a simple pos itive or negative result within 20 minutes. This review assesses the diagnostic accuracy of RDTs for detecting P. falciparum parasitaemia compared to light microscopy and presents data by test type and brand. *** Accessibility, availability and utilisation of malaria interventions among women of reproductive age in Kilosa district in central Tanzania by Susan F Rumisha, Maria M Zinga, Carolyn A Fahey et al. BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:452 (2 October 2014) 10 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-14-452.pdf This study showed that the knowledge of the pregnant women on malaria in pregnancy and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) was average and is likely to have an impact on the low IPTp coverage. Campaigns that provide educational massages on the risk of malaria during pregnancy and the usefulness of IPTp need to be emphasised. Tuberculosis Global Financing and Long-Term Technical Assistance for MultidrugResistant Tuberculosis: Scaling Up Access to Treatment by Thomas J. Hwang and Salmaan Keshavjee PLoS Med 11(9): e1001738 (September 30, 2014) 6 pp. 358 kB: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.13 71%2Fjournal.pmed.1001738&representation=PDF The cost of treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is over 200 times the comparable cost for a drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) patient. In order to achieve the goal of eradicating MDR-TB, policymakers should implement a two-pronged intervention that pools donor resources for the coupling of market-oriented solutions to MDRTB drug prices and targeted investments in health systems strengthening and innovative care delivery models. Innovative policy mechanisms piloted for other infectious diseases, such as pneumococcal vaccine, may offer lessons for the MDR-TB context. *** HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 11 Ebola / Other Infectious Diseases Laboratory Guidance for the Diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease - Interim Recommendations World Health Organization, 19 September 2014 6 pp. 451 kB: http://www.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/134009/1/WHO_EVD_GUI DANCE_LAB_14.1_eng.pdf?ua=1 These recommendations reflect current understanding of Ebola virus disease (EVD) and are intended for national laboratory staff performing diagnostic tes ting to detect Ebola virus. WHO continues to monitor the situation closely for any changes that may affect these recommendations. Should any factors change, WHO will issue a further update. These recommendations are not intended for laboratories performing patient care and management testing such as biochemistry and haematology. *** Ebola Virus Disease (EVD): Waste Management Guidance UNICEF Supply Division, 26 September 2014 6 pp. 202 kB: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNICEF_Ebol a_Waste_Management_Guidance_Note_26_09_2014.pdf In addition to the need to break the transmission of EVD between health care workers and their surrounding working environment, EVD waste management control measures must also be applied. EVD infected waste poses a health risk through the retransmission of EVD in outbreak settings. Appropriate waste management and handling needs to be highly effective in order to contain the outbreak and break any environmental viral transmission lines. *** WHO: Ebola Response Roadmap Situation Report - 8 October 2014 10 pp. 1.5 MB: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/136020/1/roadmapsitrep_8O ct2014_eng.pdf The total number of confirmed, probable, and suspected cases in the West African epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported up to the end of 5 October 2014 (epidemiological week 40) is 8033 with 3865 deaths. Countries affected are Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and the United States of America. A confirmed case of EVD has been reported in Spain. The past week has seen a continuation of recent trends: the situation in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone continues to deteriorate, with widespread and persistent transmission of EVD. *** HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 12 WHO: Ebola Response Roadmap Update - 10 October 2014 4 pp. 586 kB: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/136161/1/roadmapupdate10Oct14_eng.pdf 8376 (probable, confirmed and suspected) cases and 4024 deaths from EVD have been reported up to the end of 7 October 2014 by the Ministries of Health of Guinea and Liberia, and up to the end of 8 October by the Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone. *** Dengue fever: a Wikipedia clinical review by James M Heilman, Jacob De Wolff, Graham M Beards et al. Open Medicine, Vol. 8(4), October 2, 2014, pp.105-115 11 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.openmedicine.ca/article/viewFile/562/564 In this issue of Open Medicine, the authors have published the first ever formally peerreviewed, and edited, Wikipedia article. The clinical topic is Dengue Fever. Though there may be a need for shorter, more focused clinical articles published elsewhere as this one expands, it is anticipated that the Wikipedia page on Dengue will be a reference against which all others can be compared. Though it might be decades before we see an end to Dengue, perhaps the end to exhaustive or expensive searches about what yet needs to be done, can bring it sooner. Food & Nutrition Communication for Behavior Change in Nutrition Projects: A Guide for World Bank Task Managers by Michael Favin and Marcia Griffiths Human Development Network, The World Bank, August 1999 131 pp. 256 kB: http://www.idpas.org/pdf/2019CommunicationFor.pdf This guide offers an approach that should help Task Managers plan more effective nutrition projects. Although malnutrition clearly is a complex problem, in many circumstances it is possible for programs to improve nutritional status by helping families make small but important improvements in child feeding and maternal nutrition that require little if any additional food or major hardware investments. The investments are primarily in human resource development - in changing attitudes and behaviours among policy makers, health care or agricultural agents, and mothers and other persons in communities and households. Essential Medicines Trading Away Access to Medicines – Revisited How the European trade agenda continues to undermine access to medicines HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 13 Joint Agency Briefing Paper, 29 September 2014 40 pp. 425 kB: http://haieurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Trading-AwayAccess-to-Medicines-Revisited.pdf The failure of the current pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) system is revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO) alert about the lack of effective medicines to address antimicrobial resistance, and the absence of a treatment for the deadly Ebola virus that is ravaging communities in West Africa at the time of writing. The European Commission (EC) has implemented a trade agenda that favours the commercial interests of the multinational pharmaceutical industry over the health of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Such trade policies have triggered an outcry from European citizens, experts and organizations, who are asking for the public interest to be prioritized in trade discussions. *** Medicines in Health Systems: Advancing access, affordability and appropriate use Edited by: Maryam Bigdeli, David H. Peters, Anita K. Wagner World Health Organization, 2014 117 pp. 1.7 MB: http://www.who.int/entity/alliance-hpsr/resources/FR_webfinal_v1.pdf Through the use of country case-studies, the Report evaluates the stated goals of medicines policies against their actual outcomes and implementation challenges. The Report also offers guidance and recommendations to inform, monitor, and appraise the inevitable reforms required to increase the availability of quality-assured, cost-effective medicines in resource-poor settings. *** WHO Drug Information Vol. 28, N° 3 84 pp. 1.0 MB: http://www.who.int/entity/medicines/publications/druginformation/ WHO_DI_28-3_web.pdf The third issue for 2014 opens with a section on Regulatory Harmonization. The section on WHO Prequalification describes prequalification processes and outcomes for vaccines and for diagnostic products. The Safety News section highlights information on reports of adverse drug reactions, regulatory warnings and recommendations including labelling changes. The issue concludes with the 72nd List of Recommended International Nonproprietary Names (INN). Social Protection Acceptability of conditions in a community-led cash transfer programme for orphaned and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe by Morten Skovdal, Laura Robertson, Phyllis Mushati et al. Health Policy Plan. (2014) 29 (7): 809-817 - First published online: September 9, 2013 HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 14 9 pp. 142 kB: http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/7/809.full.pdf+html Evidence suggests that a regular and reliable transfer of cash to households with orphaned and vulnerable children has a strong and positive effect on child outcomes. However, conditional cash transfers are considered by some as particularly intrusive and the question on whether or not to apply conditions to cash transfers is an issue of controversy. Contributing to policy debates on the appropriateness of conditions, this article sets out to investigate the overall buy-in of conditions by different stakeholders and to identify pathways that contribute to an acceptability of conditions. *** Social protection for older persons: Key policy trends and statistics by Isabel Ortiz, Krzysztof Hagemejer, Anne Drouin et al. Social Protection Department, International Labour Office, 2014 150 pp. 4.3 MB: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/--dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_310211.pdf This policy paper: provides a global overview of the organization of pension systems, their coverage and benefits, as well as public expenditures on social security, in 178 countries analyses trends and recent policies, e.g. extension of coverage in a large number of low-and middle-income countries presents the negative impacts of fiscal consolidation and adjustment measures in a number of higher-income economies; and calls for the expansion of social protection in pursuit of crisis recovery, inclusive development and social justice Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Effectiveness of a rural sanitation programme on diarrhoea, soiltransmitted helminth infection, and child malnutrition in Odisha, India: a cluster-randomised trial by Thomas Clasen, Sophie Boisson, Parimita Routray et al. The Lancet Global Health - Early Online Publication, 10 October 2014 9 pp. 289 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/langlo/PIIS2214109X1 4703079.pdf Increased latrine coverage is generally believed to be effective for reducing exposure to faecal pathogens and preventing disease; however, the results of this study show that this outcome cannot be assumed. As efforts to improve sanitation are being undertaken worldwide, approaches should not only meet international coverage targets, but should also be implemented in a way that achieves uptake, reduces exposure, and delivers genuine health gains. *** HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 15 Human Resources A Community Health Worker "logic model": towards a theory of enhanced performance in low- and middle-income countries by Joseph F Naimoli, Diana E Frymus, Tana Wuliji et al. Human Resources for Health 2014, 12:56 (2 October 2014) 16 pp. 479 kB: http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/pdf/1478-4491-12-56.pdf There has been a resurgence of interest in national Community Health Worker (CHW) programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A lack of strong research evidence persists, however, about the most efficient and effective strategies to ensure o ptimal, sustained performance of CHWs at scale. To facilitate learning and research to address this knowledge gap, the authors developed a generic CHW logic model that proposes a theoretical causal pathway to improved performance. The logic model draws upon available research and expert knowledge on CHWs in LMICs. Health Systems & Research Science and Practice of People-Centred Health Systems (PCHS) Guest Editors: Kabir Sheikh, Michael Kent Ranson and Lucy Gilson Health Policy Plan. (2014) Vol. 29 (suppl. 2), September 2014 Free access to all articles at: http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/suppl_2.toc This supplement is a joint production of Health Policy and Planning and the organizers of the Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Cape Town, 2014. Its release is timed to coincide with the Symposium, that takes as its theme, the science and practice of people-centred health systems. It is anticipated that the supplement will inform debates in the Symposium, and also that well beyond the event, it will open up the topic for continued investigation, reaffirmation and challenge in the practical as well as the academic realms of health policy and systems. *** How people-centred health systems can reach the grassroots: experiences implementing community-level quality improvement in rural Tanzania and Uganda by Tara Tancred, Rogers Mandu, Claudia Hanson et al. Health Policy Plan. (2014) - First published online: October 1, 2014 13 pp. 332 kB: http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/09/21/heapol.czu070.full.pdf+html Quality improvement (QI) methods engage stakeholders in identifying problems, creating strategies called change ideas to address those problems, testing those change ideas and scaling them up where successful. These methods have rarely been used at the community level in low-income country settings. Here the authors share experiences from rural Tanzania and Uganda, where QI was applied as part of the Expanded Quality HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 16 Management Using Information Power (EQUIP) intervention with the aim of improving maternal and newborn health. *** Tackling health inequities: from concepts to practice: The experience of Västra Götaland Edited by Nancy Gravesen WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2014 36 pp. 924 kB: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/256783/Tackl ing-health-inequities-from-concepts-to-practice-The-experience-ofVastra-Gotaland.pdf?ua=1 This report describes the process that the Region Västra Götaland, Sweden followed to mainstream health equity in its regional health plan; this resulted in the adoption of the Action Plan for Health Equity in Region Västra Götaland. This publication give an account of not only the factors that made the Action Plan possible but also the obstacles encountered and the measures taken to overcome them. The report illustrates how the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches central to the new European health policy, Health 2020, were implemented in a real setting. *** Purchasing arrangements with the private sector to provide primary health care in underserved areas by Krishna Hort, Matthias Nachtnebel, Ashleigh O’Mahony et al. World Health Organization, 2014 (on behalf of the Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies) 77 pp. 2.3 MB: http://www.wpro.who.int/asia_pacific_observatory/resources/policy _briefs/policy_biref_purchasing_arrangements.pdf?ua=1 The health systems of most countries in the Asia Pacific region are characterized by the provision of services through both public and private providers, often in parallel or in competition with each other. This has raised the option for governments to purchase services from the private sector, to address gaps in services particularly for the poor and underserved. This policy brief reviews the evidence base of government purchasing primary care services from the private sector. It aims to provide guidance to policy m akers on the contextual factors that need consideration, as well as reviewing different pu rchasing mechanisms. *** Effects of librarian-provided services in healthcare settings: a systematic review by Laure Perrier, Ann Farrell, A Patricia Ayala et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc, 2014;21:1118-1124 8 pp. 818 kB: http://jamia.bmj.com/content/21/6/1118.full.pdf+html Librarian-provided services directed to participants in training programs (e.g., students, HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 17 residents) improve skills in searching the literature to facilitate the integration of r esearch evidence into clinical decision-making. Services provided to clinicians were shown to be effective in saving time for health professionals and providing relevant information for decision-making. Two studies indicated patient length of stay was reduced when clinicians requested literature searches related to a patient's case. Information & Communication Technology Science for sale: the rise of predatory journals by Robert E Bartholomew J R Soc Med, October 2014 Vol. 107 No. 10 pp. 384-385 2 pp. 414 kB: http://jrs.sagepub.com/content/107/10/384.full.pdf A new threat has emerged to the integrity of academic publishing: predatory journals. These unscrupulous publishers are exploiting the open-access (OA) model by corrupting the peer-review process, which is often absent or minimal. Their motivation is the procurement of evaluation and publication fees, which in the absence of traditional subscription rates are necessary to cover operating costs. While many OA journals are l egitimate enterprises that contribute to the ever-growing body of scientific knowledge, it is painfully evident that a significant number are untrustworthy. *** African medical journals partner with leading journals to boost impact by Ylann Schemm Elsevier Connect - 26 September 2014 Read online at: http://www.elsevier.com/connect/african-medical-journals-partner-withleading-journals-to-boost-impact Much of the research done in Africa is hard to find - for scientists locally or anywhere else in the world. The numbers are promising, however: from 1996 to 2012, scientific r esearch papers with an African author quadrupled from 12,500 to over 52,000. Put a nother way, African author article share nearly doubled during this decade from 1.2 percent to 2.3 percent. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Often targeting critical local issues, African research is frequently published in unindexed local or regional journals, or it may be found languishing as a hard copy on a dusty shelf, part of vast body of African grey literature. *** Open access for operational research publications from low- and middleincome countries: who pays? by R. Zachariah, A. M. V. Kumar, A. J. Reid et al. Public Health Action, Vol. 4, No. 3, (21 September 2014) 4 pp. 109 kB: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/pha/2014/00000004/00000003/art00005 HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 18 Open-access journal publications aim to ensure that new knowledge is widely disseminated and made freely accessible in a timely manner so that it can be used to improve people's health, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries. In this paper, the authors briefly explain the differences between closed- and open-access journals, including the evolving idea of the 'open-access spectrum'. They highlight the potential benefits of supporting open access for operational research, and discuss the conu ndrum and ways forward as regards who pays for open access. Education A glimpse at the school dropout problem by Aniceto C. Orbeta Jr. The Filipino Child Policy Brief, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, 2010 4 pp. 94 kB: http://dirp4.pids.gov.ph/ris/pn/pidsbrief04.pdf Dropouts may appear small in number but they are preponderant among the poor which thereupon turns the wheels of intergenerational transmission of poverty against them. The Philippines sees a considerable number of school-aged children who are not in school and most probably, it is not of their own choice. Given the preponderance of economic reasons for dropping out, sustained and inclusive economic growth would be the long-term solution. Ongoing conditional cash transfer programmes which provide cash to poor families if they keep their children in school should be able to make a dent on the dropout problem, particularly for those citing employment or looking for work as a reason. Millennium Development Goals Making it happen: Oxfam’s proposals for the post-2015 framework by David Taylor, Hannah Stoddart, Stephen Hale et al. Oxfam International, June 2014 44 pp. 1.3 MB: http://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/oxfam/bitstream/10546/31 7610/19/bp187-making-happen-proposals-post-2015-framework170614-en.pdf The briefing argues that, as the era of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) comes to an end, two major injustices continue to undermine the efforts of millions of people to escape poverty and hunger: inequality and climate change. It argues that the post-2015 framework that succeeds the MDGs must address these twin challenges through stand-alone goals to eradicate extreme economic inequality and to ensure climate-resilient and sustainable low-carbon development, as well as in targets throughout the framework that address both. *** HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 19 Post-2015 agenda: mission impossible? by Jan Vandemoortele Development Studies Research: Vol. 1, Issue 1, July 2014 11 pp. 176 kB: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/21665095.2014.943415 The article argues that a post-2015 agenda fit for the purpose is not ‘mission impossible’. Yet, it will require that some prerequisites are fulfilled which are currently being ci rcumvented. If stakeholders continue to focus on the list of global targets, the outcome of their negotiations will be either an overloaded agenda or no agenda at all. Each stak eholder has to choose between keeping the DNA of the MDGs intact – i.e. clear, concise, computable – or venturing into genetic modification that risks turning into an unending and fuzzy wish list. Health, equity and the post-2015 agenda: raising the voices of marginalized communities Edited by Eric Friedman, Peter Hill, Ana Lorena Ruano International Journal for Equity in Health 2014, 13 (10 October 2014) Collection published: 8 October 2014 at: http://www.equityhealthj.com/series/Go4Health The international research consortium 'Goals and Governance for Global Health' (Go4Health) has undergone a series of health-focused consultations in marginalized communities in nine countries to seek their views on their essential health needs, accountability, and more. Many of the results and associated lessons are being published in this new thematic series from the International Journal for Equity in Health entitled “Health, equity and the post-2015 agenda: raising the voices of marginalized communities”. Development Assistance Financing Growth: Foreign Aid vs. Foreign Loans by Subhayu Bandyopadhyay, Sajal Lahiri andJaved Younas Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Working Paper, October 2013 31 pp. 315 kB: http://research.stlouisfed.org/wp/2013/2013-031.pdf Compared to foreign grants, do concessional loans from foreign governments and/or unsubsidized loans from foreign private banks lead to faster growth in developing n ations? The answer has implications for aid agencies (i) in allocating a given amount of resources between grants and concessional loans; and (ii) in encouraging financial market reforms. The authors examine the effects of ODA grants, concessional ODA loans, and private offshore bank loans on growth rates of 131 developing nations over 1996-2010 in a unified way. They find evidence of non-linearities in all three relationships, suggesting that at low (high) levels grants are better (worse) than loans (conce ssional or private). *** HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 20 The World Bank Annual Report 2014 by the Executive Directors of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), 2014 67 pp. 12.0 MB(!): https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/20093/ WB%20Annual%20Report%202014_EN.pdf?sequence=13 This Annual Report focuses on two of the World Bank Group’s institutions: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), collectively known as the World Bank. You are encouraged to read this report to learn more about the work of the World Bank, the activities and ou tcomes it supports in the six regions, and the results of that work in helping to overcome poverty and create opportunities for people in developing countries. ELECTRONIC RESOURCES South African Medical Journal - Vol. 104 No. 10 The October 2014 issue of the South African Medical Journal is online (open access) at: http://samj.org.za In this issue: NCDs – the looming epidemic Preventing diabetic blindness Migrant health Glucocorticoids and lipid metabolism Sexual health of adolescents Cardiovascular risk in urban South Africans CME: Atopic dermatitis *** Bulletin of the World Health Organization – Vol. 92, Nr. 10, October 2014 http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/92/10/en/ Highlights from the October 2014 issue: Medical and nursing students' intentions to work abroad or in rural areas Tracking injuries and violent deaths in Honduras WHO should be involved in drafting sustainable development goals Shift to community-based mental health services in the Czech Republic Interview with Daniel Bausch: why the Ebola virus disease outbreak in western Africa is different Does eliminating user fees for health services improve health? Measuring health and happiness in Finland, Poland and Spain Evaluating national alcohol control policies in Asia and the Pacific Has access to treatment for HIV improved life expectancy? *** HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 21 Emerging Infectious Diseases The Journal of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases has just released a Special Issue entitled “Emerging Infectious Diseases” at: http://www.jmidonline.org You are invited to read the Table of Contents and then to read/download articles and items of interest for free. INTERESTING WEB SITES The Woman and Child Health Research Centre (W&CHRC) http://www.wchrc.org/ The Woman and Child Health Research Centre (W&CHRC) is an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary centre at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. The centre focuses on generating evidence to improve women’s and children’s health in developing countries with a life course perspe ctive. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Online Course: Fundamentals of Global Health Utrecht University and UMC Utrecht, Starts 3 November 2014 – 3 weeks, ca. 14h p/w – € 385 Enrollment deadline: 27 October 2014 This online, Utrecht University-accredited course “Fundamentals of Global Health” course aims to introduce the principles, history, origins and current trends in global health. In 3 weeks, you’ll study global health governance as well as epidemiological transition and the social determinants of health. The course covers questions and topics such as current issues in global health, how health-related development strategies can address these major international health concerns, and how we can measure health and the burden of disease. For more information see: http://elevatehealth.eu/course/fundamentals-global-health CONFERENCES 9th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health 6 –10 September 2015, Basel, Switzerland “Driving the Best Science to Meet Global Health Challenges” The congress will provide a forum for scientists, politicians, NGOs, and public and private health experts to exchange new ideas and to discuss solutions to the global health challenges of today and tomorrow. For more information see: http://www.ectmihbasel2015.ch/ HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 22 CARTOON Recently in our favourite restaurant….. TIPS & TRICKS A quick search shortcut in MS Windows Hold down the Windows key and press F, and up pops your search box! *** The Trick to Unlimited Gmail Addresses Did you know Gmail allows you to have multiple email addresses with one account? A little known feature of Gmail is that it does not recognize dots in the address or characters after a + (plus) sign. This leads to pretty much unlimited email addresses. For example, Gmail does not see a difference between [email protected] or [email protected], or even [email protected], so this could provide you with several different emails. These will still be sent to the same inbox but are considered unique addresses. In addition, anything after a + (plus) sign is ignored by Gmail and sent to the same inbox. Let’s say your main email is [email protected]. You could sign up to a newsle tter at [email protected], and it will still go straight to your [email protected] inbox. But you can also use letters after the + sign. So you could make an address that says [email protected] for your HESP-News newsletters account. HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 23 Why would this be helpful? Well, if you have younger children or grandchildren who want to be on a website that requires an email log in, but you do not want them to have their own email, you could use this. But another way to use it is to create filters in your email or to see what junk mail comes from sites you sign up with. If you use [email protected] for a certain website, when emails come into your inbox, you can look at the Details on that message. It will tell what email address it was sent to, and you can see all the email that the site sent you. Then you can narrow down what you need to unsubscribe from or cancel, if necessary. Best regards, Dieter Neuvians MD HESP-News & Notes - 21/2014 - page 24
© Copyright 2024