Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Malaria ..................................................................................................................... 11
Eliminating Malaria: Learning From the Past, Looking Ahead .............................................. 11 First Results of Phase 3 Trial of RTS,S/AS01 Malaria Vaccine in African Children ............. 11 Africa: Eliminating Malaria..................................................................................................... 11 A national policy for malaria elimination in Swaziland: a first for sub-Saharan Africa .......... 12
Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test Performance......................................................................... 12 A simple and fast method to exclude high Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in travellers with imported malaria ............................................................................................................ 12 Highly Effective Therapy for Maternal Malaria Associated With a Lower Risk of Vertical Transmission ......................................................................................................................... 13 Risk factors for Plasmodium falciparum hyperparasitaemia in malarious children............... 13 CRIMALDDI - The coordination, rationalisation and integration of antimalarial drug discovery and development initiatives ................................................................................................... 13 Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine Versus Chloroquine in the Treatment of Plasmodium vivax Malaria in Thailand: A Randomized Controlled Trial............................................................. 14
Tuberculosis ............................................................................................................. 14
Global Tuberculosis Control 2011 ......................................................................................... 14 Roadmap to Prevent and Combat Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis .......................................... 14 Closing the Policy-Practice Gap in the Management of Child Contacts of Tuberculosis Cases in Developing Countries ............................................................................................. 15 Earlier versus Later Start of Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Adults with Tuberculosis ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Integration of Antiretroviral Therapy with Tuberculosis Treatment ....................................... 15
Social Protection....................................................................................................... 16
Health insurance for Indias poor: Meeting the challenge with information technology ........ 16 Improving client value from microinsurance: Insights from India, Kenya and the Philippines ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Systematic Review of the Impact of Employment Guarantee Schemes and Cash Transfers on the Poor ............................................................................................................................ 17 No Social Justice without Social Protection .......................................................................... 17 Social health assistance schemes: the case of Medical Financial Assistance for the rural poor in four counties of China ............................................................................................... 17 Telling their Stories: The direct impact of Social Cash Transfers on the lives of ultra poor families in Malawi .................................................................................................................. 18
Human Resources.................................................................................................... 18
Towards the construction of health workforce metrics for Latin America and the Caribbean ............................................................................................................................................... 18 Health worker motivation in the context of HIV care and treatment challenges in Mbeya Region, Tanzania: a qualitative study ................................................................................... 18 Access to non-pecuniary benefits: does gender matter? Evidence from six low- and middleincome countries ................................................................................................................... 19 Educating a New Generation of Doctors to Improve the Health of Populations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries ...................................................................................................... 19
Education ................................................................................................................. 21
Left behind: The impact of Zimbabwes mass forced evictions on the right to education..... 21 Women and the Teaching Profession: Exploring the Feminisation Debate.......................... 22
Others ...................................................................................................................... 23
Mental Health Atlas 2011 ...................................................................................................... 23 2011 Global Study on Homicide: Trends, Contexts, Data .................................................... 23 2011 Global Hunger Index .................................................................................................... 24
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES............................................ 25
MSc Programmes in Global and International Health ........................................................... 25 Short Course in Health Policy: Health Systems Strengthening in low income countries...... 26 Diploma in Reproductive Health in Developing Countries .................................................... 26 Course on Promoting Rational Use of Drugs in the Community........................................... 27
CONFERENCES................................................................ 27
Webcast: World Health Summit 2011 - Today's Science - Tomorrow's Agenda................ 27 Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health .................................................. 27 The Treatment of Severe Malaria - A Change of Paradigm.................................................. 28 6th SAHARA Conference 2011 ............................................................................................. 28 Forum 2012: Global Forum for Health Research .................................................................. 28
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BOOKS
Good health at low cost 25 years on - What makes a successful health system?
Edited by Dina Balabanova, Martin McKee and Anne Mills The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 2011 399 pp. 5.6 MB:
http://nexusclients.co.uk/ghlc/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/GHLC-book.pdf
This new edition of Good health at low cost (first published in 1985) draws on a series of new case studies from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Tamil Nadu and Thailand providing fresh insights into the role of effective institutions, innovation and country ownership in catalysing improvements in health. New challenges such as increasing urbanisation, a growing private sector and an upsurge in non-communicable diseases suggest that both learning from the past and new thinking are required to strengthen health systems. ***
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
Global Health Gender mainstreaming in WHO: what is next?
Report of the Midterm Review of WHO Gender Strategy by Islene Araujo de Carvalho, Tony Beck, Guy Sobell et al. World Health Organization, October 2011 41 pp. 2.8 MB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241502337_eng.pdf In response to Beijing Platform of Action, the WHO Executive Board, requested the Director-General to prepare a draft strategy and plan for bringing gender into the mainstream of WHOs work. The goals and objectives of the Strategy are to enhance, e xpand and institutionalize WHOs capacity to carry out gender analysis and to monitor and address unfair gender-based disparities in health. The Midterm Review report provides the benchmarks against achievements in the implementation of the WHO Gender Strategy, which will be measured again in the final evaluation to be undertaken in 2013. ***
Innovative Financing Mechanisms for Global Health: Overview & Considerations for U.S. Government Participation
by Josh Michaud and Jen Kates The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2011 30 pp. 1.2 MB: http://www.kff.org/globalhealth/upload/8247.pdf There is growing attention to innovative financing mechanisms, a broad category of novel approaches to raising and spending funds for global health. This paper first d efines, and provides a classification system for different types of innovative financing mechanisms for global health. It next presents an inventory of innovative financing mechanisms that are currently in use or proposed and examines the status of U.S. government participation in these mechanisms. Finally, it explores potential policy barriers and opportunities for further U.S. government engagement. ***
Armed conflict women and girls who are pregnant, infants and children; a neglected public health challenge. What can health professionals do?
by David Southall Early Human Development (August 2011) 8 pp. 263 kB:
Download full text article
Without security, adequate healthcare is not possible. Armed conflicts continue to be waged with pregnant women and girls, babies and children affected most. Armed co nflict is probably the most serious global public health challenge and two suggestions are given. Health professionals have a major voice and must support the currently progressing Arms Trade Treaty and call for more effective protection for healthcare in areas of conflict. ***
HIV - AIDS - STI Planning Guide for the Health Sector Response to HIV
by Mazuwa Banda, Kerry Kutch, Christine Sidibe et al. World Health Organization, October 2011 98 pp. 1.4 MB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241502535_eng.pdf This guide sets out basic principles, processes and steps relating to strategic and operational planning for the health sector response to HIV. It takes into account recent developments in understanding the response of the health sector to HIV and in significance of national health strategies. The guide should be complemented by other tools on specific aspects of HIV strategic and operational planning developed by WHO, UNAIDS, the World Bank and other technical partners. ***
The increasing chronicity of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: Re-thinking "HIV as a long-wave event" in the era of widespread access to ART
by Stephanie A. Nixon, Jill Hanass-Hancock, Alan Whiteside and Tony Barnett Globalization and Health 2011, 7:41 (20 October 2011) 17 pp. 568 kB: http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/pdf/1744-8603-7-41.pdf HIV was first described as a "long-wave event" in 1990, well before the advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The pandemic was then seen as involving three curves: an HIV curve, an AIDS curve and a curve representing societal impact. Since the mid-2000's, free public delivery of life-saving ART has begun shifting HIV from a terminal disease to a chronic illness for those who can access and tolerate the medications. This increasing chronicity prompts revisiting HIV as a long-wave event. ***
Male circumcision for HIV prevention: current evidence and implementation in sub-Saharan Africa
by Richard G Wamai, Brian J Morris, Stefan A Bailis et al. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2011, (20 October 2011) 62 pp. 304 kB: http://www.jiasociety.org/content/pdf/1758-2652-14-49.pdf The authors provide a critical evaluation of the state of the current evidence for male circumcision in reducing HIV infection in light of established transmission drivers, provide an update on programmes now in place in this region, and explain why policies based on established scientific evidence should be prioritized. They conclude that the evidence supports the need to accelerate the implementation of medical male circumcision programmes for HIV prevention in generalized heterosexual epidemics, as well as in countering the growing heterosexual transmission in countries where HIV prevalence is presently low. HESP-News & Notes - 22/2011 - page 7
Safety and Efficacy of the PrePex(TM) Device for Rapid Scale up of Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Resource-Limited Settings
Jean Paul Bitega, Muyenzi Leon Ngeruka, Theobald Hategekimana et al. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (8 September 2011) Download document as Adobe PDF file (41 pp. 4.5 MB) The objective of the study was to assess the safety and efficacy of the PrePex device for nonsurgical circumcision in adult males, as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention program in Rwanda. The authors conclude that the device was safe and effective for nonsurgical adult male circumcision without anesthesia or sterile settings, and may be useful in mass circumcision programs to reduce the risk of HIV infection, particularly in resource-limited settings. ***
Factors influencing adherence to antiretroviral treatment in Asian developing countries: a systematic review
by Sharada P. Wasti, Edwin van Teijlingen, Padam Simkhada et al. Tropical Medicine & International Health, Article first published online: 3 October 2011 11 pp. 209 kB: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02888.x/pdf Adherence to antiretroviral treatment in Asian developing countries varies between individuals and over time. We need to redress impeding factors while promoting factors that reinforce adherence through financial support, better accessible points for medicine r efills, consulting doctors for help with side effects, social support and tr usting relationships with care providers. ***
More and Better Food: Farming, climate change, health and the AIDS epidemic
Called to Care Toolkit No. 9
by Anne Bayley and Mugove Walter Nyika Strategies for Hope Trust, March 2011 88 pp. 4.3 MB: http://www.stratshope.org/b-cc-food-all.pdf This workbook is an essential guide to food security in the age of climate change and the AIDS epidemic. It presents basic information about food and health, managing soil and water, and improving productivity through farming methods which also help to address the challenges of climate change. It is particularly relevant to people living with HIV, for whom food security is just as important as medical care. ***
Sexual & Reproductive Health The Effect of Interventions to Reduce Fertility on Economic Growth
by Quamrul H. Ashraf, David N. Weil, Joshua Wilde Williams College, Brown University and NBER, University of South Florida, August 2011 46 pp. 2.4 MB: http://web.williams.edu/Economics/wp/AshrafWeilWildeFertility.pdf The goal in this research is to quantitatively analyze the economic effects of interventions that reduce fertility in a developing country. Concretely, the authors ask how ec onomic measures such as GDP per capita would compare in the case where some exogenous change reduces fertility to the case where no such exogenous change takes place. The answer to this question will be very different from simply observing the nat ural co-evolution of fertility and economic development. ***
Despite severe restrictions on abortion in Iran, many women with unwanted pregnancies undergo abortions, which in the vast majority of cases are clandestine, unsafe proc edures. About one in six married women of reproductive age in Tehran will have an abortion in their lifetime. The study, based on data from the 2009 Tehran Survey of Fertility, found that approximately 9% of known pregnancies in Tehran end in abortion.
Maternal & Child Health Making childbirth a village affair: How Desa Siaga improves the health of mothers and babies in Indonesia
by Karen Birdsall and Peter Hill A publication in the German Health Practice Collection Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with Community Health and Welfare Section, NTB Province, Indonesia, October 2011 52 pp. 2.7 MB: http://german-practice-collection.org/en/download-centre/doc_download/977 Desa Siaga is designed to be of and for the community: villagers are guided in the process of becoming an Alert Village by a trained Village Facilitator who, with the bac king of the village leadership and support from health facility personnel, leads the co mmunity members in a process of participatory reflection about actual cases of maternal or infant death which have happened in their community and the factors which have led to these situations. ***
This report presents the most comprehensive compilation to date of sex-disaggregated statistics on children and young people in the developing world. It examines a selection of indicators that are currently available to measure well-being and assess childrens rights. The data indicate that important gender imbalances exist in the population structure in some countries, particularly in parts of Asia, resulting in a higher deficit of girls than normal.
coverage really hit the ground. It is far too soon to declare victory. Over 700,000 people a year are estimated to be dying from malaria. But the rapid progress in recent years makes it possible to think that the world can achieve the goal of near-zero deaths from malaria by the end of the target year of 2015. Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization ***
A national policy for malaria elimination in Swaziland: a first for subSaharan Africa
by Simon Kunene, Allison A Phillips, Roly D Gosling et al. Malaria Journal 2011, 10:313 (21 October 2011) 13 pp. 268 kB: http://www.malariajournal.com/content/pdf/1475-2875-10-313.pdf Swaziland is working to be the first country in mainland sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate malaria. The highest level of Swazilands government recently approved a national elimination policy, which endorses Swazilands robust national elimination strategic plan. This commentary outlines Swazilands progress towards elimination as well as the cha llenges that remain, primarily around securing long-term financial resources and managing imported cases from neighbouring countries. ***
A simple and fast method to exclude high Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia in travellers with imported malaria
by Tom van Gool, Marlies E van Wolfswinkel, Rob Koelewijn et al. Malaria Journal 2011, 10:300 (14 October 2011) 18 pp. 608 kB: http://www.malariajournal.com/content/pdf/1475-2875-10-300.pdf
Counts of malaria parasites in peripheral blood are important to assess severity of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Thin and thick smears are routinely used for this pu rpose. In this study the Binax NOW(R) Malaria Test, an easy-to-perform rapid diagnostic test, with Histidine Rich Protein-2 (HRP-2) and aldolase as diagnostic markers, was used for semi-quantitative assessment of parasitaemia of P. faciparum. The authors conclude that assessment of HRP-2 and aldolase co-reactivity can be of help in clinical decision making in the acute care setting of returning travellers suspected of having malaria. ***
Highly Effective Therapy for Maternal Malaria Associated With a Lower Risk of Vertical Transmission
by J. R. Poespoprodjo, W. Fobia, E. Kenangalem et al. J Infect Dis. (2011) 204 (10): 1613-1619 First published online: September 9, 2011 7 pp. 502 kB: http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/204/10/1613.full.pdf+html The epidemiology of congenital malaria was investigated in a hospital-based malaria surveillance study in Papua, Indonesia. The authors conclude that congenital malaria is an important cause of neonatal morbidity in this region co-endemic for P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria. The introduction of artemisinin-combination therapy was associated with a significant risk reduction in the vertical transmission of malaria. ***
CRIMALDDI - The coordination, rationalisation and integration of antimalarial drug discovery and development initiatives
The CRIMALDDI Consortium, June 2011 34 pp. 2.3 MB: http://www.crimalddi.eu/documents/BusinessPlanfinal.pdf The goal of elimination and eventually eradication of malaria requires a multipronged approach. CRIMALDDI was set up with funding from the European Commission in reHESP-News & Notes - 22/2011 - page 13
sponse to the need to develop new anti-malarial drugs. Its main objective has been to develop a co-ordinated and prioritised Road Map for antimalarial drug research to guide European researchers and donors over the next five years and beyond. ***
Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine Versus Chloroquine in the Treatment of Plasmodium vivax Malaria in Thailand: A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Aung Pyae Phyo, Khin Maung Lwin, Ric N. Price et al. Clin Infect Dis. (2011) 53(10): 977-984 8 pp. 642 kB: http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/53/10/977.full.pdf+html The efficacy of chloroquine in the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria is declining on the Northwestern border of Thailand. This randomized controlled trial in 500 adults and children shows that dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is a safe and effective alternative treatment.
This publication presents a roadmap to scale up a comprehensive response to the alarming problem of drug-resistant tuberculosis in the WHO European Region. Designed to prevent and control both multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) in the Region, the Consolidated Action Plan includes a monitoring and evaluation framework, analysis of the costs and benefits of implementation, and summ aries of the situation in the 15 countries in the Region with a high burden of MDR-TB. Aligned with the Global Plan to Stop TB, implementation of the Action Plan will save 120,000 lives and billions of US$. *** HESP-News & Notes - 22/2011 - page 14
Closing the Policy-Practice Gap in the Management of Child Contacts of Tuberculosis Cases in Developing Countries
by Philip C. Hill, Merrin E. Rutherford, Rick Audas et al. PLoS Med 8(10): e1001105 (11 October 2011) 5 pp. 122 kB:
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=4CACD0A95F12B5F6DA12 9CE55F8E3C3A.ambra01?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001105&representation=PDF
Children in contact with an adult with smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) are at high risk of being infected themselves and progressing to TB disease. The WHO recommends that such children, if aged under 5 years, should receive preventive treatment once TB disease has been ruled out. This policy is rarely implemented and attempts to do so have had disappointing results. The authors propose a new approach using a health needs assessment framework, research tools, and a strategy for clinical evaluation. They show how this approach could be applied and evaluated by National TB Control Programs. ***
Earlier versus Later Start of Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Adults with Tuberculosis
by Franois-Xavier Blanc, Thim Sok, Didier Laureillard et al. N Engl J Med 365;16 (October 20, 2011) 11 pp. 662 kB: http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa1013911 The authors tested the hypothesis that the timing of ART initiation would significantly affect mortality among adults not previously exposed to antiretroviral drugs who had newly diagnosed tuberculosis and CD4+ T-cell counts of 200 per cubic millimeter or lower. The conclude that initiating ART 2 weeks after the start of tuberculosis treatment significantly improved survival among above mentioned HIV-infected adults. ***
Other Infectious Diseases The Cost of Antibiotic Mass Drug Administration for Trachoma Control in a Remote Area of South Sudan
by Jan H. Kolaczinski, Emily Robinson, Timothy P. Finn PLoS Negl Trop Dis 5(10): e1362 (11 October 2011) 6 pp. 95 kB:
http://www.plosntds.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=124ECF88A6E74790F349 EABE3B33793F.ambra01?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0001362&representation=PDF
Mass drug administration (MDA) of antibiotics is a key component of the so-called SAFE strategy for trachoma control, while MDA of anthelminthics provides the cornerstone for control of a number of other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Simultaneous delivery of two or more of these drugs, renowned as integrated NTD control, is being promoted to reduce costs and expand intervention coverage. A cost analysis was conducted alongside an MDA campaign in a remote trachoma endemic area, to inform budgeting for NTD control in South Sudan.
Social Protection Health insurance for Indias poor: Meeting the challenge with information technology
by Stuart Adams A publication in the German Health Practice Collection Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with Indias Ministry of Labour and Employment, October 2011 40 pp. 1.4 MB: http://german-practice-collection.org/en/download-centre/doc_download/979 India is home to more than 1.2 billion people and almost one-third live below the poverty line (BPL). In October 2007, the Government launched a national insurance scheme or, in Hindi, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). The schemes first five-year target is, by the end of 2012, to provide all Indias BPL families with enough health insurance to avoid catastrophic health expenses due to serious illness or injury. ***
Improving client value from microinsurance: Insights from India, Kenya and the Philippines
by Michal Matul, Clemence Tatin-Jaleran and Eamon Kelly Microinsurance Paper No. 12, International Labour Organization (ILO), 2011 49 pp. 969 kB: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/mifacility/download/m paper12_clientvalue.pdf
Are clients benefiting from microinsurance? How do we measure those benefits? How do we improve the value proposition for the clients? This paper contributes to this discussion by focusing on improving client value rather than proving it. The PACE (Product, Access, Cost and Experience) tool looks at the added value for clients from insurance products by comparing them to each other and to alternative means of offering protection from similar risks. The results show that there is a place for microinsurance to add value on the top of informal risk-sharing practices and existing social security schemes to protect low-income populations against life and health risks. ***
Systematic Review of the Impact of Employment Guarantee Schemes and Cash Transfers on the Poor
by Jessica Hagen-Zanker, Anna McCord, Rebecca Holmes et al. Overseas Development Institute, June 2011 104 pp. 2.1 MB: http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/5836-systematic-review.pdf This systematic review shows that cash transfers and employment-guarantee schemes have a positive impact on poverty, income and expenditure. The authors report that the majority of the included studies assessing the impact of cash transfers find a reduction in poverty outcomes; however, the only high-quality study included in the review shows an increase in poverty outcomes following the intervention. The impact of employmentguarantee schemes on poverty indices remains unclear, due to the low quality of the included primary studies. ***
Social health assistance schemes: the case of Medical Financial Assistance for the rural poor in four counties of China
by Xiao Ma, Juying Zhang, Bruno Meessen et al. International Journal for Equity in Health 2011, 10:44 (20 October 2011)
21 pp. 240 kB: http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/pdf/1475-9276-10-44.pdf Medical Financial Assistance (MFA) is a health assistance scheme that helps rural poor people cope with major illness and alleviate their financial burden from major illness, which will definitely play a significant role in the process of rebuilding Chinese new rural health system. The authors conclude that MFA needs to be improved further although it evidences the concern of the government for the poor rural people with major illness. Some ideas on how to improve MFA are put forward for future policy making. ***
Telling their Stories: The direct impact of Social Cash Transfers on the lives of ultra poor families in Malawi
by Galle Sevenier and Deepani Jinadasa UNICEF Malawi, December 2007 18 pp. 807 kB:
http://www.eldis.org/vfile/upload/1/document/1110/Telling%20their%20stories%20t he%20direct%20impact%20of%20social%20cash%20transfers%20on%20the%20lives%2 0of%20ultra%20poor.pdf
Malawis Social Cash Transfer Scheme targets households that fall below the ultra poverty line and are at the same time labour constrained - those in which adult members of the household are either absent or unable to work because they are disabled, chronically ill, or above the age of 65. This publication provides a number of case studies that illustrate the impacts of cash transfers on the very poor in Malawi.
Human Resources Towards the construction of health workforce metrics for Latin America and the Caribbean
by Gustavo G Nigenda, Maria H Machado, Fernando F Ruiz et al. Human Resources for Health 2011, 9:24 (14 October 2011) 27 pp. 241 kB: http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/pdf/1478-4491-9-24.pdf Information gleaned from human resources for health (HRH) metrics makes it possible to carry out comparisons on a determined experience in space and time, in a given country and/or region. The results should then constitute evidence for policy formulation and HRH planning and programs, with improved health system performance ultimately contributing to improved population health. The results of this study are expected to guide decision making by incentivizing the construction of metrics that provide information about HRH problems in LAC countries. ***
Health worker motivation in the context of HIV care and treatment challenges in Mbeya Region, Tanzania: a qualitative study
by Deogratius Mbilinyi, Marguerite L. Daniel and Gro TH. Lie BMC Health Services Research 2011, 11:266 (12 October 2011) HESP-News & Notes - 22/2011 - page 18
21 pp. 177 kB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-11-266.pdf Health worker motivation can potentially affect the provision of health services. The HIV pandemic has placed additional strain on health service provision through the extra bu rden of increased testing and counselling, treating opportunistic infections and providing antiretroviral treatment. The authors conclude that HIV-related challenges undermine motivation among health workers in Mbeya, Tanzania with the burden falling most heavily on lower status workers. Strained relations between health workers and the community they serve, further undermine motivation of health workers. ***
Access to non-pecuniary benefits: does gender matter? Evidence from six low- and middle-income countries
by Neeru Gupta and Marco Alfano Human Resources for Health 2011, 9:25 (19 October 2011) 24 pp. 266 kB: http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/pdf/1478-4491-9-25.pdf This study sought to mainstream gender considerations by exploring and documenting sex differences in selected employment indicators across health labour markets. Strengthening the global evidence base about the extent to which gender is independently associated with health workforce performance requires improved generation and dissemination of sex-disaggregated data and research with particular attention to gender dimensions. ***
Educating a New Generation of Doctors to Improve the Health of Populations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
by Francesca Celletti, Teri A. Reynolds, Anna Wright et al. PLoS Med 8(10): e1001108 (18 October 2011) 4 pp. 79 kB:
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=B75E709F8BCF8E4D89A43 112F899C6D2.ambra02?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001108&representation=PDF
Low- and middle-income countries need more doctors, but not simply more of the same. Insufficient collaboration between the health and education sectors creates a crippling mismatch between professional education and the realities of health service delivery. A transformative scale-up of medical education is needed to increase the capacity of health systems to respond to population needs. Transformative scale-up will require inter-sectoral engagement to determine how students are recruited, educated, and deployed and will assign greater value to the impact on population health outcomes among the criteria for measuring excellence.
Health Systems & Research Implementation research for the control of infectious diseases of poverty
Strengthening the evidence base for the access and delivery of new and improved tools, strategies and interventions HESP-News & Notes - 22/2011 - page 19
Editor: Naima (Julie) Reza World Health Organization on behalf of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, October 2011 156 pp. 3.5 MB: http://apps.who.int/tdr/publications/tdr-researchpublications/access_report/pdf/access_report.pdf This report shows how implementation research can increase access to health interventions in low and middle income countries. It explains how it can be used to strengthen health systems, improve patient safety, expand community-based interventions and local implementation capacity, and improve the outcomes of public-private partnerships and global health initiatives. The report provides numerous case studies and a roadmap for action on how to better use this research field. ***
The authors included studies of various approaches to community participation, such as the instrumental approach, the developmental approach, the contributions approach and the empowerment approach. Overall, results suggest a positive effect of community participation on some health outcomes, including better access to health services and more relevant and culturally appropriate services. However, the authors note that because of the quality of the evidence few, if any, of the reviewed studies are able to prove this link. ***
Constructing a survey over time: Audio-visual feedback and theatre sketches in rural Mali
by Vronique Hertrich, Martine Quaglia, Marie Lesclingand et al. Demographic Research Vol. 25 - Article 22, pp. 695 - 722, October 2011 30 pp. 982 kB: http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol25/22/25-22.pdf To view additional items (videos etc.) see: http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol25/22/ Knowledge dissemination is an emerging issue in population studies, both in terms of ethics and data quality. The challenge is especially important in long term follow-up surveys and it requires methodological imagination when the population is illiterate. The paper presents the dissemination project developed in a demographic surveillance system implemented in rural Mali over the last 20 years. After basic experience of document transfer, the feedback strategy was developed through audiovisual shows and theatre sketches. *** HESP-News & Notes - 22/2011 - page 20
Education Left behind: The impact of Zimbabwes mass forced evictions on the right to education
Amnesty International, October 2011 37 pp. 867 kB: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR46/019/2011/en/0d50f 4e3-9cf6-4122-8cf9-ee6ab533cb3b/afr460192011en.pdf Thousands of children in Zimbabwe, who were forcibly evicted from their homes six years ago, are still not receiving proper education. The government had promised 700,000 families a better life when it demolished slums in major cities in 2005 under Operation Murambatsvina. But the report says many children are now worse off, atten ding 'makeshift' schools in new settlements and continue to face immense barriers in o btaining basic education. *** HESP-News & Notes - 22/2011 - page 21
Harm Reduction and Drug Use Alcohol and Risky Sex: Breaking the Link
by Katherine Fritz Aidstar-ONE Spotlight on Prevention, October 2011 5 pp. 594 kB: http://www.aidstar-one.com/sites/default/files/additional_resources/AIDSTAROne_PrevSpotlight_Alcohol.pdf In countries battling the most severe HIV epidemics in the world, there is yet another powerful and under-addressed structural force at play: the ubiquitous availability of cheap alcohol and drinking norms that encourage its hazardous use. The author advocates for a multilevel response to alcohol and risky sex behavior.
Millennium Development Goals Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Millennium Development Goals
MDG Report 2011 by Bartholomew Armah, Dossina Yeo, Beejaye Kokil et al. The Economic Commission on Africa (ECA), 2011 151 pp. 8.2 MB:
http://www.uneca.org/mdgs2011/documents/MDG2011_Book_ENG.pdf
The report notes that progress toward the MDGs is continuing, but that the food, fuel, and financial crises over the past few years, coupled with the instability in North Africa in 2011, may impact on the pace of advancement. The report is organized as follows: After the first introductory section, Section II assesses progress on each of the eight Goals. Section III takes as its thematic focus social protection programs as they relate to the MDGs in a selected number of African countries. Section IV concludes with recommendations on the way forward.
and Central and Southern Africa, are at greatest risk of falling victim to intentional hom icide but that women are at greatest risk of murder owing to domestic violence. ***
tives from 10 African countries will be joining international experts in health research to identify the top research priorities and potential solutions for improving maternal and child health in their countries. ***
TB & ME
Medecins Sans Frontiers Launches Blogging Project for MDR TB Patients: http://msf.ca/blogs/tb/ TB&ME provides patients with an online platform to tell the world in their own words about living with MDR-TB. Patients living around the world will share their experiences, highlighting MDR-TB as a global problem in need of serious attention. TB&ME is also a place where patients can share their experiences with others who might be in the same position.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
MSc Programmes in Global and International Health
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London U.K. Starting in September 2012, three new MSc programmes will provide you with an understanding of the significance of the current global chalHESP-News & Notes - 22/2011 - page 25
lenges for health care and public health and will offer a multidisciplinary focus on global public health and primary care. Topics include: Health inequalities and social determinants of health Primary health care: theory and practice Health systems reform and planning Globalisation and the political economy of health Intellectual property, pharmaceuticals and health care Migration and health For more information contact James Lancaster j.p.lancaster@qmul.ac.uk or see the web page: http://www.blizard.qmul.ac.uk/study ***
Short Course in Health Policy: Health Systems Strengthening in low income countries
27 February - 20 April, 2012 Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium The aim of the short course in Health Policy is to empower participants to play an active role in health systems strengthening through the development of public health policies in low income countries. It lasts 8 weeks and is a unique opportunity to develop your skills in analysing national health systems and health policies. You can download the flyer (2 pp. 533 kB) or read the announcement online at: http://www.itg.be/itg/generalsite/Default.aspx?WPID=667&l=e&miid=255 ***
CONFERENCES
Webcast: World Health Summit 2011 - Today's Science - Tomorrow's Agenda
23rd - 26th October , 2011, Berlin, Germany The 2011 summit will focus on non-communicable diseases and the role of mass media in health promotion, new approaches in research and innovation, ensuring public health in times of climate change and innovative models in global health governance. The World Health Summit provides live web streams for selected sessions. See: http://www.worldhealthsummit.org/press-media/live-stream-recordings/ ***
CARTOON