Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 11/2012

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 11/2012
A bi-weekly newsletter supported by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit)

20 May 2012
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Table of Contents: BOOKS ................................................................................ 4

World Health Statistics 2012 ................................................................................................... 4 Helping Health Workers Learn ................................................................................................ 4 In the Eyes of Others: How People in Crises Perceive Humanitarian Aid .............................. 4 2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years .................................................................. 5 Health systems, health, wealth and societal well-being: Assessing the case for investing in health systems ........................................................................................................................ 5 Jobs, Justice and Equity: Seizing Opportunities in Times of Global Change ......................... 5 Sustainable Cities: Local solutions in the Global South .......................................................... 6
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 6

Global Health.............................................................................................................. 6
The European Union's voice and influence on global health and the reform of the World Health Organisation: the role of diplomacy ............................................................................. 6 Global Health Governance and Financing Mechanisms ......................................................... 6 A Framework Convention on Global Health: Health for All, Justice for All ............................. 7 Five Years of Innovation for Better Health .............................................................................. 7 Global Burden of Disease and Economic Growth................................................................... 7 HIV, Drug Use and the Global Fund: Dont Stop Now! ........................................................... 8
HIV - AIDS - STI ......................................................................................................... 8

Role of Fiscal Policy in Tackling the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Southern Africa ......................... 8 HIV Development Assistance and Adult Mortality in Africa..................................................... 8 HIV-HBV Coinfection - A Global Challenge ............................................................................ 9 Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention..................................................... 9 The Potential Impact of an AIDS Vaccine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries .................. 9 Achieving Universal Access for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Tuberculosis: Potential Prevention Impact of an Integrated Multi-Disease Prevention Campaign in Kenya ............. 10 Towards Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: The Impact of a Rapid Results Initiative in Nyanza Province, Kenya..................................................................................... 10 Eliminating Pediatric AIDS: What It Will Take and What It Will Bring ................................... 10
Sexual & Reproductive Health .................................................................................. 11

Womens Demand for Reproductive Control: Understanding and Addressing Gender Barriers .................................................................................................................................. 11 Incorporating Sexual and Reproductive Health into Emergency Preparedness and Planning ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Beads of Bondage - The Samburu Girl Child Magazine ....................................................... 11 Dry, tight and warm: Dry sex practices in Central and Southern Africa ................................ 12 Adolescent Fertility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Effects and Solutions ............... 12 Condoms in sub-Saharan Africa ........................................................................................... 12 Condom use errors and problems: a global view.................................................................. 13
Maternal & Child Health............................................................................................ 13

Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2010........................................................................... 13
HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 1
Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality: an updated systematic analysis for 2010 with time trends since 2000.......................................................................................... 13 Reducing Maternal Mortality in Morocco: Sharing Experience and Sustaining Progress..... 14 Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days - State of the Worlds Mothers 2012 .................................. 14 What Has Driven the Decline of Infant Mortality in Kenya? .................................................. 14
Malaria ..................................................................................................................... 15
Pregnancy and Fetal Outcomes after Exposure to Mefloquine in the Pre- and Periconception Period and During Pregnancy ...................................................................... 15 Defining & counting malaria deaths ...................................................................................... 15 Ethnomedicinal knowledge, belief and self-reported practice of local inhabitants on traditional antimalarial plants and phytotherapy.................................................................... 15
Tuberculosis ............................................................................................................. 16
Scaling up interventions to achieve global tuberculosis control: progress and new developments ........................................................................................................................ 16 Strengthening TB laboratory capacity to support active case finding ................................... 16 Latent and subclinical tuberculosis in HIV infected patients: a cross-sectional study .......... 16
Other Infectious Diseases......................................................................................... 17

Invasive non-typhoidal salmonella disease: an emerging and neglected tropical disease in Africa ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Non-communicable Diseases ................................................................................... 17

Facing the double disease burden in Sub-Saharan Africa: Is this inevitable?...................... 17 Noncommunicable Diseases: A Global Health Crisis in a New World Order ....................... 17 Healthy Lifestyle - Healthy Blood Pressure........................................................................... 18
Essential Medicines .................................................................................................. 18

Safety of Medicine in Sub-saharan Africa: Assessment of Pharmacovigilance Systems and their Performance.................................................................................................................. 18 Innovation and Access to Medicines for Neglected Populations: Could a Treaty Address a Broken Pharmaceutical R&D System? ................................................................................. 18
Social Protection....................................................................................................... 19
Safety Nets Work: During Crisis and Prosperity ................................................................... 19 Department for International Development: Transferring cash and assets to the poor ........ 19 Guidance for DFID country offices on measuring and maximising value for money in cash transfer programmes ............................................................................................................. 19 Pension Reforms and Gender Equality in Latin America...................................................... 20
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene..................................................................................... 20

Africa wide water, sanitation and hygiene technology review............................................... 20 Equity and Inclusion in Sanitation and Hygiene in Africa...................................................... 20
Human Resources.................................................................................................... 21
West Africas Regional Approach to Strengthening Health Workforce Information .............. 21
Health Systems & Research ..................................................................................... 21

Five keys to improving research costing in low- and middle-income countries .................... 21 A working guide to international comparisons of health........................................................ 22 Thailands Universal Coverage Scheme: Achievements and Challenges ............................ 22
Information & Communication Technology ............................................................... 22

Accelerating Development Using the Web: Empowering Poor and Marginalized Populations ............................................................................................................................................... 22
Education ................................................................................................................. 23
Girls Education, Empowerment, and Transitions to Adulthood: The Case for a Shared Agenda .................................................................................................................................. 23 Education reform in Mozambique: Lessons and Challenges................................................ 23 Mozambique: Effective Delivery of Public Services in the Education Sector........................ 23
Millennium Development Goals ................................................................................ 24

Human Security and the Next Generation of Comprehensive Human Development Goals. 24 The effect of an integrated multisector model for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and improving child survival in rural sub-Saharan Africa: a non-randomised controlled assessment ........................................................................................................................... 24 The Millennium Villages Project Impacts on Child Mortality ................................................. 24
Development Assistance .......................................................................................... 25

Aid effectiveness from Rome to Busan: some progress but lacking bottom-up approaches or behaviour changes ................................................................................................................ 25
Does Development Assistance for Health Really Displace Government Health Spending? Reassessing the Evidence .................................................................................................... 25 Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development ................................... 25 The future of EU budget support: political conditions, differentiation and coordination ........ 26 Tax on financial transactions: an implementation guide ....................................................... 26
Others ...................................................................................................................... 26
You Will Not Have Peace While You Are Living - The Escalation of Political Violence in Burundi .................................................................................................................................. 26 Corruption in the health care sector: A barrier to access of orthopaedic care and medical devices in Uganda................................................................................................................. 27
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ............................................ 27

Safe Pregnancy and Birth Mobile App .................................................................................. 27
INTERESTING WEB SITES .............................................. 27

Health Policy & Systems Analysis in Africa........................................................................... 27 Social Determinants of Health Network (SDH-Net)............................................................... 28 MDG Health Alliance: Improving the Health of Women and Children by 2015..................... 28 GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa ................................................................................ 28 Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) ................................................................................ 28 Translators without Borders .................................................................................................. 28
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES............................................ 29
Course on Inequalities in Health and Health Care ................................................................ 29 eLearning Course: Foundations of Gender Equality in the Health Workforce ...................... 29 Course: So you think you want to be a Relief Worker? ........................................................ 29
CONFERENCES................................................................ 30
2012 World Congress on Good Medical Research............................................................... 30
CARTOON ......................................................................... 30 TIPS & TRICKS ................................................................. 30

KeePass, the free, open source, light-weight and easy-to-use password manager............. 30
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BOOKS
World Health Statistics 2012
World Health Organization (WHO) - Global Health Observatory (GHO), May 2012 180 pp. 2.3 MB: http://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/EN_WH S2012_Full.pdf WHOs annual compilation of health-related data for its 194 Member States includes a summary of the progress made towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and associated targets. This year, it also includes highlight summaries on the topics of non-communicable diseases, universal health coverage and civil registration coverage. ***
Helping Health Workers Learn

A book of methods, aids, and ideas for instructors at the village level by David Werner and Bill Bower Published by: Hesperian Health Guides, Fourteenth Printing, April 2012 636 pp. 67.8 MB(!): http://hesperian.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/en_hhwl_2012/en_hhwl_2012_full.pdf Helping Health Workers Learn, first published in 1982, has become a trusted manual for those working on the frontlines of health worker training and participatory education. Hesperian has just completed the 14th printing of Helping Health Workers Learn, updated with new resources, technologies and references. And just in time, since it looks like Community Health Workers are coming back into style. ***
In the Eyes of Others: How People in Crises Perceive Humanitarian Aid

Edited by Caroline Abu-Sada Doctors Without Borders / Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF), 2012 206 pp. 3.4 MB: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/book/perceptions /MSF-In-the-Eyes-of-Others.pdf The book is a result of MSFs attempt to better understand how its work and principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence are perceived by those who receive its emergency medical care. A variety of scholars, researchers, students and other humanitarians also contribute essays expanding on issues of perception and exploring the many facets of humanitarian action today. ***
2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years

Report to the Club of Rome, 7 May 2012 by Jorgen Randers Chelsea Green, 304 pp. Publication Date: May 30, 2012; U$ 16.32 To order online go to:
http://www.amazon.com/2052-Global-Forecast-Forty-Years/dp/1603584218
The report raises the possibility that humankind might not survive on the planet if it continues on its path of over-consumption and short-termism. The author raises essential questions: How many people will the planet be able to support? Will the belief in endless growth crumble? Will runaway climate change take hold? Where will quality of life improve, and where will it decline? Using painstaking research, and drawing on contrib utions from more than 30 thinkers in the field, he concludes that Business as usual is not an option if we want our grand-children to live in a sustainable and equitable planet. ***
Health systems, health, wealth and societal well-being: Assessing the case for investing in health systems
Edited by Josep Figueras and Martin McKee The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, 2012 330 pp. 7.8 MB:
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/164383/e96159.pdf
This book looks at health systems from a new perspective. By reviewing the complex relationship between health systems, health, wealth and societal well-being, it argues that health systems need not be, as is often believed, simply a drag on resources but rather can be part and parcel of improving health and achieving better economic growth. ***
Jobs, Justice and Equity: Seizing Opportunities in Times of Global Change

by Caroline Kende-Robb, Kevin Watkins, Peter da Costa et al. Africa Progress Panel, 2012 116 pp. 6.3 MB: http://www.africaprogresspanel.org/files/9513/3666/0652/APR2012 _FINAL_VERSION_EN_FOR_PRESSPACK.pdf The report is the Africa Progress Panels flagship publication. Its purpose is to provide an overview of the progress Africa has made over the previous year. The report draws on the best research and analysis available on Africa and compiles it in a refreshing and provocative manner. Through the report, the Panel recommends a series of policy choices and actions for African policy makers who have primary responsibility for Africas progress, as well as vested international partners and civil society organisations. ***
Sustainable Cities: Local solutions in the Global South

Edited by Mlanie Robertson International Development Research Centre, (IDRC) 2012 191 pp. 2.3 MB: http://idl-bnc.idrc.ca/dspace/bitstream/10625/48847/1/IDL-48847.pdf Through nine case studies, the book addresses the diverse urban sustainability challenges facing cities in the Global South, such as tenure policy, water management, sustainable housing, waste treatment and recycling practices, urban agriculture, and construction practices. By featuring a dynamic mix of academic research and urban design projects from fields such as architecture, environmental science, agr oforestry, anthropology, and urban planning, this book discusses the development of relevant tools and methods for conducting sustainable participatory research and practices in cities.
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
Global Health The European Union's voice and influence on global health and the reform of the World Health Organisation: the role of diplomacy
by Samantha Battams, Louise van Schaik, Remco van de Pas The European Union in International Affairs 111 Conference, Brussels, 3-5 May, 2012 28 pp. 164 kB: http://www.globalhealtheurope.org/images/stories/120509_Article__EUvoice_influence_WHO_BrusselsPostConference.pdf This paper explores the implications of the Lisbon Treaty for the European Unions (EU) role in global health. It also considers the EU position at the World Health Organisation (WHO) and specifically on the reform debate where the WHOs core business, financing, governance and management operations are under review. The paper is based on qualitative interviews with EU staff, professionals from EU and non EU member states. Results suggest that vertical integration across parts of the EU/EC was well-developed, however there was more scope for integration on global health strategy across the EU. ***
Global Health Governance and Financing Mechanisms

by Samantha Battams and Thiago Luchesi Global Health Europe and World Vision International, May 2012 23 pp. 129 kB: http://www.globalhealtheurope.org/images/stories/Working_Paper_global_health_ governance_Final_May_2012.pdf The landscape of global health has changed, with now a plethora of organisations, groups and foundations engaging in and funding global health activities, m aking leadership and coordination by any one body a difficult task. Problems arising from a lack of coherence across global health activity include resource inefficiencies, duplication, conHESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 6
fusion and weak accountability of the global health system, especially to those in most need of assistance. The ongoing financial crisis has led to the entire global health community reflecting upon a series of questions about the way it operates, including how overlap and duplication can be reduced and how country priorities can best be reflected in individual health programmes and specific initiatives. ***
A Framework Convention on Global Health: Health for All, Justice for All
by Lawrence O. Gostin JAMA. 2012;307(19):2087-2092 (16 May 2012) 6 pp. 106 kB: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/pdfaccess.ashx?ResourceID=312485 9&PDFSource=13 A global coalition of civil society and academics - the Joint Action and Learning Initiative on National and Global Responsibilities for Health (JALI) - has formed an international campaign to advocate for a Framework Convention on Global Health (FCGH). Recently endorsed by the UN Secretary-General, the FCGH would re-imagine global governance for health, offering a new post-MDG vision. This Special Communication describes the key modalities of an FCGH to illustrate how it would improve health and reduce inequalities. ***
Five Years of Innovation for Better Health

World Health Organization (Acting as the host Organization for the Secretariat of UNITAID), May 2012 68 pp. 3.4 MB: http://www.unitaid.eu/media/annual_report_2011/UNITAID_AR201 1_EN_FINAL.pdf Since late 2006, UNITAID has led the way on a number of innovative initiatives that have had profound impact on millions of lives and the way they work in global health. Among some of the salient results: it has succeeded in getting 400 000 children living with HIV on child-friendly treatment; introduced better, more affordable medicines and diagnostics into developing country markets; raised 1.3 billion through the air ticket levy alone (about 65% of its revenue); created the Medicines Patent Pool - a one-stop shop for patent licensing to increase access to cheaper medicines, and more. ***
Global Burden of Disease and Economic Growth

by Martine Audibert, Pascale Combes Motel, Alassane Drabo Centre D'Etudes et de Recherches sur le Developpement International (CERDI), March 2012 34 pp. 657 kB: http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/67/87/13/PDF/2012.pdf Relationships between health and economic prosperity or economic growth are difficult to assess. It is argued in this paper that commonly used health indicators in macroecoHESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 7
nomic studies (e. g. life expectancy, infant mortality or prevalence rates for specific diseases such as malaria or HIV/AIDS) imperfectly represent the global health status of population. The purpose of the paper is to assess the effect of health on growth, by using a global health indicator, the so-called disability-adjusted life year (DALY) that was proposed by the World Bank and the WHO in 1993. ***
HIV, Drug Use and the Global Fund: Dont Stop Now!
by Susie McLean, Felicia Wong and Sarah Konopka The International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2012 21 pp. 1.0 MB: http://www.aidsalliance.org/includes/Publication/Harm%20reduction %20report_LR.pdf This report examines the impact of the cancellation of Global Fund Round 11 funding and subsequent changes in Global Fund policies and practices relating to HIV and drug use programmes. It focuses on how future HIV and harm reduction programming will be affected by the Global Funds current funding crisis given the very low existing levels of funding for such programming. This issue has particular significance for Eastern European and Asian countries where HIV epidemics are largely shaped by injecting drug use.
HIV - AIDS - STI Role of Fiscal Policy in Tackling the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Southern Africa
by John C. Anyanwu, Yaovi Gassesse Siliadin, Eijkeme Okonkwo African Development Bank, April 2012 32 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.hivsharespace.net/system/files/AfDB148%20Role%20of %20Fiscal%20Policy%20in%20Tackling%20the%20HIV%20AIDS%20Epi demic%20in%20Southern%20Africa%20AA.pdf Three countries in Southern Africa have the highest adult HIV prevalence in the world: Swaziland (25.9%), Botswana (24.8%), and Lesotho (23.6%). Fiscal policy is crucial for addressing this HIV/AIDS crisis. Utilizing a calibrated model, this paper investigates the impact of fiscal policy on reducing the HIV/AIDS incidence rates in these countries. In particular, the authors studied the welfare impact of different taxation and debt paths in these countries in reducing the HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. ***
HIV Development Assistance and Adult Mortality in Africa

by Eran Bendavid, Charles B. Holmes, Jay Bhattacharya et al. JAMA. 2012;307(19):2060-2067 (16 May 2012) 8 pp. 363 kB: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/pdfaccess.ashx?ResourceID=312480 6&PDFSource=13 HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 8
The effect of global health initiatives on population health is uncertain. Between 2003 and 2008, the US Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest initiative ever devoted to a single disease, operated intensively in 12 African focus countries. This study aimed to determine whether PEPFAR was associated with relative changes in adult mortality in the countries and districts where it operated most inte nsively. The authors conclude that between 2004 and 2008, all-cause adult mortality declined more in PEPFAR focus countries relative to non-focus countries. It was not possible to determine whether PEPFAR was associated with mortality effects separate from reductions in HIV-specific deaths. ***
HIV-HBV Coinfection - A Global Challenge

by Athena P. Kourtis, Marc Bulterys, Dale J. Hu et al. N Engl J Med 2012; 366:1749-1752; May 10, 2012 4 pp. 1.8 MB: http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMp1201796 Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) exact a high toll worldwide. Both can lead to chronic disease, cancer, and death, and neither can be eradicated with the use of current therapies. Continued improvements in the coverage and timeliness of HBV vaccination and the education of clinicians about its importance should be priorities everywhere. Now is the time to provide the best care we can for coinfected people and to protect a future generation of children from the largely hidden epidemic of HBV-related liver disease, which is being further fuelled by the HIV epidemic. ***
Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention

AIDSTAR-One, May 2012 15 pp. 35 kB:
http://www.aidstarone.com/printpdf/focus_areas/prevention/pkb/biomedical_interventions/oral_prep_hiv?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=social&utm_content=PREPPKB&utm_campaign=Afro
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) aims to prevent acquisition of HIV through use of ant iretroviral (ARV) agents before potential exposure to HIV. Several trials of daily oral PrEP have been completed, and other trials of daily and intermittent use of oral PrEP and injectable agents are underway. A safe, effective, and acceptable oral prevention regimen could provide another tool for HIV prevention programs. Three placebocontrolled clinical trials have shown significant reduction in HIV acquisition among HIVnegative persons who received an ARV pill to take daily. ***
The Potential Impact of an AIDS Vaccine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) Insights Policy Brief #29, May 2012 8 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.iavi.org/InformationCenter/Publications/Documents/Global%20Impact%20Brief.pdf HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 9
The publication presents new modelling data that illustrate what an effective AIDS vaccine could mean for low- and middle-income countries. The results are striking: in a scenario where existing HIV-prevention programs are continued at their current scale, and an AIDS vaccine that is only 50 percent efficacious is introduced in 2020, 5.2 million new infections in low- and middle-income countries would be averted over the first decade. Each averted infection represents one more person who will not need lifelong ant iretroviral treatment to stave off AIDS-related illness or death. ***
Achieving Universal Access for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Tuberculosis: Potential Prevention Impact of an Integrated Multi-Disease Prevention Campaign in Kenya
by Reuben Granich, Nicolas Muraguri, Alexandre Doyen et al. AIDS Research and Treatment, Vol. 2012, Article ID 412643 8 pp. 821 kB: http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/art/2012/412643.pdf In 2009, Government of Kenya with key stakeholders implemented an integrated multidisease prevention campaign for water-borne diseases, malaria and HIV in Kisii District, Nyanza Province. The campaign, targeting 5000 people, included testing and counselling, condoms, long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets, and water filters. People with HIV were offered on-site CD4 cell counts, condoms, co-trimoxazole, and HIV clinic referral. The authors conclude that the campaign strategy could avert approximately 35,000 HIV infections and 1,240 TB cases annually. Community-based integrated public health campaigns could be a potential solution to reach universal access and Millennium Development Goals. ***
Towards Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV: The Impact of a Rapid Results Initiative in Nyanza Province, Kenya
by Lisa L. Dillabaugh, Jayne Lewis Kulzer, Kevin Owuor et al. AIDS Research and Treatment, Vol. 2012, Article ID 602120 6 pp. 935 kB: http://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/art/2012/602120.pdf A Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) approach was utilized to address key challenges in delivery of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services including highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) uptake for women and infants. The authors conclude that significant improvement in PMTCT services can be achieved through intr oduction of an RRI, which appears to lead to sustained benefits for pregnant HIV-infected women and their infants. ***
Eliminating Pediatric AIDS: What It Will Take and What It Will Bring
by R. J. Simonds and Laura Guay AIDSTAR-One, April 2012 7 pp. 722 kB: http://aidstarone.com/sites/default/files/AIDSTAROne_PrevSpotlight_PediatricAIDS.pdf HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 10
In the coming decade, the world can look forward to the virtual elimination of new HIV infections among infants. This extraordinary achievement is a result of sustained research successes during the first two decades of the AIDS epidemic, an unprecedented expansion of HIV prevention and treatment programs during the last decade, and increased global attention and leadership in recent years.
Sexual & Reproductive Health Womens Demand for Reproductive Control: Understanding and Addressing Gender Barriers
by Jennifer McCleary-Sills, Allison McGonagle, Anju Malhotra International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), February 2012 78 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.icrw.org/files/publications/Womens-demand-forreproductive-control.pdf This paper provides a gender analysis of womens demand for reproductive control. This analysis illuminates how the social construction of gender affects fertility preferences, unmet need, and the barriers that women face to using contraception and safe abortion. It also helps to bridge important dichotomies in the population, family planning, and r eproductive health fields. ***
Incorporating Sexual and Reproductive Health into Emergency Preparedness and Planning
by Jennifer Schlecht, Sandra Krause, Lauren Heller et al. Womens Refugee Commission, 2012 12 pp. 1.0 MB: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/drr_report_201 2_2-color_final.pdf This report reviews recent Womens Refugee Commission sexual and reproductive health activities (SRH) in Haiti, Uganda and South Sudan. It considers the impact of advocacy, training and planning activities related to emergency preparedness and planning specific to SRH. The report then offers lessons learned and recommendations for improving steps towards SRH emergency preparedness at the national level. ***
Beads of Bondage - The Samburu Girl Child Magazine

SWEEDO Newsletter November 2011 - April 2012 Samburu Women for Education & Environment Development Organization (SWEEDO), Kenya 16 pp. 1.5 MB: http://minorityvoices.org/force_download.php?file=data/files/final/ne ws_1078/sweedoNewletter.pdf Beading is a practice in the Samburu indigenous community of Kenya which involves HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 11
the sexual engagement and exploitation of girls as young as nine years old by male relatives. Girl-child beading among the Samburu community has remained one of the worse silent contemporary form of sex slavery. Like their counterparts in traditional societies & indigenous peoples around Africa, Samburu girls and women experience discrimination. Young girls do not mind being beaded and turned into tools of sexual pleasure or sex slaves. ***
Dry, tight and warm: Dry sex practices in Central and Southern Africa
by Nicola Hugo Consultancy Africa Intelligence, May 2012 Read online at:
http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1019:dry-tight-and-warm-drysex-practices-in-central-and-southern-africa-&catid=59:gender-issues-discussion-papers&Itemid=267
This paper highlights some of the physical, cultural and social aspects of dry sex, a preference for a dry, tight vagina during sexual intercourse that has been identified in several Central and Southern African countries. As they are important for designing successful sexual health campaigns and the development of safe sexual practices, the social and cultural influences driving the practice of dry sex, the methods used and their impact on sexual health are examined. ***
Adolescent Fertility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Effects and Solutions

by Kate McQueston, Rachel Silverman and Amanda Glassman Center for Global Development - Working Paper 295, May 2012 86 pp. 1.2 MB: http://www.cgdev.org/files/1426175_file_McQueston_Silverman_Gl assman_AdolescentFertility_FINAL.pdf Amid debate about whether adolescent pregnancy is a problem in and of itself or merely symptomatic of deeper, ingrained disadvantage, this paper aggregates recent quantitative evidence on the socioeconomic consequences of and methods to reduce of teenage pregnancy in the developing world. Overall, the authors find insufficient empirical evidence to suggest that adolescent fertility per se represents a major development problem since the socioeconomic outcomes of those affected by adolescent fertility are akin to those of similar but unaffected cohorts. ***
Condoms in sub-Saharan Africa

by Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale Sexual Health, 2012, 9, 59-72 14 pp. 417 kB: http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=SH11033.pdf This paper synthesizes published research on condom use in sub-Saharan Africa. The literature supports a conclusion that the complexity of social and interpersonal dynamics within structural and cultural conditions creates barriers to condom use. Yet, trends toHESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 12
wards increased use are also evidenced among single women and university students as well as the success of select interventions in some regions. ***
Condom use errors and problems: a global view

by Stephanie A. Sanders, William L. Yarber , Erin L. Kaufman et al. Sexual Health, 2012, 9, 81-95 15 pp. 357 kB: http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=SH11095.pdf Significantly more research attention has been devoted to the consistency of condom use, with far fewer studies investigating condom use errors and problems. The authors conclude that condom use errors and problems are common worldwide, occurring across a wide spectrum of populations. Although breakage and slippage were most commonly investigated, the prevalence of other condom use errors and problems found in this review were substantially higher.
Maternal & Child Health Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2010

by Doris Chou, Mie Inoue, Colin Mathers et al. UN Population Fund (UNFPA), May 2012 72 pp. 1.2 MB: http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publica tions/2012/Trends_in_maternal_mortality_A4-1.pdf New maternal mortality estimates confirm that the number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth is declining. Rapid progress in some countries demonstrates that when governments take a strategic approach to the safe motherhood challenge - by deploying trained midwives, ensuring adequate essential supplies, making family planning accessible and providing timely obstetric care to women with complications, we are getting r esults. Still, there is more work to be done in delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted and every childbirth is safe. ***
Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality: an updated systematic analysis for 2010 with time trends since 2000
by Li Liu, Hope L Johnson, Simon Cousens et al. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 11 May 2012 11 pp. 786 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673612605601.pdf Information about the distribution of causes of and time trends for child mortality should be periodically updated. Child survival strategies should direct resources toward the leading causes of child mortality, with attention focusing on infectious and neonatal causes. More rapid decreases from 2010-15 will need accelerated reduction for the most common causes of death, notably pneumonia and preterm birth complications. HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 13
Continued efforts to gather high-quality data and enhance estimation methods are essential for the improvement of future estimates. ***
Reducing Maternal Mortality in Morocco: Sharing Experience and Sustaining Progress

by Nada Darkaoui, Saloua Abouchadi, Chems-Eddouha Khassouani et al. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2011 24 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.who.int/rpc/evipnet/MoroccoPBEN.pdf As a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Morocco has committed to achieve Goal 5, to reduce maternal mortality by three-fourths between 1990 and 2015. This policy brief describes Moroccos experience in terms of actions to accelerate the reduction of maternal mortality. It reviews the development of the maternal mortality strategy, choice of interventions, and the process for implementation and monitoring. ***
Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days - State of the Worlds Mothers 2012
Save the Children, May 2012 70 pp. 6.9 MB:
http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9def2ebe-10ae-432c-9bd0df91d2eba74a%7D/STATE-OF-THE-WORLDS-MOTHERS-REPORT-2012-FINAL.PDF
The reports focus is on the 171 million children globally who do not have the opportunity to reach their full potential due to the physical and mental effects of poor nutrition in the earliest months of life. It shows which countries are doing the best and which are doing the worst at providing nutrition during the critical window of development that starts during a mothers pregnancy and goes through her childs second birthday. It looks at six key nutrition solutions, including breastfeeding, that have the greatest potential to save lives, and shows that these solutions are affordable, even in the worlds poorest countries. ***
What Has Driven the Decline of Infant Mortality in Kenya?

by Gabriel Demombynes and Sofia Karina Trommlerov The World Bank, Africa Region, May 2012 48 pp. 972 kB: http://wwwwds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2012/05/03/000158349 _20120503152728/Rendered/PDF/WPS6057.pdf Substantial declines in infant and under-5 mortality have taken place in recent years in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kenyas infant mortality rate has fallen by 7.6 percent per year, the fastest rate of decline among the 20 countries in the region. Among the possible causes of the decline are various targeted new public health initiatives and improved access to water and sanitation. The increased ownership of insect icide-treated bednets in endemic malaria zones explains 39 percent of the decline in HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 14
post-neonatal mortality and 58 percent of the decline in infant mortality.
Malaria Pregnancy and Fetal Outcomes after Exposure to Mefloquine in the Preand Periconception Period and During Pregnancy
by Patricia Schlagenhauf, William A. Blumentals, Pia Suter et al. Clin Infect Dis. (2012) 54 (11): e124-e131 (April 10, 2012) 8 pp. 109 kB: http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/11/e124.full.pdf+html Mefloquine has been available to travellers since 1985. It is recommended for pregnant women who travel to chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum areas when travel cannot be deferred. The authors investigated pregnancy and fetal outcomes in maternal, paternal, and both-parent exposure cases with a focus on congenital malformations and fetal loss. The main outcome measures were birth defect prevalence and types of malformations. A drug safety database analysis of mefloquine exposure in pregnancy showed that the birth defect prevalence and fetal loss in maternal, prospectively monitored cases were comparable to background rates. ***
Defining & counting malaria deaths

by Naman K. Shah Indian J Med Res 135, March 2012, pp 270-272 3 pp. 333 kB: http://www.icmr.nic.in/ijmr/2012/march/editorial2.pdf The recent World Malaria Report suggests that deaths due to malaria in 2009 have decreased compared to 2000. The good news is that these estimates are supported by other data sources including facility and community based evaluations. But we do not, and may never, know how many people are dying from malaria. Without accurate information on malaria mortality (and other deaths) we cannot detect outbreaks, define risk factors for intervention, rationally allocate resources, or determine whether a public health programme is working. Deaths are also a sentinel event and tend to represent the tip of an iceberg, with a large burden of morbidity floating below. ***
Ethnomedicinal knowledge, belief and self-reported practice of local inhabitants on traditional antimalarial plants and phytotherapy
by Kaliyaperumal Karunamoorthi and Endrias Tsehaye Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Vol. 141, Issue 1, 7 May 2012, pp. 143150 8 pp. 446 kB:
http://www.malarianexus.com/articles/read/251/ethnomedicinal-knowledge-belief-and-selfreported-practice-of-local-inhabitants-on-traditional-antimalarial-plants-and-phytotherapy-/
This paper reveals the trend of knowledge and practice of traditional antimalarial plants HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 15
(TAPs) to prevent/treat malaria in Ethiopia. The authors conclude that TAPs usage is an integral part of the tradition and custom of the Ethiopians. However, nearly half of the respondents have had lack of awareness about TAPs and majority of them are reluctant in exercising either due to its ineffectiveness or its bitter taste. Therefore, further laboratory-based research is extremely imperative to identify their antiplasmodial activity and bioactive molecules.
Tuberculosis Scaling up interventions to achieve global tuberculosis control: progress and new developments
by Mario Raviglione, Ben Marais, Katherine Floyd et al. The Lancet, Vol. 379, Issue 9829, pp. 1902-1913, 19 May 2012 12 pp. 217 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673612607272.pdf Tuberculosis is still one of the most important causes of death worldwide. With improved control efforts, the world and most regions are on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of decreasing tuberculosis incidence by 2015, and the Stop TB Partnership target of halving 1990 mortality rates by 2015; the exception is Africa. Despite these advances, full scale-up of tuberculosis and HIV collaborative activities remains challenging and emerging drug-resistant tuberculosis is a major threat. ***
Strengthening TB laboratory capacity to support active case finding

by Theo Smart HIV + AIDS Treatment in Practice (HATIP) #191, May 2012 14 pp. 574 kB: http://www.aidsmap.com/pdf/page/2354581/ This edition of HATIP looks at the role of new diagnostic tests for TB in supporting active case finding for TB. Improving the rate of TB diagnosis among people living with HIV depends on improving the ability of health facilities to diagnose TB. Faster TB diagnosis will enable people to be treated sooner, reducing the number of deaths from TB. It will also reduce the time that infectious people are able to pass on TB. This edition concentrates on the Xpert MTB/RIF test, now being incorporated into diagnostic protocols in South Africa and in a growing number of resource-limited settings. ***
Latent and subclinical tuberculosis in HIV infected patients: a crosssectional study

by Meaghan M Kall, Katherine M Coyne, Nigel J Garrett et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2012, 12:107 (4 May 2012) 18 pp. 168 kB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2334-12-107.pdf
HIV and tuberculosis (TB) are commonly associated. Identifying latent and asymptomatic tuberculosis infection in HIV-positive patients is important in preventing death and morbidity associated with active TB. The authors conclude that an interferon-gamma release assay (T-SPOT.TB - immunospot) test helped identify active TB in HIV infected patients without TB symptoms. There was a high completion rate for preventive treatment in those with a positive test result.
Other Infectious Diseases Invasive non-typhoidal salmonella disease: an emerging and neglected tropical disease in Africa
by Nicholas A Feasey, Gordon Dougan, Robert A Kingsley et al. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 14 May 2012 11 pp. 696 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673611617522.pdf Invasive strains of non-typhoidal salmonellae have emerged as a prominent cause of bloodstream infection in African adults and children, with an associated case fatality of 2025%. The clinical presentation of invasive non-typhoidal salmonella disease in Africa is diverse: fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and respiratory symptoms are common, and features of enterocolitis are often absent. The most important risk factors are HIV infection in adults, and malaria, HIV, and malnutrition in children.
Non-communicable Diseases Facing the double disease burden in Sub-Saharan Africa: Is this inevitable?
by Adanna Chukwuma Consultancy Africa Intelligence, May 2012 Read online at:
http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1022:facing-the-doubledisease-burden-in-sub-saharan-africa-is-this-inevitable-&catid=61:hiv-aids-discussion-papers&Itemid=268
This paper examines the evolution of double disease burden in Sub-Saharan Africa (infectious and non-communicable diseases). It is emphasised that the effort to deal with this trend will involve policy coherence in multiple sectors. These actions will also involve various actors in governance locally, regionally and globally. The underlying motivation should not only be population health promotion. It should recognise the central role of health in African economic growth and overall human development. ***
Noncommunicable Diseases: A Global Health Crisis in a New World Order

by Shannon L. Marrero, David E. Bloom, Eli Y. Adashi JAMA. 2012;307(19):2037-2038 (16 May 2012) 2 pp. 51 kB: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/pdfaccess.ashx?ResourceID=3124869&PDFSource=13 HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 17
The NCDs - cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, and cancers - are the dominant public health challenge of the 21st century. Left unattended, NCDs compromise the Millennium Development Goals, thwart the eradication of poverty, and undercut economic growth. In September 2011, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held - for the first time - a High- Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. In taking this unusual step, the UNGA, home to 193 member states and the principal decision-making organ of the United Nations (UN), has affirmed not only the global importance of the noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) but also the imperative of concerted remedial action. ***
Healthy Lifestyle - Healthy Blood Pressure

World Hypertension Day (WHD), 17 May 2012 8 pp. 13.5 MB(!): http://www.worldhypertensionleague.org/Documents/WHD/2012/ WHD%202012%20brochure.pdf The global prevalence of hypertension is high and resultant mortality is equally unacceptably high considering that this condition is preventable and effective treatment modalities are available. However, the major problem observed is health literacy and adherence to treatment. The two variables are connected through information and health education. Our minds and thoughts should focus on what can be done to scale up information and education for both ill patients and the asymptomatic population.
Essential Medicines Safety of Medicine in Sub-saharan Africa: Assessment of Pharmacovigilance Systems and their Performance
by Hye Lynn Choi, Jude Nwokike, David Lee Strengthening Pharmaceutical Systems, Center for Pharmaceutical Management, Management Sciences for Health, 2012 143 pp. 12.0 MB(!) http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s19152en/s19152en.pdf Adverse drug events (ADEs) from poor product quality, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and medication errors contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. Besides the economic consequences, cases of adverse events affect the credibility of the health system leading to loss of confidence. The time to confront the epidemic of harm from medicine use is now. Pharmacovigilance is not a luxury for Africa, it is not to be thought of as a distraction, and it is not to be subordinate to access. ***
Innovation and Access to Medicines for Neglected Populations: Could a Treaty Address a Broken Pharmaceutical R&D System?
by Suerie Moon, Jorge Bermudez, Ellen 't Hoen PLoS Med 9(5): e1001218 (15 May 2012)
5 pp. 103 kB:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=E1E0E4BE5EDBAE0 EEA1A7A4CAB68C53C?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001218&representation=PDF
As part of a cluster of articles leading up to the 2012 World Health Report and critically reflecting on the theme of no health without research. The authors argue for a global health R&D treaty to improve innovation in new medicines and strengthening affordability, sustainable financing, efficiency in innovation, and equitable health-centred governance.
Social Protection Safety Nets Work: During Crisis and Prosperity

Prepared by the staff of the World Bank Group, April 2012 34 pp. 528 kB: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DEVCOMMINT/Documentation/23170403/DC2 012-0003(E)SafetyNets.pdf The recent and rapid succession of crises has not only demonstrated the urgent need for financial safety nets for economies, but equally for safety nets aimed at protecting people especially the poorest and most vulnerable from the ravages of different types of shocks. Well-designed safety nets help alleviate poverty and contribute to social cohesion, reconciliation after conflicts, gender equality, improved schooling - and lay the foundations for economic growth. They can be affordable and provide excellent value in their return on investment. The linkages among different sectors, including nutrition, rural development, education, and infrastructure, are important. ***
Department for International Development: Transferring cash and assets to the poor
by Amyas Morse Comptroller and Auditor General, National Audit Office, 31 October 2011 54 pp. 395 kB: http://www.nao.org.uk//idoc.ashx?docId=fb061f0e-635c-4d08937c-34966a6a1fce&version=-1 This report examines whether the Department for International Development is achieving value for money through transfers by reducing poverty and increasing well-being at reasonable cost. This involves reaching people in need and giving optimal support, in a timely and scheduled way, as well as assessing whether it knows the short- and longerterm effects of its interventions. ***
Guidance for DFID country offices on measuring and maximising value for money in cash transfer programmes
Toolkit and explanatory text by Anthony Hodges, Philip White and Matthew Greenslade Department for International Development (DFID), October 2011
62 pp. 1.2 MB: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications1/guid-dfid-cnty-offs-meas-maxvfm-csh-trsfr-progs.pdf This note responds to demand from DFID country offices for guidance on measuring and maximising value for money (VfM) in supporting cash transfer programmes, and reflects the post-election emphasis in DFID on making every penny count and the need for consistency of approaches and metrics across DFID country offices. A particular gap to fill is systematic assessment of the cost-effectiveness of design options in DFID supported cash transfer programmes. ***
Pension Reforms and Gender Equality in Latin America

by Camila Arza United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UBRISD), March 2012 45 pp. 376 kB: http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpAuxPages)/3513162DF26920D5 C12579CF0053534B/$file/Arza%20paper.pdf As most other components of social protection systems, pension schemes can have a substantial impact on gender equality. Latin American countries originally embraced the Bismarckian model of old-age protection with earnings-related contributory systems. Coverage in contributory systems depends on participation in the formal labour market, earning levels and family composition, and hence they tend to reproduce the labour market inequalities between men and women.
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa wide water, sanitation and hygiene technology review
by Alison Parker, Jen Smith, Rachel Norman et al. IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and Cranfield University, 2011 94 pp. 1.1 MB: http://media.greennexxus.com/wasrag/Articles_of_Interest/Sanitati on/General/Washtech_1201.pdf The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Technologies (WASHTech) is a three-year action research initiative that aims to facilitate cost-effective investments in technologies for sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH). The aim of the review is to understand how technologies have been developed, how they were introduced, whether they have gone to scale and to start to explore the reasons why they were successful or not. The review is focused on technologies used in Africa in the water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector for long-term development. ***
Equity and Inclusion in Sanitation and Hygiene in Africa

A Regional Synthesis Paper by Archana Patkar and Louisa Gosling HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 20
WaterAid, July 2011 30 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.wsscc.org/sites/default/files/publications/equity_and_in clusion_synthesis_africa_working_paper_for_africasan_final.pdf In 2008, 59% of the population in Africa lacked access to improved sanitation facilities with only 9 of the 54 African countries on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Sanitation target. The collaborative process of desk review, consultations and analysis behind this paper reinforces what we already know - that the excluded are not only people who suffer from asset poverty, but also those who are shut out for social reasons.
Human Resources West Africas Regional Approach to Strengthening Health Workforce Information
by Kayode Odusote, Carol Bales, Sarah Dwyer et al. The CapacityPlus Partnership, 2012 4 pp. 595 kB: http://www.capacityplus.org/files/resources/west-africa-regionalapproach-strengthening-health-workforce-information.pdf To improve the populations access to quality health care, a country needs to know how many health workers it has, what their qualifications are, where they are posted, and how many new workers are likely to join them over time. A strong human resources information system (HRIS) helps health-sector leaders quickly answer the key policy questions affecting health service delivery. The West African Health Organization (WAHO) is implementing a regional approach to strengthening HRIS. This technical brief provides an overview of this regional approach, highlights lessons learned, and provides recommendations for other regions and countries to adopt the approach.
Health Systems & Research Five keys to improving research costing in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Enhancing Support for Strengthening the Effectiveness of National Capacity Efforts (ESSENCE) on Health Research, 2012 36 pp. 984 kB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2012/TDR_ESSENCE_1.12_eng.pdf This is a good practice document on research costing. It includes a review of the funding practices related to the definition and funding of direct and indirect costs. Research cos ting has been highlighted as a major challenge for institutions in low- to medium-income countries that are seeking to develop and maintain sustainable research environments. The report was developed by members of ESSENCE on Health Research and the research institutions they support. ***
A working guide to international comparisons of health

by Karen Bishop, Lisa Sainsbury and Shelley Thompson Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra, 2012 27 pp. 699 kB:
http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737421557
We are often interested to see how our national experiences of health and health care compare on an international scale. These comparisons create a broader perspective for researchers, policy makers and the general public. The guide is intended to encourage users of international health-related data to consider the complexities before comparing countries, and to assist them in interpreting the results of these comparisons. It presents examples to highlight the types of questions to ask when using health data in an international context. ***
Thailands Universal Coverage Scheme: Achievements and Challenges

An independent assessment of the first 10 years (2001-2010) by Joanne McManus, Timothy G. Evans, A. Mushtaque et al. Health Insurance System Research Office, Thailand, May 2012 120 pp. 3.1 MB: http://hisro.or.th/main/download/book018.pdf Many factors contributed to the successful implementation of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) policy in Thailand, including political and financial commitments, a strong civil service acting in the public interest, active civil society organizations, technical capacity to generate and use research evidence, economic growth, and policies to increase fiscal space. While some countries may find this list daunting it is important to realize that all these elements can be developed over time. Countries must find their own path to universal coverage - while no blueprint emerges from this work, the Thai reform experience provides valuable lessons.
Information & Communication Technology Accelerating Development Using the Web: Empowering Poor and Marginalized Populations
by George Sadowsky, Najeeb Al-Shorbaji, Richard Duncombe et al. The World Wide Web Foundation, May 2012 292 pp. 4.4 MB: http://public.webfoundation.org/publications/acceleratingdevelopment/Accelerating%20Development%20Using%20the%20Web.pdf The overall purpose of this book is to serve as a basis for discussion and contemporary outreach to broad range of communities involved in ICTs in the developing world. Structured to provide overviews of the major macro issues (access, capacity, standards), while also providing insights into specific business and public policy domains, the book unites themes of technological innovation, international development, economic growth, gender equality, linguistic and cultural diversity and community action, with special attention paid to the circumstances surrounding the poor and vulnerable members of the HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 22
Global Information Society
Education Girls Education, Empowerment, and Transitions to Adulthood: The Case for a Shared Agenda
by Ann Warner, Anju Malhotra, Allison McGonagle International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), 2012 28 pp. 898 kB: http://www.icrw.org/files/publications/Girls-EducationEmpowerment-Transitions-Adulthood.pdf This paper makes a case for why leveraging education to facilitate girls transitions to healthy, safe and productive adulthood is the single most important development investment that can be made. In order to do this, development practice must shift to a ccommodate and facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration for girls healthy transitions to adulthood. With a shared vision, and coordinated strategies to achieve that vision, sectors ranging from education to health to economic development can contribute to a whole that is greater than the sum of their parts. ***
Education reform in Mozambique: Lessons and Challenges

by Louise Fox, Lucrecia Santibaez, Vy Nguyen, and Pierre Andr The World Bank, 2012 122 pp. 2.6 MB: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/6021/ 683610PUB0EPI0067902B09780821389751.pdf?sequence=1 The primary education reform programs implemented in 2004-05 in Mozambique, combined with a continuing program of school construction and teacher training, resulted in a 70 percent increase in enrolment in lower primary grades over 4 years, with the highest gains for the poorest and most vulnerable children. Yet there was only a slight increase in student-teacher ratios. How did Mozambique accomplish this growth in access to education, and what are the lessons going forward? ***
Mozambique: Effective Delivery of Public Services in the Education Sector

by Lus Felipe Pereira, Joaquim Matavele, Alberto Cupane et al. A review by AfriMAP and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, April 2012 166 pp. 762 kB:
http://www.afrimap.org/english/images/report/AfriMAP_Mozambique_Education_main_EN.pdf
The report argues that Mozambiques commitment to providing access to education in a country scared by years of conflict, with an illiteracy rate of 90 per cent in the 1970s, has yielded strong results. However the sector still faces several difficulties that it must HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 23
tackle urgently if it is to attain the MDG goal on education and gender parity.
Millennium Development Goals Human Security and the Next Generation of Comprehensive Human Development Goals
by Gabriele Koehler, Des Gasper, Richard Jolly, Mara Simane Institute of Development Studies (IDS), April 2012 31 pp. 699 kB: http://www.ids.ac.uk/download.cfm?objectid=26BF82A0-94FC11E1-84D9005056AA4739 This paper makes a case for extending the MDGs beyond 2015 but significantly reshaping them, so that economic and social equity and environmental sustainability are prior itised. The paper proposes using the notion of human security to develop a new post 2015 development framework. ***
The effect of an integrated multisector model for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and improving child survival in rural sub-Saharan Africa: a non-randomised controlled assessment
by Paul M Pronyk, Maria Muniz, Ben Nemser et al. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 8 May 2012 10 pp. 478 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673612602074.pdf The Millennium Villages project is an integrated multisector approach to rural development operating across diverse sub-Saharan African sites. The authors aim was to assess the effects of the project on MDG-related outcomes including child mortality 3 years after implementation and compare these changes to local and national reference data. They conclude that an integrated multisector approach for addressing the MDGs can lead to rapid improvement in child survival in rural sub-Saharan Africa. ***
The Millennium Villages Project Impacts on Child Mortality

Blog by Gabriel Demombynes, 10 May 2012 Read online at: http://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/the-millennium-villages-project-impacts-onchild-mortality The Lancet recently published a paper by Pronyk et al. (see above) which examines the effects of the Millennium Villages Project (MVP) during its first 3 years in 9 countries. The paper has generated an editorial in Nature magazine along with a lot of reactions from Public Health specialists. The key result from the paper is that the average rate of reduction of mortality in children younger than 5 years of age was three-times faster in Millennium Village sites than in HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 24
the most recent 10-year national rural trends (7.8% vs. 2.6%). However, when we correct for a mathematical error and use more recent comparison data, we find that under-5 mortality has fallen at just 5.9% per year at MVP sites, which is slower than the 6.4% average annual decline in under-5 child mortality in the MVP countries nationwide.
Development Assistance Aid effectiveness from Rome to Busan: some progress but lacking bottomup approaches or behaviour changes
by Jessica Martini, Roch Mongo, Hyppolite Kalambay et al. Tropical Medicine & International Health; Article first published online: 15 May 2012 3 pp. 42 kB: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2012.02995.x/pdf The Busan partnership adopted at the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness at the end of last year is a significant step forward towards the improvement of aid quality and the promotion of development. In particular, the inclusiveness achieved in Busan and the shift in discourse from aid effectiveness to development effectiveness are emblematic. However, key challenges still remain. ***
Does Development Assistance for Health Really Displace Government Health Spending? Reassessing the Evidence
by Rajaie Batniji and Eran Bendavid PLoS Med 9(5): e1001214. (May 8, 2012) 7 pp. 108 kB:
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=9C85E3634642E6EC DA28678EF1432915?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001214&representation=PDF
It has recently been suggested that development assistance for health to governments leads to a displacement of government spending, reinforcing skepticism about health aid. The authors examine a database of public financing for health from 1995 to 2006 and demonstrate that prior conclusions drawn from these data are unstable and driven by outliers. While government spending may be displaced by development assistance for health in some settings, the evidence is not robust and is highly variable across countries. ***
Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development

by Marianne Fay, Stphane Hallegatte, Marjorie-Anne Bromhead et al. The World Bank, 2012 192 pp. 4.1 MB: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTSDNET/Resources/Inclusive _Green_Growth_May_2012.pdf The report attempts to break beliefs that pursuit of a green economy is expensive and only for high-income countries. It proposes a three-pronged strategy to guide country efHESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 25
forts to green their growth agenda. The strategy calls for careful development of measures tailored to a countrys unique context, use of incentives to encourage smart decisions and use of innovative funding sources. ***
The future of EU budget support: political conditions, differentiation and coordination

by Jrg Faust, Svea Koch, Nadia Molenaers et al. European Think-Tanks Group in collaboration with the Institute of Development Policy and Management, University of Antwerp, May 2012 8 pp. 442 kB: http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/docs/7671.pdf?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRolvKvK ZKXonjHpfsXw6%2B4kWKOg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YIJSst0dvycMRAVFZl5nQhdDOWN Since the end of 2011 the European Commission is obliged to open up its budget su pport approach to promote, democracy and human rights, alongside the goal of reducing poverty. It is perhaps no accident that this policy change comes at a time of increasing criticism by member states of the ECs previous budget support strategy. While the EC can no longer afford to be ambivalent to democratic governance conditions in recipient countries, tying budget support more strictly to political conditions poses a number of significant challenges. ***
Tax on financial transactions: an implementation guide

by Khalil Elouardighi, Pascal Armoudom, Frdric Martel et al UNTAID, September 2011 168 pp. 2.0 MB: http://www.unitaid.eu/images/NewWeb/documents/Finance/UTDReport-TTF_en.pdf The report recommends that a tax similar to the UK stamp duty be applied, and e xtended to bonds and derivatives. In a country such as France, calculations show that such a tax should generate more than 12 billion per year, using lower rates than existing financial transaction taxes (FTTs). As in other countries with FTTs, the introduction of such a tax on a national basis should have no significant negative impact on the national financial markets.
Others You Will Not Have Peace While You Are Living - The Escalation of Political Violence in Burundi
Human Rights Watch, May 2012 89 pp. 2.2 MB:
http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/burundi0512ForUpload_1.pdf
This report documents political killings stemming from the 2010 elections in Burundi. It describes killings of members and former members of opposition groups by state agents HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 26
and members of the ruling party, as well as killings of members of the ruling party by armed opposition groups. In the vast majority of cases, justice has been denied to fam ilies of the victims. The police ordered Human Rights Watch to stop distribution of the report in Burundi. ***
Corruption in the health care sector: A barrier to access of orthopaedic care and medical devices in Uganda
by Maryse Bouchard, Jillian C Kohler, James Orbinski et al. BMC International Health and Human Rights 2012, 12:5 (3 May 2012) 17 pp. 631 kB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-698X-12-5.pdf This study identified perceived corruption as a significant barrier to access of orthopaedic care and orthopaedic medical devices in Uganda. As the burden of injury continues to grow, the need to combat corruption and ensure access to orthopaedic services is imperative. Anti-corruption strategies such as transparency and accountability measures, codes of conduct, whistleblower protection, and higher wages and benefits for workers could be important and initial steps in improving access orthopaedic care and orthopaedic medical devices, and managing the global injury burden.
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Safe Pregnancy and Birth Mobile App
Hesperians comprehensive app on pregnancy and birth contains a wealth of information on: how to stay healthy during pregnancy how to recognize danger signs during pregnancy, birth, and after birth what to do when a danger sign arises when to refer a woman to emergency care instructions for community health workers with step-by-step explanations.
For iPhone and iPod Touch: Download the app for free from the iTunes store. For Android: Download the Android version for free from the Google Play app store. ***
INTERESTING WEB SITES

Health Policy & Systems Analysis in Africa
http://www.hpsa-africa.org/ The Consortium for Health Policy & Systems Analysis in Africa (CHEPSAA) is working with universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen teaching, research & policy networking activities for the rapidly emerging field of health policy and systems research and analysis (HPSR+A). The new website is a CHEPSAA-flavoured collation of HPSR+A resources, pooling information from sources far wider than CHEPSAA for teachers, researchers, students, policy-makers & decision-makers.
Social Determinants of Health Network (SDH-Net)

http://www.sdh-net.eu/#2 The Social Determinants of Health Network (SDH-Net) is a four year (2011-2015) collaboration project, financed by the European Commission. SDH-Nets aim is to strengthen and link research capacities for health and its social determinants in African and Latin American low and middle income countries in close collaboration with European partners. It will be carried out by a strong consortium, based on clusters of existing networks of public health institutions from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. ***
MDG Health Alliance: Improving the Health of Women and Children by 2015
http://www.mdghealthalliance.org/ There is a new player in global efforts to improve health in developing countries: an innovative private sector-led organization called MDG Health Alliance. MDG Health Alliance will structure its work around six pillars: child health, maternal health, malaria, HIV transmission, HIV and tuberculosis co-infection, and community health training. Download the brochure (20 pp. 3.2 MB) at: http://www.mdghealthalliance.org/assets/downloads/RM01_MerckMDGHA_Webv2.pdf ***
GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa

http://www.globalpowerwomennetworkafrica.org/ GlobalPOWER Women Network Africa is a network of women elected and appointed representatives which seeks to advance gender equality and womens empowerment. GlobalPOWER promotes discussion of accelerated action for women empowerment and gender equality in the area of HIV and Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights, in Africa, focusing on the vulnerability of girls and young women. ***
Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA)

http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/ GHAs new datastore has gone live and includes the datasets that drive GHAs work to map and quantify the world of humanitarian financing: the response to need, financing levels, where the money comes from and where it goes, the actors involved, the funding mechanisms used, and the countries and projects prioritised. ***
Translators without Borders

http://translatorswithoutborders.org/
Translators without Borders facilitates the transfer of knowledge from one language to another by creating and managing a community of NGOs who need translations and professional, vetted translators who volunteer their time to help. Through the sophisticated Translators without Borders platform, important aid groups easily connect directly with professional translators, breaking down the barriers of language and building up the transfer of information to those who need it, one brick at a time.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Course on Inequalities in Health and Health Care
11 to 15 June, 2012 University of Geneva - Switzerland The course is intended for PhD students and other researchers interested in the quant itative analysis of inequality and inequity in health and health care. It consists of five days of lectures and computing laboratory sessions on a number of topics related to the measurement and explanation of inequalities in health and health care. Apart from providing a general introduction to the range of approaches available to researchers, it also provides practical guidance on various issues of computation. Illustrative examples draw on analyses conducted of OECD and developing countries. For more information see: http://www.hec.unil.ch/iems/formation/phd/phdcourses?set_language=en&cl=en ***
eLearning Course: Foundations of Gender Equality in the Health Workforce

http://www.hrhresourcecenter.org/elearning/ The Human Resources for Health (HRH) Global Resource Center (GRC) has published a new eLearning course on gender, a topic critical to all working in the human resources for health and global health fields. The course is intended to expose participants to basic concepts, issues, and standards related to gender equality in the health workforce, including legal and policy protections. As with all courses on the GRC eLearning Platform this course is a low-bandwidth friendly, free, open course available to anyone who wishes to learn about the topic. You are welcome to sign up at: http://www.hrhresourcecenter.org/elearning/login/index.php for a free eLearning account and to expand your knowledge of HRH topics. ***
Course: So you think you want to be a Relief Worker?

July 21st, 2012 RedR, London, United Kingdom This one-day workshop is an essential introduction for anyone interested in a career in the humanitarian sector. You will hear first hand experiences from relief workers, learn about the nature of humanitarian relief, and look at the skills you have to bring to the sector. Target Audience: Anyone who is considering working in the humanitarian sector. All backgrounds and professions welcomed. HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 29
Language: English; Fees: Max GBP 220 For more information contact: Tel.: +44-20-7840-6000 mailto:training@redr.org or see: http://www.redr.org/london/training/index.htm For more courses and conferences see also: www.goinginternational.eu/en/online-datenbank/
CONFERENCES
2012 World Congress on Good Medical Research
6-9 June 2012, Vienna, Austria The World Congress includes three International Conferences (Good Biostatistics Practice - Good Bioethical Practice - Good Publication Practice), and an International Symposium on Developmental Medicine, with main and sub-sessions, disease based editorial sessions, mini courses and sector sessions. For more information see: http://www.ic2012.medicres.org/
CARTOON
TIPS & TRICKS

KeePass, the free, open source, light-weight and easy-to-use password manager
Today you need to remember many passwords. You need a password for the Windows network logon, your e-mail account, your website's FTP password, online passwords (like website member account), etc. etc. etc. HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 30
The list is endless. Also, you should use different passwords for each account. The WORST thing for security you can ever do use the same password for everything! Why is that so bad? If one sites information is hacked, then those same hackers now have access to everything you signed up for your e-mail account, which uses the same password your online banking accounts your store credit card accounts So how do you have the convenience of one password but the security of complex different password for every site? KeePass is a great secure password manager, available on the web free of charge: http://www.keepass.info/ 1.) It securely saves your passwords and other information in an encrypted file and can generate secure passwords for you. 2.) KeePass is also open source, so people have created various applications for phones which allow you take that password file with you on your smartphone. That way your passwords are secure and with you wherever you go. MiniKeePass for iOS devices is available at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/minikeepass-secure-password/id451661808?mt=8
Best regards, Dieter Neuvians MD

Health, Education, Social Protection News &amp; Notes 11/2012

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Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 11/2012

A bi-weekly newsletter supported by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit)

Table of Contents: BOOKS ................................................................................ 4

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 6

HIV - AIDS - STI ......................................................................................................... 8

Sexual & Reproductive Health .................................................................................. 11

Maternal & Child Health............................................................................................ 13

HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 1

Other Infectious Diseases......................................................................................... 17

Non-communicable Diseases ................................................................................... 17

Essential Medicines .................................................................................................. 18

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene..................................................................................... 20

Health Systems & Research ..................................................................................... 21

Information & Communication Technology ............................................................... 22

Millennium Development Goals ................................................................................ 24

Development Assistance .......................................................................................... 25

HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 2

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ............................................ 27

INTERESTING WEB SITES .............................................. 27

CARTOON ......................................................................... 30 TIPS & TRICKS ................................................................. 30

To subscribe for free to the newsletter send an e-mail to:

Helping Health Workers Learn

In the Eyes of Others: How People in Crises Perceive Humanitarian Aid

HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 4

2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years

Jobs, Justice and Equity: Seizing Opportunities in Times of Global Change

HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 5

Sustainable Cities: Local solutions in the Global South

Global Health Governance and Financing Mechanisms

Five Years of Innovation for Better Health

Global Burden of Disease and Economic Growth

HIV Development Assistance and Adult Mortality in Africa

HIV-HBV Coinfection - A Global Challenge

Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention

The Potential Impact of an AIDS Vaccine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Beads of Bondage - The Samburu Girl Child Magazine

Adolescent Fertility in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Effects and Solutions

Condoms in sub-Saharan Africa

Condom use errors and problems: a global view

Maternal & Child Health Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2010

Reducing Maternal Mortality in Morocco: Sharing Experience and Sustaining Progress

What Has Driven the Decline of Infant Mortality in Kenya?

post-neonatal mortality and 58 percent of the decline in infant mortality.

Defining & counting malaria deaths

Strengthening TB laboratory capacity to support active case finding

Latent and subclinical tuberculosis in HIV infected patients: a crosssectional study

HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 16

Noncommunicable Diseases: A Global Health Crisis in a New World Order

Healthy Lifestyle - Healthy Blood Pressure

HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 18

5 pp. 103 kB:

Social Protection Safety Nets Work: During Crisis and Prosperity

HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 19

Pension Reforms and Gender Equality in Latin America

Equity and Inclusion in Sanitation and Hygiene in Africa

HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 21

A working guide to international comparisons of health

Thailands Universal Coverage Scheme: Achievements and Challenges

Global Information Society

Education reform in Mozambique: Lessons and Challenges

Mozambique: Effective Delivery of Public Services in the Education Sector

The Millennium Villages Project Impacts on Child Mortality

Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development

The future of EU budget support: political conditions, differentiation and coordination

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 11/2012

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 11/2012