Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
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
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
Human Resources.................................................................................................... 21
West Africas Regional Approach to Strengthening Health Workforce Information .............. 21
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
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
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
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HESP-News & Notes - 11/2012 - page 3
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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 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. ***
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. ***
wards increased use are also evidenced among single women and university students as well as the success of select interventions in some regions. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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)
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.
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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
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. ***
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 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. ***
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. ***
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. ***
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 ***
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 ***
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
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