Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 17/2011

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

14 August 2011
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Table of Contents: BOOKS ................................................................................ 4

From Social Silence to Social Science: Same-sex sexuality, HIV & AIDS and Gender in South Africa ............................................................................................................................. 4 Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic Reviews............................... 4

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 4

Global Health.............................................................................................................. 4
Access, Accountability and Rights: Your Voices, Your Views on the Global Fund................. 4 Why African Countries Need to Participate in Global Health Security Discourse................... 5 Reducing global health inequalities - Part 1............................................................................ 5 A Financial Transaction Tax for Global Health........................................................................ 5

HIV - AIDS - STI ......................................................................................................... 6

Are HIV Epidemics among Men Who Have Sex with Men Emerging in the Middle East and North Africa? ........................................................................................................................... 6 Stigma and discrimination experiences of HIV-positive men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa .................................................................................................................. 6

Sexual & Reproductive Health .................................................................................... 6

Sex Work & Womens Movements.......................................................................................... 6 A User's Guide to POPLINE Keywords................................................................................... 7

Maternal & Child Health.............................................................................................. 7

Stop Making Excuses - Accountability for Maternal Health Care in South Africa................. 7 Vitamin A supplementation in postpartum women .................................................................. 7 Infants Delivered in Maternity Homes Run by Traditional Birth Attendants in Urban Nigeria: A Community-Based Study ..................................................................................................... 8 The Surgeon Generals Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding 2011................................... 8 Effects of Cessation of Breastfeeding in HIV-1-Exposed, Uninfected Children in Malawi...... 8 The State of Breastfeeding in 33 Countries ............................................................................ 9 Can lay health workers increase the uptake of childhood immunisation? .............................. 9 Influence of Gender Measures on Maternal and Child Health in Africa .................................. 9 Violence Against Children in Tanzania: Findings from a National Survey ............................ 10

Malaria ..................................................................................................................... 10
Conquering Malaria: Enhancing the Impact of Effective Interventions ................................. 10 The Use of Intermittent Preventive Treatment with Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine for Preventing Malaria in Pregnant Women ............................................................................... 10 Designing a sustainable strategy for malaria control? .......................................................... 11 The effect of mobile phone text-message reminders on Kenyan health workers adherence to malaria treatment guidelines: a cluster randomised trial................................................... 11 Brain Swelling and Mannitol Therapy in Adult Cerebral Malaria: A Randomized Trial ......... 11 Pre-referral rectal artesunate in severe malaria: a flawed trial ............................................. 12

Tuberculosis ............................................................................................................. 12

HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 1

Commercial Serological Tests for the Diagnosis of Active Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis ...................................... 12 Serological Testing Versus Other Strategies for Diagnosis of Active Tuberculosis in India: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis .................................................................................................. 12 Same-day diagnosis of tuberculosis by microscopy ............................................................. 13 Fluorescent light-emitting diode (LED) microscopy for diagnosis of tuberculosis................. 13

Other Infectious Diseases......................................................................................... 13

Progress Toward Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis - Togo, 2000 - 2009........................... 13 The Geographic Distribution of Loa loa in Africa: Results of Large-Scale Implementation of the Rapid Assessment Procedure for Loiasis (RAPLOA) ..................................................... 14 Global epidemiology of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in people who inject drugs: results of systematic reviews ................................................................................................................ 14

Non-communicable Diseases ................................................................................... 14

Getting the Politics Right for the September 2011 UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases................................................................................................. 14 Chronic Care Integration for Endemic Non-Communicable Diseases - Rwanda Edition ..... 15 Chronic care of HIV & noncommunicable diseases: How to leverage the HIV experience.. 15 Non-communicable diseases and global health equity ......................................................... 15 The private sector, international development and NCDs .................................................... 16

Essential Medicines .................................................................................................. 16

Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations ................................... 16

Social Protection....................................................................................................... 16
Who is covered by health insurance schemes and which services are used in Tanzania? . 16 Business Planning for Microinsurance .................................................................................. 17 Scholars Who Became Practitioners: The Influence of Research on the Design, Evaluation, and Political Survival of Mexicos Antipoverty Program Progresa/Oportunidades................ 17

Human Resources.................................................................................................... 17
Chances for Change: Dutch measures to improve the global distribution of health personnel ............................................................................................................................................... 17

Health Systems & Research ..................................................................................... 18

Perceptions of per diems in the health sector: Evidence and implications ........................... 18 Raising the Profile of Participatory Action Research at the 2010 Global Symposium on Health Systems Research..................................................................................................... 18 Social autopsy for maternal and child deaths: a comprehensive literature review to examine the concept and the development of the method .................................................................. 18 Delivering Health Care to the Global Poor: Solving the Accessibility Problem..................... 19 Frameworks for Determining Research Gaps During Systematic Reviews.......................... 19 Being the Ghost in the Machine: A Medical Ghostwriters Personal View ............................ 19

Information & Communication Technology ............................................................... 20

The Little Data Book on Information and Communication Technology................................. 20 Can information and communications technology applications contribute to poverty reduction? Lessons from rural India...................................................................................... 20 What can ICTs do for the rural poor? .................................................................................... 20 Harnessing Africas Digital Future ......................................................................................... 21

Education ................................................................................................................. 21
Health Professionals for a New Century: Transforming Education to Strengthen Health Systems in an Interdependent World .................................................................................... 21 Good Policy and Practice in HIV and AIDS and Education: Pre-Service Teacher Training . 21 Uncovering indicators of effective school management in South Africa using the National School Effectiveness Study................................................................................................... 22

Harm Reduction and Drug Use................................................................................. 22

The Global Afghan Opium Trade: A Threat Assessment, 2011............................................ 22 The Scientific Foundation for Tobacco Harm Reduction, 2006-2011 ................................... 22

Development Assistance .......................................................................................... 23

Minds for Change - Enhancing Opportunities: Germanys New Development Policy .......... 23 Measuring Aid Effectiveness Effectively: Being clear about objectives ................................ 23 Health Spending in El Salvador: The impact of current aid structures and aid effectiveness ............................................................................................................................................... 23

Others ...................................................................................................................... 24
Population Bulletin: The World at 7 Billion ............................................................................ 24 2011 World Population Data Sheet ....................................................................................... 24

HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 2

Who fears and who welcomes population decline? .............................................................. 24 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey - 2010................................................................. 24 What is the future of epidemiology?...................................................................................... 25 Making shared decision-making a reality: No decision about me, without me ..................... 25

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ............................................ 25

e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA) ............................................................. 25 HIV National Strategic Plans ................................................................................................. 25 Bulletin of the World Health Organization - Vol. 89, Nr. 8, August 2011, 545-620 ............... 26 INRUD News - Volume 21, Number 2, July 2011 ................................................................. 26 Health and Human Rights Vol. 13, No. 1 (2011): Natural Disasters and Humanitarian Emergencies ......................................................................................................................... 26 Knowledge Management (KM) for Health and Development Toolkit .................................... 26

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

Open.AidData toolkit ............................................................................................................. 27 Community Health Workers (CHW) Central.......................................................................... 27

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES............................................ 27
E-learning course: Basics of Health Economics ................................................................... 27

CONFERENCES................................................................ 27
AfriHealth............................................................................................................................... 27 Conference Report: The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) .......................... 28

CARTOON ......................................................................... 28 TIPS & TRICKS ................................................................. 28

What is Google Plus?............................................................................................................ 28

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HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 3

BOOKS
From Social Silence to Social Science: Same-sex sexuality, HIV & AIDS and Gender in South Africa
by Vasu Reddy, Theo Sandfort & Laetitia Rispel (eds.) Human Sciences Research Council, 2009 288 pp. 4.5 MB:
http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/downloadpdf.php?pdffile=files%2FPDF%2F2265%2Fe _Book_Social_Science.pdf&downloadfilename=From%20Social%20Silence%20to%20Soci al%20Science%20-%20Entire%20eBook

This book presents an innovative effort to examine what we know about homosexual transmission of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. It reverses the trend whereby categories of same sex sexual practice are almost always excluded from research of HIV and AIDS, as well as from care and intervention programmes. The varied contributors draw attention to the risk behaviours and treatment needs of people who engage in homosexual sex, and explain why same-sex sexuality has to be seen as key within South African efforts to study, test and prevent HIV infection. ***

Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic Reviews

by Jill Eden, Laura Levit, Alfred Berg et al. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, February 2011 340 pp. 1.6 MB: http://download.nap.edu/cart/download.cgi?&record_id=13059&free=1 Systematic reviews identify, select, assess, and synthesize the findings of similar but separate studies, and can help clarify what is known and not known about the potential benefits and harms of drugs, devices, and other healthcare services. The book recommends 21 standards for developing high-quality systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research. These address the entire systematic review process from the initial steps of formulating the topic and building the review team to producing a detailed final report that synthesizes what the evidence shows and where knowledge gaps r emain.

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
Global Health Access, Accountability and Rights: Your Voices, Your Views on the Global Fund
by BharathiGhanashyam, Bobby Ramakant, EvgeniaMaron et al. The Key Correspondent Team (KC), June 2011 48 pp. 4.6 MB: http://www.aidsportal.org/atomicDocuments/AIDSPortalDocuments /20110623153308-GF_KC2011_final.pdf HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 4

As part of the 2011 Partnership Forum consultations, a team of Key Correspondents (KCs) conducted interviews with Global Fund stakeholders in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean seeking their views on the Global Funds work in their region. From these interviews, the KCs wrote in-depth feature articles and produced video articles focusing on one or more of five thematic areas in relation to HIV, TB and malaria responses. Even a cursory glance confirms that whilst the Global Fund is undoubtedly a force for good, there are multiple challenges that can diminish the Funds effectiveness. ***

Why African Countries Need to Participate in Global Health Security Discourse

by Lenias Hwenda, Percy Mahlathi and Treasure Maphanga Global Health Governance IV(2), 2011 24 pp. 353 kB: http://www.ghgj.org/HwendaMahlathiMaphanga.pdf The authors of this article argue that health is an important component of global security. However, the precise meaning and scope of global health security remains contested partly due to suspicions about clandestine motives underlying framing health as a security issue. Consequently, low and middle-income countries have not engaged global discourse on health security, resulting in an unbalanced global health security agenda shaped primarily by the interests of high-income countries, which focuses on a few infectious diseases, bioterrorism and marginalises health security threats of greater relevance to low and middle-income countries. ***

Reducing global health inequalities - Part 1

by Kenneth Stuart and EJL Soulsby J R Soc Med; Vol. 104 Nr. 8, August 2011:321-326 6 pp. 669 kB: http://jrsm.rsmjournals.com/cgi/reprint/104/8/321 This paper promotes the perception of health both as a global public good and as a developmental issue and why a focus on poverty is essential to the address of global health issues. It sees the designing of appropriate strategies and partnerships towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as an important first step for achieving successful address to global public health issues. ***

A Financial Transaction Tax for Global Health

by Olga Golichenko International AIDS Alliance, 2011 2 pp. 332 kB: http://www.aidsalliance.org/includes/document/FTTHealth.pdf If we are to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, and address the needs of the poorest, we urgently need new and innovative sources of HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 5

financing. A financial transaction tax (FTT) could turn the global economic crisis into a global opportunity, by making banks, hedge funds and other parts of the financial sector pay their fair share to clear up the mess they helped create - and provide long term financing for global health.

HIV - AIDS - STI Are HIV Epidemics among Men Who Have Sex with Men Emerging in the Middle East and North Africa?
A Systematic Review and Data Synthesis by Ghina Mumtaz, Nahla Hilmi, Willi McFarland et al. PLoS Med 8(8): e1000444 (2 August 2011) 15 pp. 438 kB:
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=7D56B67165EA84BCD996F E04AF32A290.ambra02?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000444&representation=PDF

This systematic review and data synthesis indicate that HIV epidemics appear to be emerging among men who have sex with men (MSM) in at least a few Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries and could already be in a concentrated state among several MSM groups. There is an urgent need to expand HIV surveillance and access to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment services in a rapidly narrowing window of opportunity to prevent the worst of HIV transmission among MSM in the Middle East and North Africa. ***

Stigma and discrimination experiences of HIV-positive men who have sex with men in Cape Town, South Africa
by A. Cloete, L.C. Simbayi, S.C. Kalichman et al. AIDS Care, 20:9, 1105-1110 (29 September 2008) 7 pp. 101 kB: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09540120701842720 Since the primary mode of HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa is heterosexual, research focusing on the sexual behaviour of men who have sex with men (MSM) is scant. Currently it is unknown how many people living with HIV in South Africa are MSM and there is even less known about the stigmatisation and discrimination of HIV-positive MSM. The current study examined the stigma and discrimination experiences of MSM living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

Sexual & Reproductive Health Sex Work & Womens Movements

by Svati P. Shah CREA India and New York, 2011 44 pp. 445 kB: http://web.creaworld.org/files/f2.pdf

HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 6

There is growing recognition that womens and sex workers movements must recognise their commonalities in terms of concerns and constituencies. But, this paper argues, there are still strong political differences between the two movements. The author sets out to address these issues, considering the development of sex workers movements over the last two decades alongside the historical context of feminist discourses on violence against women, and particularly, human trafficking. ***

A User's Guide to POPLINE Keywords

Knowledge for Health (K4Health) Project, Center for Communication Programs, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2010 256 pp. 1.6 MB: http://www.popline.org/POPLINEKeywordGuide_NinthEdition.pdf The ninth edition of the POPLINE thesaurus includes new and revised keywords to reflect changing concepts in population, family planning, and related reproductive health issues. The new Guide includes both an alphabetical and permuted listing along with a supplement describing the changes made in this 2010 edition.

Maternal & Child Health Stop Making Excuses - Accountability for Maternal Health Care in South Africa
by Agnes Odhiambo, Siphokazi Mthathi, Janet Walsh et al. Human Rights Watch, August 2011 73 pp. 549 kB: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/sawrd0811webwcover.pdf This report documents maternity care failures that include abuse of maternity patients by health workers and substandard care in Eastern Cape Province. Eastern Cape has some of the worst health indicators in South Africa, including high infant, child, and maternal mortality rates. But analyses by government and other public health experts show that other regions experience the same problems, including negative attitudes by health workers, poor quality care, administrative and financial management inefficiencies, and lack of accountability for health system failures. ***

Vitamin A supplementation in postpartum women

by Lisa Rogers, Juan Pablo Pea-Rosas, Rajiv Bahl et al. World Health Organization, August 2011 26 pp. 440 kB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241501774_eng.pdf Vitamin A deficiency affects about 19 million pregnant women, mostly from the WHO regions of Africa and South-East Asia. Vitamin A plays an important role in vision, growth and physical development, and immune function. Deficiency of vitamin A increases the HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 7

risk of night blindness and other ocular conditions such as xerophthalmia. Member States have requested guidance from WHO on the effects and safety of vitamin A supplements for postpartum women as a public health strategy. WHO has therefore deve loped the present evidence-informed recommendation. ***

Infants Delivered in Maternity Homes Run by Traditional Birth Attendants in Urban Nigeria: A Community-Based Study
by Bolajoko O. Olusanyaa, Victor A. Inema & Olayinka A. Abosede Health Care for Women International, Vol. 32, Issue 6, 2011 18 pp. 205 kB: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07399332.2011.565531 The authors explored factors associated with traditional maternity/herbal homes (TMHs) run by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) compared with hospital or home delivery in Lagos, Nigeria, and found that infants delivered at TMHs were less likely to have severe hyperbilirubinemia compared with infants delivered in hospitals or residential homes. These infants were also less likely to be preterm compared with those delivered in hospitals or undernourished compared with infants delivered in residential homes. ***

The Surgeon Generals Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding 2011

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2011 100 pp. 904 kB: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/breastfeeding/calltoactiontos upportbreastfeeding.pdf This Call to Action describes specific steps people can take to participate in a societywide approach to support mothers and babies who are breastfeeding. This approach will increase the public health impact of everyones efforts, reduce inequities in the quality of health care that mothers and babies receive, and improve the support that families receive in employment and community settings. ***

Effects of Cessation of Breastfeeding in HIV-1-Exposed, Uninfected Children in Malawi

by Taha E. Taha, Donald R. Hoover, Shu Chen et al. Clin Infect Dis. 15 August 2011, 53(4): 388-395 8 pp. 125 kB: http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/53/4/388.full.pdf+html HIV-exposed, uninfected infants who do not breastfeed compared to those who breastfeed between 6 and 15 months experience substantially higher acute morbidity and c umulative mortality. Adequate monitoring of infant health and prolonged breastfeeding should be encouraged. *** HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 8

The State of Breastfeeding in 33 Countries

by Arun Gupta, Radha Hollaand and J.P. Dadhich World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTI), 2010 104 pp. 6.5 MB: http://www.worldbreastfeedingtrends.org/report/The-state-ofbreastfeeding-in-33-countries-2010.pdf The UN Secretary Generals recently launched Global Strategy for Womens and Children's Health - is having an output that in 2015 alone, 21.9 million more infants would be exclusively breastfed for first six months. The report provides answers on how to do it as it shows the gaps in policy and programmes that support women. Bridging these gaps is essential to enhance the number of exclusively breastfed infants. Such an action would also help to increase the intervention coverage of feeding indicators in the Countdown to 2015, Maternal New born and Child Survival report. ***

Can lay health workers increase the uptake of childhood immunisation?

Systematic review and typology by Claire Glenton, Inger B. Scheel, Simon Lewin et al. Tropical Medicine & International Health, Vol. 16, Issue 9, pp. 1044-1053, September 2011 10 pp. 237 kB: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02813.x/pdf Lay health workers (LHWs) are used in many settings to increase immunisation uptake among children. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these interventions. The authors conclude that LHWs could make an important contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goal for child health. However, more high-quality studies are needed, particularly from low- and middle-income countries. More studies are also needed to assess the effects of using LHWs to vaccinate children themselves. ***

Influence of Gender Measures on Maternal and Child Health in Africa

by Kavita Singh, Shelah Bloom, Paul Brodish MEASURE Evaluation Technical Report, August 2011 66 pp. 4.2 MB: http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/tr-1181/at_download/document This report explores the associations between gender measures and several health outcomes which include (1) low BMI, an indicator of overall maternal health; (2) birth in a facility, an indicator of the utilization of maternal health services and a proxy measure for maternal mortality; (3) having a child who is fully immunized, an indicator of the utilization of a preventive child health service; and (4) treatment seeking for a child with an acute respiratory infection (ARI), an indicator of the utilization of a curative child health service. *** HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 9

Violence Against Children in Tanzania: Findings from a National Survey

United Nations Childrens Fund, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, August 2011 152 pp. 1.7 MB: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/VIOLENCE_AGAINST_CHILDRE N_IN_TANZANIA_REPORT.pdf For the first time an African country has subjected itself to international scrutiny of the rates of mental, physical and sexual violence suffered by girls and boys, and their impact. The study finds that nearly three out of every 10 girls and nearly three out of every 20 boys in Tanzania claim to have experienced sexual violence. Almost three-quarters of girls and boys questioned had experienced physical violence before the age of 18 at the hand of an adult or an intimate partner. In a bid to break the silence around violence against children, Tanzanian authorities launched a five-year plan to eliminate all forms of violence against children, including sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Summary slide show (22 pp. 696 kB): http://hdptz.esealtd.com/fileadmin/documents/DPGH_Meeti ng_Documents_2011/Violence_Against_Children_in_Tanzania.pdf

Malaria Conquering Malaria: Enhancing the Impact of Effective Interventions

Towards Elimination in the Diverse and Changing Epidemiology by AY Kitua, OAT Ogundahunsi, J Lines, CS Mgone Journal of Global Infectious Diseases, Apr-Jun 2011, Vol-3, Issue-2 6 pp. 584 kB: http://apps.who.int/tdr/newsevents/news/pdf/JGlobalInfectDis_2011_3_2_161_81694.pdf Malaria remains a major global disease burden causing just under a million deaths each year, mainly of children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. Three major factors allowing this to happen include: (i) inadequate funding to implement a massive initial surge, to achieve universal coverage, (ii) weak country capacities for rapid scale up of such interventions and little or no use of evidence-guided methods, and (iii) insufficient coordination of efforts between national programmes, donors and technical agencies in strategic planning for sustaining gains and in building capacity. ***

The Use of Intermittent Preventive Treatment with Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine for Preventing Malaria in Pregnant Women
by Rose Gana Fomban Leke and Diane Wallace Taylor Clinical Infectious Diseases; August 1, 2011 53(3):231-233

HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 10

3 pp. 60 kB: http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/53/3/231.full.pdf+html In areas where malaria is endemic, strategies to control malaria during pregnancy include preventive measures, such as the use of insecticidetreated mosquito nets (ITNs) and intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp), as well as case management as a curative measure. It is imminent that new and effective drugs and new IPTp regimens be available for use during pregnancy, in the face of increasing drug resistance as resistance to Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) is spreading quite fast, and studies have demonstrated the limitations in the use of this drug. ***

Designing a sustainable strategy for malaria control?

by Clive Shiff, Phil Thuma, David Sullivan et al. Malaria Journal 2011, 10:220 (3 August 2011) 12 pp. 131 kB: http://www.malariajournal.com/content/pdf/1475-2875-10-220.pdf While progress in the field of malaria control is certainly impressive, sustainability will require improvements, such as tracking parasite reservoirs, better use of technology in case detection and epidemiology, to continue pushing back on the disease. It is important to remember that some of the key tools that have contributed so much to the success are ephemeral. They must be used efficiently and effectively and much has yet to be done to integrate them into the local public health infrastructures while they are still effective. ***

The effect of mobile phone text-message reminders on Kenyan health workers adherence to malaria treatment guidelines: a cluster randomised trial
by Dejan Zurovac, Raymond K Sudoi, Willis S Akhwale et al. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 4 August 2011 9 pp. 118 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673611607836.pdf Health workers malaria case-management practices often differ from national guidelines. The authors assessed whether text-message reminders sent to health workers mobile phones could improve and maintain their adherence to treatment guidelines for outpatient paediatric malaria in Kenya. They conclude that in resource-limited settings, malaria control programmes should consider use of text messaging to improve health workers case-management practices. ***

Brain Swelling and Mannitol Therapy in Adult Cerebral Malaria: A Randomized Trial
by Sanjib Mohanty, Saroj Kanti Mishra, Rajyabardhan Patnaik et al. Clin Infect Dis. 53 (4): 349-355 (15 August 2011) 7 pp. 131 kB: http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/53/4/349.full.pdf+html HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 11

Brain swelling on a computed tomographic (CT) scan is a common finding in adult patients with cerebral malaria but is not related to coma depth or survival. Mannitol therapy as adjunctive treatment for brain swelling in adult cerebral malaria prolongs coma dur ation and may be harmful. ***

Pre-referral rectal artesunate in severe malaria: a flawed trial

by Karim F Hirji and Zulfiqarali G Premji Trials 2011, 12:188 (8 August 2011) 25 pp. 376 kB: http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/pdf/1745-6215-12-188.pdf In 2009, Melba Gomes and her colleagues published the findings of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of rectal artesunate for suspected severe malaria in remote areas. The affirmative findings of this have led the WHO to endorse rectal artesunate as a prereferral treatment for severe malaria. But this trial has numerous serious deficiencies in design, implementation, and methods of data analysis. The totality of these problems make it a flawed study whose conclusions remain subject to appreciable doubt.

Tuberculosis Commercial Serological Tests for the Diagnosis of Active Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis: An Updated Systematic Review and MetaAnalysis
by Karen R. Steingart, Laura L. Flores, Nandini Dendukuri et al. PLoS Med 8(8): e1001062 (9 August 2011) 19 pp. 1.6 MB:
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=1B4AD075845D8E1EB7A87 F643C3CC00B.ambra01?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001062&representation=PDF

Serological (antibody detection) tests for tuberculosis (TB) are widely used in developing countries. The authors conclude that commercial serological tests continue to produce inconsistent and imprecise estimates of sensitivity and specificity. Quality of evidence remains very low. These data informed a recently published World Health Organization policy statement against serological tests. ***

Serological Testing Versus Other Strategies for Diagnosis of Active Tuberculosis in India: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
by David W. Dowdy, Karen R. Steingart, Madhukar Pai PLoS Med 8(8): e1001074 (9 August 2011) 10 pp. 325 kB:
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=94904A3D2453167978EC1 C31FAD6EF40.ambra02?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001074&representation=PDF

Undiagnosed and misdiagnosed tuberculosis (TB) drives the epidemic in India. Serological (antibody detection) TB tests are not recommended by any agency, but widely HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 12

used in many countries, including the Indian private sector. The cost and impact of using serology compared with other diagnostic techniques is unknown. The authors conclude that in India, sputum smear microscopy remains the most cost-effective diagnostic test available for active TB and efforts to increase access to quality-assured microscopy should take priority. ***

Same-day diagnosis of tuberculosis by microscopy

Policy statement - World Health Organization, 2011 16 pp. 204 kB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241501606_eng.pdf The policy statement is based on the conclusion of studies that the identification of the majority of smear-positive patients may require no more than one patient visit, and has the potential to improve the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in low- and middle-income countries. A single-visit diagnosis would represent a substantial opportunity to improve the delivery of TB services, particularly to the poor. ***

Fluorescent light-emitting diode (LED) microscopy for diagnosis of tuberculosis

Policy statement - World Health Organization, 2011 16 pp. 203 kB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241501613_eng.pdf Based on studies that examining sputum with a new kind of microscope called a light emitting-diode fluorescence microscope (or LED-FM) is more sensitive and faster than examining sputum using traditional light microscopes, WHO recommends that conventional fluorescence microscopy be replaced by LED microscopy, and that LED micro scopy be phased in as an alternative for conventional Ziehl-Neelsen light microscopy.

Other Infectious Diseases Progress Toward Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis - Togo, 2000 - 2009
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), July 29, 2011; 60(29);989-991 Read online at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6029a4.htm?s_cid=mm6029a4_x This report describes the Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) elimination program in Togo, one of the 39 LF-endemic countries in the WHO African Region. Togos approach to interrupt LF transmission included screening for infection to identify LF-endemic districts and mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin and albendazole in LF-endemic districts. Togo is the first sub-Saharan country to have stopped MDAs after prevalence data suggested that LF transmission had been interrupted. The successful Togo program demonstrates that LF elimination can be achieved in countries with limited resources. *** HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 13

The Geographic Distribution of Loa loa in Africa: Results of Large-Scale Implementation of the Rapid Assessment Procedure for Loiasis (RAPLOA)
by Honorat Gustave Marie Zour, Samuel Wanji, Mounkala Noma et al. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 5(6): e1210 (28 June 2011)

11 pp. 998 kB:

http://www.plosntds.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=AACE7E5B596D5A7CFBD 9E9441D489C72.ambra01?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0001210&representation=PDF

A new global map on where loiasis is endemic in Africa quantifies the total population at risk and shows previously unidentified areas. While this eye worm disease in itself is not a major public health problem, it does present problems when people are treated with ivermectin for either onchocerciasis or lymphatic filariasis. When patients also have a high intensity of loiasis infection, the drug can cause severe adverse reactions such as encephalopathy that can be fatal if not adequately managed. ***

Global epidemiology of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in people who inject drugs: results of systematic reviews
by Paul K Nelson, Bradley M Mathers, Benjamin Cowie et al. The Lancet, Vol. 378, Issue 9791, pp. 571-583, 13 August 2011 13 pp. 834 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673611610970.pdf Injecting drug use is an important risk factor for transmission of viral hepatitis, but detailed, transparent estimates of the scale of the issue do not exist. The authors conclude that more injecting drug users (IDUs) have anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) than HIV infection, and viral hepatitis poses a key challenge to public health. Variation in the coverage and quality of existing research creates uncertainty around estimates. Improved and more complete data and reporting are needed to estimate the scale of the issue, which will inform efforts to prevent and treat HCV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in IDUs.

Non-communicable Diseases Getting the Politics Right for the September 2011 UN High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases
by Devi Sridhar, J. Stephen Morrison and Peter Piot Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), February 2011 18 pp. 1.3 MB:
http://csis.org/files/publication/110215_Sridhar_GettingPoliticsRight_Web.pdf

This report contends that the UN General Assemblys decision to convene a high-level meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in September 2011 creates a major, timely opportunity to elevate chronic diseases onto the global stage. Just as the 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS was a pivotal moment in the global response to AIDS, the authors argue that there is hope HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 14

that the September session on NCDs can become a historic rallying point. ***

Chronic Care Integration for Endemic Non-Communicable Diseases Rwanda Edition

by Gene Bukhman (ed.) Partners In Health; Harvard Medical School; Brigham and Womens Hospital, 2011 326 pp. 5.7 MB: http://www.ncdalliance.org/sites/default/files/resource_files/Chroni c%20Care%20Integration%20for%20Endemic%20NCDs.pdf This guide is written for district-level health care providers and policy makers dealing with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in rural Rwanda or similar settings. The guide is focused mainly on ambulatory care performed by advance nurses, clinical officers, and generalist physicians. It describes protocols focused on the essential interventions often deemed too complex to be delivered to the rural poor as well as comprehensive technical strategies shown to be both effective and efficient for managing chronic disease. ***

Chronic care of HIV & noncommunicable diseases: How to leverage the HIV experience
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), May 2011 16 pp. 453 kB: http://www.unaids.org/en/media/unaids/contentassets/documents/unaidspublicati on/2011/20110526_JC2145_Chronic_care_of_HIV-1.pdf This report explores options for leveraging the HIV experience to inform chronic care for people living with HIV and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Both HIV and noncommunicable disease programmes are ideally implemented in primary health care and should address multiple health and family issues. The health system innovations arising from the recent rapid scaling up of HIV treatment in several settings have already provided synergy to re-energize chronic care programmes and services for noncommunicable diseases. ***

Non-communicable diseases and global health equity

Editorial: Health and Human Rights, Vol. 13, No. 1 (2011) 3 pp. 145 kB: http://www.hhrjournal.org/index.php/hhr/article/view/405/606 As recently as 1990, most illness worldwide was attributed to pneumonia, diarrheal disease, and perinatal infection. It is now recognized that by 2020, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will be responsible for 60% of sicknesses worldwide and seven deaths in every ten. Most will be in the developing world. For governments in high- and middleincome countries, which are feeling the budgetary effects of aging populations and urbanization, NCDs are now provoking the same kind of anxiety that HIV did a decade ago. There, the burden of NCDs looms especially large, the result of rich diets, lack of HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 15

physical activity, alcohol, and tobacco use. ***

The private sector, international development and NCDs

by Christine Hancock, Lise Kingo and Olivier Raynaud Globalization and Health 2011, 7:23 (28 July 2011) 15 pp. 256 kB: http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/pdf/1744-8603-7-23.pdf This article addresses an area that has been largely underserved by the development community, and one in which there is a particularly good opportunity for the private se ctor to take a lead in making a difference to employees, customers and local communities: chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It highlights the extent of the epidemic of NCDs in developing countries, sets out the business case for the private sector to act on NCDs, and gives examples of initiatives by business to ensure that the healthy choice really is an easier choice for employees, consumers and local communities.

Essential Medicines Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations

31st Edition U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2011 1252 pp. 19.3 MB(!): http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProces s/UCM071436.pdf The publication (commonly known as the Orange Book), identifies drug products approved on the basis of safety and effectiveness by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The main criterion for the inclusion of any product is that the product is the su bject of an application with an effective approval that has not been withdrawn for safety or efficacy reasons. In addition, the List contains therapeutic equivalence evaluations for approved multisource prescription drug products.

Social Protection Who is covered by health insurance schemes and which services are used in Tanzania?
by Josephine Borghi and August Joachim Strategies for Health Insurance for Equity in Less Developed Countries (SHIELD), 2011 4 pp. 777 kB: http://www.gtzkenyahealth.com/blog3/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Who-iscovered-by-health-insurance-schemes-and-which-services-are-used-in-Tanzania.pdf

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The authors conclude that the introduction of various health insurance schemes has led to a rise in the number of Tanzanians with health insurance cover and increased health service utilization rates. In addition, the inequity in health insurance schemes between the rich and the poor should be addressed with the development of a more comprehensive and affordable insurance scheme for the poor that grants them greater choice and access to quality health services. ***

Business Planning for Microinsurance

by John Wipf and Denis Garand Capacity Building Working Group of the Microinsurance Network (MIN) with support of GIZ Sector Initiative Systems of Social Protection, August 2011 40 pp. 3.9 MB: http://www.microinsurancenetwork.org/publication/fichier/Business_ Planning__2011.pdf?PHPSESSID=9ca58aaf4c8be31aef913b77153c9ce7 The guide which has been written in response to the lack of business planning when developing microinsurance products and implementing programs, targets mainly micr oinsurance practitioners, support organisations and technical assistance providers. It contains all relevant information needed when carrying out a business plan and it walks readers through the most important components of a microinsurance business plan. ***

Scholars Who Became Practitioners: The Influence of Research on the Design, Evaluation, and Political Survival of Mexicos Antipoverty Program Progresa/Oportunidades
by Nora Lustig Center for Global Development Working Paper 263, August 2011 20 pp. 563 kB:
http://www.cgdev.org/files/1425364_file_Lustig_Scholars_and_Practitioners_FINAL.pdf

Celebrated by academics, multilateral organizations, policymakers and the media, Mexicos Progresa/Oportunidades conditional cash transfers program (CCT) is constantly used as a model of a successful antipoverty program. Here the author argues that the transformation of well-trained scholars into influential practitioners played a fundamental role in promoting a new conceptual approach to poverty reduction, ensuring the techn ical soundness and effectiveness of the program, incorporating rigorous impact evaluation, and persuading politicians to implement and keep the program in place.

Human Resources Chances for Change: Dutch measures to improve the global distribution of health personnel
by Christel Jansen Wemos Foundation and The Dutch Alliance for Human Resources for Health, December 2010

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24 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.wemos.nl/files/Documenten%20Informatief/Bestanden%20voor%20H RH/Chances_for_Change_web.pdf This publication presents recommendations to inspire Dutch stakeholders to jointly undertake action and improve the global distribution of health personnel. Together stakeholders can turn 2011 into the year of implementation of the WHO Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of HRH in the Netherlands. The Dutch Alliance for HRH invites stakeholders to take the chances for change.

Health Systems & Research Perceptions of per diems in the health sector: Evidence and implications
by Taryn Vian, Candace Miller, Zione Themba, Paul Bukuluki U4 - Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), June 2011 42 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.cmi.no/publications/file/4082-perceptions-of-per-diemsin-the-health-sector.pdf This study details the perceived benefits, problems, and risks of abuse of per diems and allowances in developing countries. Drawing on 41 interviews with government and nongovernmental officials in Malawi and Uganda the report highlights how practices to maximize per diems have become a defining characteristic of many public institutions and influence how employees carry out their work. ***

Raising the Profile of Participatory Action Research at the 2010 Global Symposium on Health Systems Research
by Rene Loewenson, Walter Flores, Abhay Shukla et al. MEDICC Review, July 2011, Vol. 13, No. 3 4 pp. 37 kB: http://www.medicc.org/mediccreview/articles/mr_207.pdf By involving citizens and health workers in producing evidence and learning, participatory action research has potential to organize community evidence, stimulate action, and challenge the marginalization that undermines achievement of universal health coverage. This paper summarizes and analyzes results of two sessions on this research model convened by the authors at the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Montreux Switzerland, November 16-19, 2010. ***

Social autopsy for maternal and child deaths: a comprehensive literature review to examine the concept and the development of the method
by Henry D Kalter, Rene Salgado, Marzio Babille et al. Population Health Metrics 2011, 9:45 (5 August 2011)

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43 pp. 689 kB: http://www.pophealthmetrics.com/content/pdf/1478-7954-9-45.pdf "Social autopsy" refers to an interview process aimed at identifying social, behavioural, and health systems contributors to maternal and child deaths. It is often combined with a verbal autopsy interview to establish the biological cause of death. Social autopsy is a powerful tool with the ability to raise awareness, provide evidence in the form of actionable data and increase motivation at all levels to take appropriate and effective actions. Further development of the methodology along with standardized instruments and supporting tools are needed to promote its wide-scale adoption and use. ***

Delivering Health Care to the Global Poor: Solving the Accessibility Problem
by Marc J. Epstein and Eric G. Bing Innovations, Vol. 6, Nr. 2; MITpress, August 2011 29 pp. 477 kB: http://www.hst.org.za/sites/default/files/epstein.pdf People are dying from diseases that we know how to cure, such as tuberculosis, malaria and dysentery. But there are a number of current problems in the way that we deliver life-saving medicine, technologies and care. And this is where business professionals can step in and make a difference: Businesses know how to disseminate products and services. ***

Frameworks for Determining Research Gaps During Systematic Reviews

by Karen A. Robinson, Ian J. Saldanha, Naomi A. Mckoy The Johns Hopkins University Evidence-based Practice Center, June 2011 95 pp. 561 kB:
http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/201/735/FRN2_Frameworks_20110726.pdf

Systematic reviews, in addition to summarizing the evidence, generally also discuss needs for future research. However, in contrast to the methods of the systematic review, future needs are not identified systematically. There is limited literature describing organizing principles or frameworks for determining research gaps. The authors developed and pilot-tested a framework for the identification of research gaps from systematic reviews. ***

Being the Ghost in the Machine: A Medical Ghostwriters Personal View

by Linda Logdberg PLoS Med 8(8): e1001071 (9 August 2011) 2 pp. 67 kB:
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=685FA24609E3C449E F4354E34731B554.ambra01?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001071&representation=PDF

For almost 11 years, I worked as a medical writer, creating a variety of pieces including the occasional ghostwritten article. For the most part, I never saw the finished paper, nor HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 19

did I care to. This article describes what I did, why I did it, why I stopped doing it, and what I think might be done about the problem of fraud in authorship.

Information & Communication Technology The Little Data Book on Information and Communication Technology
The World Bank, June 2011 239 pp. 1.4 MB: http://euroafrica-ict.org/files/2011/07/ICT11_Version7.pdf This title presents at-a-glance tables for over 213 economies showing the most recent national data on key indicators of information and communications technology (ICT), including access, quality, affordability, efficiency, sustainability, and applications. ***

Can information and communications technology applications contribute to poverty reduction? Lessons from rural India
by Simone Cecchini and Christopher Scott Information Technology for Development Vol. 10 (2) January 2003; pp. 73-84 13 pp. 63 kB: http://itd.ist.unomaha.edu/archives/1.pdf Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can reduce poverty by improving poor peoples access to education, health, government and financial services. ICT can also help small farmers and artisans by connecting them to markets. It is clear that in rural India - as well as in much of the developing world - realization of this potential is not guaranteed. Grassroots intermediaries and the involvement of the community are ident ified as the key factors that foster local ownership and the availability of content and services that respond to the most pressing needs of the poor. ***

What can ICTs do for the rural poor?

by Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron Communication for Social Change Consortium (CFSCC), 2003 6 pp. 26 kB: http://www.communicationforsocialchange.org/pdf/what_can_icts_do.pdf For one success story of ICTs in development, there are fifty failures. Annual reports often claim success the very year when a particular ICT project was implemented, guided more by enthusiasm than reality check. Many governments and agencies have r emained hard hearing or completely deaf to the argument that the digital divide is a social divide, an economic divide, a cultural divide and a political divide ***

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Harnessing Africas Digital Future

Edited by Francis Mdlongwa & Moagisi Letlhaku Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, 2010 140 pp. 1.2 MB: http://www.spiml.co.za/uploads/1285226894.pdf This collection of essays, stories, and testimonies provides perspectives from heads of Africas media about the nature, power, and influence of emerging digital media channels and how Africa is tapping into these channels to better serve their markets. The editors suggest that todays media leaders must rapidly learn to come up with innovative approaches to respond to consumers changing needs. They add that judging from the sweeping economic, political, financial, and social impact of the internet, mobile phones, and social media networks, the future promises to be as exciting as it could be challenging for media and journalism sectors.

Education Health Professionals for a New Century: Transforming Education to Strengthen Health Systems in an Interdependent World
by Julio Frenk, Lincoln C. Chen, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta et al. The Commission on Education of Health Professionals for the 21st Century - The Lancet, 2011 116 pp. 4.6 MB: http://www.healthprofessionals21.org/docs/HealthProfNewCent.pdf This Commission set out to review the global status of postsecondary professional education in health, especially for medicine, public health, and nursing. The guiding principles of the Commission were to adopt a global outlook, focus on the health needs of populations, recognize the increasing demand for integrated health-professionals education and leadership, and take a systems approach to education reform. ***

Good Policy and Practice in HIV and AIDS and Education: Pre-Service Teacher Training
by Mark Richmond, Clare Hanbury, Gabrielle Bonnet et al. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), March 2011 53 pp. 7.0 MB: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001916/191608e.pdf This booklet is the sixth in a series of publications that addresses key themes of UNESCOs work on HIV and AIDS and the education sector. It synthesizes lessons learned, activities, case studies, policies, and practices in HIV-related pre-service teacher education and training. The guide focuses on the key role pre-service teacher training has in preparing future teachers to deliver effective sexuality education and HIV prevention education to children and young people in education institutions.

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Uncovering indicators of effective school management in South Africa using the National School Effectiveness Study
by Stephen Taylor Department of Economics and the Bureau for Economic Research at the University of Stellenbosch, 2011 51 pp. 759 kB: http://zunia.org/uploads/media/knowledge/35511312882295.pdf For many poor South African children, who are predominantly located in the historically disadvantaged part of the school system, the ongoing low quality of education acts as a poverty trap by precluding them from achieving the level of educational outcomes necessary to be competitive in the labour market. The National School Effectiveness Study (NSES) is the first large-scale panel study of educational achievement in South African primary schools. This paper identifies specific aspects of school organisation and teacher practice. Some suggestions are made regarding the appropriate way to interpret these results for the purpose of policy-making.

Harm Reduction and Drug Use The Global Afghan Opium Trade: A Threat Assessment, 2011
by Hakan Demirbken, Hayder Mili, Rene Le Cussan et al. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), July 2011 162 pp. 8.1 MB: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-andanalysis/Studies/Global_Afghan_Opium_Trade_2011-web.pdf The report covers worldwide flows of Afghan opiates, as well as trafficking in precursor chemicals used to turn opium into heroin. By providing a better understanding of the global impact of Afghan opiates, this report can help the international community identify vulnerabilities and possible countermeasures. ***

The Scientific Foundation for Tobacco Harm Reduction, 2006-2011

by Brad Rodu Harm Reduction Journal 2011, 8:19 (29 July 2011) 46 pp. 270 kB: http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/pdf/1477-7517-8-19.pdf Over the past five years there has been exponential expansion of interest in tobacco harm reduction (THR), with a concomitant increase in the number of published studies. The purpose of this manuscript is to review and analyze influential contributions to the scientific and medical literature relating to THR, and to discuss issues that continue to stimulate debate. ***

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Development Assistance Minds for Change - Enhancing Opportunities: Germanys New Development Policy
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), August 2011 27 pp. 855 kB: http://www.lateinamerikaverein.de/files/LAV/Infobox_links/EP_Konz ept_engl._WEB-gesch%C3%BCtzt.pdf The paper outlines the guiding principles for Germanys development cooperation. The strategy centres on people and focuses on fighting the causes of poverty. The idea is to empower people in developing countries in such a way that they are able to take control of their own future. That is why human rights and good governance are key themes in the strategy. Other focal aspects are education, which is key to overcoming poverty, and economic development. ***

Measuring Aid Effectiveness Effectively: Being clear about objectives

by Owen Barder Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) Microfinance Blog, August 2011 Read online at: http://microfinance.cgap.org/2011/08/11/measuring-aid-effectivenesseffectively-being-clear-about-objectives/ It seems extraordinary that after 50 years of international aid, there is still no consensus on whether it works. Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo has argued that aid is not only ineffective, but is actually detrimental to development. Bill Easterly says that trillions of dollars of aid have had little effect. Others, notably Jeff Sachs and Roger Riddel, have argued that there is plenty of evidence of the success of individual aid projects, and that it has brought about substantial improvements in peoples lives. If we cannot even agree on whether aid works at all, how can we address the more important and nuanced questions such as how to make that aid more effective? ***

Health Spending in El Salvador: The impact of current aid structures and aid effectiveness
by Sibylle Koenig and Liliana Marcos German Foundation for World Population, February 2011 32 pp. 4.0 MB:
http://www.actionforglobalhealth.eu/fileadmin/AfGH_Intranet/AFGH/Public ations/DSW_Country_Briefings/PolicyBriefing3_ElSalvador_LowRes.pdf

This country briefing analyzes El Salvadors development and health sector structure, challenges and opportunities in order to evaluate the existence of some of the fundamental preconditions for true country ownership. In order to assess the impact of donor coordination, an analysis needs to be made about current financing for health structure in El Salvador. One of the purposes of this document is also to uncover whether there is a country need and demand for donors to invest in health. HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 23

Others Population Bulletin: The World at 7 Billion

by Carl Haub and James Gribble Population Reference Bureau, Vol. 66, No. 2; July 2011 16 pp. 1.0 MB: http://www.prb.org/pdf11/world-at-7-billion.pdf Even though the world population growth rate has slowed from 2.1 percent per year in the late 1960s to 1.2 percent today, the size of the world's population has continued to increase - from 5 billion in 1987 to 6 billion in 1999, and to 7 billion in 2011. It is entirely possible that the 8th billion will be added in 12 years, placing us squarely in the middle of history's most rapid population expansion. Today, most population growth is concentrated in the world's poorest countries - and within the poorest regions of those countries. See also:

2011 World Population Data Sheet

15 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.prb.org/pdf11/2011population-data-sheet_eng.pdf The Population Reference Bureau's 2011 World Population Data Sheet and its summary report (see above) offer detailed information on 18 population, health, and environment indicators for more than 200 countries. ***

Who fears and who welcomes population decline?

by Hendrik P. Van Dalen, Kene Henkens Demographic Research, Volume 25 - Article 13, pp. 437- 464 30 pp. 904 kB: http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol25/13/25-13.pdf European countries are experiencing population decline and the tacit assumption in most analyses is that the decline may have detrimental welfare effects. In this paper the authors use a survey among the population in the Netherlands to discover whether population decline is always met with fear. ***

Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey - 2010

Preliminary Results PowerPoint presentation (52 pp. 3.3 MB): http://german-practice-collection.org/en/download-centre/doc_download/957 The objective of the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey is to collect, analyze and disseminate demographic data, especially those related to fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, and HIV/AIDS.

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What is the future of epidemiology?

by Raj Bhopal, Gary J Macfarlane, William Cairns Smith et al. The Lancet, Vol. 378, Issue 9790, pp. 464-465, 6 August 2011 2 pp. 83 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673611611471.pdf Epidemiology is thriving. The striking features of contemporary epidemiology are diversity, change, and global reach: from society to the molecule, responding to technical advances and changing patterns of disease. The two main challenges are: translating epidemiology into evidence, practice, and ultimately better health; and strengthening epidemiology research capacity, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. ***

Making shared decision-making a reality: No decision about me, without me

by Angela Coulter and Alf Collins The Kings Fund, July 2011 56 pp. 789 kB: http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/document.rm?id=9190 Shared decision-making is a process in which clinicians and patients work together to select tests, treatments, management or support packages, based on clinical evidence and the patients informed preferences. It involves the provision of evidence-based information about options, outcomes and uncertainties, together with decision support counselling and a system for recording and implementing patients informed preferences. This report clarifies the concept and outlines the actions needed to make the aspiration a reality.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA)
http://www.who.int/elena/en/index.html eLENA helps governments overcome one of the major challenges in fighting malnutrition: the vast, and often conflicting, array of evidence and advice that exists on effective, preventive and therapeutic nutrition interventions. The online eLENA project does this by prioritizing and presenting the latest advice on tackling the three main forms of malnutrition: undernutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and overweight and obesity. ***

HIV National Strategic Plans

http://www.aidstarone.com/focus_areas/prevention/resources/national_strategic_plans This database hosts 156 of the most current publicly available national strategic plans to HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 25

address HIV, representing both PEPFAR-funded and non PEPFAR-funded countries. Country ownership is fundamental to an effective HIV response. Development partners including PEPFAR, UNAIDS, and the Global Fund have reaffirmed their support of country-led national planning. ***

Bulletin of the World Health Organization - Vol. 89, Nr. 8, August 2011, 545620
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/8/en/index.html Highlights from the August 2011 issue: Mothers with depression and underweight infants E.coli outbreak raises questions about food safety New vaccine changes meningitis landscape in Africa Injectable contraceptives for Ethiopian women Volunteers on front-line against anti-malarial resistance in Cambodia Serious lack of surgical resources in the Gambia On track to reach global targets for halving tuberculosis Are antibiotics safe for severely malnourished children? Big gaps between rich and poor hamper development in Bangladesh ***

INRUD News - Volume 21, Number 2, July 2011

Newsletter of the International Network for the Rational Use of Drugs (INRUD) 66 pp. 2.5 MB: http://www.inrud.org/documents/upload/INRUD_News_Vol21_No2 _Jul2011_Full.pdf Special features include a tribute to Hans Hogerzeil, marking his retirement from WHO and all the developments in issues surrounding essential medicines during his quarter of a century there. It also introduces a new INRUD-group from Malaysia. ***

Health and Human Rights Vol. 13, No. 1 (2011): Natural Disasters and Humanitarian Emergencies
http://www.hhrjournal.org/index.php/hhr/index Health and Human Rights provides an inclusive forum for action-oriented dialogue among human rights practitioners. The journal endeavours to increase access to human rights knowledge in the health field by linking an expanded community of readers and contributors. Following the lead of a growing number of open access publications, the full text of Health and Human Rights is freely available to anyone with internet access. ***

Knowledge Management (KM) for Health and Development Toolkit

http://www.k4health.org/toolkits/km HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 26

The goal of KM is to implement a process that delivers the right content to the person who needs it, when they need it. This toolkit is the first attempt at providing practical r esources for KM solutions that either come from the field of international public health and development or are applicable to the field and can be adapted.

INTERESTING WEB SITES

Open.AidData toolkit
http://open.aiddata.org/content The Open.AidData site provides links to resources for aid donors, who want to make information on their activities more accessible, and for consumers of aid information who want to know more about finding and interpreting aid information. ***

Community Health Workers (CHW) Central

http://www.hciproject.org/chw-central CHW Central is an online resource for information and dialogue about Community Health Workers (CHW). CHW Central supports community health workers and strengthens CHW programs by connecting experts, practitioners, and supporters in interactive discussion forums and sharing the latest developments in CHW research, practice, and policy.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
E-learning course: Basics of Health Economics
Duration and course load: 5 weeks - 8 to 10 hours per week Dates: August 17 - September 21, 2011 Application deadline: August 16, 2011 Participants: (health) professionals Course fee: US$ 500 Organizers: The World Bank Institute Language: English only General course contact: Jo Hindriks at jhindriks@worldbank.org For more information go to: http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/topic/health-systems

CONFERENCES
AfriHealth
30 November - 1 December 2011 Kenya International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya First run in 2007, the annual AfriHealth conference brings together researchers, medical practitioners, and ICT personnel to share information on the developments in the use of HESP-News & Notes - 17/2011 - page 27

ICT to improve health care in Africa. The focus of AfriHealth 2011 is to question the e xtent of current research and development using ICT and the amount of effort being made to foster ICT developments in the African Healthcare arena. For more information see: http://www.aitecafrica.com/event/view/74 ***

Conference Report: The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA)

http://www.waba.org.my/events/wabaevents/GBPM2010/ reports.htm WABA is a global network of individuals & organisations concerned with the protection, promotion & support of breastfeeding worldwide. The web report of the Global Breastfeeding Partners' Forum (GBPF) held in October 2010 is now available on the above website.

CARTOON

TIPS & TRICKS

What is Google Plus?
You might have heard the latest buzz about Google Plus, a completely new social network from Google which was launched a couple of weeks ago. Googles earlier social experiments (Google buzz and Google Wave) failed but looking at Google Plus, it seems they have got it right this time. Google Plus is tightly integrated with other Google services and a lot of experts claim that it is more engaging and compelling than Facebook and other similar social sites. Google wants to provide a rich social experience to users by creating an environment which encourages easier social connection and sharing.

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Googles goal with Plus is to simplify the entire social experience and make life easy for people who want to have more control on the stuff that they share with friends. Google understands that not every photo or video is intended to be shared with everyone, and users care a lot about the privacy of their content. Thats why Google has introduced the concept of circles, which can be used to customize the sharing aspect of your content. If you are interested in Google Plus use the following link to subscribe: https://plus.google.com/_/notifications/ngemlink?path=%2F%3Fgpinv%3D2nT_8yQqGy 8%3AWXqGORxkWZk (It might be necessary to change the language [at bottom of the page] from German to English or your preferred choice). Best regards, Dieter Neuvians MD

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