Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 06/2012

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 06/2012
A bi-weekly newsletter supported by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit)

11 March 2012
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Table of Contents: BOOKS ................................................................................ 4

The State of the Worlds Children 2012: Children in an Urban World .................................... 4 Safe and Effective Medicines for Children .............................................................................. 4 South African Health Review 2011 ......................................................................................... 4 District Health Barometer 2010/11 .......................................................................................... 5 High Level Expert Group Report on Universal Health Coverage for India.............................. 5 The Humanitarian Response Index 2011: Addressing the Gender Challenge ....................... 5
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 6

Global Health................................................................................................................ 6
Righting the Global Fund......................................................................................................... 6 The Global Funds Uncertain Future ....................................................................................... 6 Beyond Pandemics: A Whole-Of-Society Approach to Disaster Preparedness ..................... 6 The CDCs Center for Global Health....................................................................................... 7
HIV - AIDS - STI ........................................................................................................... 7

Africa: The Socio-Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS ................................................................... 7 Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation for Gay Men and Other MSM ....................................... 7 Safety and Efficacy of the PrePex Device for Rapid Scale-Up of Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Resource-Limited Settings ................................................................................ 8 A 'Snip' in time: what is the best age to circumcise? .............................................................. 8 Acceptability of Early Infant Male Circumcision as an HIV Prevention Intervention in Zimbabwe: A Qualitative Perspective ..................................................................................... 8 Family-centred HIV programming for children ........................................................................ 9 Suboptimal patterns of provider initiated HIV testing and counselling, antiretroviral therapy eligibility assessment and referral in primary health clinic attendees in Blantyre, Malawi...... 9
Sexual & Reproductive Health ..................................................................................... 9

Young women and abortion: A situational assessment guide ................................................ 9 Consequences of Sex Education on Teen and Young Adult Sexual Behaviors and Outcomes .............................................................................................................................. 10 Conflict-related Sexual Violence: Report of the Secretary-General...................................... 10
Maternal & Child Health ............................................................................................. 10

Maternal Death: The Avoidable Crisis................................................................................... 10 Integrating Fistula Treatment and Prevention: The Launch of a Maternity Unit in Sierra Leone..................................................................................................................................... 10 Monitoring maternal, newborn and child health: understanding key progress indicators ..... 11 Management Guidelines for Acute Infective Diarrhoea/Gastroenteritis in Infants ................ 11 Care Seeking for Neonatal Illness in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review................................................................................................................................... 11 Policy & Programming Resource Guide for Child Protection Systems Strengthening in SubSahara Africa......................................................................................................................... 12
HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 1
Malaria........................................................................................................................ 12
Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine in treatment of malaria among under-fives and prevalence of drug resistance markers in Igombe-Mwanza, north-western Tanzania ......... 12 Ultrasound Evidence of Early Fetal Growth Restriction after Maternal Malaria Infection ..... 13 Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Children: A Qualitative Study of Community Perceptions and Recommendations in Burkina Faso and Mali ............................................ 13
Tuberculosis ............................................................................................................... 13
WHO policy on collaborative TB/HIV activities: guidelines for national programmes and other stakeholders................................................................................................................. 13 Treatment outcomes for children with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis ................................................................................................................. 14 Management of children exposed to multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis ........ 14 Operational research and MDG tuberculosis control targets ................................................ 14 Working together with businesses: Guidance on TB and TB/HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care in the workplace ..................................................................................... 15
Non-communicable Diseases..................................................................................... 15
Intervention strategies to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases in Mexico: cost effectiveness analysis ........................................................................................................... 15
Essential Medicines.................................................................................................... 15
The evolving threat of antimicrobial resistance: Options for Action ...................................... 15 ACTA and Access to Medicines: A Flawed Process, Flawed Rationale and Flawed Agreement............................................................................................................................. 16
Social Protection ........................................................................................................ 16

Inclusive Social Protection in Latin America: A Comprehensive, Rights-based Approach... 16 Econometric analysis to evaluate the effect of community-based health insurance on reducing informal self-care in Burkina Faso.......................................................................... 16 Can rural health insurance improve equity in health care utilization? A comparison between China and Vietnam................................................................................................................ 17 Savings in Microinsurance: Lessons from India.................................................................... 17
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene ...................................................................................... 17

Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation .......................................................................... 17
Human Resources...................................................................................................... 18
Capacity Development Matters ............................................................................................. 18 Workhood - a useful concept for the analysis of health workers resources? An evaluation from Tanzania ....................................................................................................................... 18 A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical schools ............................................................... 18
Health Systems & Research ...................................................................................... 19

The future of healthcare in Africa .......................................................................................... 19 Research to support universal coverage reforms in Africa: the SHIELD project .................. 19 Randomised Controlled Trials: How to do them in MSF ....................................................... 20 Public-Private Partnerships in Africa, Part II - Healthcare .................................................... 20 Does the world need a scientific society for research on how to improve healthcare? ........ 20
Information & Communication Technology ................................................................ 20

Finding, Organizing and Using Health Information: A Training Manual for Students, Researchers and Health Workers in Africa ........................................................................... 20 Mobile Technologies and Empowerment: Enhancing Human Development through Participation and Innovation .................................................................................................. 21 Kenyas mobile revolution and the promise of mobile savings ............................................. 21 Portraits: A Glimpse Into the Lives of Women at the Base of the Pyramid........................... 22
Education ................................................................................................................... 22
World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education ........................................................................ 22 Fast Tracking Girls Education: A Progress Report by the Education for All Fast Track Initiative ................................................................................................................................. 22 Public health in action: effective school health needs renewed international attention ........ 22 Education determines a nations health, but what determines educational outcomes? A cross-national comparative analysis ..................................................................................... 23 Degree Completion Beyond Institutional Borders: Responding to the New Reality of Mobile and Nontraditional Learners.................................................................................................. 23 Active Schools: Our Convictions for Improving the Quality of Education ............................. 23
Harm Reduction and Drug Use .................................................................................. 24

Drug economy(?): Africa and the international illicit drug trade ............................................ 24
WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation............................................................. 24
Millennium Development Goals.................................................................................. 24

Tackling Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5: the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) approach in Nigeria..................................................................................... 24
Development Assistance............................................................................................ 25
Paying for performance to improve the delivery of health interventions in low- and middleincome countries (Review) .................................................................................................... 25 How to Spend it: The organization of public spending and aid effectiveness....................... 25
Others......................................................................................................................... 25
Honor Women by Naming and Shaming Zimbabwe............................................................. 25 Urban Survivors: Humanitarian challenges of a rising slum population................................ 26 Urbanization, gender and urban poverty: Paid work and unpaid carework in the city .......... 26 Unleashing the power of communities to confront health inequity........................................ 27 A Toolkit on the Right to Health ............................................................................................ 27 Sampling and Surveying Hard-to-Reach Populations for Demographic Research: A Study of Female Labor Migrants in Moscow, Russia .......................................................................... 27
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ............................................ 28

The Global Fistula Care Map ................................................................................................ 28 Bulletin of the World Health Organization ............................................................................. 28 Health Diplomacy Monitor - Vol.3, Issue 1, February 2012 .................................................. 28 RSBY-Connect Issue No.2, March 2012............................................................................... 28
INTERESTING WEB SITES .............................................. 29

International Womens Day - Thursday 08 March 2012........................................................ 29 The Open Development Technology Alliance (ODTA) ......................................................... 29 The South African Triage Scale (SATS) ............................................................................... 29 South African triage system to go global............................................................................... 29 Southern African Regional Programme on Access to Medicines and Diagnostics (SARPAM) ............................................................................................................................................... 30 Drawing by Numbers.............................................................................................................30
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES............................................ 30
World Bank Inaugural Disability & Development Core Course ............................................. 30 E-learning course: Strengthening the Essential Public Health Functions............................. 30 Rational Management of Medicines - A Focus on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria ..................... 31
CONFERENCES................................................................ 31
XVIII International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria........................................... 31
CARTOON ......................................................................... 32
Going wireless ................................................................................................................... 32
TIPS & TRICKS ................................................................. 32

What do all those error codes (like 404) mean? ................................................................... 32 Dangerous USB Devices....................................................................................................... 33
Fair Use: This Newsletter is produced under the principles of 'fair use'. We source relevant news articles, resources and research documents and strive to attribute sources by providing reference and/or direct links to authors and websites. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter, do not necessarily represent those of GIZ or the editor of HESP-News & Notes. While we make every effort to ensure that all facts and figures quoted by authors are accurate, GIZ and the editor of the Newsletter cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies contained in any articles. Please contact dneuvians@gmx.de if you believe that errors are contained in any article and we will investigate and provide feedback.
BOOKS
The State of the Worlds Children 2012: Children in an Urban World
Editors: Abid Aslam, Julia Szczuka United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), February 2012 156 pp. 4.0 MB: http://www.unicef.org/sowc2012/pdfs/SOWC-2012-MainReport_EN_21Dec2011.pdf More than half of the worlds 7 billion people now live in urban areas. What does this mean for children? Cities are known to generate economic growth but, as the report reveals, not all children are benefiting from urban expansion. In this increasingly urban world, the absence of a sustained focus on child rights means that some children are being left behind. Too many are forced into dangerous and exploitative work instead of being able to attend school. And too many face a constant threat of eviction, even though they live under the most challenging conditions in ramshackle dwellings and overcrowded settlements that are acutely vulnerable to disease and disaster. ***
Safe and Effective Medicines for Children

Pediatric Studies Conducted Under the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) and the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA) Editors: Marilyn J. Field and Thomas F. Boat Institute of Medicine (IOM), 2012 360 pp. 2.2 MB: http://download.nap.edu/cart/download.cgi?&record_id=13311&free=1 The FDA asked the IOM to review aspects of pediatric studies and changes in product labelling that resulted from BPCA and PREA and their predecessor policies, as well as assess the incentives for pediatric studies of biologics and the extent to which biologics have been studied in children. The IOM committee concludes that these policies have helped provide clinicians who care for children with better information about the efficacy, safety, and appropriate prescribing of drugs. The IOM suggests that more can be done to increase knowledge about drugs used by children and thereby improve the clinical care, health, and well-being of the nation's children. ***
South African Health Review 2011

Editors: Andy Gray, Yousuf Vawda and Caron Jack Health Systems Trust, Durban, December 2011 266 pp. 9.0 MB: http://www.hst.org.za/sites/default/files/sahr_2011.pdf The SAHR 2011 provides valuable policy and empirical information on a variety of issues ranging from rural health, health technology to human resources. SAHR 2011 also contains a section on core health issues, where developments in health information sysHESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 4
tems, financing health care, and health legislation and policy are discussed. The Review concludes with the Indicators chapter which presents a selection of the best available data on the functioning and performance of the health system. ***
District Health Barometer 2010/11

by Candy Day, Peter Barron, Naomi Massyn et al. Health Systems Trust, Durban, January 2012 283 pp. 21.0 MB(!): http://www.hst.org.za/sites/default/files/DHB%202010-11lowres.pdf The South African District Health Barometers goal is to improve the quality of and access to primary health care services, by monitoring and measuring important performance indicators of the health system at district level. Although in its sixth year of publication, this years barometer is the first to include data on early infant HIV testing for babies born to HIV-positive mothers and shows that about half of all babies born to HIVpositive mothers are now being tested for the virus at six weeks of age, an important step to ensuring they access the early HIV treatment recommended for all children younger than one. ***
High Level Expert Group Report on Universal Health Coverage for India
Instituted by the Planning Commission of India, November 2011 344 pp. 3.9 MB: http://www.uhc-india.org/reports/hleg_report_low_resolution.pdf In November 2011 the High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in India described a vision where every citizen should be entitled to essential healthcare services that will be guaranteed by the Central Government. The report provides a framework for designing the UHC system and shows how it is feasible for India to establish a universal health care system within the next ten years. Plans are already apparently in motion to provide free medicine for all through Public Health Facilities under the National Rural Health Mission. ***
The Humanitarian Response Index 2011: Addressing the Gender Challenge

by Philip Tamminga, Fernando Espada, Daniela Ruegenberg et al. DARA International, 2012 340 pp. 5.8 MB: http://daraint.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/03/HRI_2011_Complete_Report.pdf The report examines responses to crises to assess how the worlds main donor governments - 23 members of the OECDs Development Assistance Committee (DAC) face the challenge of ensuring that their aid money is used effectively and efficiently in order to maximize the benefits for those affected. The general finding was that governments humanitarian aid budgets are not being maximised effectively to the detriment of vulnerable populations - with the failure to make gender a practical priority and the inability to address chronic vulnerability both highlighted as particularly problematic. HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 5
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
Global Health Righting the Global Fund
by J. Stephen Morrison and Todd Summers Center For Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), February 2012 24 pp. 1.6 MB: http://csis.org/files/publication/120228_Morrison_RightingGlobalFu nd_Web.pdf Over the course of 2011, the Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria experienced unprecedented adversity. External reviews detailed the Funds deficient managerial practices, weak oversight of investments, and ineffectual board governance. Suddenly, the Fund faced painful existential questions: might it soon actually fail to meet the baseline needs of the millions of people whose lives were dependent on it? Or would it be able to regain its footing and return as a dynamic, expansive funding instrument focused on three of the worlds most deadly epidemics? ***
The Global Funds Uncertain Future

by Regina McEnery Published on SAfAIDS, 8 March 2012 Read online at: http://www.safaids.net/print/3630 A funding shortfall has raised concerns about the organizations ability to continue providing life-saving treatments and interventions. After years of steady growth in both the number of donors and the amount of their contributions, The Global Fund now faces a US$ 2 billion shortfall that will carry devastating consequences for developing countries unless the fund is replenished. A decade of massive investment produced spectacular progress, says Feachem, who presided over the non-profit public-private partnership from 2002 to 2007. It would be unthinkable to let that progress be reversed. That is now a real possibility unless we can urgently mobilize additional resources. ***
Beyond Pandemics: A Whole-Of-Society Approach to Disaster Preparedness

Editors: Cindy Arciaga, Cindi Cisek, Eileen Hanlon et al. PREVENT Project, September 2011 168 pp. 4.0 MB: http://www.towardsasaferworld.org/sites/default/files/tasw_booklet_ final_11.28.11.pdf Beyond Pandemics outlines the human, economic and societal benefit of increasing collaboration, planning and dialogue across the entire societal architecture. It demonstrates how forming partnerships with non-traditional partners in public health issues including travel, animal health, private business, and civil-military response teams can HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 6
help advance disaster preparedness. ***
The CDCs Center for Global Health

The Lancet Published Online March 7, 2012 2 pp. 297 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/flatcontentassets/pdfs/S0140673612603705.pdf The strategy of the recently established Center for Global Health (CGH) at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to enhance the public health capacity of global partners, increase global health security, and maximise the health impact of specific programmes and interventions through a focus on scientific rigour, scalability, and sustainability. This comment describes the work of CGH and its commitment to continuing to increase CGHs impact.
HIV - AIDS - STI Africa: The Socio-Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS

Economic Commission for Africa, Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA), 2012 16 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.uneca.org/chga/maputo/SOCIO_ECO_IMPACT.pdf This paper explores the development impacts of HIV/AIDS on African societies as well as their likely future ramifications. The paper concludes with a brief outline of the anticipated contribution of the Commission on HIV/ AIDS and governance in Africa (CHGA), to the continents struggle to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. ***
Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation for Gay Men and Other MSM

Financing and implementation of HIV programs targeting MSM by Andy Seale, Josh Galjour, Rajiv Dua et al. amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, January 2012 124 pp. 2.1 MB: http://www.hivsharespace.net/system/files/MSM-GlobalRept2012.pdf The authors of the study state that programmes financed through the Global Fund usually fail to address the needs of men who have sex with men, primarily because countries have failed to make this population a priority. But the researchers caution that the findings from this relatively small sample may not be generalizable to the entire Global Fund grant portfolio. ***
Safety and Efficacy of the PrePex Device for Rapid Scale-Up of Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Resource-Limited Settings
by Jean Paul Bitega, Muyenzi Leon Ngeruka, Theobald Hategekimana et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 15 December 2011, Vol. 58, Issue 5, pp. e127e134 8 pp. 642 kB: http://pdfs.journals.lww.com/jaids/2011/12150/Safety_and_Efficacy_of_the_PreP ex_Device_for_Rapid.16.pdf A clamp that causes foreskin tissue to die in about 7 days proved successful for adult male circumcision in a small non-comparative trial in Rwanda. The PrePex device has many advantages: no need for injected anaesthesia, no sutures, no crushing or cutting of live foreskin, and a short procedure time of about 5 minutes for placement and removal 7 days later. This is a slow compression device that compresses the foreskin, cutting off circulation distally. The PrePex device received approval from the USA Food and Drug Agency in January 2012 and slow compression devices are now being evaluated by WHO for pre-qualification. ***
A 'Snip' in time: what is the best age to circumcise?

by Brian J Morris, Jake H Waskett, Joya Banerjee et al. BMC Pediatrics 2012, 12:20 (28 February 2012) 32 pp. 504 kB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2431-12-20.pdf Circumcision is a common procedure, but regional and societal attitudes differ on whether there is a need for a male to be circumcised and, if so, at what age. This is an important issue for many parents, but also paediatricians, other doctors, policy makers, public health authorities, medical bodies, and males themselves. The authors conclude that infant circumcision is safe, simple, convenient and cost-effective. The available evidence strongly supports infancy as the optimal time for circumcision. ***
Acceptability of Early Infant Male Circumcision as an HIV Prevention Intervention in Zimbabwe: A Qualitative Perspective
by Webster Mavhu, Karin Hatzold, Susan M. Laver et al. PLoS ONE 7(2): e32475 (27 February 2012) 5 pp. 80 kB:
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=A75D9B38AFE294674 6B645B96C4CC36E?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0032475&representation=PDF
Early infant male circumcision (EIMC) is simpler, safer and more cost-effective than adult circumcision. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are concerns about acceptability of EIMC which could affect uptake. In 2009 a quantitative survey of 2,746 rural Zimbabweans (aged 18-44) indicated that 60% of women and 58% of men would be willing to have their newborn son circumcised. Willingness was associated with knowledge of HIV and male circumcision. This qualitative study was conducted to better understand this issue. ***
Family-centred HIV programming for children

by Ros Kent, Kate Iorpenda and Alice Fay International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Save the Children UK, January 2012 74 pp. 3.5 MB:
http://www.aidsalliance.org/includes/Publication/GPG_Family_centred%20.pdf
This guide is one of a series of good practice guides, and contains information, strategies and resources to help HIV programmers implement family-centred HIV programming for children. Recent evidence suggests that outcomes for children affected by HIV could be improved by working with families as well as individual children. Our focus needs to shift towards supporting families to care for children, providing services that consider the needs of the whole family rather than only individuals within it. ***
Suboptimal patterns of provider initiated HIV testing and counselling, antiretroviral therapy eligibility assessment and referral in primary health clinic attendees in Blantyre, Malawi
by Peter MacPherson, David G. Lalloo, Augustine T. Choko et al. Tropical Medicine & International Health - Article first published online: 1 February 2012 11 pp. 157 kB: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02946.x/pdf These data show that provider-initiated testing and counselling (PITC) has not yet been fully implemented at primary care clinics. Suboptimal ART eligibility assessments and referral (reflecting the difficulties of WHO staging in primary care) mean that simplified eligibility assessment tools are required to reduce unnecessary delay and attrition in the pre-ART period. Simplified initiation criteria for pregnant women, as being introduced in Malawi, should improve linkage to ART.
Sexual & Reproductive Health Young women and abortion: A situational assessment guide
Editor: Margie Snider Ipas, December 2011 102 pp. 7.5 MB: http://www.ipas.org/Publications/asset_upload_file498_6227.pdf This guide focuses on ways to plan, implement, use and finalize an assessment of how young women and their communities relate to abortion, through locally relevant, community and/or youth-led processes. It is designed to gain insights into the local context surrounding abortion care for young women to inform program design and to support meaningful youth participation in project design. It is a global resource for community groups, youth groups, peer educators, trainers, administrators, program managers and technical advisors of abortion care programs. *** HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 9
Consequences of Sex Education on Teen and Young Adult Sexual Behaviors and Outcomes
by Laura Duberstein Lindberg and Isaac Maddow-Zimet Journal of Adolescent Health and The Guttmacher Institute, March 2012 24 pp. 250 kB: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/j.jadohealth.2011.12.028.pdf Teens who receive formal sex education prior to their first sexual experience demonstrate a range of healthier behaviors at first intercourse than those who receive no sex education at all. This is particularly so when the instruction they receive includes information about both waiting to have sex and methods of birth control. ***
Conflict-related Sexual Violence: Report of the Secretary-General

United Nations General Assembly - Security Council, January 2012 32 pp. 150 kB: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/4f27a19c2.pdf The annual UN report documenting conflict-related sexual violence around the world for the first time names some of the military forces, militia and other armed groups that are suspected of being among the worst offenders. The report provides examples of how sexual violence has threatened security and impeded peace building in post-conflict situations, such as in Chad, CAR, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and how it has been used in the context of elections, political strife and civil unrest in Egypt, Guinea, Kenya and Syria, among others.
Maternal & Child Health Maternal Death: The Avoidable Crisis

by Mdecins Sans Frontires, March 2012 28 pp. 2.0 MB: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/reports/2012/Ma terna-Death-The-Avoidable-Crisis-singlepg.pdf Every day, approximately 1000 women die in childbirth or from a pregnancy-related complication. Maternal death can occur at any time in pregnancy, but delivery is by far the most dangerous time for both the mother and the baby. Five main causes of maternal death are identified: haemorrhage, sepsis, unsafe abortion, hypertensive disorder and obstructed labour. The vast majority of these deaths can be prevented if access to emergency obstetric care is ensured. ***
Integrating Fistula Treatment and Prevention: The Launch of a Maternity Unit in Sierra Leone
by Carrie Ngongo, Katherine Christie and Jude Holden Fistula Care, 2011 HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 10
4 pp. 2.3 MB: http://www.fistulacare.org/pages/pdf/technicalbriefs/sierra_Leone_tech_brief_1.9.2012.pdf Obstetric fistula treatment services vary significantly worldwide, from private, dedicated repair centers to large public-sector hospitals in which fistula repair is one of many services offered. Over several years, Aberdeen Womens Centre (AWC) developed a vision encompassing fistula prevention as well as treatment. AWC began to offer family planning counseling and methods to fistula patients in October 2010, to help women avoid re-injury and achieve a successful pregnancy, if desired. Also, AWC saw an opportunity to offer quality maternal care, thereby preventing the occurrence of new fistula cases and reducing maternal mortality. ***
Monitoring maternal, newborn and child health: understanding key progress indicators
by Countdown to 2015, Health Metrics Network and World Health Organization, 2011 53 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.who.int/healthmetrics/news/monitoring_maternal_newbo rn_child_health.pdf In this report, the authors summarize the main opportunities and challenges to effective monitoring of the 11 core indicators in the 74 countries that account for more than 95% of the worlds maternal, newborn and child deaths. The paper explores the extent to which health information systems in these countries are currently able to report on the indicators with the accuracy, frequency, timeliness, and quality needed to ensure that stakeholders will be held to account for delivering on their commitments to womens and childrens health. ***
Management Guidelines for Acute Infective Diarrhoea/Gastroenteritis in Infants

by D.F. Wittenberg South African Medical Journal 102(2): 104-107, February 2012 4 pp. 126 kB: http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/download/5243/3826 This guideline provides a problem-based approach to the basics of present-day management of acute gastroenteritis, and discusses the evidence for the recommendations. The guidelines recommend that each episode of diarrhoea must be seen as an opportunity for caregiver education in the prevention of the illness, in the what and how of oral rehydration and re-feeding, and in the recognition of when to seek help. The vast majority of patients recover rapidly, but serious complications do occur, and must be recognised and managed correctly. ***
Care Seeking for Neonatal Illness in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review
by Hadley K. Herbert, Anne CC Lee, Aruna Chandran et al. HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 11
PLoS Med 9(3): e1001183 (6 March 2012) 15 pp. 355 kB:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=3865E3B4D912FAB99 C17614D2CB58FC2?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001183&representation=PDF
There is a paucity of data regarding newborn care-seeking behaviours. In South Asia, care seeking is low for newborn illness, especially in terms of care sought from health care facilities and medically trained providers. There is a need for representative data to describe care-seeking patterns in different geographic regions and better understand mechanisms to enhance care seeking during this vulnerable time period. ***
Policy & Programming Resource Guide for Child Protection Systems Strengthening in Sub-Sahara Africa
UNICEF, Save the Children International, World Vision International and Plan International, 2011 69 pp. 1.1 MB:
http://planinternational.org/files/Africa/WARO/publications/Policy%20and%20Programming%20Resource%20Guide.pdf
Protecting children against abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation is an obligation shared by many different actors. A number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are now actively promoting systems strengthening as a means to achieve more effective and efficient child protection responses. The guide has been developed to provide policy makers and programmers alike with a menu of tools and resources designed to assess systems, plan for strengthening interventions, implement activities and monitor and evaluate for success.
Malaria Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine in treatment of malaria among underfives and prevalence of drug resistance markers in Igombe-Mwanza, northwestern Tanzania
by Erasmus Kamugisha, Sun Jing, Mercy Minde et al. Malaria Journal 2012, 11:58 (27 February 2012) 17 pp. 237 kB: http://www.malariajournal.com/content/pdf/1475-2875-11-58.pdf Drug resistance to anti-malarials is a major public health problem worldwide. This study aimed at establishing the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (ACT) in Igombe-Mwanza, north-western Tanzania after a few years of ACT use, and establish the prevalence of mutations in key targets for artemisinin, chloroquine and sulphadoxine/pyrimetamine (SP) drugs. The authors found that the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine for treatment of uncomplicated malaria is still high in the study area although the rate of re-infection is higher than previously reported. ***
Ultrasound Evidence of Early Fetal Growth Restriction after Maternal Malaria Infection
by Marcus J. Rijken, Aris T. Papageorghiou, Supan Thiptharakun et al. 8 pp. 170 kB:
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=102900425744212360 7DBBF72D32AD7C?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0031411&representation=PDF
Intermittent preventive treatment (IPT), the main strategy to prevent malaria and reduce anaemia and low birthweight, focuses on the second half of pregnancy. However, intrauterine growth restriction may occur earlier in pregnancy. The authors conclude that despite early treatment in all positive women, one or more (a-)symptomatic P.falciparum or P.vivax malaria infections in the first half of pregnancy result in a smaller than expected mid-trimester fetal head diameter. Strategies to prevent malaria in pregnancy should include early pregnancy. ***
Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Children: A Qualitative Study of Community Perceptions and Recommendations in Burkina Faso and Mali
by Catherine Pitt, Halimatou Diawara, Dimlawend J. Oudraogo et al. PLoS ONE 7(3): e32900 (6 March 2012) 12 pp. 485 kB:
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=5FA9C0BE3774ACBB AC845ECA0E0240F7?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0032900&representation=PDF
Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in children (IPTc) is a highly efficacious method of malaria control where malaria transmission is highly seasonal. However, no studies published to date have examined community perceptions of IPTc. The results of this study indicate that community perceptions of IPTc in the settings studied were largely favourable and that the delivery strategy rather than the tablets themselves presented the main areas of concern for caregivers and community health workers.
Tuberculosis WHO policy on collaborative TB/HIV activities: guidelines for national programmes and other stakeholders
by Haileyesus Getahun, Jeroen van Gorkom, Anthony Harries et al. World Health Organization, March 2012 36 pp. 1.4 MB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241503006_eng.pdf Tuberculosis is a leading killer of people living with HIV. An estimated 910,000 lives were saved globally over six years by improving collaboration between TB and HIV services that protect people living with HIV from tuberculosis, according to the just released global health impact figures. However, further progress is still needed: around 40% of TB patients in sub-Saharan Africa did not receive an HIV test in 2010, a basic indicator of how well TB and HIV services are working together.
Annexes for webposting and CD-ROM distribution with the policy guidelines: 40 pp. 1.6 MB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241503006_eng_Annexes.pdf ***
Treatment outcomes for children with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
by Dena Ettehad, H Simon Schaaf, James A Seddon et al. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Early Online Publication, 27 February 2012 8 pp. 234 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS147330991 2700336.pdf Paediatric multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis is a public health challenge of growing concern, accounting for an estimated 15% of all global cases of MDR tuberculosis. Clinical management is especially challenging, and recommendations are based on restricted evidence. The treatment of paediatric MDR tuberculosis has been neglected, but when children are treated outcomes can be achieved that are at least as good as those reported for adults. Programmes should be encouraged to report outcomes in children to improve the knowledge base for care, especially as new drugs become available. ***
Management of children exposed to multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

by James A Seddon, Peter Godfrey-Faussett, Anneke C Hesseling et al. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Early Online Publication, 27 February 2012 11 pp. 165 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473309911703668.pdf Children exposed to multidrug-resistant (MDR) M. tuberculosis are at risk of developing MDR tuberculosis. Where treatment is available, it is lengthy, expensive, and associated with poor adherence and notable morbidity and mortality. Preventive treatment effectively lowers the risk of disease progression for contacts of individuals with drugsusceptible tuberculosis, but this strategy is poorly studied for contacts of people with MDR tuberculosis. In this Review the authors discuss the management of child contacts of source cases with MDR tuberculosis. ***
Operational research and MDG tuberculosis control targets

by Alimuddin Zumla and Frank Cobelens The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Early Online Publication, 7 March 2012 2 pp. 37kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473309912700348.pdf The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to stop the spread of tuberculosis and reduce mortality by 50% by 2015 seems to be on track for all global regions, but is reHESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 14
mote for sub-Saharan Africa. While new drugs and vaccines are in development, the answer to achieving the MDG aim universally, and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, rests on programmatic and operational issues. The authors call for a concerted action by donors and governments to commission operational research to provide an evidence base for enhancement of the use, quality, effectiveness, and coverage of tuberculosis interventions. ***
Working together with businesses: Guidance on TB and TB/HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care in the workplace
by Hannah Monica Dias, Mukund Uplekar, Kofi Amekudzi et al. World Health Organization, February 2012 46 pp. 820 kB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241503228_eng.pdf For the business sector, there is growing recognition of the implications of TB and HIV on the workforce and profitability. In high TB and HIV prevalent settings, the impact of these diseases on the workforce includes decreased productivity, absenteeism, high turnover and the risk of further TB transmission. The purpose of this document is to capitalize on the untapped potential of the business sector to respond to these two epidemics.
Non-communicable Diseases Intervention strategies to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases in Mexico: cost effectiveness analysis
Joshua A Salomon, Natalie Carvalho, Cristina Gutirrez-Delgado et al. 10 pp. 336 kB: http://www.bmj.com/highwire/filestream/571260/field_highwire_article_pdf/0.pdf Interventions in this study spanned a wide range of average cost effectiveness ratios, differing by more than three orders of magnitude between the lowest and highest ratios. Overall, community and public health interventions such as non-personal interventions for alcohol use, tobacco use, and cardiovascular risks tended to have lower cost effectiveness ratios than many clinical interventions (of varying complexity). For every major disease area examined, at least some strategies provided excellent value for money, including both population based and personal interventions.
Essential Medicines The evolving threat of antimicrobial resistance: Options for Action
by Liam Donaldson, David Heymann, Didier Pittet et al. World Health Organization, March 2012 125 pp. 1.2 MB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241503181_eng.pdf Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not a recent phenomenon, but it is a critical health isHESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 15
sue today. Over several decades, to varying degrees, bacteria causing common infections have developed resistance to each new antibiotic, and AMR has evolved to become a worldwide health threat. With a dearth of new antibiotics coming to market, the need for action to avert a developing global crisis in health care is increasingly urgent. ***
ACTA and Access to Medicines: A Flawed Process, Flawed Rationale and Flawed Agreement
Health Action International (HAI), 27 February 2012 5 pp. 381 kB: http://haieurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/27-Feb-2012-HAI-EuropePolicy-Brief-ACTA-and-Access-to-Medicines.pdf Generic competition is key for bringing down prices and ensuring access to affordable medicines, not only in Europe, but around the world and in the poorest settings. In the case of some essential medicines, even temporary delays in the trade in generics can be potentially life-threatening. A free and unburdened trade in legitimate generics is crucially important for access to safe, affordable and quality assured medicines. The AntiCounterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is characterised by a flawed process of negotiations based on a flawed rationale, which has resulted in a flawed agreement that could deter generic competition and have a major negative impact on global public health.
Social Protection Inclusive Social Protection in Latin America: A Comprehensive, Rightsbased Approach
by Simone Cecchini and Rodrigo Martnez Social Development Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), January 2012 264 pp. 3.6 MB: http://www.eclac.cl/publicaciones/xml/4/45924/2011566_Libro_111_Ingles_-_PRESS.pdf The purpose of this publication is to encourage dialogue on social protection (which includes access to health). It highlights the need for innovation in designing policies and instruments, as well as in management, in order to build comprehensive systems that provide inclusive social protection. Social protection has become one of the pillars of social development strategies in Latin America. But, lacking a consistent standard for social protection in the region, the issue has been approached in different ways and from different analytical and policy dimensions. ***
Econometric analysis to evaluate the effect of community-based health insurance on reducing informal self-care in Burkina Faso
by Paul Jacob Robyn, Allan Hill, Yuanli Liu et al. Health Policy Plan. 27 (2): 156-165 (March 2012) HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 16
10 pp. 161 kB: http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/content/27/2/156.full.pdf+html This study examines the role of community-based health insurance (CBHI) in influencing health-seeking behaviour in Burkina Faso, West Africa. While CBHI does have a positive impact on facility care utilization, its effect on reducing the prevalence of self-care is limited. The policy recommendations for improving the CBHI schemes responsiveness to population health care demand should incorporate community-based initiatives that offer attractive and appropriate alternatives to self-care. ***
Can rural health insurance improve equity in health care utilization? A comparison between China and Vietnam
by Xiaoyun Liu, Shenglan Tang, Baorong Yu et al. International Journal for Equity in Health 2012, 11:10 (Published: 29 February 2012) 16 pp. 178 kB: http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/pdf/1475-9276-11-10.pdf Health care financing reforms in both China and Vietnam have resulted in greater financial difficulties in accessing health care, especially for the rural poor. Both countries have been developing rural health insurance for decades. This study aims to evaluate and compare equity in access to health care in rural health insurance system in the two countries. Compared to China, Vietnam health insurance system is doing better in equity in health service utilization within the health insurance members. However with low population coverage, a large proportion of population cannot enjoy the health insurance benefit. ***
Savings in Microinsurance: Lessons from India

by Rob Rusconi Microinsurance Paper No.14, International Labour Organization (ILO), January 2012 23 pp. 480 kB: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/mifacility/download/m paper14_india.pdf This paper assesses four products that combine the benefits of insurance and saving offered by Indian insurers and targeting low-income customers. The assessment is timely, as many insurers have launched or are giving serious consideration to initiatives aimed at bringing insurance combined with saving to low-income customers.
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation

2012 Update The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, 2012 HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 17
66 pp. 10.8 MB: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/JMPreport2012.pdf The MDG drinking water target, which calls for halving the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water between 1990 and 2015, was met in 2010, five years ahead of schedule. However, the report also shows why the job is far from finished. Many still lack safe drinking water, and the world is unlikely to meet the MDG sanitation target.
Human Resources Capacity Development Matters

A practical guide by Maaike van Vliet, Ariadna Capasso, Ana Angarita et al. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2011 79 pp. 74.8 MB(!!): http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publica tions/2012/Capacity_Development_Matters.pdf This Guide describes what capacity development is and how UNFPA is applying it in specific countries. The first chapter provides an overview of capacity development and some basic definitions; the second highlights examples of practice in action from the field; and the third consists of a series of tools and resources that maybe useful when developing and implementing capacity development programmes. ***
Workhood - a useful concept for the analysis of health workers resources? An evaluation from Tanzania
by Karin Gross, Constanze Pfeiffer and Brigit Obrist BMC Health Services Research 2012, 12:55 (8 March 2012) 22 pp. 218 kB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-12-55.pdf Drawing on livelihood studies in health and sociological theory of capitals, this study develops and evaluates the new concept of workhood. As an analytical device the concept aims at understanding health workers capacities to access resources (human, financial, physical, social, cultural and symbolic capital) and transfer them to the community from an individual perspective. By evaluating the workhood concept this study highlights the importance of understanding health worker performance. Rather than blaming health workers for health system failures, applying a strength-based approach offers new insights into health workers capacities and identifies entry points for target actions. ***
A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical schools

by Candice Chen, Eric Buch, Travis Wassermann et al. Human Resources for Health 2012, 10:4 (24 February 2012)
48 pp. 1.8 MB: http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/pdf/1478-4491-10-4.pdf The Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study (SAMSS) survey included quantitative and qualitative questions focused on institutional characteristics, student profiles, curricula, post-graduate medical education, teaching staff, resources, barriers to capacity expansion, educational innovations, and external relationships with government and nongovernmental organizations. The results of the SAMSS survey serve as a baseline for future research, policies and investment in the health care workforce in the region which will be necessary for improving health.
Health Systems & Research The future of healthcare in Africa

by Andrea Chipman, Stephanie Studer, Aviva Freudmann et al. The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2011 37 pp. 2.3 MB:
http://www.janssenemea.com/sites/default/files/The%20Future%20of%20Healthcare%20in%20Africa.pdf
How will Africas health care system look like if local governments increased investments in the sector, addressed gaps in access and re-evaluated their ties with the international community? The Economist Intelligence Unit has undertaken this research to focus on how African healthcare systems might develop between now and 2022. It looks at both current challenges and promising reforms. The five scenarios that have emerged from this research reflect these trends, and are intended to show the possible consequences of decisions being taken by healthcares stakeholders today. ***
Research to support universal coverage reforms in Africa: the SHIELD project

by Di McIntyre and Anne Mills Health Policy Plan. (2012) 27 (suppl 1): i1-i3 3 pp. 41 kB: http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/content/27/suppl_1/i1.full.pdf+html A resolution on universal coverage adopted at the 2005 World Health Assembly highlighted the importance of research to create an evidence base for health care financing reforms, and called for the development of methodologies better to measure and analyse the benefits and cost of different practices in health financing, covering collection of revenues, pooling and provision or purchasing of services, taking account of economic and socio-cultural differences. The Social Health Insurance for Equity in Less Developed countries (SHIELD) project sought to respond to this call, by critically evaluating the health systems of three African countries (Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania) through an equity lens, and the extent to which expanded or new financing mechanisms could address the equity challenges faced by these countries. ***
Randomised Controlled Trials: How to do them in MSF

by Rebecca McConnell, Stephanie Roll, Saskia van der Kam et al. Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF), 2012 12 pp. 183 kB: http://fieldresearch.msf.org/msf/bitstream/10144/213311/1/RCT.pdf So, you think you want to run a Randomised Controlled Trial? Do you know what is meant by: blinding, stratified randomisation, intention-to-treat analysis, surrogate outcomes, generalisability, confounding factors, cross-over trial? If not, then youd better read on... ***
Public-Private Partnerships in Africa, Part II - Healthcare

by Hugh Boylan Consultancy Africa Intelligence (CAI), March 2012 Read online at:
http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=969:public-privatepartnerships-in-africa-part-ii--healthcare&catid=82:african-industry-a-business&Itemid=266
This analyses the Private-Public Partnerships (PPPs) in Africa, focusing this time on healthcare, and more specifically on malaria control programmes across the continent. Taking the example of Tanzania and Ghana, the paper identifies the key challenges in applying this financing model in African healthcare, and, by process of logical deduction, attempts to pin-point the most important lessons to be learnt from these countries examples. ***
Does the world need a scientific society for research on how to improve healthcare?
by Michel Wensing, Jeremy M Grimshaw and Martin P Eccles Implementation Science 2012, 7:10 (29 February 2012) 4 pp. 157 kB: http://www.implementationscience.com/content/pdf/1748-5908-7-10.pdf In this editorial, the authors reflect on the arguments for starting a scientific society focused on research on how to improve healthcare. This society would take an inclusive approach to what constitutes healthcare. The society would be open to researchers from all traditions. Thus, the authors take an inclusive approach to what constitutes scientific research, as long as it uses rigorous methods, is focused on improving healthcare, and aims at knowledge that can be transferred across settings.
Information & Communication Technology Finding, Organizing and Using Health Information: A Training Manual for Students, Researchers and Health Workers in Africa
by Grace Ada Ajuwon, Abdulrahmane Anne, Thembani Malapela et al. Network of African Medical Librarians, 2011 HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 20
133 pp. 3.5 MB: http://karibouconnections.net/wordpress/medlibafrica/downloads/tra ining_manual.pdf Whether you are a doctor, a nurse, an allied health professional or a medical librarian, this manual provides answers to the most crucial questions that arise while searching for health information. These questions range from: What information sources are available? What tools are available for searching the web? What techniques do you apply when searching the web? What is intellectual property right? How do you manage and store information once retrieved from the web? etc. The authors of this manual have provided answers to these key questions so as to ensure that looking for information does not become a frustrating task and that the right information is retrieved, stored and used in an ethical manner. ***
Mobile Technologies and Empowerment: Enhancing Human Development through Participation and Innovation
by Ral Zambrano, Ruhiya Kristine Seward, Stephanie Ludwig et al. United Nations Development Programme, 2012 56 pp. 1.2MB: http://undpegov.org/sites/undpegov.org/files/undp_mobile_technol ogy_primer.pdf The primer provides many examples of how mobile technologies are enhancing human development while at the same time highlighting the limitations that ICTs can have in that regard especially when they are taken as an end in themselves. The primer also showcases the increasing importance of local innovation and South-South cooperation. This publication intends to shed light on how development practitioners can harness the potential of mobile technologies to improve development outputs and outcomes at the country level. ***
Kenyas mobile revolution and the promise of mobile savings

by Gabriel Demombynes and Aaron Thegeya The World Bank, Africa Region, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit, March 2012 32 pp. 928 kB: http://wwwwds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2012/03/06/000158349 _20120306084347/Rendered/PDF/WPS5988.pdf The mobile revolution has transformed the lives of Kenyans, providing not just communications but also basic financial access in the form of phone-based money transfer and storage, led by the M-PESA system introduced in 2007. Currently, 93 percent of Kenyans are mobile phone users and 73 percent are mobile money customers. New potential for mobile money has come with the rise of interest-earning bank-integrated mobile savings systems, beginning with the launch of the M-KESHO system in March 2010. ***
Portraits: A Glimpse Into the Lives of Women at the Base of the Pyramid
GSMA mWomen Programme, 2012 28 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.mwomen.org/Files/a10df359 The research conducted by GSMA mWomen looks at the wants and needs of women in developing countries, and how mobile technology might improve their day to day lives. Researchers surveyed women in Egypt, India, Papua New Guinea and Uganda, with secondary research contributions from many other parts of the world. The research found 73 per cent of women surveyed expressed interest in entrepreneurship to help support their families, indicating mobile solutions that help entrepreneurs manage businesses or set up mobile retail enterprises could have a powerful impact.
Education World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education

UNESCO and Institute for Statistics (UIS), March 2012 64 pp. 9.2 MB: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/Documents/gender-atlas2012-web2-en.pdf To mark International Womens Day, UNESCO and the UIS have jointly released the World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education, which includes over 120 maps, charts and tables featuring a wide range of sex-disaggregated indicators. The information and analysis calls attention to persistent gender disparities and the need for greater focus on girls education as a human right. ***
Fast Tracking Girls Education: A Progress Report by the Education for All Fast Track Initiative
by Prema Clarke and Juliette Wilson Education for All Fast Track Initiative, 2011 20 pp. 2.1 MB: http://www.globalpartnership.org/media/library/girls-report/1FastTrackEd-Girls-education-report-full.pdf This report publishes new and heartening progress, showing the positive impact of the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI) partnership on girls education. This report details how EFA FTI has underpinned improvements in girls education. The report also warns of the remaining challenges, and the continuing need for the global communitys sustained attention and financial commitment to basic education. ***
Public health in action: effective school health needs renewed international attention
by Habib Benzian, Bella Monse, Vicente Belizario, Jr. et al. HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 22
Glob Health Action 2012, 5: 14870 (29 February 2012) 3 pp. 602 kB: http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/14870/pdf_1 School health programmes as a platform to deliver high-impact health interventions are currently underrated by decision makers and do not get adequate attention from the international public health community. The authors describe the award-winning Fit for School Approach from the Philippines as an example of a large-scale, integrated, costeffective and evidence-based programme that bridges the gap between sectors, and between evidence and practice. ***
Education determines a nations health, but what determines educational outcomes? A cross-national comparative analysis
by Arjumand Siddiqi, Ichiro Kawachi, Lisa Berkman et al. J Public Health Pol 33: 1-15; advance online publication, November 3, 2011 15 pp. 96 kB:
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/journal/v33/n1/pdf/jphp201152a.pdf
Because income inequality is closely linked to health outcomes in a population, the authors looked to see if educational achievement, also linked to health outcomes, was affected by policies that influence income inequality. ***
Degree Completion Beyond Institutional Borders: Responding to the New Reality of Mobile and Nontraditional Learners
by Rebecca Klein-Collins, Amy Sherman, and Louis Soares Center for American Progress, October 2010 60 pp. 740 kB: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/10/pdf/degree_co mpletion_beyond_borders.pdf Open courseware and other open educational resources are beginning to draw the attention of higher education policymakers and other leaders. Why? Simply put, these web-based educational tools hold the promise of both reducing the cost of higher education and helping learners to complete their degrees by providing access to top quality course materials and instruction. ***
Active Schools: Our Convictions for Improving the Quality of Education

by Oscar Mogolln, Marina Solano; edited by Ana Flrez FHI 360, 2011 160 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.fhi360.org/NR/rdonlyres/ewikx52ujflscjqfphsciru7s7wc6v p3lnv22yril6yncblriacr4nwlin5eqi2wa2mnk33axnfz5h/ActiveSchools.pdf This book captures the legacy of the late Oscar Mogolln, the visionary educator who HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 23
pioneered the active schools approach. The book explains the principles behind the approach, which relies on personalized instruction and development of strong bonds between the school and the community to ensure that children learn the skills they need. Under Mogolln's leadership, experts at FHI 360 have used the approach to improve educational opportunities for rural communities in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, and Equatorial Guinea.
Harm Reduction and Drug Use Drug economy(?): Africa and the international illicit drug trade
by Marina Reyskens Consultancy Africa Intelligence (CAI), March 2012 Read online at:
http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=964:drug-economyafrica-and-the-international-illicit-drug-trade-&catid=60:conflict-terrorism-discussion-papers&Itemid=265
This paper discusses illicit international networks, which are widespread and fluid, yet, at the same time, are also underground and anonymous. Drug trafficking on the African continent is no exception. Whilst not receiving as much international attention as its Latin American and Asian counterparts, the drug trade in Africa presently rivals these regions in its sophistication and effects. This article examines the history of drug trafficking in Africa, its effects and possible solutions to ending its scourge. ***
WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation

Report on the Scientific Basis of Tobacco Product Regulation: Fourth Report of a WHO Study Group Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 22-24 November 2010; World Health Organization, February 2012 91 pp. 770 kB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241209670_eng.pdf This report presents the conclusions and recommendations of the Study Group at its sixth meeting on toxic elements in tobacco and in cigarette smoke and on the basis for a regulatory framework to reduce the dependence potential of tobacco products. This volume also includes the full background document that served as the basis for the Study Group Tobacco Product Regulation (TobRegs) deliberations on heavy metals in tobacco and cigarette smoke.
Millennium Development Goals Tackling Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5: the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) approach in Nigeria
by Mohammed Shafiu and Hengjin Dong Journal of Public Health in Africa 2012; Volume 3:e9 2 pp. 313 kB: HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 24
http://www.publichealthinafrica.org/index.php/jphia/article/download/jphia.2012.e9/pdf Developing countries are devising various strategies and mechanisms to accelerate their speed towards the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. In Nigeria, different approaches have been used to address the tackling of health-related MDGs. One creative approach has been the implementation of the NHIS Maternal and Child Health (NHIS-MCH) Project. The project aims to speed up the achievement of MDGs 4 and 5 (reducing child mortality and improving maternal health) in the country. Little is known about the NHISMCH Projects design and health insurance coverage activities. Challenging debates continue to emanate on the projects sustainability.
Development Assistance Paying for performance to improve the delivery of health interventions in low- and middle-income countries (Review)
by Sophie Witter, Atle Fretheim, Flora L Kessy The Cochrane Collaboration, 2012 83 pp. 812 kB: http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/details/file/1479345/CD007899.html There is a growing interest in paying for performance as a means to align the incentives of health workers and health providers with public health goals. However, there is currently a lack of rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of these strategies in improving health care and health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, paying for performance is a complex intervention with uncertain benefits and potential harms. A review of evidence on effectiveness is therefore timely, especially as this is an area of growing interest for funders and governments. ***
How to Spend it: The organization of public spending and aid effectiveness
by Paul Collier UNU-WIDER Working Paper, January 2012 16 pp. 139 kB: http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/working-papers/2012/en_GB/wp2012005/_files/86986142751785009/default/WP%202012-05.pdf As aid diminishes in importance, donors need a capacity that enables governments to improve the quality of their public spending. In this study the author suggests three such organizational innovations: independent ratings of spending systems, Independent Public Service Agencies, and Sovereign Development Funds. These constitute a new donor instrument of influencing the modalities of public spending, alongside the volume of aid. With an additional instrument donors can escape the dilemma of having more objectives than instruments. How aid is spent may become more important than how much of it is spent.
Others Honor Women by Naming and Shaming Zimbabwe

Remarks by Stephen Lewis at International Womens Day events: United Nations Human Rights Council Panel, Geneva, March 8, 2012 4 pp. 65 kB: http://aidsfreeworld.org/PublicationsMultimedia/Speeches/~/media/Files/Womens%20Rights/20120308%20SLewisHonor%2 0Women%20By%20Naming%20And%20Shaming%20Zimbabwe.pdf Here in Geneva, at the Human Rights Council, on International Womens Day, I have a case I want to make. Its about Zimbabwe. It should have been made by the United Nations, but it hasnt been made by the United Nations. Frankly, thats unforgiveable As bad as things have been and are in Egypt, Guinea, and yes, even Syria, Robert Mugabes Zimbabwe beats them all for the scale of repression and rape throughout the 32 years he has been leading the country. So I must ask: why does the Security Council call for naming and shaming and then observe the omission of Zimbabwe without so much as a word? ***
Urban Survivors: Humanitarian challenges of a rising slum population

Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF), 2011 http://www.urbansurvivors.org 16 pp. 2.5 MB: http://msf.org/shadomx/apps/fms/fmsdownload.cfm?file_uuid=8500 130C-3279-4AD1-A34A-770F98769794&siteName=msf Urban Survivors is a project by Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) in collaboration with the NOOR photo agency and Darjeeling Productions, which highlights the critical humanitarian and medical needs that exist in urban slums the world over. The interactive website, http://www.urbansurvivors.org, takes the visitor on a virtual journey through five slums - in Dhaka, Karachi, Johannesburg, Port-au- Prince and Nairobi - where MSF is actively running projects. ***
Urbanization, gender and urban poverty: Paid work and unpaid carework in the city
by Cecilia Tacoli United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), March 2012 48 pp. 878 kB: https://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/public ations/2012/UEPI%207%20Tacoli%20Mar%202012.pdf The papers explore womens engagement in both paid work, which is often informal and subject to increasing insecurity and low earnings, and unpaid work, which results in time poverty for women. It also discusses differential access to shelter and basic services and their importance for safety, security and well-being. ***
Unleashing the power of communities to confront health inequity

by Mamphela Ramphele Letsema Circle Trust, 2012 5 pp. 53 kB: http://www.phasa.org.za/wpcontent/uploads/2012/02/Ramphele_Unleashing-community-the-power.pdf This article presents the Letsema-circle-model, that enables citizens to meaningfully participate in resolving challenges in their communities. It suggests that resolving health inequities relies on citizens taking up active roles and responsibilities in their respective communities. The model is founded on four critical components that should trigger change in attitude and behaviour at individual and societal level and which are discussed in this article. ***
A Toolkit on the Right to Health

by Nicol Fick, Leslie London, Fons Coomans Learning Network, 2011 194 pp. 3.1 MB: http://salearningnetwork.weebly.com/uploads/6/5/0/1/6501954/_rig ht_to_health_toolkit.pdf This toolkit was designed in response to the need for a practical tool to empower communities on what the right to health means, how to identify violations of health rights and how to respond to these violations. The toolkit can be used as a stand-alone source of information or as training tool for workshops on the right to health. Each section uses practical examples to illustrate ideas, and has a number of exercises and case studies that could be used for training purposes. At the end of each chapter is a set of workshop handouts that can be photocopied for participants. ***
Sampling and Surveying Hard-to-Reach Populations for Demographic Research: A Study of Female Labor Migrants in Moscow, Russia
by Victor Agadjanian ans Natalya Zotova Demographic Research Vol. 26, Article 5, pp. 131-150, 28 February 2012 22 528 http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol26/5/26-5.pdf Because household-based survey designs are notoriously ineffective in studying hardto-reach groups such as irregular migrants, these groups, however numerically large they may be, are rarely represented in demographic analyses. In this paper, the authors report on the application of a workplace-based stratified probability sampling design, response rate, and item-specific refusals in a recent study of irregular female migrants from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan working in Moscow, Russia. Workplacebased survey, while not flawless, provides a uniquely feasible and cost-effective tool for studying irregular migrants and other marginalized groups. ***
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
The Global Fistula Care Map
http://www.globalfistulamap.org/ The largest and most comprehensive map of available services for women living with obstetric fistula was launched by Direct Relief International, the Fistula Foundation, and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. The release of the Global Fistula Care Map, a major step forward in understanding the landscape of worldwide treatment capacity for obstetric fistula, will help streamline the allocation of resources and raise awareness of the condition. ***
Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Volume 90, Number 3, March 2012, 157-244 http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/90/3/en/index.html In this issue: In an editorial, Andy Gray & Henri R Manasse Jr discuss the challenges of dealing with global shortages of essential medicines. Zunyou Wu & Nicolas Clark call for papers for a Bulletin theme issue on treatment of opioid dependence. In an interview, Erik Holst spoke to Fiona Fleck about the role of doctors and health systems in the rehabilitation of victims of torture. ***
Health Diplomacy Monitor - Vol.3, Issue 1, February 2012

Published by The Centre for Trade Policy & Law, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada 16 pp. 758 kB:
http://www.ghdnet.org/sites/default/files/Health%20Diplomacy%20Monitor%20Volume%203%20Issue%201.pdf
The Health Diplomacy Monitor aims to report and inform readers about key international negotiations currently underway which have a significant impact on global health. The objective is to level the playing field by increasing transparency and making information about the issues and proposals being discussed more readily available. ***
RSBY-Connect Issue No.2, March 2012

Published jointly by Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE), Govt. of India and German Development Cooperation (GIZ) as part of Indo-German Social Security Programme (IGSSP) 9 pp. 1.4 MB: http://german-practice-collection.org/en/download-centre/doc_download/1012 Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) is a national level initiative and its objective is to provide quality health care to the beneficiaries. The Newsletter RSBY-Connect is an effort to connect with those that are presently involved or are likely to be involved in the largest health insurance scheme in the world that has the potential to change the lives HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 28
of millions not only in India but in many other countries as well. The Newsletter will help us share and debate issues that have a bearing on the roll out of the scheme and help us build on the modest success so far.
INTERESTING WEB SITES

International Womens Day - Thursday 08 March 2012
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ A global hub for sharing International Womens Day news, events and resources. ***
The Open Development Technology Alliance (ODTA)

(ICT Knowledge Platform) http://www.opendta.org/Pages/Home.aspx The Open Development Technology Alliance seeks to make development more transparent, participatory, and accountable. By sharing up-to-date knowledge, making connections to experts and innovators, and providing access to technology tools, the ODTA helps achieve greater scale and impact in development outcomes. ***
The South African Triage Scale (SATS)

http://emssa.org.za/sats/ Triage systems were introduced worldwide to reduce the waiting time for patients who need critical care when they arrive at emergency rooms. Without the system, patients who seek medical attention in understaffed and overcrowded emergency rooms often can't get the help they need in time. With SATS, patients are categorised according to need, decreasing the waiting time for critically ill patients. The South African system is designed to deal with the unique challenges of emergency rooms in developing countries, where more patients suffer trauma than in developed countries. Mdecins Sans Frontires has already piloted SATS in some district hospitals in Botswana, Malawi and Ghana. Read also:
South African triage system to go global

by Wilma den Hartigh Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF), 31 January 2012: http://www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id= 2760:triage&catid=42:landnews&Itemid=110 ***
Southern African Regional Programme on Access to Medicines and Diagnostics (SARPAM)

http://www.medicinesinfohub.net/ This regional programme is being developed in the belief that effective collective action and innovation will improve Access to Medicines across the regional economic community. Working with member state governments, civil society, regional institutions, international agencies, research networks and the private sector, SARPAM proposes to support the good work being done through existing partnerships and initiatives, as well as identify new Partnerships for Action that will achieve ambitious results over the next few years. ***
Drawing by Numbers
http://drawingbynumbers.org Data visualisation is an effective tool in campaigning, strategic planning, education and analysis. Visualisation and data tools are democratising the use of information by civil society. Drawing by Numbers is also for those who have already been experimenting and want some advice and inspiration on developing visualisations. Four categories of tools are covered: charts and graphs; mapping and mash-up tools; design, layout and presentation tools and data management tools.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
World Bank Inaugural Disability & Development Core Course
7-11 May, 2012, The World Bank, Washington, DC The course will provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the conceptual and practical issues involved in the implementation of inclusive economic and social policies that are relevant for persons with disabilities in developing countries. The program combines in-depth analysis of disability issues with country case studies and country reform exercises. For more information see: http://www.worldbank.org/disability/cc2012 ***
E-learning course: Strengthening the Essential Public Health Functions

Duration and course load: 5 weeks - 8-10 hours per week Dates: 18 April - 16 May, 2012 Application deadline: 29 March, 2012 Participants: (health) professionals Course fee: US$ 400 Organizers: The World Bank Institute Language: English only General course contact: Jo Hindriks at jhindriks@worldbank.org
For more information please go to the course website: http://einstitute.worldbank.org/ei/course/strengthening-essential-public-health-functions%E2%80%93-part-i ***
Rational Management of Medicines - A Focus on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria

14 - 26 October 2012 Pretoria, South Africa This course aims to enable health professionals to understand and apply the concepts and principles of essential medicines and rational medicine management with a focus on the diseases of poverty HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, to recognise the need for a national and international medicine policy environment, to improve knowledge and skills and to gain practical field experience for rational medicine management within different health system contexts. If you are interested to attend, please check the website for the complete course description and the application form: http://www.swisstph.ch/teaching/professional-postgraduate/rational-management-ofmedicines.html or send an email to: courses-sti@unibas.ch
CONFERENCES
XVIII International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria
23-27 September 2012 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Neglected Tropical Diseases: A new challenge for the XXI Century Some of the topics discussed at the conference are: Malaria as an international public health problem: epidemiology and control Perspectives for malaria elimination in South America Severe vivax malaria Cerebral malaria Malaria associated with severe anemia Experimental models for a) testing drugs and vaccines and b) studying immunopathology
For more information see: http://ictmm2012.ioc.fiocruz.br/
CARTOON
Going wireless
TIPS & TRICKS

What do all those error codes (like 404) mean?
It happens to all of us. We are surfing along, and up comes an error. What do all those error codes mean? Here is a quick rundown of the most common: 400 Bad Request You probably typed in a URL wrong, the server has no clue what you are looking for, or you are not allowed to have access. Usually, it is a matter of the URL being typing in wrong. Maybe you mixed upper and lowercase letters or something. 401 Unauthorized Request you tried to get to something on the web server you are not allowed to play with. 403 Forbidden You cant access the page. You may not have access (it may require a password), or it may be blocked from your domain.
404 Not Found The page you were trying to look at was not found on the server. This is probably the most common error you will come across. What has probably happened is that the web page you were going to has been removed or re-named. HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 32
500 Internal error Usually caused by a CGI error. You fill out a form, but the script used to process it is not working properly. 503 Service Unavailable The server may be overloaded, down, or have other similar problems. Try later. ***
Dangerous USB Devices

In terms of computer security and privacy, USB devices are usually the weakest point. Even the strongest firewall or security software can be bypassed just by plugging in a USB drive. With the growing amount of data a single USB flash drive can hold (up to 128 GB) and the increase to data transfer speed (with USB 3.0) you can imagine how easy it is to copy data to such a device. Using the newest generation of USB devices, data thieves can copy your entire hard drive in minutes. Besides data theft and privacy issues, USB devices are now the main method of propagation for computer viruses and spyware. Inserting an unknown USB device into a computer can be dangerous. As most of the worms transmitted this way are new, they could go undetected even by the best security suites. Be aware of the danger! Best regards, Dieter Neuvians MD
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Health, Education, Social Protection News &amp; Notes 06/2012

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Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 06/2012

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

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

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

HIV - AIDS - STI ........................................................................................................... 7

Sexual & Reproductive Health ..................................................................................... 9

Maternal & Child Health ............................................................................................. 10

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 1

Social Protection ........................................................................................................ 16

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene ...................................................................................... 17

Health Systems & Research ...................................................................................... 19

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

Harm Reduction and Drug Use .................................................................................. 24

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 2

WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation............................................................. 24

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

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ............................................ 28

INTERESTING WEB SITES .............................................. 29

TIPS & TRICKS ................................................................. 32

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 3

Safe and Effective Medicines for Children

South African Health Review 2011

District Health Barometer 2010/11

The Humanitarian Response Index 2011: Addressing the Gender Challenge

The Global Funds Uncertain Future

Beyond Pandemics: A Whole-Of-Society Approach to Disaster Preparedness

help advance disaster preparedness. ***

The CDCs Center for Global Health

HIV - AIDS - STI Africa: The Socio-Economic Impact of HIV/AIDS

Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation for Gay Men and Other MSM

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 7

A 'Snip' in time: what is the best age to circumcise?

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 8

Family-centred HIV programming for children

Conflict-related Sexual Violence: Report of the Secretary-General

Maternal & Child Health Maternal Death: The Avoidable Crisis

Management Guidelines for Acute Infective Diarrhoea/Gastroenteritis in Infants

PLoS Med 9(3): e1001183 (6 March 2012) 15 pp. 355 kB:

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 12

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 13

Management of children exposed to multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Operational research and MDG tuberculosis control targets

Savings in Microinsurance: Lessons from India

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation

Human Resources Capacity Development Matters

A survey of Sub-Saharan African medical schools

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 18

Health Systems & Research The future of healthcare in Africa

Research to support universal coverage reforms in Africa: the SHIELD project

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 19

Randomised Controlled Trials: How to do them in MSF

Public-Private Partnerships in Africa, Part II - Healthcare

Kenyas mobile revolution and the promise of mobile savings

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 21

Education World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education

Active Schools: Our Convictions for Improving the Quality of Education

WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation

Others Honor Women by Naming and Shaming Zimbabwe

Urban Survivors: Humanitarian challenges of a rising slum population

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 26

Unleashing the power of communities to confront health inequity

A Toolkit on the Right to Health

HESP-News & Notes - 06/2012 - page 27

Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 06/2012

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 06/2012