Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 24/2010

Health, Education, Social Protection
News & Notes 24/2010

A bi-weekly newsletter supported by GTZ
(Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit)
21 November 2010
You can download back issues (2005 - 2010) of this newsletter at:
http://german-practice-collection.org/en/links/newsletters/hesp-news-and-notes
Table of Contents:
BOOKS ................................................................................ 4
Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Europe, 2010 ............................................ 4
World Social Security Report 2010/11: Providing coverage in times of crisis and beyond .... 4
Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters: The Economics of Effective Prevention.................... 4
The Global Fund Operations Policy Manual ........................................................................... 5
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 5

HIV - AIDS - STI ........................................................................................................... 5
Gene research finds clues to AIDS survival............................................................................ 5
Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Its Impact on
HIV-1 Transmission in South Africa ........................................................................................ 5
Migration, Mobility and HIV: A rapid Assessment of Risks and Vulnerabilities in the Pacific . 6
Asking God about the date you will die: HIV testing as a zone of uncertainty in rural Malawi6
Preventing Gender-Based Violence and HIV: Lessons from the Field ................................... 6
Community-Level Program Information Reporting for HIV/AIDS Programs ........................... 7
Sexual & Reproductive Health ..................................................................................... 7
How Universal is Access to Reproductive Health? ................................................................. 7
Associations Between Early Marriage and Young Women's Marital and Reproductive Health
Outcomes: Evidence from India .............................................................................................. 7
Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women ........................................... 8
Comprehensive Reproductive Health and Family Planning Training Curriculum ................... 8
The Role of Policymakers in Ending Female Genital Mutilation: An African Perspective ...... 8
Synchronizing Gender Strategies: A Cooperative Model for Improving Reproductive Health
and Transforming Gender Relations ....................................................................................... 9
Maternal & Child Health ............................................................................................... 9
Putting the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health into action........................... 9
The World Health Organization Policy on Global Women's Health: New Frontiers................ 9
Current practices in treatment of female genital fistula: a cross sectional study .................. 10
An option for measuring maternal mortality in developing countries: a survey using
community informants ........................................................................................................... 10
Community Case Management Essentials: Treating Common Childhood Illnesses in the
Community ............................................................................................................................ 10
Malaria........................................................................................................................ 11
Global report on antimalarial efficacy and drug resistance: 2000-2010................................ 11
Malaria therapy: where do we stand, what next?.................................................................. 11
Artesunate versus quinine in the treatment of severe falciparum malaria in African children
(AQUAMAT): an open-label, randomised trial....................................................................... 11
How many mosquito nets are needed to achieve universal coverage? Recommendations for
the quantification and allocation of long-lasting insecticidal nets for mass campaigns ........ 12
A framework for assessing the feasibility of malaria elimination........................................... 12
Evidence-based public health and prospects for malaria control in Brazil............................ 12
Taking on malaria in the Amazon.......................................................................................... 13
Tuberculosis ............................................................................................................... 13
HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 1

Global Tuberculosis Control 2010......................................................................................... 13
Guidelines for Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy among HIV Infected Individuals in South
Africa ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Epidemic Levels of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR and XDR-TB) in a High HIV
Prevalence Setting in Khayelitsha, South Africa................................................................... 14
Tuberculosis Research & Development: 2010 Report on Tuberculosis Research Funding
Trends, 2005-2009 ................................................................................................................ 14
Laboratory-based evaluation of 19 commercially available rapid diagnostic tests for
tuberculosis ........................................................................................................................... 14
Other Infectious Diseases .......................................................................................... 15
Pandemic Influenza’s 500th Anniversary .............................................................................. 15
Working to Overcome the Global Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases ........................... 15
Neglected Tropical Diseases, Hidden Successes, Emerging Opportunities ........................ 15
Essential Medicines.................................................................................................... 16
Ensuring the Quality of Medicines in Resource-Limited Countries ....................................... 16
Social Protection ........................................................................................................ 16
Catalyzing Change: The System Reform Costs of Universal Health Coverage ................... 16
How Health Insurance Design Affects Access to Care and Costs, by Income, in Eleven
Countries ............................................................................................................................... 16
ISSA Social Security Research and Policy Manual .............................................................. 17
Effects of Social Policy on Domestic Demand ...................................................................... 17
Water and Sanitation.................................................................................................. 17
Hygiene, Sanitation, and Water: Forgotten Foundations of Health ...................................... 17
Water Supply and Health ...................................................................................................... 18
Hygiene, Sanitation, and Water: What Needs to Be Done? ................................................. 18
It’s our water too! Bringing greater equity in access to water in Kenya ................................ 18
Health Systems & Research ...................................................................................... 18
Background papers for Montreux Global Symposium on Health Systems Research .......... 18
Defining Research to Improve Health Systems .................................................................... 19
Linking research and development to strengthen health systems in Africa.......................... 19
Evaluation of Healthcare Services: Asking the Right Questions to Develop New Policy and
Program-Relevant Knowledge for Decision-Making ............................................................. 19
Prevention and management of chronic disease: a litmus test for health-systems
strengthening in low-income and middle-income countries .................................................. 20
HIV, TB and Primary Health Care Integration in an Urban Informal Settlement................... 20
Information & Communication Technology ................................................................ 20
One Laptop Per Child: Vision vs. Reality .............................................................................. 20
Mobile phone messages improve adherence and HIV control in Kenyan trial (WelTel
Kenya1) ................................................................................................................................. 21
Evaluation of computerized health management information system for primary health care
in rural India........................................................................................................................... 21
The Clinical Informationist: A Model Role for Pharmacists in Evidencebased Healthcare
Delivery.................................................................................................................................. 21
Education ................................................................................................................... 22
Global Education Digest 2010: Comparing Education Statistics Across the World.............. 22
Speak Out: Youth Report Sexual Abuse............................................................................... 22
HIV education in South African schools: The dilemma and conflicts of educators ............... 22
Information and Communication Technology in Education: A Curriculum for Schools and
Programme of Teacher Development ................................................................................... 23
Harm Reduction and Drug Use .................................................................................. 23
Beyond Ratification: The Future for U.S. Engagement on International Tobacco Control ... 23
Inequitable access to substance abuse treatment services in Cape Town, South Africa .... 23
Global Health.............................................................................................................. 23
Key Players in Global Health ................................................................................................ 23
Organised crime and the efforts to combat it: a concern for public health............................ 24
Chronic diseases: global action must match global evidence............................................... 24
Development Assistance............................................................................................ 25
The Reality of Aid 2010: A critical assessment of German development policy................... 25
Cash on Delivery: A New Approach to Foreign Aid .............................................................. 25
Measuring Capacity............................................................................................................... 25
Development without Freedom: How Aid Underwrites Repression in Ethiopia .................... 26

Growth and Development in Emerging Markets and Other Developing Countries............... 26
Others......................................................................................................................... 26
Because I am a Girl: Digital and Urban Frontiers 2010 ........................................................ 26
Hidden cities: Unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban settings .................... 27
Community-based rehabilitation guidelines .......................................................................... 27
What is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries?
A scoping review ................................................................................................................... 27
Risk Thresholds in Humanitarian Assistance........................................................................ 28
Defining and Measuring Social Cohesion ............................................................................. 28
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ............................................ 28

Tools, instruments, and methodologies for improving aid effectiveness at the national level
............................................................................................................................................... 28
District Health Information Software 2................................................................................... 29
Open Medical Record System (OpenMRS) .......................................................................... 29
Accountability tools for policy research ................................................................................. 29
INTERESTING WEB SITES .............................................. 29

AIDSTAR-Two....................................................................................................................... 29
Health UnBound (HUB) - Connect Sharing Transforming .................................................... 30
iSA Clinical Platform.............................................................................................................. 30
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES............................................ 30
Tropical Medicine Expedition to East Africa.......................................................................... 30
CONFERENCES................................................................ 31
2nd Conference of the African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA)............. 31
HIV Capacity Building Partners Summit................................................................................ 31
CARTOON ......................................................................... 31
TIPS & TRICKS ................................................................. 32

Track Flights with Google...................................................................................................... 32
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BOOKS
Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Europe, 2010
by Barbara Kritzer and John Jankowski

International Social Security Association (ISSA), August 2010
328 pp. 2.9 MB:

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2010-
2011/europe/ssptw10europe.pdf
This first issue in the current four-volume series of “Social Security Programs Through-
out the World” reports on the countries of Europe. The combined findings of this series,
which also includes volumes on Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and the Americas, are pub-
lished at 6-month intervals over a 2-year period. Each volume highlights features of so-
cial security programs in the particular region. The information contained in these vol-
umes is crucial to our efforts, and those of researchers in other countries, to review dif-
ferent ways of approaching social security challenges that will enable us to adapt our
social security systems to the evolving needs of individuals, households, and families.
***
World Social Security Report 2010/11: Providing coverage in times of crisis

and beyond
UN International Labour Organization (ILO), November 2010
299 pp. 6.2 MB:

http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---
publ/documents/publication/wcms_146566.pdf
This is the first in a new series of biennial reports that aim to map social security cover-
age globally, to presenting various methods and approaches for assessing coverage,
and to identifying gaps in coverage. Backed by much comparative statistical data, this
first report takes a comprehensive look at how countries are investing in social security,
how they are financing it, and how effective their approaches are.
***
Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters: The Economics of Effective Preven-

tion
by Apurva Sanghi, S. Ramachandran, Alejandro de la Fuente et al.

The United Nations and The World Bank, 2010
280 pp. 18.1 MB(!):

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/VVOS-
8B4SKR/$file/WorldBank_Nov2010.pdf?openelement
This report synthesizes our knowledge about the effects of natural hazards on human
welfare, particularly in its economic aspects. It is a combination of case studies, data on
many scales, and the application of economic principles to the problems posed by
earthquakes, abnormal weather, and the like. It provides a deep understanding of the
relative roles of the market, government intervention, and social institutions in determin-

ing and improving both the prevention and the response to hazardous occurrences.
***
The Global Fund Operations Policy Manual
The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, 30 Septem-

ber 2010
229 pp. 2.1 MB:

http://www.theglobalfund.org/documents/core/manuals/Core_Ope
rationalPolicy_Manual_en.pdf
The Policy Manual gas been developed to assist Global Fund Secretariat staff to pro-
vide guidance on Global Fund policies and processes relating to grant management.
The manual will also be of interest to grant implementers - and, to a lesser extent, grant
applicants.
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
HIV - AIDS - STI
Gene research finds clues to AIDS survival
By Stephen Smith
Boston Globe, November 5, 2010
Read online at:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/11/05/gene_research_fi
nds_clues_to_aids_survival/?page=full
Their innate ability to keep HIV infections in check intrigued researchers, who suspected
these people, known as “controllers” might carry clues to designing effective vaccines
after nearly 30 years of frustration. Now, an international team of researchers, led by
specialists in Boston, has cracked these HIV survivors’ genetic code, sifting through al-
most 1.4 million pieces of DNA to discover five amino acids that separate the small
cadre of controllers from the vast majority who must take medication or face death.
***
Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and

Its Impact on HIV-1 Transmission in South Africa
by Carel Pretorius, John Stover, Lori Bollinger et al.

PLoS ONE 5(11): e13646 ( 5 November 2010)
10 pp. 771 kB:

http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F
10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0013646&representation=PDF
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) can avert as many as 30% of new HIV infections in
targeted age groups of women at highest risk of infection. The cost-effectiveness of
PrEP relative to antiretroviral therapy (ART) decreases rapidly as ART coverage in-
creases beyond three times its coverage in 2010, after which the ART program would

provide coverage to more than 65% of HIV+ individuals. To have a high relative cost-
effective impact on reducing infections in generalized epidemics, PrEP must utilize a
window of opportunity until ART has been scaled up beyond this level.
***
Migration, Mobility and HIV: A rapid Assessment of Risks and Vulnerabili-

ties in the Pacific
by John Connell and Joel Negin

A joint UNDP and Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Report,
April 2010
66 pp. 1.8 MB:

http://www.undppc.org.fj/_resources/article/files/Migration,Mobility
andHIV_web.pdf
The report provides a rapid assessment of migration and mobility as key influences on
the distribution and spread of HIV in the Pacific. The report is expected to contribute to
the development of multi-sectoral responses required to address the HIV epidemic in
the Pacific region and provide impetus for the development of effective and targeted in-
terventions for people on the move.
***
Asking God about the date you will die: HIV testing as a zone of uncer-
tainty in rural Malawi
by Amy Kaler and Susan Watkins

Demographic Research, Vol. 23, Article 32, pp. 905-932, 09 November
2010
30 pp. 405 kB:

http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol23/32/23-32.pdf
Global advocates of testing for HIV see it as key to AIDS prevention. However, testing is
not always perceived as a good thing by people at risk. Here, the authors consider test-
ing from the perspective of people in a high-prevalence community. Using qualitative
data from rural Malawi, they show that the decision to test is not as straightforward as
suggested in the testing advocacy literature, but is marked by uncertainty and ambiva-
lence. Reluctance to test is connected to the perception that testing inevitably leads to a
positive diagnosis, and subsequent deterioration and death.
***
Preventing Gender-Based Violence and HIV: Lessons from the Field
by Mary Ellsberg and Myra Betron

AIDSTAR One, November 2010
4 pp. 341 kB:

http://www.aidstar-one.com/sites/default/files/AIDSTAR-
One_Gender_Spolight_Gender-based_violence.pdf
Gender-based violence (GBV) is increasingly recognized as a critical driver of the HIV

epidemic in many settings, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where the incidence of HIV
infection is growing at alarming rates among young women in particular. There are few

examples of interventions that have successfully tackled the challenge of combining HIV
and violence prevention, but two innovative programs, one in Nicaragua (Puntos de En-
cuentro) and the other in Uganda (Raising Voices), have found ways to do so.
***
Community-Level Program Information Reporting for HIV/AIDS Programs
MEASURE Evaluation, November 2010
Download all Modules at:

http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/tools/hiv-aids/clpir
Community-Level Program Information Reporting for HIV/AIDS Programs (CLPIR)

seeks to improve information systems for community-level programs. The objective is to
support harmonized monitoring and reporting systems that capture indicator data from
programs. These systems are essential for effective program management and deci-
sion-making at all levels. CLPIR focuses on the following HIV/AIDS program areas:
 prevention;
 home-based care (HBC); and
 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).
Sexual & Reproductive Health
How Universal is Access to Reproductive Health?

A review of the evidence
by Edilberto Loaiza and Sarah Blake

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), September 2010
52 pp. 2.7 MB:

http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/public
ations/2010/universal_rh.pdf
This new report by UNFPA analyzes three often overlooked indicators of reproductive
health: the adolescent birth rate, the contraceptive prevalence rate, and the unmet need
for family planning. The report clearly demonstrates that intensified efforts are needed to
extend reproductive health to all, and that quality data are essential to monitor progress
and identify priorities for action.
***
Associations Between Early Marriage and Young Women's Marital and Re-
productive Health Outcomes: Evidence from India
by K.G. Santhya, Usha Ram, Rajib Acharya et al.

International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Vol. 36, Nr. 3, September 2010
8 pp. 143 kB:

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3613210.pdf
According to this study early marriage among Indian women is often linked to a lack of
choice in whom they marry, spousal violence and poor reproductive health, all of which
compromise their well-being and overall life. The authors found that nearly 63% of In-

dian women aged 20-24 surveyed in five states had married when they were younger
than 18, the minimum legal age for marriage in India. The findings underscore the need
to enforce existing laws on the minimum age at marriage and to encourage school,
health and other authorities to support young women in negotiating with their parents to
delay marriage.
***
Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women

Taking action and generating evidence
by Alexander Butchart, Claudia Garcia-Moreno, Christopher Mikton et al.

World Health Organization / London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine, 2010
102 pp. 1.0 MB:

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241564007_eng.pdf
This document examines intimate partner violence and its consequences, including se-
rious adverse affects on health, education, and employment. It aims to provide sufficient
information for policy-makers and planners to develop data-driven and evidence-based
programmes for preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women.
***
Comprehensive Reproductive Health and Family Planning Training Cur-

riculum
by Pathfinder International, 2010

http://www.pathfind.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Pubs_Training_Curriculum
Pathfinder International's comprehensive training modules cover core top-

ics including family planning methods, infection prevention, reproductive
tract infections, counselling and training of trainers. The curricula have
been uniquely designed for the training of physicians, nurses, and mid-
wives by clinical trainers who do not have an extensive training back-
ground. Training sessions include simulation skills practice, case studies,
role plays, discussions, clinical practices, on-site observation, specific measurable ob-
jectives, knowledge, attitudes, skills checklists, and exercises for the development of ac-
tion plans.
***
The Role of Policymakers in Ending Female Genital Mutilation: An African

Perspective
By Ambassador Amina Salum Ali

Population Reference Bureau, April 2010
4 pp. 304 kB:

http://www.prb.org/pdf10/endingfgm.pdf
The most effective way to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is through education, in-
formation, and advocacy that will raise public awareness and bring about changes in at-
titudes within communities where FGM is practiced. Policymakers in the African conti-
nent have a great role to play in enacting and implementing the international conven-
tions and protocols that advocate for women and children’s rights in their own countries.

Synchronizing Gender Strategies: A Cooperative Model for Improving Re-
productive Health and Transforming Gender Relations
By Margaret E. Greene and Andrew Levack

Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG), 2010
40 pp. 512 kB:

http://www.engenderhealth.org/files/pubs/gender/Synchronizing_
Gender_Strategies.pdf
The publication takes an in-depth look at the new concept of gender synchronization, an
approach that engages men, boys, women and girls in a mutually reinforcing way to
challenge harmful gender norms that hinder health and well-being. The report also pro-
vides examples of successful gender-synchronized programs and offers program guid-
ance for the future.
Maternal & Child Health
Putting the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health into action
by Ban Ki-moon, Lee Myung-bak, Bingu wa Mutharika et al.

The Global Campaign for the Health Millennium Development Goals,
2010
56 pp. 3.3 MB:

http://www.who.int/pmnch/topics/mdgs/201011_globalcampaignreport.pdf
The Global Campaign Report focuses on translating commitments into action. This
year’s report features statements by a group of world leaders who explain how they plan
to implement their commitments and their approach to holding themselves and others
accountable for making progress. The report points out that accountability is essential to
meeting the MDGs, for accountability “ensures that promises made become promises
kept”.
***
The World Health Organization Policy on Global Women's Health: New

Frontiers
by Jennifer Requejo Harris, Mario Merialdi, Francesca Merzagora et al.

Journal of Women's Health, 19(11): 2115-2118 (November 2010)
4 pp. 141 kB:

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/jwh.2010.2101
This article reviews formal and informal mechanisms through which the World Health
Organization (WHO) is promoting policies for the advancement of women's health. Spe-
cific attention is given to select examples of innovative strategies the WHO has adopted
in recent years to increase political commitment to women's and children's health and
influence the development of policies supportive of country efforts to achieve Millennium
Development Goals 4 (MDG4) and MDG 5 (to reduce child mortality and improve ma-
ternal health, respectively).
***

Current practices in treatment of female genital fistula: a cross sectional
study
by Steven D Arrowsmith, Joseph Ruminjoand Evelyn G Landry

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2010, 10:73 (10 November 2010)
35 pp. 192 kB:

http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2393-10-73.pdf
Fistula treatment and care are available in many countries across Africa and Asia, but
there is a lack of reliable data around clinical factors associated with the success of fis-
tula repair surgery. Most published research has been retrospective. While these stud-
ies have provided useful information about the care and treatment of fistula, they are
limited by the design. This study was designed to identify practices in care that could
lead to the design of prospective and randomized controlled trials.
***
An option for measuring maternal mortality in developing countries: a sur-

vey using community informants
by Siti Nurul Qomariyah, David Braunholtz, Endang L Achadi et al.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2010, 10:74 (17 November 2010)
23 pp. 186 kB:

The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) remains high in most developing countries. Local,
recent estimates of MMR are needed to motivate policymakers and evaluate interven-
tions. But, estimating MMR, in the absence of vital registration systems, is difficult. This
paper describes an efficient approach using village informant networks to capture ma-
ternal death cases developed to address this gap, and examines its validity and effi-
ciency.
***
Community Case Management Essentials: Treating Common Childhood

Illnesses in the Community
A Guide for Program Managers
by David Marsh, Ashley Aakesson, Kechi Anah et al.

CORE Group, Save the Children, BASICS and MCHIP, 2010
124 pp. 3.8 MB:

http://www.coregroup.org/storage/documents/CCM/CCMbook-internet2.pdf
This document provides programme guidance, including tools and standardised indica-
tors, for designing, implementing, and evaluating Community Case Management (CCM),
which is a strategy to deliver interventions for common childhood illnesses, particularly
where there is little access to facility-based services. CCM programmes deliver interven-
tions for diarrhoea, malaria, pneumonia, newborn care, and acute severe malnutrition at
the community level while aiming to improve services at first-level health facilities.
***

Malaria
Global report on antimalarial efficacy and drug resistance: 2000-2010
by Amy Barrette, Pascal Ringwald, Arjen Dondorp et al.

World Health Organization 2010
124 pp. 2.0 MB:

This report provides a comprehensive, global overview of antimalarial

drug efficacy and the resistance of malaria parasites to the antimalarial medicines used
between 2000 and June 2010. Policy-makers in national ministries of health will benefit
from this document, as it provides both a global and a regional picture of the efficacy of
the antimalarial medicines currently used in national treatment programmes.
***
Malaria therapy: where do we stand, what next?
by Martin Peter Grobusch & Michèle van Vugt

Future Microbiology, October 2010, Vol. 5, No. 10, pp. 1447-1449
3 pp. 513 kB:

http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/pdf/10.2217/fmb.10.106
With the recent unprecedented boosts to the development of novel, and optimized use
of existing malaria control tools the malaria world continues to change rapidly. Whilst
half of the global population remains at risk of malaria and the economic burden of the
disease remains huge, estimates suggest that current morbidity and mortality (with ap-
proximately 250 million cases and 860,000 deaths, the majority being children in sub-
Saharan Africa) have reached a historical low.
***
Artesunate versus quinine in the treatment of severe falciparum malaria in

African children (AQUAMAT): an open-label, randomised trial
by Arjen M Dondorp, Caterina I Fanello, Ilse CE Hendriksen et al.

The Lancet, Vol. 376, Issue 9753, pp. 1647-1657, 13 November 2010
11 pp. 398 kB:

http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673610619241.pdf?i
d=4d037fefcb72946c:2814762a:12c49e6a8ea:-1e061289732878593
Severe malaria is a major cause of childhood death and often the main reason for pae-
diatric hospital admission in sub-Saharan Africa. Quinine is still the established treat-
ment of choice, although evidence from Asia suggests that artesunate is associated with
a lower mortality. The authors compared parenteral treatment with either artesunate or
quinine in African children with severe malaria and conclude that parenteral artesunate
should replace quinine as the treatment of choice for severe falciparum malaria world-
wide.
***

How many mosquito nets are needed to achieve universal coverage? Rec-
ommendations for the quantification and allocation of long-lasting insecti-
cidal nets for mass campaigns
by Albert Kilian, Marc Boulay, Hannah Koenker and Matthew Lynch

Malaria Journal 2010, 9:330 (18 November 2010)
30 pp. 259kB:
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/pdf/1475-2875-9-330.pdf
Long-lasting insecticidal nets are an effective tool for malaria prevention, and “universal
coverage” with such nets is increasingly the goal of national malaria control pro-
grammes. However, national level campaigns in several countries have run out of nets
in the course of distribution, indicating a problem in the method used to estimate the
quantity needed. In order to avoid stock-outs of nets during national coverage cam-
paigns, it is recommended to use a quantification factor of 1.60 people per net.
***
A framework for assessing the feasibility of malaria elimination
by Bruno Moonen, Justin M Cohen, Andy J Tatem et al.

Malaria Journal 2010, 9:322 (11 November 2010)
44 pp. 856 kB:

http://www.malariajournal.com/content/pdf/1475-2875-9-322.pdf
The recent scale-up of malaria interventions, the ensuing reductions in the malaria bur-
den, and reinvigorated discussions about global eradication have led many countries to
consider malaria elimination as an alternative to maintaining control measures indefi-
nitely. Evidence-based guidance to help countries weigh their options is thus urgently
needed. A quantitative feasibility assessment that balances the epidemiological situation
in a region, the strength of the public health system, the resource constraints, and the
status of malaria control in neighbouring areas can serve as the basis for robust, long-
term strategic planning.
***
Evidence-based public health and prospects for malaria control in Brazil
by Marcelo Urbano Ferreira and Monica da Silva-Nunes

J Infect Dev Ctries 2010; 4(9):533-545 (September 2010)
13 pp. 358 kB:

http://www.jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/download/21045365/434
The authors examine whether four strategies that were largely successful in other coun-
tries (aggressive active case detection, improved anti-relapse therapy for P. vivax infec-
tions, distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets, and selective house spraying with re-
sidual insecticides) are likely to work in Brazil. They review evidence from field and labo-
ratory studies and identify gaps in our knowledge that require further investigation with
well-designed large-scale trials.
***

Taking on malaria in the Amazon
by Barbara Fraser
The Lancet, Volume 376, Issue 9747, pp. 1133 - 1134, 2 Octo-
ber 2010
2 pp. 268 kB:

http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS014067361061522X.pdf
Mining and logging are increasing the spread of malarial mosquitoes throughout the
Amazon. The author reports on a unique collaborative effort to eliminate the disease
from the region.
Tuberculosis
Global Tuberculosis Control 2010
by Léopold Blanc, Dennis Falzon, Christopher Fitzpatrick et al.

World Health Organization (WHO), November 2010
218 pp. 3.6 MB:

http://www.who.int/entity/tb/publications/global_report/2010/gtbr10.pdf
The findings in the publication confirm that when WHO’s best practices are put in place,
and with the right amount of funding and commitments from governments, the tide on
the TB epidemic can be turned. Since 1995, we have seen considerable improvements
in the quality of TB care, and these improvements are having a positive impact in some
of the world's poorest countries. Since 1995, 41 million people have been cured and 6
million lives have been saved. These are major successes that have been achieved
largely without any ‘magic bullet’.
***
Guidelines for Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy among HIV Infected Indi-

viduals in South Africa
Department of Health, Republic of South Africa, May

2010
10 pp. 230 kB:

http://www.irinnews.org/pdf/TB_prophylaxis_in_South_Africa_final__MAY_2010.pdf
TB preventive therapy is the administration of one or more anti-tuberculosis drugs to in-

dividuals with latent infection with M. tuberculosis in order to prevent progression to ac-
tive TB disease. Maximum benefits from TB preventive therapy are achieved in HIV in-
fected persons with evidence of tuberculosis infection as demonstrated by a positive tu-
berculin skin test. In these patients, the risk of developing tuberculosis is reduced by
approximately 60% and their survival is also prolonged. However, benefit has also been
shown among HIV-infected persons in general, regardless of their tuberculin test result.
***

Epidemic Levels of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR and XDR-TB) in a
High HIV Prevalence Setting in Khayelitsha, South Africa
by Helen S. Cox, Cheryl McDermid, Virginia Azevedo et al.

PLoS ONE 5(11): e13901 ( 15 November 2010)
8 pp. 291 kB:

http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=2160CDFA53ABD6DA7331
DE227C9AAA39.ambra02?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0013901&representation=PDF
Although multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is emerging as a significant threat

to tuberculosis control in high HIV prevalence countries such as South Africa, limited
data is available on the burden of drug resistant tuberculosis and any association with
HIV in such settings. The authors conducted a community-based representative survey
to assess the MDR-TB burden in Khayelitsha, an urban township in South Africa with
high HIV and TB prevalence.
***
Tuberculosis Research & Development: 2010 Report on Tuberculosis Re-

search Funding Trends, 2005-2009
by Eleonora Jiménez Salazar

Treatment Action Group, November 2010
48 pp. 1.5 MB:

http://www.treatmentactiongroup.org/uploadedFiles/About/Publicati
ons/TAG_Publications/2010/TB%20RD%20web%20FINAL.pdf
The report tracks annual research spending on TB across six research and develop-
ment areas, with a deeper analysis of the top ten funders who accounted for 81% of the
global funding total in 2009. The report provides year-on-year trends for policymakers
and activists so they may identify who the major TB donors are, know where the funds
are invested, and determine where to target advocacy efforts.
***
Laboratory-based evaluation of 19 commercially available rapid diagnostic

tests for tuberculosis
by Mary Cheang, Anandi Martin, Carl-Michael Nathanson et al.

World Health Organization on behalf of the Special Programme for Re-
search and Training in Tropical Diseases, 2008
80 pp. 1.4 MB:

http://apps.who.int/tdr/publications/tdr-research-publications/diagnostics-
evaluation-2/pdf/diagnostic-evaluation-2.pdf
Accurate and prompt tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis is critical to disease control. Rapid,
accessible serologic tests for tuberculosis are on the market, largely in developing coun-
tries, but little reliable information about their content and performance is available. 19
rapid TB tests were evaluated at the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine My-
cobacteriology Unit. None of the assays performed well enough to replace microscopy.
***

Other Infectious Diseases
Pandemic Influenza’s 500th Anniversary
by David M. Morens, Jeffery K. Taubenberger, Gregory K. Folkers et al.

Clinical Infectious Diseases 2010;51:1442–1444 (15 December 2010)
3 pp. 241 kB:

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/657429
It is impossible to know with certainty the first time an influenza virus infected humans or
when the first influenza pandemic occurred. However, many historians agree that the
year 1510 A.D. - 500 years ago - marks the first recognition of pandemic influenza. On
this significant anniversary, it is timely to ask, what were the circumstances surrounding
the emergence of the 1510 pandemic, and what have we learned about this important
disease over the subsequent 5 centuries?
***
Working to Overcome the Global Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases

First WHO report on neglected tropical diseases 2010
by Lorenzo Savioli, Denis Daumerie, David W.T. Crompton et al.

WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2010
186 pp. 3.2 MB:

http://www.who.int/entity/neglected_diseases/2010report/NTD_20
10report_web.pdf
Wider recognition of the public health significance of neglected tropical diseases and
better knowledge of their epidemiology have stimulated necessary changes in public
health thinking to approach and achieve control. This report presents evidence to dem-
onstrate that activities undertaken to prevent and control neglected tropical diseases are
producing results – and that achievements are being recognized.
***
Neglected Tropical Diseases, Hidden Successes, Emerging Opportunities
World Health Organization, Department of Control of Neglected

Tropical Diseases, 2009
71 pp. 2.9 MB:

During the last five years we have come a long way in convincing the world and particu-
larly political leaders in endemic and non endemic countries to invest in the control of
neglected tropical diseases as a means to boost human and economic development to-
wards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. As the world slowly recovers from
one of the worst financial crises, we intend to keep-up the momentum and further moti-
vate the international community to support endemic countries to strengthen existing
health infrastructure and service delivery.
***

Essential Medicines
Ensuring the Quality of Medicines in Resource-Limited Countries

An Operational Guide
by Souly Phanouvong, Eshetu Wondemagegnehu, Nancy Blum et al.

United States Pharmacopeia Drug Quality and Information Program in
collaboration with World Health Organization, 2007
207 pp. 2.0 MB:

http://www.usp.org/pdf/EN/dqi/ensuringQualityOperationalGuide.pdf
This Guide aims to provide practical advice that countries with limited resources can ap-
ply to improve the quality of medicines in their local markets and to ensure that medi-
cines used in their national priority disease programs are of good quality. With this in-
formation, program managers, donor organizations, and governments can confidently
select, purchase, and distribute only high-quality medicines, even when limited by hu-
man and financial resources, weak infrastructures, and competing priorities.
Social Protection
Catalyzing Change: The System Reform Costs of Universal Health Cover-

age
by Rachel Christmas Derrick, Lily Dorment, Enis Baris et al.

Rockefeller Foundation, November 2010
98 pp. 2.1 MB:

http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/uploads/files/ebafb89b-2d68-
45c0-885e-74d40e8c55d9.pdf
A global movement for universal health coverage (UHC) is under way, as illustrated by
an increasing number of nations working toward achieving UHC. UHC is defined as ac-
cess for all to appropriate health services at an affordable cost. Universal coverage is
associated with better health and equity, as well as financial protection. This report aims
to call health leaders’ attention to the importance and enhanced feasibility of establish-
ing the systems and institutions needed to pursue UHC.
***
How Health Insurance Design Affects Access to Care and Costs, by In-
come, in Eleven Countries
by Cathy Schoen, Robin Osborn, David Squires et al.

Health Affairs Vol. 29, No. 12, December 2010
12 pp. 503 kB:

http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/reprint/hlthaff.2010.0862v1
This 2010 survey examines the insurance-related experiences of adults in Australia,

Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzer-
land, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The countries all have different sys-
tems of coverage, ranging from public systems to hybrid systems of public and private
insurance, and with varying levels of cost sharing. Overall, the study found significant

differences in access, cost burdens, and problems with health insurance that are asso-
ciated with insurance design.
***
ISSA Social Security Research and Policy Manual

Supporting research in social security institutions in low- and middle-
income countries
by Catherine Bochel, Florence Bonnet, Theo Butare et al.

International Social Security Association (ISSA), 2010
156 pp. 3.3 MB:

http://www.issa.int/content/download/135361/2753864/file/2-ISSA-RPM.pdf
The ISSA Social Security Research and Policy Manual seeks to provide a practical tool
to develop and strengthen the research capacity of social security institutions in low-
and middle-income countries, to assist managers and directors in social security institu-
tions to improve policy design, and to support research and analysis staff to focus their
research on relevant policy issues and to improve the quality and impact of their input.
***
Effects of Social Policy on Domestic Demand

Annual Conference 2009
Edited by Masahiro Kawai and Gloria O. Pasadilla

Asian Development Bank Institute, 2010
270 pp. 2.1 MB:

http://www.adbi.org/files/book.effects.social.policy.annual.conference.2009.pdf
The conference examined the extent to which improved social protection policies can
help reduce household savings in Asian countries with very high savings rates and in-
duce a long-term increase in consumption spending. The conference aimed to better
understand the channels and linkages of social policies and domestic demand.
Water and Sanitation
Hygiene, Sanitation, and Water: Forgotten Foundations of Health
by Jamie Bartram and Sandy Cairncross

PLoS Med 7(11): e1000367 (9 November 2010)
9 pp. 387 kB:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=1FFF53F80C649F944
85B0A1924F8A53D.ambra01?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000367&representation=PDF
While rarely discussed alongside the “big three” attention-seekers of the international
public health community - HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria - one disease alone kills
more young children each year than all three combined. It is diarrhoea, and the key to
its control is hygiene, sanitation, and water (HSW). As the first article in a four-part PLoS
Medicine series on water and sanitation, the authors argue that the massive burden of ill
health associated with poor hygiene, sanitation, and water supply demands more atten-
tion from health professionals and policymakers.

Water Supply and Health
by Paul R. Hunter, Alan M. MacDonald, Richard C. Carter

PLoS Med 7(11): e1000361 (9 November, 2010)
9 pp. 1.6 MB:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action?uri=info%3Adoi
%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000361&representation=PDF
Inadequacies in water supply affect health adversely both directly and indirectly. An in-
adequate water supply also prevents good sanitation and hygiene. Consequently, im-
provements in various aspects of water supply represent important opportunities to en-
hance public health. The authors argue that much more effort is needed to improve ac-
cess to safe and sustainable water supplies.
***
Hygiene, Sanitation, and Water: What Needs to Be Done?
by Sandy Cairncross, Jamie Bartram, Oliver Cumming et al.

7 pp. 115 kB:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=F0AD1E2C0886623FD1BA
FD1EAE8877AF.ambra01?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000365&representation=PDF
In the final article in a four-part PLoS Medicine series on water and sanitation, the au-
thors outline what needs to be done to make significant progress in providing more and
better hygiene, sanitation, and water for all.
***
It’s our water too! Bringing greater equity in access to water in Kenya
Uwazi InfoShop Policy Brief 09/2010
12 pp. 1.2 MB:

http://twaweza.org/uploads/files/Its%20our%20water%20too_English.pdf
Absence of a formula based approach to budget allocation at the Ministry

of Water and Irrigation has led to large inequities for water access in Kenya, with the
poor paying more compared to the rich, and millions going without adequate access
everyday. Uwazi analysts have aggregated facts from a range of credible sources that
demonstrate that persistent inequalities in access to water services in Kenya can be
quickly reduced if an approach that links investments and resource allocation to needs
rather than political weight is adopted and implemented.
Health Systems & Research
Background papers for Montreux Global Symposium on Health Systems

Research
16-19 November 2010 - Montreux Switzerland
http://www.hsr-symposium.org/index.php/background-papers

A number of background papers have been commissioned by the World Health Organi-
zation for the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research. The goal of these
papers is to initiate a dialogue on the critical issues in health systems research.
***
Defining Research to Improve Health Systems
by Jan H. F. Remme, Taghreed Adam, Francisco Becerra-Posada et al.

7 pp. 192 kB:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action?uri=info%3Adoi
%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001000&representation=PDF
The authors present working definitions of operational research, implementation re-

search, and health systems research within the context of research to provide greater
clarity for non-specialists, scientists, policymakers, and donors working to strengthen
health systems.
***
Linking research and development to strengthen health systems in Africa
by Charles Mgone, Jimmy Volmink, David Coles et al.

Tropical Medicine & International Health, Vol. 15, Issue 12, pp. 1404 –
1406, December 2010
3 pp. 41 kB:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-
3156.2010.02661.x/pdf
There is an important need for research in Africa to determine how health services
should be organised and services delivered. There are challenges to integrating re-
search into African health services. It is critical that capacity is made available to ac-
commodate the research as otherwise research activity will simply add to the already
high workload of health services staff. Attracting high calibre researchers will be a chal-
lenge. Many researchers are reluctant to work with health services that they perceive as
being chaotic in organisation and unable to fulfil the demands of research.
***
Evaluation of Healthcare Services: Asking the Right Questions to Develop

New Policy and Program-Relevant Knowledge for Decision-Making
by Marcus J. Hollander, Jo Ann Miller and Helena Kadlec

Healthcare Quarterly Vol.13 No.4, 2010
8 pp. 163 kB:

http://www.longwoods.com/product/download/code/21997
This article presents a framework for thinking about the key questions that need to be
answered to develop new policy and programme-relevant knowledge that can be used
to make more informed decisions. It is a primer for administrators, policy makers and
others about how to identify the knowledge they need to make decisions regarding new
or existing programmes.
***

Prevention and management of chronic disease: a litmus test for health-
systems strengthening in low-income and middle-income countries
by Badara Samb, Nina Desai, Sania Nishtar et al.

The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 11 November 2010
13 pp. 208 kB:

d=40bade4753939e7f:7f2cbb99:12c40e5862b:583b1289585308543
National health systems need strengthening if they are to meet the growing challenge of
chronic diseases in low-income and middle-income countries. Evidence is emerging that
chronic disease interventions could contribute to strengthening the capacity of health
systems to deliver a comprehensive range of services - provided that such investments
are planned to include these broad objectives. Because effective chronic disease pro-
grammes are highly dependent on well-functioning national health systems, chronic dis-
eases should be a litmus test for health-systems strengthening.
***
HIV, TB and Primary Health Care Integration in an Urban Informal Settle-

ment
The Experience of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and The Ministry of
Public Health and Sanitation (MoPHS) in Kibera, Nairobi
Report prepared by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Belgium), Nairobi,

October 2010
20 pp. 768 kB:

http://fieldresearch.msf.org/msf/bitstream/10144/114831/1/Sophie%20HIV_TB_P
HC_Integrated_Care_Kibera.pdf
The populations of urban informal settlements such as Kibera face many unmet health
needs. Many of these needs naturally overlap and will present in the same patient. A
“one stop shop” clinic therefore offers an efficient mode to address these requirements.
Furthermore, integration may also enhance the quality of care through its patient-
centred approach. The MSF and MoPHS project has demonstrated the feasibility of pro-
viding HIV, TB and Primary Health Care through an integrated model of care in the set-
ting of an informal settlement.
Information & Communication Technology
One Laptop Per Child: Vision vs. Reality
BY Kenneth L. Kraemer, Jason Dedrick, and Prakul Sharma

Communications of the ACM, June 2009, Vol. 52, No. 6
8 pp. 582 kB:

http://pcic.merage.uci.edu/papers/2009/OneLaptop.pdf
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 2005, Nicholas Negro-
ponte unveiled the idea of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), a US$ 100 PC that would
transform education for the world’s disadvantaged schoolchildren by giving them the
means to teach themselves and each other. He estimated that up to 150 million of these

laptops could be shipped annually by the end of 2007. Yet as of June 2009 only a few
hundred thousand laptops have been distributed (they were first available in 2007), and
OLPC has been forced to dramatically scale back its ambitions.
***
Mobile phone messages improve adherence and HIV control in Kenyan

trial (WelTel Kenya1)
by Keith Alcorn
NAM AIDSMAP, 10 November 2010
Read online at: http://www.aidsmap.com/news/Mobile-phone-messages-improve-

adherence-and-HIV-control-in-Kenyan-trial/page/1540898/
A text message from a clinic each week resulted in better adherence and a higher level
of viral load suppression among people with HIV after starting antiretroviral treatment in
Kenya, a randomised controlled trial has shown. The authors conclude that mobile
phones might be effective tools to improve patient outcome in resource-limited settings.
***
Evaluation of computerized health management information system for

primary health care in rural India
by Anand Krishnan, Baridalyne Nongkynrih, Kapil Yadav et al.

BMC Health Services Research 2010, 10:310 (16 November 2010)
41 pp. 3.3 MB:

The Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project Ballabgarh has a computerized

health management information system since 1988. The major advantage of computeri-
zation has been in saving of time of health workers in record keeping and report genera-
tion. The initial capital costs of computerization can be recovered within two years of im-
plementation if the system is fully operational. Computerization has enabled implemen-
tation of a good system for service delivery, monitoring and supervision.
***
The Clinical Informationist: A Model Role for Pharmacists in Evidence-

based Healthcare Delivery
by Okechukwu Raymond Chukwuma and Ekhaeyemhe Johnson

The Pharma Research 2; 117-125 (5 October 2009)
9 pp. 139 kB:

http://www.tphres.sudarshanonline.co.in/documents/PDF/TPR090249.pdf
Time constraint and other factors make it difficult for clinicians to retrieve and effectively
utilize information from current best evidence resources during clinical decisions at the
point of care of patients. “Clinical informationists” bridge this gap by providing vital clini-
cal decision support to clinicians towards effective evidence-based healthcare delivery.
Medical librarians perform this role to limited scope. Few research works have reviewed
this emerging clinical informationist specialist as a model role for pharmacists in the
healthcare team.

Education
Global Education Digest 2010: Comparing Education Statistics Across the

World
by Albert Motivans, Peter Wallet, Nelly P. Stromquist et al.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) Institute for Statistics, 2010
277 pp. 8.2 MB:

http://www.ungei.org/resources/files/GED_2010_EN.pdf
The 2010 edition of the Global Education Digest focuses on gender and education to
mark the 15th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. Shortly after this
landmark conference in 1995, the international community pledged to eliminate gender
disparities at all levels of education by 2015 as part of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). The Digest presents the latest available data to analyse national pro-
gress and pitfalls in offering every child and young person equal access to education
regardless of their sex.
***
Speak Out: Youth Report Sexual Abuse

A Handbook for learners on how to prevent sexual abuse in public schools
by Patricia Watson, Rolaball Eduscript and Julia Grey

Department of Basic Education, Pretoria, South Africa, July 2010
32 pp. 3.2 MB:

http://www.kzneducation.gov.za/Portals/0/Newsletters/SPEAK%20
OUT%20YOUTH%20REPORT%20ON%20SEXUAL%20ABUSE.pdf
This handbook is designed to contribute towards creating a safe, caring, and enabling
environment for learning and teaching in public schools in South Africa. The purpose of
the handbook is to equip learners with knowledge and understanding of sexual harass-
ment and sexual violence, its implications, ways to protect themselves from perpetra-
tors, and where to report incidences of sexual violence or harassment.
***
HIV education in South African schools: The dilemma and conflicts of edu-
cators
by Nazeema Ahmed, Alan J. Flisher, Catherine Mathews et al.

Scand J Public Health, June 2009, Vol. 37, No. 2, Suppl. 48-54
7 pp. 100 kB:

http://sjp.sagepub.com/content/37/2_suppl/48.full.pdf+html
Educators within the school system are well placed to facilitate the dissemination of
knowledge and skills in order for adolescents to be equipped for appropriate sexual de-
cision-making. The aim of this research was to provide an understanding of educators’
beliefs, attitudes and behaviours with regard to sexual and reproductive health promo-
tion. The findings highlight the need for a comprehensive approach towards sexual
health intervention programmes that is sensitive to the cultural and social context in
which it is developed and implemented.

Information and Communication Technology in Education: A Curriculum
for Schools and Programme of Teacher Development
by Evgueni Khvilon and Mariana Patru

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), 2004
150 pp. 1.1 MB:

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?catno=129538&gp=1&mode=e&lin=1
This publication has two key purposes. The first is to specify a curriculum in ICT for sec-
ondary schools that is in line with current international ends. The second purpose is to
outline a programme of professional development for teachers necessary to implement
the specified ICT curriculum successfully.
Harm Reduction and Drug Use
Beyond Ratification: The Future for U.S. Engagement on International

Tobacco Control
by Thomas J. Bollyky
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), November 2010
26 pp. 1.0 MB:

http://csis.org/files/publication/111210_Bollyky_ByndRatifica_WEB.pdf
Tobacco use is arguably the greatest threat to global health. Tobacco use and second-
hand smoke kill more people annually than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria com-
bined. Unless action is taken, an expanding pandemic of tobacco-related diseases
promises to disable and kill hundreds of millions more in coming decades, mostly in low-
and middle-income countries.
***
Inequitable access to substance abuse treatment services in Cape Town,

South Africa
by Bronwyn J Myers, Johann Louw and Sonja C Pasche

Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 2010, 5:28 (15 November 2010)
39 pp. 185 kB:

http://www.substanceabusepolicy.com/content/pdf/1747-597x-5-28.pdf
Despite high levels of substance use disorders in Cape Town, substance abuse treat-
ment utilization is low among people from disadvantaged communities in Cape Town,
South Africa. To improve substance abuse treatment utilization, it is important to identify
any potential barriers to treatment initiation so that interventions to reduce these barriers
can be implemented.
Global Health
Key Players in Global Health

How Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa Are Influencing the Game

Editor Katherine E. Bliss
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), November 2010
78 pp. 1.3 MB:

http://csis.org/files/publication/101110_Bliss_KeyPlayers_WEB.pdf
This report represents the first step in an 18-month CSIS initiative fo-
cused on how the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries and South Africa
are influencing activities, practices, and strategies in the area of global health diplo-
macy.
***
Organised crime and the efforts to combat it: a concern for public health
by Lucy Reynolds and Martin McKee

Globalization and Health 2010, 6:21 (15 November 2010)
29 pp. 292 kB:

http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/pdf/1744-8603-6-21.pdf
This paper considers the public health impacts of the income-generating activities of or-
ganised crime. These range from the traditional vice activities of running prostitution and
supplying narcotics, to the newer growth areas of human trafficking in its various forms,
the theft of human tissues for transplant, smuggling of migrants, and sale of fake medi-
cations, foodstuffs, cigarettes and other counterfeit manufactures. It argues that conven-
tional approaches to tackling organised crime often have deleterious consequences for
public health and calls for an evidence-based approach with a focus on outcomes rather
than ideology.
***
Chronic diseases: global action must match global evidence
by Robert Beaglehole and Richard Horton

The Lancet, Vol. 376, Issue 9753, pp. 1619-1621, (13 November
2010)
3 pp. 358 kB:

d=e16241398b8eb460:171b4d28:12c4996f4dc:65821289731803058
In September 2011, the UN will hold its first High-level Meeting of the General Assembly
on chronic non-communicable diseases. The Lancet’s third Series of papers on chronic
diseases is the Journal’s contribution to preparations for the September meeting. In this
comment, the authors claim that our collective failure to address the chronic disease
pandemic is a political failure rather than a technical failure, given that proven cost-
effective interventions are available. The compelling science base for the prevention of
chronic disease contrasts starkly with the limited action in countries where the burden is
greatest.
For all papers of the Series see: http://www.lancet.com/series/chronic-diseases-and-

development
***

Development Assistance
The Reality of Aid 2010: A critical assessment of German development pol-

icy
by Jens Martens
Deutsche Welthungerhilfe & terre des homes Germany, November 2010
English summary (8 pp. 296 kB):

http://www.welthungerhilfe.de/fileadmin/media/pdf/Wirklichkeit_Ent
wicklungshilfe/Wirklichkeit_englisch-Kurzfassung_18_2010_Internet.pdf
Full text German version (60 pp. 1.1 MB):

http://www.tdh.de/content/materialien/download/download_wrapper.php?id=319
Against the backdrop of the declarations of intent made by the BMZ (Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development) on this topic, this year’s report explores the
new priority set on cooperation between the BMZ and the private sector and analyses
the associated areas of tension. The conclusions and political recommendations of the
editors specify shortcomings in the current public-private partnership programmes and
from these derive requirements for their future design in terms of cultivating local
economies, which is more desirable in development policy than promoting foreign trade.
***
Cash on Delivery: A New Approach to Foreign Aid
by Nancy Birdsall, Ayah Mahgoub and William D. Savedoff

Center for Global Development, November 2010
8 pp. 201 kB:

http://www.cgdev.org/files/1424603_file_CashDelivery_FINAL.pdf
Foreign aid often works, but it is often criticized for being ineffective or even for under-
mining progress in developing countries. This brief* describes a new approach, Cash on
Delivery Aid, which gives recipients full responsibility and authority over funds paid in
proportion to verified measures of progress.
*For the full document (136 pp.) see:

http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1423949
***
Measuring Capacity
Capacity Development Group, Bureau for Development Policy, United

Nations Development Programme, 2010
40 pp. 368 kB:

http://europeandcis.undp.org/cd/show/FF98D677-F203-1EE9-
B8D2CD351740FEA7
UNDP defines capacity as “the ability of individuals, institutions, and societies to perform
functions, solve problems, and set and achieve objectives in a sustainable manner.”
This paper attempts to help development practitioners unbundle this term. First, by de-

fining the starting point: an institution’s ability to perform, sustain performance over time,
and manage change and shocks; second, by offering programmatic responses that can
drive improvement in these areas; and third, by presenting a framework for capturing the
resulting change.
***
Development without Freedom: How Aid Underwrites Repression in Ethio-

pia
by Ben Rawlence; Leslie Lefkow, Georgette Gagnon et al.

Human Rights Watch, 2010
111 pp. 2.0 MB:

http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/ethiopia1010webwcover.pdf
This report documents the ways in which the Ethiopian government uses donor-
supported resources and aid as a tool to consolidate the power of the ruling Ethiopian
People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Ethiopia is one of the world’s largest
recipients of development aid, more than US$ 3 billion in 2008 alone. The government
has used donor-supported programs, salaries, and training opportunities as political
weapons to control the population, punish dissent, and undermine political opponents -
both real and perceived. Local officials deny these people access to seeds and fertilizer,
agricultural land, credit, food aid, and other resources for development.
***
Growth and Development in Emerging Markets and Other Developing

Countries
Report prepared by Staff of the World Bank for G20 Growth

Framework and Mutual Assessment Process, November 2010
37 pp. 925 kB:

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DEC/Resources/G20-
Report-Seoul.pdf
Rebalancing of global growth should aim to lift, not just shift, growth, argues the World
Bank report prepared for the G20 Seoul summit. The report highlights links between
global growth, rebalancing, and development in an increasingly multipolar world econ-
omy.
Others
Because I am a Girl: Digital and Urban Frontiers 2010

The State of the World’s Girls 2010
by Alistair Clay, Alexander Munive, Aimee Suchard et al.

Plan International, 2010
199 pp. 6.7 MB:

http://plan-
international.org/files/global/publications/campaigns/BIAAG_2010_EN2.pdf
We know that investing in girls and young women has a disproportionately beneficial ef-

fect in alleviating poverty for everyone; not only the girls themselves but their families,
communities and entire countries. Everyone benefits, including boys and men. That ar-
gument chimes with the issues of justice and equality of opportunity, and is another rea-
son why Plan is making its ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign one of its flagship priorities in
the years ahead.
***
Hidden cities: Unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban set-

tings
by Jonathan Abrahams, Fiona Adshead, Andrew Adwera et al.

The WHO Centre for Health Development, Kobe, and United Nations
Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), 2010
145 pp. 3.3 MB:

http://www.hiddencities.org/downloads/WHO_UN-
HABITAT_Hidden_Cities_Web.pdf
Hidden cities highlights the challenges and opportunities urbanization brings and its ef-
fect on the well-being of all urbanites. While it is generally understood that city dwellers
on average, enjoy better health than their rural counterparts, very little is known about
health differences that exist within cities. The report reveals the urban health inequities
that are the result of the circumstances in which people grow, live, work and age, and
the health systems they can access.
***
Community-based rehabilitation guidelines
Editors: Chapal Khasnabis and Karen Heinicke Motsch

World Health Organization, 2010
Introductory booklet (77 pp. 4.0 MB):

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241548052_intro
ductory_eng.pdf
The guidelines provide CBR managers, among others, with practical suggestions on
how to develop or strengthen CBR programmes and ensure that people with disabilities
and their family members are able to access the benefits of the health, education, liveli-
hood and social sectors. The guidelines have a strong focus on empowerment through
facilitation of the inclusion and participation of disabled people, their family members,
and communities in all development and decision-making processes.
For the other components of the CBR guidelines:

 Health component  Social component
 Education component  Empowerment component
 Livelihood component  Supplementary booklet
see: http://www.who.int/disabilities/cbr/guidelines/en/
***
What is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and de-
parture countries? A scoping review
by Rory Johnston, Valorie A. Crooks, Jeremy Snyder, Paul Kingsbury

International Journal for Equity in Health 2010, 9:24 (3 November 2010)

41 pp. 535 kB:
http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/pdf/1475-9276-9-24.pdf
Medical tourism involves patients intentionally leaving their home country to access
nonemergency health care services abroad. Growth in the popularity of this practice has
resulted in a significant amount of attention being given to it from researchers, policy-
makers, and the media. Yet, there has been little effort to systematically synthesize what
is known about the effects of this phenomenon. This article presents the findings of a
scoping review examining what is known about the effects of medical tourism in destina-
tion and departure countries.
***
Risk Thresholds in Humanitarian Assistance
by Madeleine Kingston and Oliver Behn

European Interagency Security Forum (EISF), 2010
32 pp. 422 kB:

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-
8B5HD8/$file/EISF_Oct2010.pdf?openelement
This study is concerned with risk management within humanitarian programmes. The
authors look at how agencies define and express their attitude to risk, and consider how
organisational and operational priorities might be better integrated. The study is there-
fore addressed to senior management as well as security specialists.
***
Defining and Measuring Social Cohesion

Social Policies in Small States Series, No. 1
by Jane Jenson
Commonwealth Secretariat and United Nations Research Institute for So-
cial Development (UNRISD) 2010
40 pp. 292 kB:

http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpAuxPages)/170C271B7168CC3
0C12577D0004BA206/$file/Jenson%20ebook.pdf
Social cohesion is a concept with multiple definitions and uses in the development
community. Its general aim is to ensure that all citizens, without discrimination and on an
equal footing, have access to fundamental social and economic rights. The author ex-
amines this concept in policy debates and assesses its role in social development.
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Tools, instruments, and methodologies for improving aid effectiveness at
the national level
http://www.aideffectiveness.org/tools
Methods for improving aid effectiveness at the country level are evolving
rapidly. There is now a wealth of tools, instruments and methodologies available to as-
sist partner countries and their development partners achieve their aid-effectiveness

goals. This Portal offers practitioners ready access to this toolkit.
***
District Health Information Software 2
http://www.dhis2.org/
DHIS 2 is the flexible and reliable health information system and a tool for collection,
validation, analysis, and presentation of aggregate statistical data, tailored to integrated
health information management activities. It is a generic tool rather than a pre-
configured database application, with an open meta-data model and a flexible user in-
terface that allows the user to design the contents of a specific information system with-
out the need for programming. DHIS 2 is open source software and free of charge.
***
Open Medical Record System (OpenMRS)
http://openmrs.org/
OpenMRS is a community-developed, open source, enterprise electronic medical record

system platform that can be customized to the needs of clinical and research organiza-
tions. It is robust enough for a nationwide health care system, and nimble enough for a
field-based clinic. And best of all, it is open source, which means you can build on what
others have done to realize new ideas and create the ideal software for your needs.
***
Accountability tools for policy research
http://www.oneworldtrust.org/apro/
The One World Trust, with support from the International Develop-
ment Research Centre (IDRC), has created an interactive, online da-
tabase of tools to help organisations conducting policy relevant re-
search become more accountable.
INTERESTING WEB SITES

AIDSTAR-Two
http://www.aidstar-two.org/
AIDSTAR-Two delivers capacity-building programmes designed to meet the needs of a

wide range of organizations working in the area of HIV/AIDS. They collaborate with local
nongovernmental and civil society organizations, service delivery networks, public sec-
tor institutions and Global Fund bodies.
***

Health UnBound (HUB) - Connect Sharing Transforming
http://www.healthunbound.org/
HUB is a meeting place and connector for those who care

about transforming health systems to improve health out-
comes in low and middle-income countries. It aggregates con-
tent, facilitates idea exchange, and creates community between the diverse constituen-
cies that can benefit from, and improve access to health information.
***
iSA Clinical Platform

Web Platform for Support in Infectious Diseases & Oncology
http://www.isaplatform.com
International Support Action (iSA) Clinical Platform is a global platform for the exchange
of clinical cases. The aim of this project is to provide an expert diagnostic opinion to
hospitals in Africa and Latin America, which may not have the knowledge to manage
certain complex cases in infectious diseases and oncology. Everyone is welcome to join
and obtain access to these specialized opinions.
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Tropical Medicine Expedition to East Africa
Round-Trip Training Courses on Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health for
Healthcare Professionals
Tropmedex Kenya: 23nd January - 4th February 2011

Tropmedex Tanzania: 20th February - 5th March 2011
Tropmedex Uganda: 29th January - 10th February 2012
Tropmedex Tanzania: 26th February - 10th March 2012
Course Content:
Malaria, visceral leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, dengue fever and
new emerging arboviral infections, HIV/AIDS and related opportunistic infections, oph-
talmology in the tropics, DD of fever and diarrhoea in the tropics (selection)
Target Audience: Healthcare professionals

Language: English
Fees: EUR 3,590 to EUR 3,990
For more information contact:
Kay Schaefer
Tel.: +49-221-340-4905
Fax: +49-221-340-4905
mailto:info@tropmedex.com
or see: http://www.tropmedex.com
For more courses and conferences see also:

http://www.going-international.at/index.php?lang=EN

CONFERENCES
2nd Conference of the African Health Economics and Policy Association
(AfHEA)
15th to 17th March 2011

Saly Portudal, Senegal
The overall theme of this conference is “Toward universal health coverage in Africa”.
Universal coverage is understood to mean providing financial protection against health
care costs for all, as well as ensuring access to quality health care for all when needed.
The conference organizers call on all African health economists and health policy ana-
lysts, those working in Africa or on research of relevance to Africa to submit abstracts.
For more information see: http://afhea.org/
***
HIV Capacity Building Partners Summit
16th -18th March 2011, Nairobi, Kenya
The HIV Capacity Building Partners Summit is being organised to take stock of pro-
gress, achievements and lessons in HIV capacity building, share best practices, innova-
tions and lessons in critical areas affecting capacity building for effective HIV response
in the African region. It will further build consensus on a joint plan of action to secure a
medium to long term policy and programme action that will strengthen and streamline
investments.
For more information see: http://www.hivcapacityforum.org/
CARTOON

TIPS & TRICKS
Track Flights with Google
With the holidays on the way, airports will be jammed, security will be stepped up, and,
as a result, the flight a family member or friend was supposed to be on might be a little
later than expected. Too bad you just made a two hour drive to sit for three hours and
wait...
Next time, let Google help you determine whether or not the flight is on time before mak-
ing the drive! Simply go to http://Google.com and put in the airline name and flight num-
ber (e.g. lufthansa 576):
Google will give you an estimated departure and arrival time, and all without having to
navigate a convoluted airline website!
Best regards,
Dieter Neuvians MD

Health, Education, Social Protection News &amp; Notes 24/2010

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Health, Education, Social Protection

News & Notes 24/2010

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 5

HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 1

HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 2

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

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

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

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

HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 3

by Barbara Kritzer and John Jankowski

328 pp. 2.9 MB:

World Social Security Report 2010/11: Providing coverage in times of crisis

UN International Labour Organization (ILO), November 2010

299 pp. 6.2 MB:

Natural Hazards, UnNatural Disasters: The Economics of Effective Preven-

by Apurva Sanghi, S. Ramachandran, Alejandro de la Fuente et al.

280 pp. 18.1 MB(!):

HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 4

The Global Fund Operations Policy Manual

The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, 30 Septem-

229 pp. 2.1 MB:

Gene research finds clues to AIDS survival

Read online at:

Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and

by Carel Pretorius, John Stover, Lori Bollinger et al.

10 pp. 771 kB:

HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 5

Migration, Mobility and HIV: A rapid Assessment of Risks and Vulnerabili-

by John Connell and Joel Negin

66 pp. 1.8 MB:

by Amy Kaler and Susan Watkins

30 pp. 405 kB:

Preventing Gender-Based Violence and HIV: Lessons from the Field

by Mary Ellsberg and Myra Betron

4 pp. 341 kB:

Gender-based violence (GBV) is increasingly recognized as a critical driver of the HIV

HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 6

Community-Level Program Information Reporting for HIV/AIDS Programs

MEASURE Evaluation, November 2010

Download all Modules at:

Community-Level Program Information Reporting for HIV/AIDS Programs (CLPIR)

Sexual & Reproductive Health

How Universal is Access to Reproductive Health?

by Edilberto Loaiza and Sarah Blake

52 pp. 2.7 MB:

by K.G. Santhya, Usha Ram, Rajib Acharya et al.

8 pp. 143 kB:

HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 7

Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women

by Alexander Butchart, Claudia Garcia-Moreno, Christopher Mikton et al.

102 pp. 1.0 MB:

Comprehensive Reproductive Health and Family Planning Training Cur-

by Pathfinder International, 2010

Pathfinder International's comprehensive training modules cover core top-

The Role of Policymakers in Ending Female Genital Mutilation: An African

By Ambassador Amina Salum Ali

4 pp. 304 kB:

HESP-News & Notes - 24/2010 - page 8

By Margaret E. Greene and Andrew Levack

40 pp. 512 kB:

Maternal & Child Health

by Ban Ki-moon, Lee Myung-bak, Bingu wa Mutharika et al.

56 pp. 3.3 MB:

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 24/2010

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 24/2010