Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 23/2009

Health, Education, Social Protection News & Notes 23/2009 A bi-weekly newsletter supported by GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit) 03 November 2009 You can download back issues (2005 - 2009) of this newsletter at: http://hiv-prg.org/en/newsletters

Table of Contents: BOOKS ................................................................................ 4 ABC de la Redacción y Publicación Médico-Científica 2009.................................................. 4 Protéger les plus démunis: Guide de la micro-assurance ...................................................... 4 Linking Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV: Evidence Review & Recommendations.. 4 Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific................................................................................. 5 Emergency Exercise Development ......................................................................................... 5 Financing Social Policy: Mobilizing Resources for Social Development ................................ 5

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS .................................................... 6 HIV - AIDS - STI ........................................................................................................... 6 HIV Scale-Up and Global Health Systems.............................................................................. 6 What Works to Prevent and Treat AIDS ................................................................................. 6 Understanding HIV-1 Incidence in Eastern and Southern Africa ............................................ 6 HIV/AIDS treatment in developing countries........................................................................... 7 Addressing HIV and AIDS in the workplace: Lessons Learnt from Civil Society Organisations and Donors....................................................................................................... 7 Community Responses to HIV and AIDS................................................................................ 7 Postnatal HIV-1 Transmission after Cessation of Infant Extended Antiretroviral Prophylaxis and Effect of Maternal Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy.................................................... 8 Immune control of HIV-1 infection after therapy interruption: immediate versus deferred antiretroviral therapy................................................................................................................ 8 Responding to questions about the 100% condom use programme - A job aid for programme staff ...................................................................................................................... 8 Intermediary Organisations Capacity Analysis........................................................................ 9 Social inequality & HIV-testing: Comparing home- and clinic-based testing in rural Malawi.. 9 A combined microfinance and training intervention can reduce HIV risk behaviour in young female participants .................................................................................................................. 9

Sexual & Reproductive Health ................................................................................... 10 The Adolescent Experience In-depth: Using Data to Identify and Reach the Most Vulnerable Young People........................................................................................................................ 10

Maternal & Child Health ............................................................................................. 10 Accelerating Progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5 - No Woman Should Die Giving Life ............................................................................................................................. 10 Treatment of retained placenta with misoprostol: a randomised controlled trial in a lowresource setting (Tanzania)................................................................................................... 10

Malaria........................................................................................................................ 11 Coartem®: reviewing the impact on the malaria landscape.................................................. 11 Managing insecticide resistance in malaria vectors by combining carbamate-treated plastic wall sheeting and pyrethroid-treated bed nets ...................................................................... 11 Barriers to the effective treatment and prevention of malaria in Africa: A systematic review of qualitative studies.................................................................................................................. 11 Efficacy and safety of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for malaria in African infants: a pooled analysis of six randomised, placebo-controlled trials ... 12

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Protective efficacy and safety of three antimalarial regimens for intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in infants: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial ......... 12

Tuberculosis ............................................................................................................... 12 The Past and Future of Tuberculosis Research.................................................................... 12 Delay in Tuberculosis case detection in Pwani region, Tanzania. a cross sectional study .. 13

Other Infectious Diseases .......................................................................................... 13 Trachoma: global magnitude of a preventable cause of blindness....................................... 13 The Global Burden of Trachoma: A Review.......................................................................... 13

Essential Medicines.................................................................................................... 14 HIV drug patents in the spotlight ........................................................................................... 14 The Cost of Antiretrovirals: Maximizing Value for Money ..................................................... 14

Social Security............................................................................................................ 14 The IMF’s Role in Helping Protect the Most Vulnerable in the Global Crisis........................ 14 Building adequate social protection systems and protecting people in the Arab region....... 14 Providing for Health: Framework for Assessing and Promoting Social Health Protection.... 15 Assessing the success of microinsurance programmes in meeting the insurance needs of the poor ................................................................................................................................. 15 Pre-requisites for National Health Insurance in South Africa: Results of a national household survey .................................................................................................................................... 15

Human Resources...................................................................................................... 16 Task Shifting for Scale-up of HIV Care: Evaluation of Nurse-Centered Antiretroviral Treatment at Rural Health Centers in Rwanda ..................................................................... 16 The Role of Nonphysician Clinicians in the Rapid Expansion of HIV Care in Mozambique. 16 Building capacity in field epidemiology: lessons learned from the experience in Europe..... 16

Health Systems & Research ...................................................................................... 17 Removing User Fees in the Health Sector in Low-Income Countries: A Multi-Country Review................................................................................................................................... 17 Removing User Fees in the Health Sector in Low-Income Countries: A Policy Guidance Note for Programme Managers............................................................................................. 17 Evaluating the Impact of Community Based Health Interventions: Evidence from Brazil’s Family Health Program.......................................................................................................... 17 Implementation research design: integrating participatory action research into randomized controlled trials ...................................................................................................................... 18 Helping researchers become policy entrepreneurs .............................................................. 18

Information & Communication Technology ................................................................ 18 The Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times ............... 18 ICT Update Magazine Issue 51, October 2009: Mobile services.......................................... 19

Education ................................................................................................................... 19 Making education work for all................................................................................................ 19 Towards Education for All ..................................................................................................... 19 Confronting the shadow education system ........................................................................... 20 Manual for Monitoring and Evaluating Education Partnerships ............................................ 20 Innovation in the Connected Classroom, India ..................................................................... 20

Harm Reduction and Drug Use .................................................................................. 20 WHO, UNODC, UNAIDS Technical Guide for countries to set targets for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users................................................. 20 Drug Policy and Results in Australia ..................................................................................... 21 Packages of Care for Alcohol Use Disorders in Low- And Middle-Income Countries .......... 21 Showing the Truth, Saving Lives: The Case for Pictorial Health Warnings .......................... 21

Millennium Development Goals.................................................................................. 22 Assessing Progress in Africa towards the Millennium Development Goals.......................... 22 More money for health, and more health for the money ....................................................... 22

Development Assistance............................................................................................ 22 The evolution and future of donor assistance for HIV/AIDS ................................................. 22 Development Aid in times of economic turmoil ..................................................................... 23 Aid, Paris and the Private Sector: How to Square the Circle ................................................ 23 Aid Effectiveness Agenda: Benefits of a European Approach .............................................. 23 Improving aid effectiveness: A review of recent initiatives for civil society organizations..... 24

Others......................................................................................................................... 24 Health Problems Heat Up: Climate Change and the Public’s Health ................................... 24 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development.......................................................... 24

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Global Health Risks: Mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks .. 25

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ............................................ 25 AIDSspace ............................................................................................................................ 25 A Good Place to Start: The IDS Knowledge Services guide to finding development information online .................................................................................................................. 25 ePlatform for mHealth in Developing Countries .................................................................... 26 The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries ................................................................. 26 International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT)...........................................................................................................26 Micro Insurance Matters........................................................................................................ 26

INTERESTING WEB SITES .............................................. 27 WHO web sites on infectious diseases - Sites internet de l’OMS sur les maladies infectieuses ........................................................................................................................... 27 MalariaWorld ......................................................................................................................... 27 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women ............. 27 The Urban Reproductive Health Initiative ............................................................................. 27

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES............................................ 28 Advanced Clinical Skills Centre Refresher............................................................................ 28 E-learning Course: Health Outcomes and the Poor.............................................................. 28

CONFERENCES................................................................ 28 Book of Abstracts - 5th MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference ............................................. 28

CARTOON ......................................................................... 29 TIPS & TRICKS ................................................................. 29 Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor .................................................................................................29

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BOOKS ABC de la Redacción y Publicación Médico-Científica 2009 Segunda edición Editores: Eduardo Aranda Torrelio, Nicolás Mitru Tejerina, Rolando Costa Ardúz Elite Impresiones, Septiembre de 2009; ISBN: 978-99954-0-670-7 284 pp. 3.4 MB: http://www.fb4d.com/pdf/abc.pdf La segunda edición de “ABC de la redacción y comunicación científica” se constituye en otro aporte impreso y dedicado a profesionales de Ciencias de la salud, interesados en transcribir en un escrito médico sus observaciones o investigaciones, contribuyendo así al acervo bibliográfico de la Medicina boliviana. Sus diferentes secciones contienen capítulos que van desde las definiciones o fundamentos inherentes a los diferentes tipos de publicaciones médicas, hasta conceptualizaciones sobre la Ética de la comunicación científica y recomendaciones expresas para editores y autores de esas obras. ***

Protéger les plus démunis: Guide de la micro-assurance Sous la direction de Craig Churchill Fondation Munich Re et Organisation Internationale du Travail, 2009; ISBN 978-92-2-219254-0 763 pp. 2.8 MB: http://www.microinsurancenetwork.org/file/Microinsurance_Comp_FR.pdf

Ce guide de référence rassemble les dernières réflexions d’éminents universitaires, actuaires, et professionnels de l’assurance et du développement dans le domaine de la micro-assurance. Vaste source d’informations pratiques, il offre le panorama de la micro-assurance le plus exhaustif à ce jour. ***

Linking Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV: Evidence Review & Recommendations by Caitlin Kennedy, Alicen Spaulding, Gail Kennedy et al. WHO/HIV, UNFPA, IPPF-HIV, UNAIDS, UCSF, 2009 410 pp. 3.0 MB: http://www.igh.org/linkages/SRH-HIV-Report-full.pdf The importance of linking sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV is widely recognized. In order to gain a clearer understanding of the effectiveness, optimal circumstances, and best practices for strengthening SRH and HIV linkages, a systematic review of the literature was conducted. The findings corroborate the many benefits gained from linking SRH and HIV policies, systems and services. *** HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 4

Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific Edited by Isabel D. Ortiz Asian Development Bank, 2001; ISBN: 971-561-367-5; Hardcopy price: US$ 20.00 707 pp. 35.7 MB (!): http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/Social_Protection/social_protection.pdf

or download chapter by chapter at: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/Social_Protection/ The publication is a practical and comprehensive manual for policy-makers and professionals in the field. The volume presents a menu of social protection interventions and the way to prioritize them, assessing for each topic:  theoretical approaches  project design issues in the five areas of social protection - labor markets, social insurance, social assistance, micro and area-based schemes to protect communities, and child protection The appendixes provide a thorough matrix summarizing social protection policies, and detailed statistical tables. ***

Emergency Exercise Development World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, 2009; ISBN 978 92 9061 419 7 415 pp. 1.8 MB: http://www.wpro.who.int/NR/rdonlyres/8B61284E-F145-4EDD-829FA0B3EC30E791/0/EmergencyExerciseDevelopment_webupload.pdf

As an outcome of your organization’s emergency planning process, plans should be in place that specify how you prepare for a pandemic or potential communicable disease events that may have international consequences, how you will respond if an event occurs, how you will mitigate the potential effects of emergencies, and how you will recover. This course manual is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of exercise design and to prepare you to design and conduct an exercise for your organization. ***

Financing Social Policy: Mobilizing Resources for Social Development by Katja Hujo and Shea McClanahan Palgrave, 400 pp. October 2009, ISBN: 978-0-230-57664-3, Price US$ 70.00 Download Sample Chapter (43 pp. 188 kB): http://www.palgrave.com/PDFs/9780230576643.Pdf To order online go to: http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?PID=335893 There has never been a more urgent need for governments to secure adequate and stable resources for social development: inequalities are on the rise, a severe global food crisis threatens to eliminate the achievements some countries have made over recent years, and the neoliberal policy toolkit has been largely discredited. The authors HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 5

explore the economic, social and political implications and the developmental impact of a wide range of potential resources – including taxation, aid, mineral rents, social insurance, pension funds and remittances – for financing social policy in development countries.

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS HIV - AIDS - STI HIV Scale-Up and Global Health Systems Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) Volume 52 Supplement 1, November 2009, pp: S1-S68 See Table of Contents: http://journals.lww.com/jaids/toc/2009/11011 This supplement of JAIDS examines the impact of HIV scale-up on health systems in a diverse array of countries and contexts, building on discussions that took place at a meeting at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in September 2008 that focused on these issues. Access to and download of all 19 journal articles is free. ***

What Works to Prevent and Treat AIDS A review of cost-effectiveness literature with a long-term perspective by Lisa M. DeMaria, Sergio A. Bautista-Arredondo, Omar Galárraga et al. Results for Development Institute, 2009 36 pp. 336 kB: http://www.resultsfordevelopment.org/sites/default/files/resources/What%20Work s%20to%20Prevent%20and%20Treat%20AIDS.pdf This paper presents recent findings regarding costs and cost-effectiveness of AIDS prevention, treatment and care interventions, which can be used to inform a long-term strategic response to the epidemic. The paper updates the chapter on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment in the 2006 Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries (DCP). In the three years following the publication of that chapter, 21 additional studies of costeffectiveness of HIV prevention interventions were produced, including studies containing new data on male circumcision and structural interventions. ***

Understanding HIV-1 Incidence in Eastern and Southern Africa A Guidance Note for Policy Makers, HIV Programmers and HIV Monitoring and Evaluation Practitioners by Mark Colvin, Rob Dorrington, Peter Ghys et al. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, June 2009 20 pp. 2.0 MB: http://www.unaidsrstesa.org/files/Incidence_june_09.pdf In the absence of a perfect single method of determining HIV incidence at a population level, countries are advised to draw on multiple approaches to triangulate or synthesise HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 6

findings from all available incidence data. This guidance note aims to help policymakers, HIV programmers, researchers and M&E practitioners understand what is known about HIV incidence, how they can best interpret and use HIV incidence data and the decisions they can make to promote the appropriate use of HIV incidence data in the improvement of HIV prevention responses. ***

HIV/AIDS treatment in developing countries The battle for long-term survival has just begun Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines - Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), July 2009 8 pp. 941 kB: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/reports/2009/ msf_hiv-aids-treatment_battle-for-long-term-survival.pdf Over three million people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, the medicines and diagnostic tools available are inadequate to respond fully to their needs. In addition, seven million people are in need of treatment and are still waiting for access. It is now time to invest in improving the public health approach. Treatment scale up must continue so that more people in need receive treatment and care. ***

Addressing HIV and AIDS in the workplace: Lessons Learnt from Civil Society Organisations and Donors by Lotte Ghielen STOP AIDS NOW! 2009 28 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.stopaidsnow.org/documents/WPP_LessonsLearnt_July09.pdf

For a number of years, STOP AIDS NOW! and its partners have been investing in stimulating workplace responses among civil society organisations (CSOs) to HIV and AIDS. This report summarises the lessons learnt, and draws on over 40 documents that have been produced detailing the work of STOP AIDS NOW! and its partners. The authors provide a tool for many people to learn from others’ experiences, and so to improve responses to HIV and AIDS in the workplace. ***

Community Responses to HIV and AIDS United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) - Research and Policy Brief 8, September 2009 6 pp. 273 kB: http://groups.google.com/group/health-education-social-protection-newsnotes/web/UNRISD-RPB8e.pdf Although the AIDS epidemic has been examined from many angles, there is still a paucity of data on how communities themselves are responding to it. The poorest households and their extended families are assuming often overwhelming burdens in reHESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 7

sponse to AIDS, with the support of community organizations. Research findings suggest that connections across communities that enable people to survive and cope urgently need “vertical” links to national and global resources to sustain and transform lives. ***

Postnatal HIV-1 Transmission after Cessation of Infant Extended Antiretroviral Prophylaxis and Effect of Maternal Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy by Taha E. Taha, Johnstone Kumwenda, Stephen R. Cole et al. The Journal of Infectious Diseases 2009; 200:1490-1497 (15 November 2009) 8 pp. 333 kB: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/644598 These analyses from a large follow-up study of infants uninfected with HIV at 14 weeks of age show that transmission of HIV through breast milk continues after cessation of extended antiretroviral prophylaxis in infants. They also suggest that the effectiveness of extended infant prophylaxis is restricted primarily to the period when the prophylactic drug is administered. Therefore, additional preventive measures are needed as long as the infant continues breast-feeding. ***

Immune control of HIV-1 infection after therapy interruption: immediate versus deferred antiretroviral therapy by Paola Paci, Rossella Carello, Massimo Bernaschi et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2009, 9:172 (19 October 2009) 26 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2334-9-172.pdf The optimal stage for initiating antiretroviral therapies in HIV-1 bearing patients is still a matter of debate. Simulations show that immediate therapy does not prolong the disease-free period and does not confer a survival benefit when compared to treatment started during the chronic infection phase. The authors conclude that, since there is no therapy to date that guarantees life-long protection, deferral of therapy should be preferred in order to minimize the risk of adverse effects, the occurrence of drug resistances and the costs of treatment. ***

Responding to questions about the 100% condom use programme - A job aid for programme staff (Second Edition) WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, May 2009 ISBN 9788290614258 60 pp. 602 kB: http://www.wpro.who.int/NR/rdonlyres/789F079F-96DE-463F9D4D-F62501884596/0/RespondingtoQuestionsaboutCUP_forupload.pdf This document is intended to help the 100% condom use programme (CUP) technical staff to anticipate the kinds of questions that may be asked about the programme and to HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 8

identify strategies and points of information that may help them to respond appropriately in their settings. Contained in this document are samples of questions that have been posed to programme staff about the 100% CUP. Points that might be addressed in response to these questions are also included. ***

Intermediary Organisations Capacity Analysis A toolkit for assessing and building capacities for high quality responses to HIV by Jane Shepherd The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (The Alliance), January 2008 66 pp. 485 kB: http://www.aidsalliance.org/graphics/secretariat/publications/Inter mediary_Capacity_analysis.pdf Building the organisational, HIV technical, and policy capacity of civil society organisations is key to planning and delivering high-quality responses to HIV. This toolkit provides structured approaches to the participatory identification of capacity building needs and planning of responses. They allow users to generate both quantitative and qualitative baselines which can be used to track progress in organisational development. ***

Social inequality & HIV-testing: Comparing home- and clinic-based testing in rural Malawi by Alexander A. Weinreb and Guy Stecklov Demographic Research Vol. 21, Article 21, pp. 627-646 (30 October 2009) 22 pp. 456 kB: http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol21/21/ This paper highlights a problematic aspect of the plan to increase HIV testing in Africa: the reliance on clinic- rather than home-based testing. The authors demonstrate the substantial differences in socio-demographic and economic profiles between those who report having ever had an HIV test, and those who report never having had one. They show that substituting home-based for clinic-based testing may eliminate this source of inequality between those tested and those not tested, which has important implications for accurately and equitably addressing the counselling and treatment programmes that comprise the international health strategy against AIDS. ***

A combined microfinance and training intervention can reduce HIV risk behaviour in young female participants by Paul M. Pronyk, Julia C. Kima, Tanya Abramsky et al. AIDS 2008, 22:1659-1665 7 pp. 105 kB: http://www.sef.co.za/files/08%20%20Pronyk%20IMAGE%20on%20HIV%20AIDS%202008.pdf

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In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV infection rates remain disproportionately high among young women, especially if they are poor. Research has suggested that an intervention combining microfinance with a gender and HIV training curriculum can lead to improvements in household economic well being, women’s empowerment and may also influence HIV risk behavior among younger women who received the intervention.

Sexual & Reproductive Health The Adolescent Experience In-depth: Using Data to Identify and Reach the Most Vulnerable Young People Data, Tables, Graphs and Maps Based on the Demographic and Health Surveys The Population Council and UNFPA, 2009 Download country reports (each ca. 40-60 pp. 1.5 MB) as PDF files at: http://www.popcouncil.org/publications/PGY_AdolDataGuides.html The purpose of this Fact Book series, which draws principally on data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), is to provide decision makers at all levels - from governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and advocacy groups - with data on the situation of adolescent girls and boys and young women in 50 countries. The age range covered is 10-24 years.

Maternal & Child Health Accelerating Progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5 - No Woman Should Die Giving Life United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2009 14 pp. 179 kB: http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/753_filename_thematic_fund.pdf

This paper provides an overview of the Thematic Fund for Maternal Health initiated by UNFPA. The aim of the Fund is to raise nearly US$ 500 million to save the lives of women who experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth. The thematic fund will focus on supporting 75 countries with the greatest need. In addition to its focus on meeting countries’ needs, it will demonstrate good practices for scaling up efforts. It will be launched in a phased manner. ***

Treatment of retained placenta with misoprostol: a randomised controlled trial in a low-resource setting (Tanzania) Study protocol by Heleen J van Beekhuizen, Andrea B Pembe, Heiner Fauteck and Fred K Lotgering BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2009, 9:48 (23 October 2009) 14 pp. 152 kB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2393-9-48.pdf Retained placenta is one of the common causes of maternal mortality in developing HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 10

countries where access to appropriate obstetrical care is limited. Current treatment of retained placenta is manual removal of the placenta under anaesthesia, which can only take place in larger health care facilities. Medical treatment of retained placenta with prostaglandins E1 (misoprostol) could be cost-effective and easy-to-use and could be a life-saving option in many low-resource settings.

Malaria Coartem®: reviewing the impact on the malaria landscape Edited by Marcel Hommel Malaria Journal - Volume 8 Suppl. 1 http://malariajournal.com/supplements/8/S1 Malaria Journal publishes selected research, proceedings and collections of thematic reviews as supplements. All articles published in supplements are subject to peer review and are free to access online. The journal also publishes supplements containing meeting abstracts. ***

Managing insecticide resistance in malaria vectors by combining carbamate-treated plastic wall sheeting and pyrethroid-treated bed nets by Armel Djenontin, Joseph Chabi, Thierry Baldet et al. Malaria Journal 2009, 8:233 (20 October 2009) 30 pp. 315 kB: http://www.malariajournal.com/content/pdf/1475-2875-8-233.pdf Pyrethroid resistance is now widespread in Anopheles gambiae, the major vector for malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. This resistance may compromise malaria vector control strategies that are currently in use in endemic areas. In this context, a new tool for management of resistant mosquitoes based on the combination of a pyrethroid-treated bed net and carbamate-treated plastic sheeting was developed. ***

Barriers to the effective treatment and prevention of malaria in Africa: A systematic review of qualitative studies by David M Maslove, Anisa Mnyusiwalla, Edward J Mills et al. BMC International Health and Human Rights 2009, 9:26 (25 October 2009) 34 pp. 240 kB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-698x-9-26.pdf To identify commonly held beliefs about malaria that might present barriers to its successful treatment and prevention, the authors conducted a systematic review of qualitative studies examining beliefs and practices concerning malaria in sub-Saharan African countries. Their findings suggest that large scale malaria prevention and treatment programs must account for the social and cultural contexts in which they are deployed. Further quantitative research should be undertaken to more precisely measure the impact of the themes uncovered by this exploratory analysis. HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 11

Efficacy and safety of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxinepyrimethamine for malaria in African infants: a pooled analysis of six randomised, placebo-controlled trials by John J Aponte, David Schellenberg, Andrea Egan et al. The Lancet, Vol. 374, Issue 9700, pp. 1533-1542, 31 October 2009 10 pp. 210 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673609612587.pdf Intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) is a promising strategy for malaria control in infants. The authors undertook a pooled analysis of the safety and efficacy of IPT in infants (IPTi) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in Africa. They conclude that IPTi with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine was safe and efficacious across a range of malaria transmission settings, suggesting that this intervention is a useful contribution to malaria control. ***

Protective efficacy and safety of three antimalarial regimens for intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in infants: a randomised, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial by Roly D Gosling, Samwel Gesase, Jacklin F Mosha et al. The Lancet, Vol. 374, Issue 9700, pp. 1521-1532, 31 October 2009 12 pp. 579 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673609609971.pdf Administration of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine at times of vaccination - intermittent preventive treatment in infants (IPTi) - is a promising strategy to prevent malaria. However, rising resistance to this combination is a concern. The authors investigated a short acting and long acting antimalarial drug as alternative regimens for IPTi.

Tuberculosis The Past and Future of Tuberculosis Research by Iñaki Comas and Sebastien Gagneux PLoS Pathog 5(10): e1000600 (26 October 2009) 7 pp. 536 kB: http://www.plospathogens.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=4A7C277E34B64EF47AD 4499B523B67D8?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1000600&representation=PDF

In the face of the modern epidemics of HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and multidrug resistance all of which contribute to susceptibility to TB - global control of the disease will remain a formidable challenge for years to come. The authors argue that new multidisciplinary approaches - especially the integration of epidemiology with systems biology in what they call “systems epidemiology” - will be required to eliminate TB. ***

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Delay in Tuberculosis case detection in Pwani region, Tanzania. a cross sectional study by Esther S Ngadaya, Godfrey S Mfinanga, Eliud R Wandwalo and Odd Morkve BMC Health Services Research 2009, 9:196 (29 October 2009) 20 pp. 191 kB: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-9-196.pdf The authors conducted a cross sectional study in four out of six districts in Pwani region to estimate the extent and factors responsible for delay in Tuberculosis (TB) case detection. Delays were divided into patient, health facility and total delay. They conclude that there is a considerable delay in TB case detection in Pwani mainly contributed by patients. Risk factors for delay include misconception about TB/HIV and poor knowledge of TB symptoms.

Other Infectious Diseases Trachoma: global magnitude of a preventable cause of blindness by S P Mariotti, D Pascolini and J Rose-Nussbaumer Br J Ophthalmol 2009 93: 563-568 - originally published online December 19, 2008 6 pp. 141 kB: http://bjo.bmj.com/content/93/5/563.full.pdf This paper provides an updated estimate of the global magnitude of trachoma based on the most recent information available. The knowledge of the prevalence of trachoma at country and global level is essential for the planning and for the implementation of the interventions needed to eliminate this preventable cause of blindness. ***

The Global Burden of Trachoma: A Review by Matthew J. Burton and David C. W. Mabey PLoS Negl Trop Dis 3(10): e460 (27 October 2009) 7 pp. 347 kB: http://www.plosntds.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=438394AFECC5CD1EDF CB53FB5A732421?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0000460&representation=PDF

This review examines the various attempts to estimate the burden of disease from trachoma, the commonest infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Reports vary considerably because of differences in methodology and changing estimates of the number of people affected. Currently about 1.3 million are blind from trachoma and it causes about 1.3 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). The limited amount of survey data available from endemic regions remains a problem in generating accurate estimates. ***

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Essential Medicines HIV drug patents in the spotlight by Kelly Morris The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Vol. 9, Issue 11, pp. 660-661, November 2009 2 pp. 108 kB: http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473309909702725.pdf?i d=3d35b1b5aa0ec416:-6f10882b:12494a08adc:-34b81256625863051 Access to HIV medicines has been highlighted recently, with advocates applauding decisions by India and Brazil to reject the patenting of key antiretroviral drugs. Although companies are increasingly instituting their own initiatives to increase access, calls for the pharmaceutical industry to join the UNITAID patent pool have grown louder. All parties are debating the role of patents in access to HIV drugs and the advantages and challenges presented by a patent pool. ***

The Cost of Antiretrovirals: Maximizing Value for Money by Veronika J. Wirtz, Steven S. Forsythe, Atanacio Valencia-Mendoza Results for Development Institute, 2009 34 pp. 360 kB: http://www.resultsfordevelopment.org/sites/default/files/resources/The%20Cost% 20of%20Antiretrovirals.pdf This paper assesses the costs of antiretroviral drug (ARV) procurement and identifies policies that could help to lower costs, improve efficiency, and thereby ensure sustainable long-term access to ARVs by low and middle income countries.

Social Security The IMF’s Role in Helping Protect the Most Vulnerable in the Global Crisis International Monetary Fund (IMF), July 2009 4 pp. 321 kB: http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/pdf/protect.pdf In this difficult environment, the IMF is helping governments to protect and even increase social spending, including social assistance. In particular, the IMF is promoting measures to increase spending on, and improve the targeting of, social safety net programs that can mitigate the impact of the crisis on the most vulnerable in society. This Fact Sheet shows some examples of how recent IMF-supported programmes seek to protect social spending in a way that is both fiscally sustainable and cost-effective. ***

Building adequate social protection systems and protecting people in the Arab region by Christina Behrendt HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 14

Arab Employment Forum, Beirut, Lebanon, 19-21 October 2009 27 pp. 650 kB: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/arpro/beirut/downloads/aef/social_eng.pdf

The paper reviews the status of social security in the Arab region and identifies four priority areas for discussion: First, to build an effective social protection floor which would guarantee a minimum level of social protection for the population. Second, effective social protection policies requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach. Third, the extension of social security coverage is a precondition for the effective functioning of labour markets and for productive employment. Fourth, ensuring the good governance of social security is one of the key challenges for future operations and reform of social security. ***

Providing for Health: Framework for Assessing and Promoting Social Health Protection Draft 4 - Social Health Protection Initiative, September 2009 25 pp. 810 kB: http://groups.google.com/group/health-education-social-protection-newsnotes/web/P4H.pdf Formed to create an international platform for dialogue and collaboration to support Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), “Providing for Health” (P4H) aims to strengthen health systems - including organization, governance and financing - with a view to protecting people from poverty due to ill health and from poverty obstructing health care. The P4H initiative seeks to support countries that are exploring options for mobilizing and allocating resources for providing financial protection for health for their citizens. ***

Assessing the success of microinsurance programmes in meeting the insurance needs of the poor by Paul Mosley United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, October 2009 37 pp. 715 kB: http://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2009/wp84_2009.pdf The paper argues that microinsurance so far has been somewhat supply-driven rather than driven by effective demand, especially from the poorest, and thus the insurance products which would benefit the poorest are still at a limited stage of development. Institutional innovations and new insurance products therefore deserve promotion. ***

Pre-requisites for National Health Insurance in South Africa: Results of a national household survey by Diane McIntyre, Jane Goudge, Bronwyn Harris et al. South African Medical Journal, Vol. 99, No. 10 (October 2009)

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5 pp. 554 kB: http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/viewFile/3662/2519 National Health Insurance (NHI) is currently high on the health policy agenda in South Africa. The intention of this financing system is to promote efficiency and the equitable distribution of financial and human resources, improving health outcomes for the majority. However, there are some key pre-requisites that need to be in place before NHI can achieve these goals.

Human Resources Task Shifting for Scale-up of HIV Care: Evaluation of Nurse-Centered Antiretroviral Treatment at Rural Health Centers in Rwanda by Fabienne Shumbusho, Johan van Griensven, David Lowrance et al. PLoS Med 6(10): e1000163 (13 October 2009) 12 pp. 232 kB: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action?uri=info%3Ado i%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000163&representation=PDF The authors evaluate a task-shifting model of nurse-centered antiretroviral treatment prescribing in rural primary health centers in Rwanda and find that nurses can effectively and safely prescribe ART when given adequate training, mentoring, and support. ***

The Role of Nonphysician Clinicians in the Rapid Expansion of HIV Care in Mozambique by Kenneth Sherr, James Pfeiffer, Antonio Mussa et al. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr, Vol 52, Suppl 1, November 1, 2009 Download as PDf file (4 pp. 237 kB) at: http://journals.lww.com/jaids/toc/2009/11011 The use of mid-level health workers rather than doctors to prescribe antiretroviral treatment (ART), a strategy called task-shifting, has enabled Mozambique to triple the number of facilities providing medication within six months. The authors found that patients from rural and disadvantaged areas could also access quality ART services as a result of the task-shifting. ***

Building capacity in field epidemiology: lessons learned from the experience in Europe by H T Walke and P M Simone Eurosurveillance, Vol. 14, Issue 43, 29 October 2009 http://www.eurosurveillance.org/Public/Articles/Archives.aspx?PublicationId=11496 This issue of Eurosurveillance is devoted to training of field epidemiologists within diverse public health systems and highlights the contributions these programmes are making in Europe. Field Epidemiology Training Programmes (FETPs) are two-year training programmes in applied epidemiology, based on a model of ‘learning by doing’. They HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 16

build public health capacity infrastructure by strengthening the public health workforce and surveillance systems.

Health Systems & Research Removing User Fees in the Health Sector in Low-Income Countries: A Multi-Country Review by Bruno Meessen, David Hercot, Mathieu Noirhomme et al. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), September 2009 39 pp. 474 kB: http://groups.google.com/group/health-education-socialprotection-news-notes/web/Removing-user-fees-1.pdf A momentum is currently building up at national and international levels with respect to user fee removal. African political leaders have shown their willingness to take strong action to remove financial barriers for vulnerable groups, especially pregnant women and children. Aid mechanisms - and the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative in particular - seem to be supportive of such initiatives. ***

Removing User Fees in the Health Sector in Low-Income Countries: A Policy Guidance Note for Programme Managers by Bruno Meessen United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), September 2009 41 pp. 387 kB: http://groups.google.com/group/health-education-socialprotection-news-notes/web/Removing-user-fees-2.pdf The purpose of this policy note is to provide programme managers from the Ministry of Health and from bilateral and multi-lateral agencies with the necessary guidance in the formulation and implementation of user fee removal policies. This guidance note is not a blueprint. It identifies issues emerging from country experiences with user fee removal and provides guidance in terms of steps to be made in the policy process. ***

Evaluating the Impact of Community Based Health Interventions: Evidence from Brazil’s Family Health Program by Romero Rocha and Rodrigo R. Soares Global Development Network (GDN), September 2009 60 pp. 1.3 MB: http://depot.gdnet.org/newkb/submissions/Health%20project_Braz il_Rocha%20&%20Soares_1.pdf This paper analyzes the direct and indirect impacts of Brazil’s Family Health Program. The authors estimate the effects of the program on mortality and on household behavior related to child labor and schooling, employment of adults, and fertility. They find consisHESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 17

tent effects of the program on reductions in mortality throughout the age distribution, but mainly at earlier ages. Evidence suggests that the Family Health Program is a highly cost-effective tool for improving health in poor areas. ***

Implementation research design: integrating participatory action research into randomized controlled trials by Luci K Leykum, Jacqueline A Pugh, Holly J Lanham et al. Implementation Science 2009, 4:69 (23 October 2009) 22 pp. 160 kB: http://www.implementationscience.com/content/pdf/1748-5908-4-69.pdf A gap continues to exist between what is known to be effective and what is actually delivered in the usual course of medical care. The goal of implementation research is to reduce this gap. The purpose of this paper is to explore the integration of participatory action research and randomized-controlled trial study designs to suggest a new approach for studying interventions in health care settings. ***

Helping researchers become policy entrepreneurs by John Young and Enrique Mendizabal Overseas Development Institute Briefing Paper 53, September 2009 4 pp. 299 kB: http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/1127.pdf Donors spend billions of dollars on development research each year, but what is the impact on policy? The paper outlines the RAPID Outcome Mapping Approach (ROMA) and presents six key lessons that are essential to any researcher or organisation wishing to generate evidence-based policy change - along with an eight-step approach for policy entrepreneurs wishing to maximise the impact of research on policy.

Information & Communication Technology The Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times by Torbjörn Fredriksson, Cécile Barayre, Scarlett Fondeur Gil et al. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2009 ISBN 978-92-1-112778-2 153 pp. 2.7 MB: http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ier2009embargo_en.pdf Limited access to broadband Internet is crippling the spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the developing world and widening the already significant digital divide. The report suggests governments can work with Internet providers to narrow the broadband gap by promoting competition to bring down prices and the sharing of infrastructure to reduce costs by preventing duplicate efforts. Governments can also HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 18

promote Internet centres to offer access to people in poorer regions. ***

ICT Update Magazine Issue 51, October 2009: Mobile services Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) http://ictupdate.cta.int Small, portable computers and other mobile devices are becoming steadily more affordable, while developments in wireless technology make it is easier and cheaper to set up small local networks. This combination of factors ensures that rural communities can also benefit from a wide range of information services. ICT Update is a bimonthly printed bulletin, web magazine, and accompanying email newsletter focusing on the use of information and communication technologies in agriculture in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. It is published in English and French.

Education Making education work for all Edited by Steve Packer UNESCO and International Institute for Educational Planning, 2009; ISBN: 978-92-803-1334-5 128 pp. 585 kB: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001853/185398e.pdf For the rights and opportunities to education for all to be realized, enhanced levels of funding and more equitable and sometimes targeted strategies for the use of scarce financial resources are required. As systems grow and increase in complexity, so the need for building and sustaining a range of capacities across the education sector – central and local – takes on greater urgency. ***

Towards Education for All UNESCO and Ministry of Education, Brazilian Government, 2009 20 pp. 1.4 MB: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001852/185219e.pdf This publication highlights four educational projects which are contributing to the improvement of Brazilian social indexes and may be used as a model by other countries striving to improve their education systems. The selected initiatives are also successful experiences in international cooperation between the UNESCO Brasilia Office and the Brazilian government, through the Ministry of Education. ***

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Confronting the shadow education system What government policies for what private tutoring? by Mark Bray UNESCO and International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), 2009 133 pp. 673 kB: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001851/185106e.pdf This book presents a comparative analysis between formal class room education and private tuition. In the process, it identifies the various impacts that private tuition may have on the economy, social wellbeing and the quality of education. It further outlines the policy response by various governments and evaluate their effectiveness. ***

Manual for Monitoring and Evaluating Education Partnerships by Niall Marriott and Hugh Goyder UNESCO and International Institute for Educational Planning, 2009 114 pp. 2.3 MB: http://www.iiep.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Info_Services_P ublications/pdf/2009/Mariott-Goyder_Partnership.pdf The ‘Partnerships for Education’ (PfE) aims to create a global coalition for multistakeholder partnerships for education, including the private sector, in order to advance progress towards the objectives of Education for All (EFA). This Manual was designed to provide partnership practitioners with monitoring and evaluation guidance at different stages of partnership establishment and implementation. It will be particularly useful for anybody involved in education partnerships in any sort of coordination, management or governance capacity. ***

Innovation in the Connected Classroom, India Case Studies from the Asia-Pacific Region by Suryaveer Singh United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, 2009 21 pp. 1.4 MB: http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ict/ebooks/Innovative_Case_Studies/Innovation.pdf These case studies showcase the innovative spirit of educators in using ICT in their teaching and learning practices. This booklet is a stand-alone case study describing the background of the project, implementation, outcomes and lessons learned.

Harm Reduction and Drug Use WHO, UNODC, UNAIDS Technical Guide for countries to set targets for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 20

by by Martin C. Donoghoe, Annette D. Verster and Bradley Mathers World Health Organization, 2009; ISBN 978 92 4 159776 0 44 pp. 571 kB: http://www.unodc.org/documents/hivaids/WHO%20UNODC%20UNAIDS%20%20IDU%20Universal%20Acces s%20Target%20Setting%20Guide%20-%20FINAL%20-%20Feb%2009.pdf This document provides technical guidance to countries on setting ambitious, but achievable national targets for scaling up towards universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users (IDUs).It serves to provide more consistent methods of measuring and comparing countries’ progress towards national targets to scale up comprehensive programmes for universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support for HIV/AIDS by 2010 ***

Drug Policy and Results in Australia United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), October 2008 98 pp. 922 kB: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-andanalysis/Studies/Drug_Policy_Australia_Oct2008.pdf In response to increases in drug abuse in the 1990’s Australia implemented a vigilant drug control strategy. As this report makes clear, effective changes in recent years were due to pro-active, empirically-based drug control strategy, and a well developed system of services at the state and local levels. This report analyses the developments and changes in Australia’s drug policies over the last decades and their impact. ***

Packages of Care for Alcohol Use Disorders in Low- And Middle-Income Countries by Vivek Benegal, Prabhat K. Chand, Isidore S. Obot PLoS Med 6(10): e1000170 (27 October 2009) 7 pp. 117 kB: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=8EC40B6D5373E5568A30 CF729E33B124?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000170&representation=PDF

Alcohol misuse is responsible for a disproportionately high health burden, accounting for almost 5% of all ill health and premature death worldwide in 2004. The impact of alcohol misuse is worst among poor populations and in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the disease burden per litre of alcohol consumed is greater than in wealthy populations. In this article, the authors focus on the effective management of alcohol use disorders in LMICs. ***

Showing the Truth, Saving Lives: The Case for Pictorial Health Warnings World No Tobacco Day 2009 Tobacco Free Initiative, World Health Organization, May 2009 HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 21

32 pp. 717 kB: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241598040_eng.pdf The theme for World No Tobacco Day in 2009 was “Tobacco Health Warnings”. Health warnings on tobacco product packaging are critical to any effective tobacco control strategy. They increase public awareness of the serious health risks of tobacco use and help to ensure that the packaging tells the truth about the deadly product within. Tobacco package health warnings that include images are a particularly powerful and cost-effective vehicle for communicating health risks.

Millennium Development Goals Assessing Progress in Africa towards the Millennium Development Goals by Kasirim Nwuke, Gladys Mutangadura, Mr. Adrian Gauci et al. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, February 2009 41 pp. 1.3 MB: http://www.uneca.org/eca_programmes/acgd/docs/Assessing%20 MDGs_Report%202008.pdf This Report presents a picture that is slightly at variance with many other reports on Africa’s progress towards the targets of the MDGs. It shows that progress is being made in a number of areas but that a critical area for progress is the health-related MDGs where progress is slowest. The preconditions for accelerating progress to meet the targets of the MDGs are now largely in place, albeit constrained by inadequate resource flows and capacity in some critical areas like health capacity. ***

More money for health, and more health for the money Taskforce on Innovative International Financing for Health Systems, 2009 28 pp. 2.2 MB: http://www.internationalhealthpartnership.net/CMS_files/documen ts/taskforce_report_EN.pdf More and better resources are needed if the health Millennium Development Goals are to be reached in 2015. Progress is impeded by insufficient funding, poor use of resources, and fragmented and largely unpredictable financing flows. The aim is to raise additional resources that are provided to countries in an effective way and linked to results.

Development Assistance The evolution and future of donor assistance for HIV/AIDS by Kammerle Schneider and Laurie Garrett Council on Foreign Relations, 2009

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36 pp. 567 kB: http://www.aids2031.org/pdfs/the%20evolution%20and%20future%20of%20dono r%20assistance%20for%20hiv%20-%20aids_19.pdf This paper examines the evolution and impact of donor resource mobilization for HIV/AIDS; the potential effect of the current economic crisis on HIV/AIDS funding; immediate and long-term challenges and opportunities for donor assistance; and policy recommendations to the donor community and national governments to ensure steady, long-term funding for HIV/AIDS and alleviate the impact of future challenges. ***

Development Aid in times of economic turmoil Special Eurobarometer, European Commission, October 2009 57 pp. 1.3 MB: http://ec.europa.eu/development/icenter/repository/eurobarometer 200910_en.pdf This report details the findings of a special Eurobarometer conducted in May-June 2009. It was aimed at assessing whether the economic downturn affected public support for development cooperation. Overall, despite the severity of the economic crisis, public support for development cooperation remains high; around 90% of Europeans still believe development is important. The report details the EU-wide findings as well as country-by-country breakdowns. ***

Aid, Paris and the Private Sector: How to Square the Circle by Jørgen Estrup Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) Working Paper, 2009 42 pp. 666 kB: http://www.diis.dk/graphics/Publications/WP2009/WP200917_Aid_Paris_and_the_Private_Sector_how_to_square_the_circle_2.pdf Support for private-sector development has been a key priority for donors for a number of decades. This has been predicated on the belief that the market will stimulate wealth creation; sustain and create livelihoods and in turn empower respective communities. But donors have shown little interest in harmonizing their private sector development interventions and the development community has neglected the obvious problems of policy coherence. ***

Aid Effectiveness Agenda: Benefits of a European Approach by Bjorn Tore Carlsson, Carlos Buhigas Schubert, Sarah Robinson Hunting Technical Services and P-E International (HTSPE), October 2009 93 pp. 702 kB: http://ec.europa.eu/development/icenter/repository/AE_Full_Fina l_Report_20091023.pdf

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The purpose of this study is to identify and present costs (overheads) associated with ineffective, fragmented aid. The study looks specifically at the costs of donor proliferation, the fragmentation of aid programmes, tied aid, volatility and lack of predictability in aid flows, as well as the shortcomings in donors’ use of country public management systems and approach to government ownership of its reform and development strategies and programmes. ***

Improving aid effectiveness: A review of recent initiatives for civil society organizations by Brian Pratt and Tove Myhrman International NGO Training and Research Centre, May 2009 28 pp. 237 kB: http://www.intrac.org/docs.php/3407/Improving%20aid%20effectiveness%20%20A%20review%20of%20recent%20initiatives%20for%20CSOs.pdf This review seeks to detail recent initiatives by the NGO and CSO community in improving development practice. The authors present a clear picture about why there should be an increased interest in areas of ‘aid effectiveness’. It also explores whether some of the intention to produce new good practice guidelines and principles is likely to have any influence on the ongoing debates about aid effectiveness in the inter-governmental process of the Paris Declaration.

Others Health Problems Heat Up: Climate Change and the Public’s Health by Jeffrey Levi, Serena Vinter, Daniella Gratale et al. Trust for America’s Health, October 2009 60 pp. 882 kB: http://healthyamericans.org/reports/environment/TFAHClimateChangeWeb.pdf

The effects of climate change will make populations more vulnerable to diseases and disasters - and governments have yet to put effective response mechanisms in place. The report examines U.S. planning for changing health threats posed by climate change, such as heat-related sickness, respiratory infections, natural disasters, changes to the food supply, and infectious diseases carried by insects. ***

World Survey on the Role of Women in Development Women’s Control over Economic Resources and Access to Financial Resources, including Microfinance United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2009; ISBN 978-92-1-130275-2 132 pp. 974 kB: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/WorldSurvey2009.pdf The World Survey illustrates the importance of examining women’s access to economic and financial resources in a broad sense and makes a timely contribuHESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 24

tion in the context of the current financial and economic crisis. It points out the need for an appropriate gender-sensitive response to the crisis which minimizes the negative impacts and takes advantage of the opportunity to develop positive trends. ***

Global Health Risks: Mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks by Colin Mathers, Gretchen Stevens and Maya Mascarenhas World Health Organization, 2009; ISBN 978 92 4 156387 1 70 pp. 3.6 MB: http://www.who.int/entity/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/Global HealthRisks_report_full.pdf The publication provides a comprehensive assessment of the mortality and burden of disease attributable to 24 global risk factors. It draws on the extensive databases of the World Health Organization, scientific studies, and information provided by Member States for both exposure data and the causal associations of risk exposure to disease and injury outcomes.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES AIDSspace http://www.aidsspace.org AIDSspace is an online community for connecting people, sharing knowledge, and accessing services for the 33 million people living with HIV and the millions who are part of the AIDS response. Through AIDSspace you can:  Meet and connect with others to learn from their work, exchange ideas and discover new networks.  Post and share key policies, case studies, best practices, multimedia materials, conference posters, reports and other essential resources.  Find and post jobs, consultancies, requests for proposals, and reviews on service providers. Sign up and create your profile at the above URL. ***

A Good Place to Start: The IDS Knowledge Services guide to finding development information online Edited by Gabrielle Hurst & Cheryl Brown Strategic Learning Initiative, IDS, 2006 86 pp. 1.1 MB: http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/11610994441Goodplacetostart.pdf

If you are interested in international development, there are thousands of websites you could go to, but what if you only have time to visit five? This guide will point you to some good places to start your search on over 30 development themes. And if these starting HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 25

points inspire you to cast your net further, they have included some handy hints on how to improve your search results. ***

ePlatform for mHealth in Developing Countries http://www.kit.nl/smartsite.shtml?id=36955 Mobile devices represent the first ICT-tool that has penetrated even remote areas in developing countries. It is already widely used in various fields such as money transfer, market and agricultural information and weather forecasts. Innovations are being tested in the fields of education and health. mHealth stands for the provision of health-related services via mobile communications. A mobile phone is an appropriate technology for enhancing health and health services even in countries with low socio-economic status and poor infrastructure. ***

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries Vol 3, No 9: October 2009 http://www.jidc.org/index.php/journal/issue/view/41/showToc

The aim of the journal is to provide all infectious disease researchers from developing countries with an international forum for publishing their research findings. Among the interesting papers in this issue:  Emerging Problems in Infectious Diseases  Brief Original Articles  Case Reports  Technical Notes ***

International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT) Vol. 5, No. 5 (2009) Read online at: http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewissue.php This Special Issue - e/merge in Africa is the second of two special joint issues of IJEDICT dedicated to Open Access Week and designed to deepen the flow of academic knowledge between the Caribbean and Africa. The issue includes articles from South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. ***

Micro Insurance Matters The Quarterly Newsletter of MicroEnsure, October 2009 8 pp. 617 kB: http://www.microensure.com/media/12257/2009_10_26%20newsl etter%20lr.pdf MicroEnsure is an insurance intermediary dedicated to serving the poor throughout the developing world with an affordable and appropriate range of insurance products. They reach out to large numbers of the poor with low-cost insurance products designed to match their needs. At the same time, they negotiate with insurance companies on behalf HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 26

of their clients to keep premiums to a minimum. Their aim is to achieve sustainability for insurance companies, product distributors, and clients.

INTERESTING WEB SITES WHO web sites on infectious diseases - Sites internet de l’OMS sur les maladies infectieuses Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) - 30 October 2009, Vol. 84, 44 (pp. 453–468) 16 pp. 817 kB: http://www.who.int/wer/2009/wer8444.pdf A list of 38 WHO/International web addresses on infectious diseases. ***

MalariaWorld http://www.malariaworld.org/ We welcome you to the world's first scientific and social network for malaria professionals. We envision a world in which there is free and unrestricted access to information on malaria, independent of geographical locality or socio-economic status. No matter who you are, where you are, or what you do, access to information is the key to knowledge. ***

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women http://www.unifem.org/cedaw30/ 18th December 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). A working group of the United Nations’ Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) has come together to plan a number of activities in 2009 to celebrate this important anniversary, including a special anniversary website (above), which they invite you to visit. ***

The Urban Reproductive Health Initiative http://www.cpc.unc.edu/urbanreproductivehealth The Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (URHI) is a multi-country programme targeting the urban poor, to improve contraceptive choice and to increase access to high quality, voluntary family planning. Because 1 in 3 urban residents live in slums, many beyond the reach of health services, the URHI aims to increase the equitable distribution of family planning services.

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TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Advanced Clinical Skills Centre Refresher 15th December, 2009 The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Course Content: Updates on any new resuscitation science, use of advisory defibrillation (AEDs), range of teaching simulations using high quality patient simulators, tutorial assistance, basic life support, electrical therapy, airway management, arrhythmia recognition. Language: English Fees: USD 281.25 (NZD, GST inclusive) For more information contact: Liesl Ploos vam Amstel Tel.: +64-9-373-7599 Fax: +64-9-373-7971 mailto:[email protected] or see http://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/som/acsc/ For more courses and conferences see also: http://www.going-international.at/index.php?lang=EN ***

E-learning Course: Health Outcomes and the Poor Duration and course load: 6 Weeks - 8 to 10 hours per week Dates: 13 January - 24 February 2010 Application deadline: 1 December 2009 Participants: (Health) Professionals involved in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers process either as PRSP authors or as advisors to the government. Language: English; Course fee: US$ 500 Organizers: The World Bank Institute Course contact: Jo Hindriks at [email protected] For more information please go to: http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/healthandaids/elearning

CONFERENCES Book of Abstracts - 5th MIM Pan-African Malaria Conference 2-6 November 2009, Nairobi, Kenya 231 pp. 1.5 MB: http://www.mimalaria.org/eng/docs/pdfs/events/Book_of_ Abstracts.pdf MIM Conferences http://www.mimalaria.org/pamc/ are the largest malaria meetings worldwide gathering malaria researchers and control experts from malaria endemic countries as well as malaria researchers, science administrators, and representatives HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 28

from other countries, private foundations, governments and international organizations throughout the world. The TropIKA.net Knowledge Hub set up for the Conference provides in-depth coverage of the meeting while it is happening and an opportunity for participants anywhere to comment on reports and activities. Simply sign in and join the discussion at: http://www.tropika.net/svc/home/mim2009

CARTOON

TIPS & TRICKS Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Download (8.3 MB) at: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&F amilyID=1b544e90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15 Those of you that are planning on upgrading to Windows 7 may want to pay special attention to today’s tip. The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your PC for potential compatibility issues and lets you know about your Windows 7 upgrade options. Before you begin, be sure to plug in and turn on any USB devices or other devices, such as printers, external hard disks, and scanners, that you regularly use with the PC you are checking. Within minutes, you will get a report that tells you if your PC meets the system requirements, if any known compatibility issues with your hardware, devices, and installed programmes are found, and gives guidance on what to do to before installing Windows 7 on your PC. Best regards, Dieter Neuvians MD HESP-News & Notes - 23/2009 - page 29