Dr. Ton van der Velden

Dear all,

Please find here some of the RH news from October 2008.

But first:

The World Health Report 2008, "Primary health care—now more than ever," was launched on 14 October 2008 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It critically assesses the way that health 
care is organized, financed, and delivered in rich and poor countries around the world. The report documents a number of failures and shortcomings that have left the health status of different populations, both within and between countries, dangerously out of balance.

Global Health Watch 2: An Alternative World Health Report

Family planning

Politics

Impact analysis of the discontinuation of reimbursement: the case of oral contraceptives shows that stopping reimbursement led to an increase in the discontinuation rate of 24%

Guidance:

FHI released a new checklist for implants (Norplant, Jadelle, Sinoplant, and Implanon)

A new Population Report was published:” Elements of Success in Family Planning Programming”. The report’s companion Web site, www.fpsuccess.org, serves as home base for a virtual community of family planning professionals around the world. Members can find resources, tailor information to their specific areas of interest, engage in discussions, and network with colleagues. An electronic learning course on the topic is also available at www.globalhealthlearning.org.

Expanding Access to Contraception: The Role of the Commercial Sector in Providing Long-Acting and Permanent Methods of Contraception

Expanding Access to Contraception: How Ability to Pay Effects Use and Source of IUDs

Online Course: Hormonal Methods of Contraception

And then the science:

Contraception to prevent HIV-positive births: current contribution and potential cost savings in PEPFAR countries.

Other family planning research is here.

MCH

News/Politics:

Two dengue vaccines are about to enter large-scale clinical trials (Phase IIB) to assess efficacy and safety within the next year. They are from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and sanofi Pasteur. See http://www.pdvi.org/

A sobering site: the Blacksmith Institute and its annual worst pollution problems report is some sad reading.

And for more encouraging news: The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis: Health Impact after 8 Years.

Guidance:

CME: Recommendations Issued for Managing Mastitis in Mothers Breast-Feeding Their Infants

Science:

An interesting study showed a distinct link between intestinal blood loss from hookworm infection and low levels of iron in pregnant women from countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine dispersible tablets compared with crushed commercial tablets in African infants and children with uncomplicated malaria: a randomised, single-blind, multicentre trial.

Improved oxygen systems for childhood pneumonia: a multihospital effectiveness study in Papua New Guinea

Artemisinin derivatives versus quinine in treating severe malaria in chil-dren: a systematic review

Effectiveness of Maternal Influenza Immunization in Mothers and Infants

HIV/AIDS

News/Politics:

Drug-resistant HIV strains are turning up in parts of China

FDA Approves Johnson & Johnson's Prezista for HIV-Positive People Who Have Never Taken Antiretrovirals

Male circumcision is not the HIV ‘vaccine’ we have been waiting for! is an interesting opinion piece. Male circumcision is an efficacious, lasting and cost-effective strategy for combating HIV in high-prevalence AIDS epidemics is the response by others.

Guidance:

The Sanford Guide to HIV/AIDS Therapy 2009 (17th edition) is now available. Order now at www.sanfordguide.com It is an excellent resource.

The PIH Guide to the Community-Based Treatment of HIV in Resource-Poor Settings is intended to be a resource for physicians and other health care professionals who provide care and treatment to patients with HIV who live in resource-poor settings.

A Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation of Nutrition Assessment, Education and Counseling of People Living with HIV

TB Guidelines for Nurses in the Care and Control of Tuberculosis and Multi-drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Science:

The research study by UNDP titled "HIV Vulnerabilities Faced by Women Migrants: From Asia to the Arab States” is an interesting read.

Circumcision Status and Risk of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Men Who Have Sex With Men

Orphans and Vulnerable Children in High HIV-Prevalence Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Lots of TB research this month:

A small antibody fragment that is highly effective in neutralizing HIV by preventing the virus from entering cells has been identified. This finding may provide insight into the development of new treatments against HIV and other viruses, hopefully in the not too distant future. The study appears online

A new TB test known as ELISpot is 1.5 times better at spotting tuberculosis carriers than the regular skin tests says a new longitudinal study.

A new tuberculosis vaccine reduced the incidence of the disease by 37% among HIV-positive people during a clinical trial in Tanzania, according to a study presented by lead researcher Ford von Reyn at the 39th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Paris.

Researchers in Singapore have identified a gene –TLR 8- associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis. The TLR8 gene is on the X chromosome, of which men only have one copy. The analysis suggested that susceptibility was attributed to genetic variants of TLR8. Males carrying only one copy of the gene could have a higher chance of suffering from the disease.

A new study in South Africa shows that combining ARV therapy with treatment for TB could more than halve the current mortality rate among patients co-infected with HIV and TB, saving an estimated 10,000 lives a year in South Africa.

The Infectiousness of Tuberculosis Patients Coinfected with HIV shows it is important to diagnose multidrug-resistant TB quickly, rather than to wait for these patients to fail normal treatment, be-cause while such patients are inadequately treated, they may be highly infectious, and spread the disease.

Other RH

Cervical cancer: socioeconomic implications of management in a developing nation.

Here are 3 interesting Powerpoint presentations: on endometriosis, on fibroids and on ovarian tumors

Men’s Reproductive Health Curriculum

Developments in Laws on Induced Abortion: 1998–2007 shows that in the last 10 years 16 countries have increased the number of grounds on which abortions may be legally performed, while two have eliminated all such grounds. An additional 10 countries maintained their existing grounds for abortion, but adopted changes to increase access to abortion, including decentralizing the approval of facilities where abortions may be obtained, expanding the types of providers who may perform the procedures and increasing the range of available methods to include medication abortion.

Gender in local government: a sourcebook for trainers

Endometriosis Often Comorbid With Irritable Bowel and Pelvic Inflammation

Caffeine and Nicotine May Influence Breast Cancer Risk

CME: Selecting Menopausal Estrogen Therapy: Oral or Transdermal?

Single-day famciclovir (1000 mg twice daily) was as effective as 3-day valacyclovir for treating genital herpes, according to the results of a multinational, randomized, double-blind, comparative trial . See also “Single-Day, Patient-Initiated Famciclovir Therapy for Recurrent Genital Herpes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial”

US interest

I quote from the Guttmacher website: “USAID instructed its staff this month to pressure at least six African governments to withhold U.S.-funded contraceptives from Marie Stopes International (MSI). This is the latest move by the Bush administration in a progression of increasingly restrictive family planning policy decisions that put politics first and women’s needs last.

This directive from the Bush administration takes a broader reading of the Kemp-Kasten amendment—which prohibits foreign aid for any organization that “supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization”—than has ever before been applied. The administration alleges that MSI’s work in China with UNFPA violates Kemp-Kasten, basing its decision to deny even indirect support of MSI’s programs on the same unfounded rationale it has used to defund UNFPA since 2002.

[..] MSI provides a quarter of contraceptive services in Malawi. In Sierra Leone, where MSI is a major provider of contraceptives, supplies are expected to run out as soon as November, leaving 10,000 women who typically rely on MSI clinics with no access to birth control.”

Trends in HIV- and STD-Related Risk Behaviors Among High School Students--United States, 1991-2007

HIV Prevention Education and HIV-Related Policies in Secondary Schools--Selected Sites, United States, 2006

Viet Nam interest

Vietnam authorities considered issuing a ban on small-chested people driving motorbikes – not cars… The Ministry of Health recommended that people whose chests measure less than 28 inches (72cm) would be prohibited, as would those who are too short or too thin. The plan was quickly nixed..

The number of new births and that of families with third children is apparently rising sharply this year.

Effectiveness of a capacity-building program for community leaders in a healthy living environment: a randomized community-based intervention in rural Vietnam

International Perspectives: Enhancement of Neonatal Care in Vietnam

Evolution of Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Viruses in Vietnam between 2001 and 2007.

Energy and macronutrient intakes in preschool children in urban areas of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Effectiveness of an alcohol-based hand hygiene programme in reducing nosocomial infections in the Urology Ward of Binh Dan Hospital, Vietnam.

Clients of Female Sex Workers as a Bridging Population in Vietnam.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices about tuberculosis and choice of communication channels in a rural community in Vietnam.

Risk Factors for SARS Infection within Hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Zinc supplementation improved length growth only in anemic infants in a multi-country trial of iron and zinc supplementation in South-East Asia.

High latrine coverage is not reducing the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Hoa Binh province, Vietnam.

Nigeria interest

Epidemiology of Rotavirus Infection in North-western Nigeria

Prevalence of Rotavirus-induced Diarrhoea among Children under 5 Years in Ilorin, Nigeria

Possible Risk Factors for Congenital Malaria at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Sagamu, Ogun State, South-West Nigeria

A Multilevel Analysis of Individual and Community Effect on Chronic Childhood Malnutrition in Rural Nigeria

Effectiveness of Immunization against Paralytic Poliomyelitis in Nigeria, and related to this:  Opponents stymie fight against polio in Nigeria and ofcourse this: Increase in poliomyelitis cases in Nigeria

Sexual behaviour and inheritance rights among HIV-positive women in Abia State, Nigeria.

Drug utilisation study of antimalarials for the treatment of hospitalised children under five in south-eastern Nigeria.

The effects of a communication program on contraceptive ideation and use among young women in northern Nigeria.

Seroconversion of children following natural measles infection and vaccination.

Attitudes of women toward intimate partner violence: a study of rural women in Nigeria.

Typhus in Northern Nigeria; clinical studies.

Efficacy of a combination of praziquantel and artesunate in the treatment of urinary schistosomiasis in Nigeria.

Prevalence and antibiotic resistant Shigellae among primary school children in urban Calabar, Nigeria.

Cambodia interest

A few months ago I mentioned the anti-trafficking law in Cambodia. Now  "enforcement of the anti-trafficking law harms the 100 percent condom use in brothels." See also here and here for an overview.

Molecular Surveillance for Multidrug-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum, Cambodia.

Vitamin A supplementation in Cambodia: program coverage and association with greater maternal formal education.

Egypt interest

Darfur Refugees in Cairo: Mental Health and Interpersonal Conflict in the Aftermath of Genocide.

Clinical features of Behcet's disease in Egypt.

The path to replacement fertility in Egypt: acceptance, preference, and achievement.

Expanding Access to Contraception: IUD Fees and Subsidies in Egypt

Ethiopia interest

Perception and Management of Tuberculosis Symptoms in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Use of insecticide treated nets by pregnant women and associated factors in a pre-dominantly rural population in northern Ethiopia.

High-risk behaviours and associated factors among HIV-positive individuals in clinical care in southwest Ethiopia.

Polio outbreak response in Ethiopia.

The mental health consequences of intimate partner violence against women in Agaro Town, southwest Ethiopia.
Food insecurity, stressful life events and symptoms of anxiety and depression in east Africa: evidence from the Gilgel Gibe growth and development study.

Reducing harmful traditional practices in Adjibar, Ethiopia: lessons learned from the Adjibar Safe Motherhood Project.

Determinants of uptake of surgical treatment for trachomatous trichiasis in North Ethiopia.
A study on violence against girls in primary schools and its impacts on girls' education in Ethiopia

Uganda interest

Market assessment toolkit for vocational training providers and youth linking vocational training programmes to market opportunities in Northern Uganda

Tanzania interest

Assessing unmet obstetric need in Mtwara Region, Tanzania

Gender Roles and Informal Care for Patients With AIDS: A Qualitative Study From an Urban Area in Tanzania

A Nationwide Survey of the Quality of Antimalarials in Retail Outlets in Tanzania

Poor Knowledge on New Malaria Treatment Guidelines among Drug Dis-pensers in Private Pharmacies in Tanzania: The Need for Involving the Pri-vate Sector in Policy Preparations and Implementation

Validation, performance under field conditions, and cost-effectiveness of CapillusTM HIV-1/HIV-2 and DetermineTM HIV-1/2 rapid HIV antibody assays using sequential and parallel testing algorithms in Tanzania.

Project Accept (HPTN 043): A Community-Based Intervention to Reduce HIV Incidence in Populations at Risk for HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa and Thailand. and also HIV Risk Behaviors in Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Thailand: Baseline Behavioral Data From Project Accept.

The acceptability of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in infants (IPTi) delivered through the expanded programme of immunization in southern Tanzania.

Sexual violence at first intercourse against women in Moshi, northern Tanzania: prevalence, risk factors, and consequences.

Knowledge on HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour among youths in Kibaha District, Tanzania.

Perceptions of tuberculosis and treatment seeking behaviour in Ilala and Kinondoni Municipalities in Tanzania.

Capacity of healthcare facilities in the implementation of direct observed treatment strategy for tuberculosis in Arumeru and Karatu districts, Tanzania.

Follow the money: a resource book for trainers on public expenditure tracking Tanzania

Kenya interest

Public-private mix for control of tuberculosis and TB-HIV in Nairobi, Kenya: outcomes, opportunities and obstacles.

Tracking epidemic Chikungunya virus into the Indian Ocean from East Africa.

Efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine dispersible tablets compared with crushed commercial tablets in African infants and children with uncomplicated malaria: a randomised, single-blind, multicentre trial.

Potential for abuse in the VCT counselling room: service provider's perceptions in Kenya

Plasma Folate Level and High-Dose Folate Supplementation Predict Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine Treatment Failure in Pregnant Women in Western Kenya Who Have Uncomplicated Malaria.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy versus zidovudine/nevirapine effects on early breast milk HIV type-1 Rna: a phase II randomized clinical trial.

Determinants of the accuracy of rapid diagnostic tests in malaria case management: evidence from low and moderate transmission settings in the East African highlands.

Papua New Guinea interest

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2008; 363: 3701 has a number of articles on the kuru epidemic. Nothing online…

Heritability of human hookworm infection in Papua New Guinea.

Improved oxygen systems for childhood pneumonia: a multihospital effec-tiveness study in Papua New Guinea

And then this:

There is a new peer-reviewed journal: Annals of Tropical Medicine and Public health

Up for some aimless browsing or looking for new resources?: try the essential health links.

A study of farmers finds that those with the highest number of lifetime exposure days to agricultural pesticides were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with clinical depression than those with the fewest application days and were 80% more likely if they had applied a class of insecticide called organophosphates.

Youth InfoNet 50 is out.

A user's guide to measuring corruption

The reality of Aid 2008 - An Independent Review of Poverty Reduction and Development Assistance examines the reality of aid practices in donor countries and their impact on the lives of poor and marginalized populations on the ground in developing countries.

Best,

Ton