Dear Colleagues,
< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
These are absolutely fabulous times for newsjunkies. Wikileaks gives the world every day some more insight into what happens behind the scenes. We still think the term ‘the 9 / 11 of international diplomacy’ is a bit overdone, but hey, the way it’s going, we could still be proven wrong in the coming weeks. Whether it’s about the fact that some African countries seem opposed to joint Western and Chinese aid, the cable on Shell’s involvement in the Nigerian government, or the story about the Ugandan autocratic president who erodes the Ugandan success story of the nineties, we just can’t get enough of it. Yet, sadly, this is no game.
In the < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />
In
This week we also started a new discussion on the blog, inspired by a petition and letter by Avaaz
Enjoy your reading.
AIDS
1. FT– Guest column: Long-term strategy must focus on the local
Piot et al ; http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ddb49b74-fc0c-11df-b675-00144feab49a.html#axzz17LTKpmW5
Piot et al. say AIDS remains one of the biggest health crises of our age, and will be with us for decades to come. The authors give five recommendations for the future.
2. The Journal of the international AIDS society – The history of AIDS exceptionalism
Julia H Smith and Alan Whiteside; (http://www.jiasociety.org/content/pdf/1758-2652-13-47.pdf
This paper shows how the meaning of AIDS exceptionalism has shifted over the last three decades.
3. NPR – Sidibe on AIDS-crisis after 30 years:
UNAIDS chief Sidibe thinks the battle against AIDS is at a crossroads. He is deeply worried.
Global Health
4. Foreign Policy – Is the WHO Becoming Irrelevant?
Jack C. CHOW; http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/12/08/is_the_who_becoming_irrelevant?page=full
Jack Chow wonders whether the WHO is becoming irrelevant.
5. KFF – India , EU Trade Agreement Will Not Restrict Ability For India
http://globalhealth.kff.org/Daily-Reports/2010/December/08/GH-120810-EU-India-Agreement.aspx
The tension is not only rising in Cancun, but also in
6. Science speaks – Global Fund Round 10: Short on resources for HIV and TB scale-up in sub-Saharan Africa
David Bryden; http://sciencespeaksblog.org/2010/12/03/global-fund-round-10-short-on-resources-for-hiv-and-tb-scale-up-in-sub-saharan-africa/
Some disappointing news has emerged from the Global Fund Technical Review Panel (TRP). Only 44 percent of the HIV proposals submitted for Round Ten were successful. TB proposals and the malaria proposals were more successful, 54 and 79 percent respectively. Yet, proposals for scale up for TB from several high burden countries in Africa and
7. Global public health – Understanding change in global health policy: Ideas, discourse and networks
Andrew Harmer; http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a927606212~frm=abslink
Harmer applies a neat theoretical framework, drawing on insights from constructivist analysis, to show how discourse made it possible for public and private actors to fundamentally change their way of working together – to shift from international public and private interactions to global health partnerships (GHPs).
8. Financial Times – A prescription for cheaper drugs
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e876c49a-0177-11e0-9b29-00144feab49a.html?ftcamp=rss#axzz17QxFV6d7
The FT dwells on the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP), and compares with the Advance Market Commitment promoted by Big Pharma. The former might only be appropriate for some vaccines, the authors claim.
9. KFF – Report Examines African Government Funding For Child Development
http://globalhealth.kff.org/Daily-Reports/2010/December/08/GH-120810-African-Child-Report.aspx
Tanzania, Mozambique and Niger spend the most on child wellbeing in Africa – with Sudan, Angola and Burundi at the bottom of the table,” according to a report, launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the opening of the Fourth International Policy Conference on the African Child.
10. Child wellbeing in Africa : the true wealth of nations
A Lancet editorial comments on the new African “Report on Child Wellbeing 2011: Budgeting for Children”.
11. CGD – Global Health is Development: Why USAID Should Lead the GHI
Nandini Oomman; http://blogs.cgdev.org/globalhealth/2010/12/global-health-is-development-why-usaid-should-lead-the-ghi.php
Nandini Oomman thinks it absolutely makes sense for USAID to lead the Global Health Initiative.
12. Humanosphere – Why the global poor need a new TB test, and why this one might not be it
WHO just approved a new TB test that will revolutionise the way we perform a TB diagnostic. We do need such new tests but Paulson is right to discuss its cost effectiveness in Low Income Settings.
Non Communicable Diseases
13. BMJ (news) – Need to increase focus on non-communicable diseases in global health, says WHO
http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c7065.full
Governments worldwide need to increase the priority given to fighting non-communicable diseases especially in the poorest nations, the World Health Organization says.
Health Affairs dedicated its December issue to ‘Battling chronic diseases worldwide’.
Karen Grepin already reviewed the new issue on her blog. So, at last, chronic diseases seem be attracting more attention within the Global Health Policy community.
EU aid
14. Global Health Europe – EU Development Days
The European Development days have become a really big development policy event. You can find some quotes and webcasts here. The level of participants in the event seems to have increased over the years, but the outcomes of the event could be rather limited if you believe this Save The Children participant. In our view, specialised sessions on Global Health or MDGs did not go far enough (both in their analysis and discussions) to bring about any real change. This is perhaps not the place where things are changing. Yet, it could be the right place to see what is about to change. Two examples: in one session, we noticed a really good fighting spirit around issues related to the battle against fake medicines among a wide range of high level panel members. They could show some commitment around the topic in the future. In another session, civil society vehemently criticized the way free trade agreements are being negotiated, and Louis Michel did not like it. It’s good to see an increasingly bold Global South civil society daring “to say aloud what we say quietly” in the words of Thomas Boni Yayi.
At the two day meeting, the second European development report (PDF, 221p, 1,63Mb) was released. Another key document about social protection systems with a special focus on SSA and how EU can best support this idea.
15. Economist – Exuberant promises to raise aid spending are unlikely to be fulfilled
Waylaid; http://www.economist.com/node/17633128
The Economist examines EU foreign aid. It seems
Aid
16. Canadian aid adrift; A crisis of conscience?
David Black and Molly den Heyer ;
http://www.thebrokeronline.eu/en/Magazine/articles/A-crisis-of-conscience
In the new Broker issue, an article zooms in on Canadian aid. Canadian development has been in crisis since the 1990s, it is said. A lack of leadership and policy direction has impelled the development community to generate a series of studies calling for the reform of Canadian aid architecture.