Greetings and welcome to the latest edition of the CGI Newsletter Dr. Chris Stout, Editor Gracie Wang, Co-Editor
Volume III, Number 6
June 2016
_____News, Tools, Reports and Shout-Outs______ Now accepting applications: Open innovation platform launched The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) invites global problem solvers to answer the call for groundbreaking ideas to enhance our ability to respond to the current Zika outbreak and generate cutting-edge technologies and approaches that better prepare the world to address the disease threats of tomorrow. (Photo credit: Marvin Recinos/AFP) The Combating Zika and Future Threats Grand Challenge, launched on April 13, 2016, will invest up to $30 million in solutions that can help mitigate the spread and impact of the Zika virus by filling critical gaps in the pipeline and improve our ability to prevent, detect, and respond to future infectious disease outbreaks. To support the Challenge, USAID has partnered with OpenIDEO to launch an open innovation platform that harnesses the power of the crowd to inform, inspire and guide creative solutions to this Grand Challenge that are deeply grounded in what communities want and need. The Challenge seeks innovative ideas that address key challenges and opportunities in vector control, personal and household protection, healthcare worker safety, surveillance, clinic and laboratory systems, diagnostics, sample transport, community engagement, and healthcare worker tools.
Learn more and answer the call for innovative ideas.
Visit our webpage for more information and download a copy of the call for ideas. Share your on-the-ground insights and experiences to help design better solutions. Seek feedback on your idea from the global community: Develop, share, and build on your idea through the OpenIDEO community. Seek funding for your idea from USAID: Apply now! Zika-focused submissions are due by 5:00 p.m. on May 20, 2016, and all other submissions due by 5:00 p.m. on June 17, 2016. Join the conversation! Follow @USAIDGH on Twitter and use the hashtag #CombatZika. Spread the word! Share this notice with a broad range of experts in a variety of disciplines.
Your imagination can help us spark transformational change and accelerate substantial and sustainable progress against combating Zika and future health threats. Together, we can transform insurmountable development challenges into solvable problems. For more information: https://www.usaid.gov/grandchallenges/zika
Earth’s health declining ‘faster than thought’ but action by governments can reverse trend – UN
The environment is deteriorating faster than previously thought, making it imperative that governments act now to reverse the worst trends, says the most authoritative study the United Nations has ever published on the state of the planet’s health. The Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6): Regional Assessments is a compilation of six separate reports, which provide highly detailed examinations of the environmental issues affecting each of the world’s six regions: the Pan-European region, North America, Asia and the Pacific, West Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a press release. Published ahead of the UN Environment Assembly, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 23-27 May, the regional assessments, which involved 1,203 scientists, hundreds of scientific institutions and more than 160 governments, find that the world shares a host of common environmental threats that are rapidly intensifying in many parts of the world. Across the planet, climate change, the loss of biodiversity, land degradation and water scarcity are growing problems that need to be urgently addressed if the world is to achieve the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the studies find. For more information: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53981#.V0MgHvkrKUn
___Award, Grant, Funding, Ed. & Job Opportunities___
CSIS is now accepting applications for the 2016 AILA International Fellowship (AIF). Each year, mid-career professionals from around the globe are selected to participate in an intensive, oneweek fellowship program that equips aspiring global leaders to be effective and ethical changemakers. Through interactive and experiential learning sessions led by CSIS's network of world-class scholars and practitioners, AIF Fellows gain a deeper understanding of the complex global dynamics and moral dilemmas they face as leaders. For more information about application details, program logistics, and costs, click here. Please direct all further questions to CSIS Director of Training Initiatives Barbara Petzen.
Program Associate – Jordan & Palestine (Consultant) – Amman, Jordan The Organization Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and a European office in Brussels, Belgium, SFCG’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict – away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. SFCG seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With a total of approximately 600 staff worldwide, SFCG implements projects in 35 countries, including in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. The organization is an exciting and rewarding place to work, with a dedicated and enthusiastic staff
who love their work. You will be joining a highly motivated staff with a good team spirit and there will be opportunities to grow in the role. Summary of Position The Program Associate would be a short-term consultant (3-5 months) and based in Amman, Jordan to help grow our current programs in Jordan and in Palestine. The position’s responsibilities would include working closely with our local partners across Jordan and Palestine to develop concept notes and proposal, maintain and build partnerships with local and international organizations, and assist in reporting and communications for the office. The position will also be required for organizing and documenting a partners meeting. The position would report to the Jerusalem co-director. Responsibilities In close coordination with the Jordan, Jerusalem, and MENA Support team, and with local partners, lead grant proposal writing (solicited and unsolicited) for the Jordan and Palestine programs, including but not limited to drafting context statements, developing theories of change, articulating program activities, drafting logframes, creating budgets, and developing M&E plans and indicators. Researching contextual information to enhance program design. Editing reports and communication pieces for language and fluidity. Planning travel and meeting logistics for a partners planning meeting. Maintaining and building partnerships with local and international organizations. Performing other supportive and administrative duties as needed. As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties. Requirements and Qualifications BA or MA in international relations, conflict resolution, Middle East studies, international development, or a related field. Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills in English. Demonstrated experience in proposal development and project design. Self-starter, able to work independently, and willing to take on tasks small and large. Ability to take initiative with little supervision. Good understanding of peacebuilding and conflict transformation. Familiarity with the MENA region, especially Jordan and Palestine. Ability to maintain professionalism, creativity, and enthusiasm while working in a fastpaced, multi-cultural environment with minimal supervision. Prior international experience. Preferred Qualifications: Ability to speak in Arabic preferred. Salary: Commensurate with experience and education, with benefits. To Apply: Please send a cover letter / letter of application, resume, salary requirements (or current salary), projected start date, and where you found this job posting by May 30, 2016 with the subject heading: Program Associate – Jordan & Palestine through our Application System. No phone calls please. Please see our web site www.sfcg.org for full description of our work. APPLY HERE
Project Design Fellow for USAID (MECap), Social Solutions International, Inc., Washington, DC Website Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions)* is accepting curricula vitae from mid- to senior-level project design specialists who are available and interested in a one- to two-year posting to contribute to the strengthening of project design, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This opportunity coincides with Agency efforts to streamline strategic planning and project design processes. This is an exciting opportunity with a competitive package, to be directly involved in building the capacity of USAID to strengthen the discipline of development and improve development outcomes. APPLY HERE
Program Coordinator, Africa, International Youth Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland Job Description The International Youth Foundation (IYF), a global nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives and conditions of young people worldwide, is seeking a detailoriented Program Coordinator to support the region’s flagship MasterCard Foundation-supported Via: Pathways to Work program in Mozambique and Tanzania. The ideal candidate will have Africa experience, preferably working on youth programs; excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, along with Portuguese and/or French oral and written fluency; strong organizational and administrative support skills, including conference/events planning experience; and the ability to quickly learn and thrive in a fast-paced environment. For more information please consult www.iyfnet.org. TO APPLY: To apply for this position, please visit our online career portal at https://iyfcareers.silkroad.com and upload a cover letter and resume. Applications will be reviewed as received.
_____Conferences and Meetings _____ The Art of Embodiment: Whole Person Approaches to Working with Trauma Five-day high energy, intensive immersion training for dance movement therapists and allied mental health professionals led by master teacher Dr. Ilene Serlin PhD, BC-DMT Co-Director, International Institute for Advanced Training in Dance Movement Therapy Wednesday June 29 – Sunday July 3, 2016 Dance movement therapy is proven to be an effective method to treat trauma. Working with the body as well as the mind, we can address shattered identity and belief systems, and existential terror. In this intensive five-day immersion, participants will learn how the body and art can be applied in the treatment of trauma. We will explore both theory and practice to apply this work as clinicians and for self-care.
Note: This training is a prerequisite for a once-in-a lifetime conference on Transgenerational Trauma in Amman, Jordan on October 26-29, 2016, with a field clinic and training October 22-25. Get more information on the conference in Jordan at this webpage: goo.gl/qDi58v
Location: Presidio Performing Arts Center, 386 Moraga Ave, San Francisco, CA 94129 Hours: Wednesday 3PM – Sunday 2PM Registration options Full-time trainees: $600 Students: $450 CE credits: processing fee Continuing Education units are pending for licensed psychologists, counselors, dance therapists, MFTs,
Submit your payment to iserlin@ileneserlin.com via PayPal.com (please use friends and family option)
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_____Newsletters in a Newsletter _____ This is from our dear friend Jaclyn Schiff. Check out her work at http://www.pangeaglobal.co/ Copyright © 2016 Pangea Productions Inc., All rights reserved.
Jobs Several openings at the Sabin Vaccine Institute The Global Poverty Project is seeking a managing editor (New York City) Teach for Ghana is seeking applicants for 2 year full-time paid commitment
Reads & Resources [POLL] Nationalistic
feelings are on the decline, people are more likely to identify as
global citizens [ARTICLE] A cheat sheet of candidates running for U.N. Secretary-General [LEARNING] The IDEX Academy is accepting applications. The week-long course
provides training for people who move resources for social change. [ARTICLE] Leading a Global Life - "Travel, in all its learning and fun, involves going out in the world. Yet, building a global life also forces you travel within." [EVENT] Save the date -- June 15: The Future of Peace Summit has an excellent lineup of speakers. The summit will examine prospects for peace over the next decade. Is the world becoming more or less peaceful? (livestream available) [LIST] In case you missed it: 10 Things to Read That Will Make You Smarter about International Development
INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY NEWS BULLETIN Ninth Annual Psychology Day at the UN Webcast of April 28, 2016, of Psychology Day at the UN “From Vulnerability to Resilience: Using Psychology to address the Global Migration Crisis.” For webcast, please visit: http://webtv.un.org/search/from-vulnerability-to-resilience-using-psychology-to-address-theglobal-migration-crisis-ninth-annual-psychology-day-at-theun/4870603484001?term=Psychology%20Day#full-text. FREE RESOURCES FROM APA JOURNALS Check out the latest FREE resources from APA Journals at http://www.apa.org/pubs/highlights/:
· APA Journals Article Spotlight™ provides summaries of recently published articles chosen by APA Editors as of particular interest to the field. Subscribe to Article Spotlight (https://paracom.paramountcommunication.com/form/63769/3121). · APA Journals Dialogue is an audio podcast series featuring interviews with authors of exciting research recently published in an APA journal (http://www.apa.org/pubs/highlights/podcasts/). · Particularly Exciting Experiments in Psychology™ (PeePs) is a biweekly e-newsletter highlighting ongoing research trends in experimental psychology. Subscribe to PeePs (https://paracom.paramountcommunication.com/form/63769/681/3). · PsycCRITIQUES Spotlight features discussions on book, film, and video reviews published in the APA PsycCRITIQUES database. Subscribes to PsycCRITIQUES Spotlight (http://paracom.paramountcmmunication.com/form/63769/3802). To stay on top of the latest exciting content from APA Journals, please visit Facebook (www.facebook.com/APAJournals) and Twitter (@APA_Journals). APA ANNUAL CONVENTION visitors: http://www.apa.org/convention/programming/international/index.aspx. APA Grants to Attend the APA Annual Convention · (Extended Deadline) Up to $500 to psychologists and psychology students based outside the U.S. and Canada. For more information,
visit: http://www.apa.org/about/awards/convention-international-travel.aspx. Deadline: May 31, 2016. · Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention and Training (CEMRRAT2) Task Force's Travel Grant for Students of Color in Psychology. For more information, visit: http://www.apa.org/about/awards/cemrrat2travel.aspx?tab=1. Deadline May 15, 2016 ·
For student members of Division 1.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19P8NjR9mz3F9pI1OK2YaAC9ombiQfK838pW_QzhYYY/closedform. Deadline June 1, 2016 · Division 45, Society for the Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race: Student Travel Awards. http://division45.org/awards/student-awards/ Deadline May 31, 2016 · Division 54, Society of Pediatric Psychology: Student Travel Awards http://societyofpediatricpsychology.org/node/225 .Deadline May 31, 2016
For a list of upcoming conferences and meetings please visit: http://www.apa.org/international/resources/events.aspx and http://resources.iupsys.net/iupsys/index.php/conferences--congresses/calendar-of-psychologyconferences-around-the-world. FELLOWSHIPS/POSTDOCTORAL AWARDS 2016 Fellowship Programme for People of African Descent The Fellowship Programme will allow the participants to better contribute to the protection and promotion of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of people of African descent in their respective countries. The Fellowship will be held from November 21 - December 9, 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. For more information, please visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Racism/WGAfricanDescent/Pages/FellowshipProgramm e.aspx. Deadline: May 31, 2016. Fulbright Scholar Program The 2017-2018 academic year grants are currently accepting applications. Numerous Fulbright awards are available for all levels of scholars in all countries worldwide. For more information, please
visit: https://catalog.cies.org/searchResults.aspx?ca=7. TRAININGS/WORKSHOPS Global Health and Health Diplomacy The Gulbenkian Summer Course will take place at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon), on 20-24 June 2016. For more information, please visit: http://mhinnovation.net/forums/courses/global-health-and-health-diplomacy-lisbon-june2016. Deadline: May 15, 2016.
The Lesser Known Maslow: The Better Known Rogers The Institute for Professional & Continuing Studies at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology presents a workshop on two famous humanistic psychologists on May 21, 2016. For more information, please visit: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-lesser-known-maslow-the-betterknown-rogers-tickets-21019499890?aff=erellivmlt. RECENTLY PUBLISHED · Spring 2016 issue of Psychology of Sexualities Review features international perspectives on LGBTI psychology. Available from the British Psychological Society: http://shop.bps.org.uk/publications/psychology-of-sexualities-review-vol-7-no-1spring-2016.html · Spengler, M., Brunner, M., Martin, R., & Lüdtke, O. (2016). The role of personality in predicting (change in) students’ academic success across four years of secondary school. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 32(1), 95103.http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000330.
· Plopa, M., Plopa, W., & Skuzińska, A. (2016). Bullying at Work, Personality and Subjective Well-Being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0040320. · Salter, K., Beamish, W., & Davies, M. (2016). The effects of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the social and emotional growth of young Australian children with autism. International Journal of Play Therapy, 25(2), 7890. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pla0000012. · Kinnunen, U., Rantanen, J., de Bloom, J., Mauno, S., Feldt, T., & Korpela, K. (2016). The role of work–nonwork boundary management in work stress recovery. International Journal of Stress Management, 23(2), 99123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0039730. · Liu, H., Ngo, H. Y., & Cheung, F. M. (2016). Work–family enrichment and marital satisfaction among Chinese couples: A crossover-spillover perspective. International Journal of Stress Management, 23(2), 209-231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0039753. · Paškvan, M., Kubicek, B., Prem, R., & Korunka, C. (2016). Cognitive appraisal of work intensification. International Journal of Stress Management, 23(2), 124146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0039689. · Galinha, I. C., Garcia-Martín, M. Á., Gomes, C., & Oishi, S. (2016). Criteria for happiness among people living in extreme poverty in Maputo, Mozambique. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 5(2), 6790.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ipp0000053. · Heppner, P. P., Tian, L., Zhao, R., Wang, K. T., Bi, Y., Hou, Z., . . . Hsieh, C. (2016). A Chinese Relational Coping Inventory: Initial evidence and implications. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 5(2), 110127.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ipp0000052. CALLS FOR PAPERS & SUBMISSIONS & NOMINATIONS Call for Nominations The journal Motivation Science is seeking a new Editor-in-Chief. This position is responsible for contributing to the journal’s strategy, maintaining its position in the field, appointing and managing the editorial team, providing leadership and vision, and ensuring the efficient and ethical handling of submitted articles. The new editorship will officially commence September 1st, 2016. Nominations as well as self-nominations are welcome. Candidates should be nominated using APA’s EditorQuest site, http://editorquest.apa.org. For more information please contact Catherine Wattenberg, Managing Director, APA Journals, at cwattenberg@apa.org. Deadline: May 31, 2016. Call for Nominations The Committee on Early Career Psychologists (CECP) is seeking nominations for two representatives to serve a three-year term (2017-2019). Candidates must be APA members within ten years receipt of their doctorate degree as of January 1, 2017. In addition, candidates must be able to attend mandatory committee meetings; one in the spring, and two in the fall and the respective leadership conference. Meeting expenses are reimbursed by APA. For more information, please visit: www.apa.org/earlycareer. Deadline: August 26, 2016. Calls for Submissions International Conference on Well-being (ICWB2016) in Singapore on October 31 and November 1, 2016. Abstract session themes include Psychology and well-being, communication and well-being, sociology and well-being, economics and well-being, political science and well-being, and philosophy and well-being. For more information, please
visit: http://www.unisim.edu.sg/microsites/SASS/WB2016/callforpapers.html. Deadline: May 31, 2016. Call for Papers: Caribbean Journal of Psychology (CJP) The vision of the CJP is to be the premier outlet for psychological scholarship in an underserved region, and to promote psychological research in the academic and public arenas. The CJP is currently available as a free, open access publication. For more information, visit: http://ojs.mona.uwi.edu/index.php/cjpsy or contact: caribbeanpsychology@gmail.com. Call for Papers: Everyday Attention Special issue seeks to bring together cutting edge research papers investigating aspects of everyday attention (i.e., investigations of attention using naturalistic stimuli, tasks, and/or settings) that contribute to the basic understanding of attention. For more information, visit: http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/cep/call-for-papers-attention.aspx. Deadline: June 1, 2016. Call for Papers: Social Movements and Political and Social Transformation Special issue focuses on the role of social movements in bringing about (or failing to bring about) political and social transformation. For more information, visit: http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/pac/call-for-papers-social-movements.aspx. Deadline: October 15, 2016. AWARDS & GRANTS Anne Anastasi Graduate Student Research Award Nomination Graduate students who demonstrate research that focuses on psychometrics and differential psychology in respect to Anne Anastasi contributions to the field from an international perspective will be highly considered. For more information, please contact the Suzana Adams, PsyD (suzea@mac.com), Mercedes A. McCormick PhD (mampsyyoga@aol.com) and Zhipeng Gao (gzhipeng@yorku.ca). Deadline: June 7, 2016. Wilhelm Wundt-William James Award for Exceptional Contributions to Trans-Atlantic Psychology An award for exceptional contributions to trans-Atlantic psychology. American Psychological Foundation (APF) encourages nominations for individuals who represent diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit: http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/wundt.aspx?tab=3. Deadline: October 31, 2016. The Florence L. Denmark and Mary E. Reuder Award Recognizes outstanding psychologists who have made international contributions to further the understanding of women and/or gender. The recipient must be a psychologist with a demonstrated interest in international or cross-cultural psychology. Current membership in Division 52 is not a requirement. For more information, please visit: http://www.apa.org/about/awards/denmark-reuder52.aspx?tab=3. Deadline: May 1, 2017. INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATES Visit the APA Affiliates Corner Page: http://www.apa.org/international/outreach/initiatives/affiliatemembership/international-affiliate-corner.aspx OTHER Join the APA UN listserv APAUnitedNations@lists.apa.org offers information on upcoming UN events. To join send an email with the subject line blank and the following in the body of the message: subscribe APAUNITEDNATIONS YourFirstName, YourLastName (e.g., subscribe APAUNITEDNATIONS John Doe) to listserv@lists.apa.org. Consider Sharing Your International Experiences in the Psychology International Newsletter: http://www.apa.org/international/pi/index.aspx. Contact the newsletter editor at international@apa.org
JOIN GlobalYExpo! GlobalYExpo is a database of psychologists with experience outside the United States, organized by substantive areas of expertise and geographical areas of experience. GlobalYExpo is maintained by the APA Office of International Affairs. To join, please see: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1092996/Global-Expo Follow international news on twitter: @APA_Intl For more announcements visit http://www.apa.org/international/resources/announcements.aspx Sign-up for FREE APA newsletters: http://www.apa.org/support/opt-in.aspx OTHER Consider Sharing Your International Experiences in the Psychology International Newsletter:http://www.apa.org/international/pi/index.aspx. Contact the newsletter editor at international@apa.org JOIN THE WHO Global Network Mental health and primary care professionals are invited to join the GLOBAL CLINICAL PRACTICE NETWORK (GCPN). This is a network of more than 12,202 mental health researchers, clinicians and practitioners in 143 countries. GCPN registration takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. For more information, please visit: http://www.globalclinicalpractice.net/en/
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“Change the world.” It always struck me that saying that sounded a lot like grandiose hubris, or at best, a dauntingly overwhelming task. The utter impossibility of it seemed certain until I realized that it can mean helping one person at a time. That is a theme you’ll see throughout this book and our websites and our work. I have added some of my LinkedIn Influencer blogs/essays that I hope may be inspirational, also. The format of this book is inspired by Brian Eno’s A Year with Swollen Appendices, not so much the diary aspect but rather the overwhelmingly large collection of information in the various appendices. Additionally, this book is an “analog” version, if you will, of the content and links found at the Center for Global Initiatives website and the associated DropBox account. Open-Sourced Humanitarian Interventionism It’s long been my goal to make life easier for those working in humanitarian and volunteer endeavors, as well as those in need of help. Indeed, in one way or another, we all need help in one form or another. So, just about everything you find herein and on the Center’s website, is free of charge, and a lot you could also find for yourself. What I’ve tried to do is speed up the search, vet what has been found, and then curate the results, making them as readily and easily available as I know how to. This is my dream of open-sourcing humanitarian work. Current Content, For Pretty Close To Forever The reason for this “reverse engineering” is twofold. First, the amount of content and links on the Center’s website may not always be apparent to the novel user. This book allows for near complete exposure to the functional tools and content that await the online user. Second, this book will never be out-of-date, in that when new content becomes available via uploads to the DropBox account, you’ll be able to read that as well. All you have to do is email me and ask to be linked. I curate the content constantly. You can also request being added to our mailing list via my email address as well if you’d like to be kept up-to-date on events and other relevant content. We welcome your joining! All proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to the Center for Global Initiatives. Available at Amazon and on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Humanitarian-Field-GuideInspiration-Resources/dp/1500535079
_____Zika, Infectious Disease, and More…_____ Aggregated News Reports from: Global Health NOW is an initiative of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, www.jhsph.edu. Views and opinions expressed in this email do not necessarily reflect those of the Bloomberg School. Created by Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Maryalice Yakutchik, Jackie Frank and Salma Warshanna-Sparklin. You can connect with them at: bsimpso1@jhu.edu
ZIKA VIRUS On Africa’s Doorstep A Zika virus outbreak in Cape Verde, just a short flight from Senegal, has been traced to the Asian strain spreading in the Americas. The outbreak, which began in October 2015, includes 7,557 suspected cases—180 of them in pregnant women. 3 Zika-linked microcephaly cases have been reported on the island. Genetic sequencing tests performed by scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar confirmed the strain involved and said it was probably imported from Brazil, the WHO said on Friday. CIDRAP Making a Difference On hospital rounds last fall, Brazilian pediatric neurologist Vanessa van der Linden noticed 3 infants with abnormally small heads. CT scans revealed the same brain irregularities that she had previously seen in a newborn at her practice. Van der Linden, one of the first doctors to suspect a link between the Zika virus and babies being born with small heads, is the subject of a compelling Vogue profile, detailing her work in treating affected infants. “She made all the difference in the world,” says Joel Ernst, M.D., director of the division of infectious diseases and immunology at NYU. “… without Dr. van der Linden getting things started, many more women and babies would be affected.” Vogue Related: Possible Zika Virus Infection Among Pregnant Women — United States and Territories, May 2016 – CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Related: A Cost-Effectiveness Tool for Informing Policies on Zika Virus Control – PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases A Zika Warning for Europe There’s a low- to moderate-risk of a Zika virus outbreak in Europe by summer, with the island of Madeira as well as Russia and Georgia’s Black Sea coast at greatest risk because of the presence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, according to a new WHO assessment. “Aedes is widespread in some of these areas, so there is no reason why it shouldn’t emerge there eventually,” says Anthony Costello, director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Department at the WHO. “We’re in a global world; everyone is traveling around. As long as you have vectors, the risk is always going to be there. And it’s not going to end with Zika.” Emily Baumgaertner, Global Health NOW Sequence Analysis Researchers are trying to understand how Zika morphed into the current pandemic as it made its way from Africa to Asia to the Americas. The goal: to help public health officials get ready for whatever’s next, be it a more lethal Zika strain, a different mutating flavavirus such as yellow fever or maybe both. One research team reverse engineered the Zika virus in their lab, to understand what makes the current strain so dangerous. (This approach provided evidence that that Zika is most dangerous to
a fetus during a woman’s first trimester.) Another group identified more than a dozen Zika mutations between the current virus in Brazil and earlier strains in Asia. This may help explain why Zika is more virulent now. The Atlantic HUMAN TRAFFICKING Myths Debunked As part of continuing coverage meant to shine a light on human trafficking, correspondent Ellen Wulfhorst debunks 5 common myths. Human trafficking, which can be found in any country and victimize nearly anyone, doesn’t always involve sex, she clarifies, adding that forced labor is another form of it. And although the moniker “trafficking” seems to imply movement, it’s really all about exploitation and control. "You can traffic a person and never move them an inch," said Grant Snyder, a trafficking expert with the Minneapolis Police Department. Thomson Reuters Foundation
SEX TRAFFICKING Vietnam’s Trafficked Victims The trafficking of Vietnamese women as brides, sex workers or factory workers is expanding across the country—a development attributable in part to China’s shortage of women, due to the country’s longtime one-child policy. Previously concentrated in northern Vietnam near the Chinese border, trafficking has expanded to the south. And, increasingly, Vietnamese women seeking factory work in Malaysia are falling victim to traffickers. "In reality, they get there, their passports are taken away and they're forced into prostitution or into being brides,” says Mimi Vu of the Pacific Links Foundation, which leads anti-trafficking efforts in Vietnam. Thomson Reuters Foundation DIAGNOSTICS False Positive/False Negative Lab tests don’t always pass the test. A 2014 study put the number of lab errors at 12 million times per year for outpatients. That’s 1 in 20 adults. Inaccurate results lead to delayed or wrong diagnoses. The precise number is unknown, and was not factored into the recent study that found that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer. Confounding this reality: many patients overestimate lab tests’ accuracy and usefulness. Advises the writer: Don’t be afraid to ask about the tests, their risks, and why you are having them. Scientific American MENTAL HEALTH Untreated and In Need A Lancet global mental health analysis—part of a series—reports that training of traditional healers and health system changes are critical to address China and India’s growing burden of untreated mental disorders. Although there have been inroads in mental health care in the 2 countries in the past decade— especially in China, where a government program has trained 10,000 psychiatrists since 2004—less than 10% of the people with mental disorders in China and India receive effective treatment. The analysis suggests that collaborations between medical and alternative health providers, particularly in rural areas, could be one approach to increasing access to mental health care. The New York Times Magic Mushrooms People with treatment-resistant depression might find relief from psilocybin, a hallucinogenic chemical in mushrooms, according to a small study by researchers at Imperial College London and published in Lancet Psychiatry. Data from a 3-month follow-up of patients have been cautiously described as “promising, but not completely compelling.”
In depression, thoughts could become locked in a self-critical and negative mode, said Professor David Nutt, one of the researchers, adding: Psilocybin can be thought of as a "lubricant for the mind" that "liberates" the patient. BBC SUICIDE Drought-Driven Suicides Desperate and hopeless after 2 years of drought, Indian farmers are facing decimated crops and deep debt. The devastation has contributed to an epidemic of suicides among farmers who see no way out of the crisis. In the western state of Maharashtra, 3,228 farmers killed themselves last year. The secretary of India's water resources ministry says that farmers need to be educated to grow crops better suited to a drought-prone climate, such as fruit, vegetables and nuts. But Dnyaneshwar Jadhav, whose brother committed suicide, says, "When I look into the well, I feel like dying. Life is such a struggle.” NPR SICKLE CELL DISEASE Plans for a Moonshot The American Society of Hematology (ASH) plans to call for a sickle cell moonshot this fall—an all-out effort that has been long in coming. Researchers in 1956 discovered the mutation in the gene for hemoglobin that causes sickle cell. It has led to neither treatments nor cures for the 300,000 babies worldwide—1/3 of them in the US—born annually with the painful disease. “Sickle cell patients have never been at the front of the line,” said David Nathan, a past president of Dana-Farber, citing a paucity of support from scientists, funders and the government. Thanks in part to the development of genome-editing technology, a cure is within reach, said ASH vice president Dr. Alexis Thompson of Children’s Hospital of Chicago. STAT
FGM Ominous Trend In Kenya, where FGM is illegal, some families are carrying out the practice at night to reduce the risk of arrest, according to opponents of FGM from Kenya at the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen, which concluded yesterday. The trend comes at a time when Kenya, where a quarter of girls and women have undergone FGM, is stepping up efforts to eradicate the internationally condemned practice. A team of 20 prosecutors handles FGM and child marriage cases exclusively and the country has plans to start an FGM hotline so people can alert the authorities to upcoming cases of the illegal practice. VOA
The Spread of FGM Global migration has increasingly brought female genital mutilation (FGM) to the West, where medical professionals are ill prepared to respond, according to new WHO guidelines for the treatment of victims. FGM is most prevalent in Africa, as well as pockets of Asia and the Middle East. Of 200 million females subjected to FGM worldwide, more than 500,000 are in the US, and 66,000 in Britain. "Health workers are often unaware of the many negative health consequences of FGM and many remain inadequately trained to recognize and treat them properly," WHO said, adding that victims therefore "may suffer needlessly.” Daily News & Analysis/India Related: Female genital mutilation is a men's issue, say African activists – Thompson Reuters Foundation Related: New WHO guidelines to improve care for millions living with female genital mutilation – WHO SUPERBUGS Stemming Antibiotic Resistance Perdue, the 4th largest poultry producer in the US, 2 years ago stopped feeding chicks the
antibiotic gentamicin. Antibiotics in animal feed, used to stimulate growth and ward off illness, contribute to antibiotic resistance in humans, making so-called superbugs more virulent. Congress has been trying to ban outright or curb antibiotic feed use since 1977. In 2011, the FDA opted for voluntary antibiotic self-regulation. Antibiotic feed use surged between 2009 and 2014. Perdue bucked the trend. Today, 2/3 of its poultry get no antibiotics. The 1/3 that does is getting it out of health concerns, not as a growth stimulant. Mother Jones Related: “Superbugs” could cost $100 trillion - and millions of lives - by 2050: Report -CNBC DRUG RESISTANCE Dark Future The future is dark, at least when it comes to the rise of drug-resistant superbugs, according to next week’s cover story in The Economist. This week, a UK study estimated that 700,000 people die annually from infections by drugresistant pathogens and parasites. By 2050, such deaths will rise to 10 million, trimming 2-3.5% from the global GDP. In the future, elective surgeries and even C-sections may have unacceptable risks because of the possibility of drug-resistant infection. Trends in the US confirm reasons for concern. Sepsis cases rose from 621,000 to 1.1 million from 2000 to 2008, with deaths rising from 154,000 to 207,000. One reason: MRSA. The Economist Related: Superbugs Will Kill More Than Cancer by 2050 Unless We Act Now, Says New Report - VICE News FOOD SAFETY No Extra Health Risks with GMOs A National Academies of Sciences review that compared consumption of genetically engineered foods with conventionally produced foods found no difference in health risks to humans. The NAS report reviewed data from the US and Canada, where GMOs were introduced in the 1990s, and from the UK and Western Europe, where genetically engineered foods are not commonplace. The study, which reviewed about 900 publications, comes in advance of a first-of-its-kind law, set to take effect July 1 in Vermont, that would require labeling of some foods containing GMO ingredients. Bloomberg News Related: Academies of Science finds GMOs not harmful to human health - USA Today MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH Prying Open the Child Marriage Trap Poverty, culture and a belief that a girl’s life goals should be marriage and motherhood drive Nepal’s child marriage rate, which is among the highest in the world. 10% of Nepalese girls are married before turning 15; more than 40% before 18. Nationally, the average age a girl weds is 17. The Nepalese government is committed to ending child marriage by 2020 by ensuring girls have access to quality education—including sex education, and skills training for those married and out of school—ultimately increasing their economic opportunities. The Guardian Afghanistan: Fragile Progress In a first analysis of its kind, the Lancet Global Health reports strides in maternal and child health in Afghanistan, a country long racked with political instability and violence. Mining 11 nationally representative surveys conducted between 2003 and 2013, the authors found that: Maternal mortality
fell 64%.
Child
mortality decreased 29%. Childhood stunting dropped 30%. Prenatal care and skilled delivery have increased by more than 1/3. Staffing gains between 2005 and 2013 include: nurses (738 to 5,766), midwives (211 to 3,333), general physicians (403 to 5,990) and community health workers (2682 to 28,837). The report also notes challenges: malnutrition is rampant; and pneumonia and diarrhea kills 28% and 20% of Afghan children under 5. Since Afghanistan is highly donor dependent, if funding plummets, so might its remarkable health gains. Lancet Global Health Thanks for the tip, Tanya Reid. Related: 1,000 Afghans flee fighting every day – IRIN News INJURIES Conflict’s Toll on Children Iraqi children suffer higher rates of injuries—and not just from explosives and other war-related causes, according to a study published in Surgery. The Numbers: Violence
causes 1 in 6 childhood injuries in Iraq (compared with 1 in 50 worldwide). Falls, the most common cause of injury, accounted for 34% of all injuries; road crashes 22%. 15% of injuries were directly caused by the conflict (gunshots, shrapnel, etc.).
Aid groups tend to focus on violent causes of injury during conflicts, said senior author Adam Kushner, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. But poor roads, less parental supervision and disrupted services associated with war also contribute. Reuters
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CourseWorks
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Certificate Program and DropBox Library The Center is pleased to offer access to our Library’s DropBox collections free of charge as an educational resource to anyone with a need or interest working in resource-limited settings anywhere in the world. Just email me what sections you’d like and what your work/project is. The Library’s Table of Contents is here: http://www.slideshare.net/drchrisstout1/cgi-dropbox-librarytable-of-contents There is also an option of obtaining a Certification if you are interested in doing so as well. Our curricula are based on a compilation of online lectures on global health and related areas. CGI is most indebted to and with big thanks for our good friend Jennifer StapleClark, founder of Unite for Sight, and profiled in my book The New Humanitarians, Vol. 1, for making their content freely available on their site (you may freely read, download, distribute, and use the material, as long as all of the work is properly cited). You rock Jen! If you’re interested in earning a Certificate in one of 19 areas, CGI’s tuition is $25/course. Just contact me to enroll or if you have any questions. You may work at your own pace. It’s pretty cool, check it out: http://centerforglobalinitiatives.org/courseWorks.cfm
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My Thanks!
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I hope you have found this issue to be informative and helpful in your work. Please send me any information you’d like posted in upcoming issues. This Newsletter and mailing are a manual process, so if you would no longer like to receive it, just send me an email. You can join our Facebook Group and interact with over 2300(!) likeminded individuals at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CenterForGlobalInitiatives/ And if you’d like to support the Center’s work with a tax deductible donation, that would be fantastic(!) and do a great deal: http://centerforglobalinitiatives.org/donateNow.cfm All past issues are available via a Pinterest Portal: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/257831147393441584/ If any of the URLs do not work in that format, just email me for the desired back-issue, or visit our website: http://centerforglobalinitiatives.org/newsletters.cfm Cheers, and thank you for your work,
Chris http://DrChrisStout.com Founding Director, http://CenterForGlobalInitiatives.org LinkedIn Influencer: https://www.linkedin.com/today/posts/drchrisstout American Psychological Association International Humanitarian Award Winner, http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec07/rockstar.html
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