Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 94, Number 5, May 2016, 309-404
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/5/en/

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Special theme: the Global strategy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (2016-2030)
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EDITORIALS
Knowledge for effective action to improve the health of women, children and adolescents in the sustainable development era
Flavia Bustreo, Robin Gorna & David Nabarro
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.174243
…Achieving the global strategy and the SDGs will require the use of the best available knowledge for action, as well as investment in new research and innovation. This month’s Bulletin theme issue seeks to broaden the evidence on effective country implementation and lessons learnt from the MDGs. Kuruvilla et al.3 summarize the current global strategy, show how the objectives of the strategy are aligned with the SDGs and how selected countries are already making progress.

Several papers in this issue deal with progress on the survival objective of the global strategy; Negandhi et al.4 present a surveillance-based maternal and infant death review system in India; Murguía-Peniche et al.5 and McKinnon et al.6 address under-researched topics, such as the factors associated with stillbirths in Mexico and the high prevalence of suicidal behaviours among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries, respectively.

The strategy’s thrive objective addresses the overall health and well-being of mothers, children and adolescents. Chai et al.7 determine how exposure to violence hinders child development and can affect health across the life-course and subsequent generations. Askew et al.8 describe the importance of ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings.

The transform objective of the strategy focuses on expanding enabling environments and aims to transform societies so that women, children and adolescents everywhere can realize their rights to the highest attainable standards of health and well-being. Several papers address the global strategy’s transform objective. Newberry et al.9 present a formal emergency response infrastructure developed in India for gender-based violence.

This special issue also includes papers on approaches that have helped countries achieve improved health outcomes for women, children and adolescents. Marston et al.10 discuss the importance of community engagement in achieving results. Ahmed et al.11 describe policies and programmes that contributed to reductions in child and maternal mortality. Frost et al.12 explain how multistakeholder dialogues are used to clarify what works and does not work in policy-making and implementation…

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EDITORIALS
Sexual and reproductive health and rights in emergencies
Ian Askew, Rajat Khosla, Ugochi Daniels, Sandra Krause, Clare Lofthouse, Lale Say, Kate Gilmore & Sarah Zeid
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.173567

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Research
Association between intimate partner violence and poor child growth: results from 42 demographic and health surveys
Jeanne Chai, Günther Fink, Sylvia Kaaya, Goodarz Danaei, Wafaie Fawzi, Majid Ezzati, Jeffrey Lienert & Mary C Smith Fawzi
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.15.152462
Abstract
Objective
To determine the impact of intimate partner violence against women on children’s growth and nutritional status in low- and middle-income countries.
Methods
We pooled records from 42 demographic and health surveys in 29 countries. Data on maternal lifetime exposure to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics were collected. We used logistic regression models to determine the association between intimate partner violence and child stunting and wasting.
Findings
Prior exposure to intimate partner violence was reported by 69 652 (34.1%) of the 204 159 ever-married women included in our analysis. After adjusting for a range of characteristics, stunting in children was found to be positively associated with maternal lifetime exposure to only physical (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 1.11; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.09–1.14) or sexual intimate partner violence (aOR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.05–1.13) and to both forms of such violence (aOR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05–1.14). The associations between stunting and intimate partner violence were stronger in urban areas than in rural ones, for mothers who had low levels of education than for women with higher levels of education, and in middle-income countries than in low-income countries. We also found a small negative association between wasting and intimate partner violence (aOR: 0.94; 95%CI: 0.90–0.98).
Conclusion
Intimate partner violence against women remains common in low- and middle-income countries and is highly detrimental to women and to the growth of the affected women’s children. Policy and programme efforts are needed to reduce the prevalence and impact of such violence.

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Perspectives
The sustainable development goals, violence and women’s and children’s health
Claudia García-Moreno & Avni Amin
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.172205

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The Global strategy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (2016–2030): a roadmap based on evidence and country experience
Shyama Kuruvilla, Flavia Bustreo, Taona Kuo, CK Mishra, Katie Taylor, Helga Fogstad, Geeta Rao Gupta, Kate Gilmore, Marleen Temmerman, Joe Thomas, Kumanan Rasanathan, Ted Chaiban, Anshu Mohan, Anna Gruending, Julian Schweitzer, Hannah Sarah Dini, John Borrazzo, Hareya Fassil, Lars Gronseth, Rajat Khosla, Richard Cheeseman, Robin Gorna, Lori McDougall, Kadidiatou Toure, Kate Rogers, Kate Dodson, Anita Sharma, Marta Seoane & Anthony Costello
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.170431

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Country perspectives on integrated approaches to maternal and child health: the need for alignment and coordination
Pascal Bijleveld, Blerta Maliqi, Paul Pronyk, Jennifer Franz-Vasdeki, Bennett Nemser, Diana Sera, Renee van de Weerdt & Benedicte Walter
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.15.168823