China CDC 
http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/
New website launched…no “news” or “announcements” page identified.

National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China
http://en.nhfpc.gov.cn/
Selected Updates/ Press Releases/ Notices
2019-01-02
Chinese lawmakers suggest publicizing vaccine examination reports
BEIJING — Chinese lawmakers have called for the publication of examination reports on vaccines after they are approved by authorities.
The suggestion was raised on Dec 28 at a penal deliberation on a draft law on vaccine management, which was submitted to the ongoing session of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee for its first reading.
Li Yuefeng, a member of the committee, said it should be stipulated in the draft that a report detailing examination results of a vaccine should be made public to ensure the people’s right to transparency.
Wu Weihua, a committee vice chairperson, advised that the research and development (R&D) of a vaccine should be filed with relevant administrative departments since vaccine R&D may involve virulent or contagious pathogens.
Committee member Wu Heng called for revisions of the draft on tightening supervision and management of logistics, especially on temperature control.
Li Kang, another committee member, said the vaccination centers that offer voluntary vaccinations outside the national vaccination plan should be required by the draft to participate in medical liability insurance.
Other suggestions at the deliberation included toughening the examination and inspection of imported vaccines and making a more specific guideline for vaccine pricing.

Updated: 2018-12-15
China reports 2,826 deaths from infectious diseases in November
(Xinhua)
BEIJING — A total of 2,826 people died as a result of infectious diseases in China in November, according to statistics released by the National Health Commission.
There were 636,722 cases of infectious diseases reported last month.
One case of cholera was reported in November and no cases of plague were reported. No fatalities caused by these diseases have been reported, the commission said.
Cholera and plague are classified as Class A infectious diseases, the most serious classification in China’s Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.
A total of 303,714 infections of diseases classified as Class B infectious diseases were reported, resulting in 2,819 deaths in November. Viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea and scarlet fever accounted for 93 percent of these cases.
Class C diseases caused seven deaths in November. Foot and mouth disease, infectious diarrhea and influenza were the most prevalent in this category, accounting for 92 percent of cases.

Announcements
 
 
BMGF – Gates Foundation  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute    [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.gatesmri.org/
The Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute is a non-profit biotech organization. Our mission is to develop products to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases—three major causes of mortality, poverty, and inequality in developing countries. The world has unprecedented scientific tools at its disposal; now is the time to use them to save the lives of the world’s poorest people
No new digest content identified.
 
 
CARB-X   [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://carb-x.org/
CARB-X is a non-profit public-private partnership dedicated to accelerating antibacterial research to tackle the global rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria.
01.03.2019  |
CARB-X backs Forge to develop a new class of antibiotics to treat serious lung infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, including multi-drug resistant P. aeruginosa
CARB-X is awarding Forge Therapeutics of San Diego, CA, USA, up to $5.7 million in non-dilutive funding, with the possibility of up to $5.4 million more if certain project milestones are met, to develop a novel antibiotic to treat serious lung infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria including multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This is Forge’s second project to earn CARB-X support..
 
 
CEPI – Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://cepi.net/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
EDCTP    [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.edctp.org/
The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well as other poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials
Latest news
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Emory Vaccine Center    [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.vaccines.emory.edu/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
European Medicines Agency  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/
News and press releases
04/01/2019
News: Human medicines: highlights of 2018
 
 
European Vaccine Initiative  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.euvaccine.eu/news-events
27 December 2018
TRANSVAC2 success story published by EC
European Commission highlights that EU-funded TRANSVAC2 project is developing infrastructure to support innovation and…
 
 
FDA [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/default.htm
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Fondation Merieux  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/
Mérieux Foundation co-organized event
Dengue pre-vaccination screening based on serostatus: rapid tests and implementation strategies
January 14 – 16, 2019 – Les Pensières Center for Global Helath, Veyrier du Lac (France)
 
 
Gavi [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.gavi.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
GHIT Fund   [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.ghitfund.org/newsroom/press
GHIT was set up in 2012 with the aim of developing new tools to tackle infectious diseases that devastate the world’s poorest people. Other funders include six Japanese pharmaceutical
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Global Fund  [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Hilleman Laboratories   [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.hillemanlabs.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Human Vaccines Project   [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/media/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IAVI  [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.iavi.org/newsroom
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IFFIm
http://www.iffim.org/library/news/press-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVAC  [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/index.html
No new digest content identified.
 
 
IVI   [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.ivi.int/
IVI News & Announcements
No new digest content identified.
 
 
JEE Alliance  [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.jeealliance.org/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.msf.org/
Selected News; Project Updates, Reports
Access to medicines
Calling on governments to scale up oral TB treatment
Press Release 22 Dec 2018
Geneva — Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) today welcomed new World Health Organization (WHO) treatment guidelines that recommend drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) be treated with oral drugs only, including newer, more potent drugs with fewer side effects, such as bedaquiline.
Two injectable drugs known to cause deafness and other severe side effects are no longer recommended in the new guideline – an important step towards more tolerable treatment for all patients.
The recommended 18 to 20-month treatment regimen includes more potent drugs – bedaquiline, linezolid, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin – that can help improve cure rates, reduce deaths and cause people far fewer side effects.
MSF called on countries with large numbers of people with DR-TB to urgently start implementing these new treatment guidelines for at least half of new DR-TB cases by September 2019, and to make efforts to reach all people in need by March 2020…
 
 
NIH  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases
January 2, 2019
NIH study implicates hyperactive immune system in aging brain disorders
— Results suggest a breakdown in brain cell waste system triggers a destructive immune reaction.
 
 
PATH  [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.path.org/media-center/
January 1, 2019 by PATH
Community-based HIV testing effective in reaching undiagnosed populations, PATH-led study finds
Lay provider HIV testing in Vietnam offers new model to connect at-risk populations with antiretroviral therapy
Hanoi, Vietnam, January 1, 2019—One in three people living with HIV in Vietnam remain undiagnosed, according to recent estimates. New strategies and models of HIV testing are urgently needed to reach undiagnosed populations and help them enroll in antiretroviral therapy (ART), in Vietnam and throughout the world.
Results from an evaluation study now published in PLOS ONE demonstrate that HIV testing by lay providers can serve as a critical addition to efforts to achieve the United Nations’ 90-90-90 global HIV targets by 2020 and help to cover the “last mile” of HIV services to at-risk populations in Vietnam…
 
 
Sabin Vaccine Institute  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.sabin.org/updates/pressreleases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
UNAIDS [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.unaids.org/en
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
27 December 2018
First Lady of Botswana champions revitalization of HIV prevention among adolescent girls and young women
 
 
UNICEF  [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.unicef.org/media/press-releases
Selected Press Releases/Reports/Statements
Press release
Lives of children at risk amid heavy fighting and floods in north-west Syria
Nearly 10,000 children fleeing floods in the area
03/01/2019
 
 
Press release
New Year’s Babies: Over 395,000 children will be born worldwide on New Year’s Day – UNICEF
As the calendar turns to 2019, UNICEF calls on nations to meet every newborn’s right to health and survival
31/12/2018
 
 
Press release
World has failed to protect children in conflict in 2018: UNICEF
Widespread violations against children in conflict continue in shocking year-on-year trend
[See Milestones above for detail]
 
 
Vaccine Confidence Project  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.vaccineconfidence.org/
Confidence Commentary:
Reflections for the New Year: Thank you Dr. Frankenstein
Heidi Larson | 28 Dec, 2018
[Excerpt]
2018 has been a year of anniversaries – particularly the devastating “Spanish” influenza pandemic, which peaked in 1918, and the armistice ending the First World War. But it also marked 200 years since the 1818 publication of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”. This is a riveting tale of hubris, of fascination to know more and more, and of man playing God, creating a monster and then abandoning him, leaving to find his own way.

Having neglected his creation, and faced with unanticipated revenge by his own invention, Frankenstein bemoans his regret at ignoring “the duties of a creator towards his creature”.

Shelley’s novel was one of the earliest, if not the first, science fiction novel, with insights into the human condition, and man’s struggle with desire to know more and more, yet unprepared to deal with the consequence. She was writing at the dawn of a new era of electricity, of power, of science and possibility – an era not unlike our own.

Frankenstein offers us a lesson in anticipating the implications of our scientific discovery and innovation, of being too focused on technology and its inherent power, of being perhaps obsessed with the notion of “disruption” as progress, while giving little consideration to its accidentally negative, or even malevolent, consequences.

The bicentenary of Frankenstein struck me as an apt anniversary to reflect and conclude the year on, as we are increasingly confronted with the risks and consequences of social media and global connectivity. The algorithms that live behind the screen, as well as human intentions behind them, are manipulating and polarizing public emotions, fears and perceived truths.

Anonymous or constructed identities are misleading individuals, with bots and trolls embedding the vaccine debates, not just to undermine vaccines, but as a platform – a Trojan Horse – to further destabilize democracy and foster discontent.  In other instances, the spotlight has been on companies – driven by growth – using and abusing personal data generated through social media, for furthering their own profits.

It is no wonder public trust is waning…
 
 
Vaccine Education Center – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Wellcome Trust  [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://wellcome.ac.uk/news
News | 29 December 2018
Wellcome leaders awarded New Year Honours
Jeremy Farrar, Wellcome’s Director, and Mike Ferguson, Deputy Chair of our Board of Governors, have both been knighted in the New Year’s Honours 2019.
 
 
The Wistar Institute   [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.wistar.org/news/press-releases
No new digest content identified.
 
 
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)   [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.oie.int/en/for-the-media/press-releases/2018/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
::::::
 
 
BIO    [to 5 Jan 2019]
https://www.bio.org/insights/press-release
No new digest content identified.
 
 
DCVMN – Developing Country Vaccine Manufacturers Network  [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.dcvmn.org/
20 December 2018
Bill Gates: “looking forward to the partnerships we can have over the next decade”
Kunming, 30th October 2018 – Vaccine manufacturers from emerging countries convened in Kunming, China, to consider vaccine industry partnerships to help advance global health initiative. A.Oswald interviewed Bill Gates (by recorded video), reflecting on achievements of the first decade of vaccines…
bill_gates_kunming_video_news.pdf (PDF – 203.3 kb)
 
 
IFPMA   [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.ifpma.org/resources/news-releases/
No new digest content identified.
 
 
PhRMA    [to 5 Jan 2019]
http://www.phrma.org/press-room
No new digest content identified.
 
 
Industry Watch    [to 5 Jan 2019]
:: FDA Approves VAXELIS, Sanofi and MSD’s Pediatric Hexavalent Combination Vaccine
PARIS and KENILWORTH, N.J. – December 26, 2018 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved VAXELIS™ (Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed, Inactivated Poliovirus, Haemophilus b Conjugate [Meningococcal Protein Conjugate] and Hepatitis B [Recombinant] Vaccine) for use in children from 6 weeks through 4 years of age (prior to the 5th birthday). VAXELIS was developed as part of a joint-partnership between Sanofi and MSD (NYSE: MRK), known as Merck inside the United States and Canada.
Sanofi and MSD are working to maximize production of VAXELIS to allow for a sustainable supply to meet anticipated U.S. demand. Commercial supply will not be available in the U.S. prior to 2020…

Journal Watch

   Vaccines and Global Health: The Week in Review continues its weekly scanning of key peer-reviewed journals to identify and cite articles, commentary and editorials, books reviews and other content supporting our focus on vaccine ethics and policy. Journal Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues the Center is actively tracking. We selectively provide full text of some editorial and comment articles that are specifically relevant to our work. Successful access to some of the links provided may require subscription or other access arrangement unique to the publisher.

If you would like to suggest other journal titles to include in this service, please contact David Curry at: david.r.curry@centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.org

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
January 2019 Volume 56, Issue 1, p1-178
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

Research Articles
Implementation of Strategies to Improve Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Coverage: A Provider Survey
Emily B. Walling, Sherry Dodd, Neil Bobenhouse, Evelyn Cohen Reis, Randy Sterkel, Jane Garbutt
p74–83 Published in issue: January 2019

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
January 2019 Volume 56, Issue 1, p1-178
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

California’s Senate Bill 277: Local Health Jurisdictions’ Experiences With the Elimination of Nonmedical Vaccine Exemptions
Health Policy
Salini Mohanty, Alison M. Buttenheim, Caroline M. Joyce, Amanda C. Howa, Daniel Salmon and Saad B. Omer
109(1), pp. 96–101

American Journal of Preventive Medicine
January 2019 Volume 56, Issue 1, p1-178
http://www.ajpmonline.org/current

Trends and Characteristics of Proposed and Enacted State Legislation on Childhood Vaccination Exemption, 2011–2017
Immunization/Vaccines, Child and Adolescent Health, Health Law, Health Policy, Other Child and Adolescent Health
Neal D. Goldstein, Joanna S. Suder and Jonathan Purtle
109(1), pp. 102–107

BMC Health Services Research
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmchealthservres/content
(Accessed 5 Jan 2019)

Research article
Development of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework for off-patent pharmaceuticals – an application on improving tender decision making in Indonesia
Off-patent pharmaceuticals (OPPs) hold vital importance in meeting public health objectives, especially in developing countries where resources are limited. OPPs are comprised of off-patent originals, branded generics and unbranded generics; nonetheless, these products are not identical and often there are differences in their equivalence, manufacturing quality standards and reliability of supply. This necessitates reconsideration of the lowest price policy objective in pharmaceutical decision making. The aim of this study was to develop a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework through a pilot workshop to inform the national procurement of OPPs in Indonesia.
Authors: Andras Inotai, Diana Brixner, Nikos Maniadakis, Iwan Dwiprahasto, Erna Kristin, Agus Prabowo, Alfi Yasmina, Sigit Priohutomo, Bertalan Németh, Kalman Wijaya and Zoltan Kalo
Citation: BMC Health Services Research 2018 18:1003
Published on: 29 December 2018

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 5 Jan 2019)

Research article
Epidemiology survey of infectious diseases in North Korean travelers, 2015–2017
Up until now, there are limited studies available on the epidemiology of infectious diseases in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea). However, different types of infectious diseases have been found in North Korean travelers at Dandong port. Entry surveillance data of those North Korean travelers may provide some insight into the probable epidemiology of some infectious diseases in DPRK.
Authors: Pengyu Han, Yanxia Teng, Xiuxin Bi, Jinge Li and Dianxing Sun
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2019 19:13
Published on: 5 January 2019

BMC Infectious Diseases
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcinfectdis/content
(Accessed 5 Jan 2019)

Research article
Epidemiology survey of infectious diseases in North Korean travelers, 2015–2017
Up until now, there are limited studies available on the epidemiology of infectious diseases in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea). However, different types of infectious diseases have been found in North Korean travelers at Dandong port. Entry surveillance data of those North Korean travelers may provide some insight into the probable epidemiology of some infectious diseases in DPRK.
Authors: Pengyu Han, Yanxia Teng, Xiuxin Bi, Jinge Li and Dianxing Sun
Citation: BMC Infectious Diseases 2019 19:13
Published on: 5 January 2019

BMC Medical Ethics
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmedethics/content
(Accessed 5 Jan 2019)

Debate
|   27 December 2018
African bioethics: methodological doubts and insights
A trend called ‘African bioethics’ is growing on the continent due to perceptions of existing bioethics, especially guidelines for international collaborative research, as ‘ethical imperialism’. As a potential alternative to ‘Western Principlism,’ ‘African bioethics’ is supposed to be indigenous to Africa and reflective of African identity. However, despite many positive insights in the on-going discussions, it is feared that the growth of bioethics in Africa lacks a clear direction. Some of the views threaten to distort the essence of bioethics and its development on the continent.
Authors: John Barugahare

BMC Public Health
http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles
(Accessed 5 Jan 2019)

Research article
Impact of an organization-wide knowledge translation strategy to support evidence-informed public health decision making
The public health sector is moving toward adopting evidence-informed decision making into practice, but effort is still required to effectively develop capacity and promote contextual factors that advance and …
Authors: Maureen Dobbins, Robyn L. Traynor, Stephanie Workentine, Reza Yousefi-Nooraie and Jennifer Yost
Citation: BMC Public Health 2018 18:1412
Published on: 29 December 2018

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 97, Number 1, January 2019, 1-72
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/97/1/en/

EDITORIALS
New ethical challenges of digital technologies, machine learning and artificial intelligence in public health: a call for papers
– Diana Zandi, Andreas Reis, Effy Vayena & Kenneth Goodman
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.18.227686

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 97, Number 1, January 2019, 1-72
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/97/1/en/

RESEARCH
Using the polio programme to deliver primary health care in Nigeria: implementation research
– Samuel Bawa, Christine McNab, Loveday Nkwogu, Fiona Braka, Esther Obinya, Michael Galway, Andrew J Mirelman, Kulchumi Isa Hammanyero, Garba Safiyanu, Martin Chukwuji, Kennedy Ongwae, Pascal Mkanda, Melissa Corkum, Lea Hegg, Deanna Tollefson, Sani Umar, Sunday Audu, Hassan Gunda, Modu Chinta, Anne Eudes Jean Baptiste, Murtala Bagana & Faisal Shuaib
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.18.211565

Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Volume 97, Number 1, January 2019, 1-72
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/97/1/en/

RESEARCH
National age-of-consent laws and adolescent HIV testing in sub-Saharan Africa: a propensity-score matched study
– Britt McKinnon & Ashley Vandermorris
http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.18.212993

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
February 2019 – Volume 32 – Issue 1
https://journals.lww.com/co-infectiousdiseases/pages/currenttoc.aspx

HIV INFECTIONS AND AIDS
Scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis in sub-Saharan Africa
Ahmed, Nadia; Pike, Carey; Bekker, Linda-Gail
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases. 32(1):24-30, February 2019.

Global Health: Science and Practice (GHSP)
Vol. 6, No. 4   December 27, 2018
http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/current

COMMENTARIES
Open Access
A Vaccine Against Cervical Cancer: Context for the Global Public Health Practitioner
Mary Carol Jennings and Anagha Loharikar
Global Health: Science and Practice December 2018, 6(4):629-634; https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-18-00222
Many low- and middle-income countries are moving to introduce HPV vaccine into their national immunization programs. To improve coverage, equity, and sustainability, public health officials and practitioners can use planning and implementation lessons learned, including successful school-based delivery strategies, innovative approaches to reach out-of-school girls, best practices for communication and social mobilization, and integration of services to reduce delivery cost. Policy makers, donors, and global partners should continue to consider ways to drive down costs of vaccine procurement.

Health Equity
Volume 2, Issue 1 / December 2018
https://www.liebertpub.com/toc/heq/2/1

Factors Associated with Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Diverse Adolescents in a Region with Low Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates
Deanna Kepka, Julia Bodson, Djin Lai, Ana Sanchez-Birkhead, Jeannette Villalta, Valentine Mukundente, Fahina Tavake-Pasi, France A. Davis, Doriena Lee, Edwin Napia, Ryan Mooney,
Heather Coulter, and Louisa A. Stark
Pages:223–232
Published Online:1 September 2018
https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2018.0028

Health Equity
Volume 2, Issue 1 / December 2018
https://www.liebertpub.com/toc/heq/2/1

Narrative Review  Open Access
The Application of Medical Artificial Intelligence Technology in Rural Areas of Developing Countries
Jonathan Guo and Bin Li
Pages:174–181
Published Online:1 August 2018
https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2018.0037

Health Equity
Volume 2, Issue 1 / December 2018
https://www.liebertpub.com/toc/heq/2/1

Original Article  Open Access
Barriers to HPV Vaccination Among Unvaccinated, Haitian American College Women
Dudith Pierre-Victor,  Dionne P. Stephens,  Angela Omondi,  Rachel Clarke, Naomie Jean-Baptiste, and  Purnima Madhivanan
Pages:90–97
Published Online:1 June 2018
https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2017.0028

Humanitarian Exchange Magazine
Number 73,  October 2018
https://odihpn.org/magazine/mental-health-and-psychosocial-support-in-humanitarian-crises/

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: the humanitarian response
More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since 25 August 2017 fleeing violence and persecution in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Over a million are sheltering in overcrowded camps without adequate assistance or protection. Stateless in Myanmar and denied refugee status in Bangladesh, the Rohingya have few rights or freedoms. Monsoons and cyclones are causing landslides, destroying shelters and infrastructure and disrupting services.

This edition of Humanitarian Exchange focuses on the humanitarian response to the Rohingya crisis. In the lead article, Mark Bowden outlines the historical, local and national political context in Bangladesh, and its operational implications. Amal de Chickera highlights the links between statelessness and displacement, and the international community’s failure to prioritise human rights in its dealings both with Bangladesh and with Myanmar. Puttanee Kangkun and John Quinley document the persistent persecution and denial of rights the Rohingya have faced for decades. Jeff Crisp reflects on the premature, involuntary and unsafe return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the 1970s and 1990s, and asks whether this could happen again.

Sally Shevach and colleagues explore how the ‘localisation’ agenda has influenced the operational response, and Kerrie Holloway draws on research by the Humanitarian Policy Group to test the common assumption that local actors necessarily have a better understanding of people’s needs. Nasif Rashad Khan and colleagues and Ashish Banik reflect on their experiences of engaging with the international humanitarian response system. Margie Buchanan-Smith and Marian Casey-Maslen discuss evaluation findings relating to communication and community engagement, a theme taken up by Nick Van Praag and Kai Hopkins, who report on a Ground Truth survey on refugees’ perceptions of assistance. Julia Brothwell discusses the British Red Cross/Bangladesh Red Crescent involvement in disaster preparedness and risk reduction during the monsoon season, and Gina Bark, Kate White and Amelie Janon outline the consequences of long-term exclusion from basic healthcare services in increasing vulnerability to preventable diseases. Matthew Wencel and colleagues round off the issue with reflections on data collection coordination and other challenges associated with monitoring large concentrations of refugees.

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 14, Issue 12, 2018
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

Article
Mandatory and recommended vaccinations in Poland in the views of parents
Jolanta Kraśnicka, Elżbieta Krajewska-Kułak, Krystyna Klimaszewska, Mateusz Cybulski, Andrzej Guzowski, Beata Kowalewska, Barbara Jankowiak, Hanna Rolka, Halina Doroszkiewicz & Wojciech Kułak
Pages: 2884-2893
Published online: 12 Oct 2018

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 14, Issue 12, 2018
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

article commentary
Implementation and assessment of vaccination programmes: the importance of vaccination sequence for overall health outcomes
Ane Bærent Fisker & Sanne Marie Thysen
Pages: 2900-2903
Published online: 28 Aug 2018

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 14, Issue 12, 2018
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

review
Should human papillomavirus vaccination target women over age 26, heterosexual men and men who have sex with men? A targeted literature review of cost-effectiveness
Nyi Nyi Soe, Jason J. Ong, Xiaomeng Ma, Christopher K Fairley, Phyu Mon Latt, Jun Jing, Feng Cheng & Lei Zhang
Pages: 3010-3018
Published online: 11 Sep 2018

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (formerly Human Vaccines)
Volume 14, Issue 12, 2018
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/khvi20/current

Article
Exploring immunisation inequities among migrant and refugee children in New Zealand
Nadia A. Charania, Janine Paynter, Arier C. Lee, Donna G. Watson & Nikki M. Turner
Pages: 3026-3033
Published online: 17 Aug 2018

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
January 2019 Volume 78, p1-154   Open Access
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(18)X0012-5

Editorials

Monkeypox — Enhancing public health preparedness for an emerging lethal human zoonotic epidemic threat in the wake of the smallpox post-eradication era
Eskild Petersen, Ibrahim Abubakar, Chikwe Ihekweazu, David Heymann, Francine Ntoumi, Lucille Blumberg, Danny Asogun, Victor Mukonka, Swaib Abubaker Lule, Matthew Bates, Isobella Honeyborne, Sayoki Mfinanga, Peter Mwaba, Osman Dar, Francesco Vairo, Maowia Mukhtar, Richard Kock, Timothy D. McHugh, Giuseppe Ippolito, Alimuddin Zumla
p78–84
Published online: November 16, 2018

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
January 2019 Volume 78, p1-154   Open Access
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(18)X0012-5

Original Reports
Towards achieving the fast-track targets and ending the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia: Successes and challenges
Yibeltal Assefa, Charles F. Gilks, Judith Dean, Betru Tekle, Meskele Lera, Taye Tolera Balcha, Yimam Getaneh, Wim Van Damme, Peter S. Hill
p57–64
Published online: October 31, 2018

International Journal of Infectious Diseases
January 2019 Volume 78, p1-154   Open Access
https://www.ijidonline.com/issue/S1201-9712(18)X0012-5

A hospital-associated measles outbreak in health workers in Beijing: Implications for measles elimination in China, 2018
Jiye Fu, Chu Jiang, Juguang Wang, Run Cai, Wei Cheng, Lifei Shi, Fan Zhang, Zhilan Xu, Yan Xing
p85–92
Published online: October 31, 2018

Journal of Medical Ethics
January 2019 – Volume 45 – 1
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

Original articles
Uninformed refusals: objections to enrolment in clinical trials conducted under an Exception rom Informed Consent for emergency research (13 December, 2018) Free
Victoria Vorholt, Neal W Dickert
Abstract
Clinical trials in emergency situations present unique challenges, because they involve enrolling individuals who lack capacity to consent in the context of acute illness or injury. The US Department of Health and Human Services and Food and Drug Administration regulations allowing an Exception from Informed Consent (EFIC) in these circumstances contain requirements for community consultation, public disclosure and restrictions on study risks and benefits. In this paper, we analyse an issue raised in the regulations that has received little attention or analysis but is ethically complex. This challenge is when to solicit and honour objections to EFIC trial enrolment, including from non-legally appointed representatives. We address novel questions involving whose objections should be honoured, what level of understanding is necessary for objections to be considered valid and how hard investigators should work to offer an opportunity to object. We present a set of criteria that provide conceptual and practical guidance. We argue that objections should be honoured if they undermine one of the key assumptions that allows for the permissibility of EFIC trials: that individuals would likely not object to enrolment based on their values or preferences. We then clarify the practical implications of this approach through examination of three cases of refusal in an EFIC study.

Journal of Medical Ethics
January 2019 – Volume 45 – 1
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

Extended essays
Towards theoretically robust evidence on health equity: a systematic approach to contextualising equity-relevant randomised controlled trials (13 December, 2018)
Gry Wester, Kristine Bærøe, Ole Frithjof Norheim
Abstract
Reducing inequalities in health and the determinants of health is a widely acknowledged health policy goal, and methods for measuring inequalities and inequities in health are well developed. Yet, the evidence base is weak for how to achieve these goals. There is a lack of high-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) reporting impact on the distribution of health and non-health benefits and lack of methodological rigour in how to design, power, measure, analyse and interpret distributional impact in RCTs. Our overarching aim in this paper is to contribute to the emerging effort to improve transparency and coherence in the theoretical and conceptual basis for RCTs on effective interventions to reduce health inequity. We endeavour to achieve this aim by pursuing two more specific objectives. First, we propose an overview of three broader health equity frameworks and clarify their implications for the measurement of health inequality in RCTs. Second, we seek to clarify the relationship between theory and translational challenges that researchers would need to attend to, in order to ensure that equity-relevant RCTs are coherently grounded in theory.

The Lancet
Jan 05, 2019  Volume 393Number 10166p1-102, e1-e2
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/current

Review
Universal health coverage in Indonesia: concept, progress, and challenges
Rina Agustina, Teguh Dartanto, Ratna Sitompul, Kun A Susiloretni, Suparmi,
Endang L Achadi, Akmal Taher, Fadila Wirawan, Saleha Sungkar, Pratiwi Sudarmono, Anuraj H Shankar, Hasbullah Thabrany on behalf of the Indonesian Health Systems Group

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Editorial
Yemen needs a concrete plan—now
The Lancet Global Health
More than 3 years into the current conflict, the situation in Yemen has reached catastrophic proportions. These have been exacerbated by the collapse of the national economy and by intense fighting around Hodeidah, the country’s principal port on the Red Sea where most commodities, including food and medicines, enter the largely import-based Yemeni market. The planned peace negotiations are dependent on the goodwill of two warring parties whose disregard for international law has already led to large civilian casualties and the destruction of essential infrastructure such as health facilities, water systems, roads, and markets. As the world barely watches, at the convergence of all these events, an estimated 14 million Yemeni people—half of the country’s population—have now been brought to pre-famine conditions.

The global apathy in the face of Yemen’s continuing struggle has been disrupted in recent weeks. Increased media attention to the plight of hundreds of thousands of severely malnourished children has led to renewed concerns about the fate of the Yemeni people. On Nov 26, the CEOs of five international non-governmental organisations openly called out the role of US geopolitics and trade in the killing of innocent civilians, spurring discussions on the global responsibility for the war. And probably because one number sometimes speaks louder than words, earlier on Nov 21, Save The Children presented in a press release their straightforward estimation for the number of deaths due to untreated severe acute malnutrition between April 2015 and October 2018: close to 85 000 children under 5 may have died a preventable death in that period.

In truth, most health-related numbers coming from Yemen cannot be more than estimations—how could a collapsed health system generate robust data? But we know that the Yemeni people are suffering. Of all the scourges affecting Yemen, the prospect of a famine seems to have taken centre-stage in the media again, but there are many other enduring ones. We know that civilians are dying in the conflict, though unofficial data are vague and largely underestimated. We know there are outbreaks of diphtheria, measles, and probably other vaccine-preventable diseases. We also know that the cholera epidemic that started in April 2016 is still going on: the latest report available from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office indicates that there were over 240 000 cases in the first 42 weeks of 2018. This cholera epidemic, the largest documented in history, illustrates how a weakened population, and a crippled health system, can be swiftly and durably overpowered in the midst of conflict. However, it is also an opportunity to learn, in the hope that this situation can be reversed in Yemen, and prevented elsewhere.

Thankfully, such learnings are happening. In May 2018, The Lancet Global Health published a modelling study by Anton Camacho and colleagues in which surveillance data were used to identify the drivers of the cholera epidemic, linking rainfall to the second wave of the epidemic, generating potentially important information for timing and enhancing control efforts. In a subsequent exchange of letters with Fekri Dureab and colleagues, the authors evoke the difficulties in identifying the mechanisms of transmission, in spite of robust modelling, in part because the war’s disruption of water and sewerage systems confounds the analysis.

Also importantly, in a report released on December 4, the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health presents a detailed evaluation, based on an in-depth review and data gathered through 71 key informants, of the epidemic preparedness and response up until the second wave in July 2018. It brings forth unsurprising but sobering facts, among them the likely association between the conflict and increased cholera transmission; the lack of preparedness in terms of surveillance and response capacity; or coordination issues between international and national actors of the response. The 20 global and Yemen-specific recommendations cover the fundamental need of addressing insecurity, of urgently clarifying and harmonising coordination and preparedness, and of making the response more agile by improving surveillance. They include specifics of a targeted WASH and vaccination response and rely on strong integration of planning across sectors, all sensible responses to the issues identified in the analysis.

These concrete, action-related reports should be precious input in tackling this and future outbreaks, particularly in war-torn areas. But Yemen needs even more—and the time is now.

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Comment
Determinants of tuberculosis in Indigenous people worldwide
Paulo Cesar Basta,
Paulo Victor de Sousa Viana

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Introducing the World Bank’s 2018 Health Equity and Financial Protection Indicators database
Adam Wagstaff, Patrick Eozenou, Sven Neelsen, Marc-Francois Smitz

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Articles
Global, regional, and national estimates of levels of preterm birth in 2014: a systematic review and modelling analysis
Saifon Chawanpaiboon, Joshua P Vogel, Ann-Beth Moller, Pisake Lumbiganon, Max Petzold,
Daniel Hogan, Sihem Landoulsi, Nampet Jampathong, Kiattisak Kongwattanakul, Malinee Laopaiboon, Cameron Lewis, Siwanon Rattanakanokchai, Ditza N Teng, Jadsada Thinkhamrop,
Kanokwaroon Watananirun, Jun Zhang, Wei Zhou, A Metin Gülmezoglu

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Global, regional, and national estimates of pneumonia morbidity and mortality in children younger than 5 years between 2000 and 2015: a systematic analysis
David A McAllister, Li Liu, Ting Shi, Yue Chu, Craig Reed, John Burrows, Davies Adeloye, Igor Rudan, Robert E Black, Harry Campbell, Harish Nair

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Effect and cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination: a global modelling analysis
Cynthia Chen, Francisco Cervero Liceras, Stefan Flasche, Sucitro Sidharta, Joanne Yoong,
Neisha Sundaram, Mark Jit

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Proximate determinants of tuberculosis in Indigenous peoples worldwide: a systematic review
Maxime Cormier, Kevin Schwartzman, Dieynaba S N’Diaye, Claire E Boone, Alexandre M dos Santos, Júlia Gaspar, Danielle Cazabon, Marzieh Ghiasi, Rebecca Kahn, Aashna Uppal, Martin Morris, Olivia Oxlade

Lancet Global Health
Jan 2019   Volume 7  Number 1e1-e159
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/issue/current

Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on child stunting and anaemia in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised trial
Jean H Humphrey, Mduduzi N N Mbuya, Robert Ntozini, Lawrence H Moulton, Rebecca J Stoltzfus, Naume V Tavengwa, Kuda Mutasa, Florence Majo, Batsirai Mutasa, Goldberg Mangwadu, Cynthia M Chasokela, Ancikaria Chigumira, Bernard Chasekwa, Laura E Smith,
James M Tielsch, Andrew D Jones, Amee R Manges, John A Maluccio, Andrew J Prendergast
for the Sanitation Hygiene Infant Nutrition Efficacy (SHINE) Trial Team

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jan 2019  Volume 19  Number 1p1-112, e1-e38
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Comment
Knowledge advances and gaps on the demand side of vaccination
Sara Cooper, Joseph C Okeibunor, Alison Wiyeh, Charles S Wiysonge

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jan 2019  Volume 19  Number 1p1-112, e1-e38
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Articles
The potential effect of improved provision of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in Gavi-eligible countries: a modelling study
WHO Rabies Modelling Consortium
Open Access
Tens of thousands of people die from dog-mediated rabies annually. Deaths can be prevented through post-exposure prophylaxis for people who have been bitten, and the disease eliminated through dog vaccination. Current post-exposure prophylaxis use saves many lives, but availability remains poor in many rabies-endemic countries due to high costs, poor access, and supply.

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jan 2019  Volume 19  Number 1p1-112, e1-e38
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Series
Terrorism and health
Confronting the threat of bioterrorism: realities, challenges, and defensive strategies
Manfred S Green, James LeDuc, Daniel Cohen, David R Franz

Lancet Infectious Diseases
Jan 2019  Volume 19  Number 1p1-112, e1-e38
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/issue/current

Personal View
Deliberations of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization on the use of CYD-TDV dengue vaccine
Annelies Wilder-Smith, Joachim Hombach, Neil Ferguson, Michael Selgelid, Kate O’Brien, Kirsten Vannice, Alan Barrett, Elizabeth Ferdinand, Stefan Flasche, Maria Guzman, Hillegonde Maria Novaes, Lee-Ching Ng, Peter G Smith, Piyanit Tharmaphornpilas, In-Kyu Yoon, Alejandro Cravioto, Jeremy Farrar, Terry M Nolan

Nature Reviews Immunology
Volume 19 Issue 1, January 2019
https://www.nature.com/nri/volumes/18/issues/12

Analysis | 08 November 2018
Functional cure of HIV: the scale of the challenge
In this Analysis, the authors discuss different strategies for the post-treatment control of HIV infection. They use mathematical modelling to predict the impact of different interventions and to estimate the therapeutic efficacy required to achieve a functional cure.
Miles P. Davenport, David S. Khoury[…] & Stephen J. Kent

New England Journal of Medicine
December 27, 2018  Vol. 379 No. 26
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
Ramping Up the Response to Ebola
Jennifer B. Nuzzo, Dr.P.H.,
and Thomas V. Inglesby, M.D.
…Though there are clear signs that global preparedness for epidemics has been strengthened, efforts to contain the DRC outbreak have not been sufficient. Additional human and financial resources are needed to prevent this outbreak from becoming a major epidemic…

New England Journal of Medicine
December 27, 2018  Vol. 379 No. 26
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal

Perspective
Pregnant Women and the Ebola Crisis
Lisa B. Haddad, M.D., M.P.H.,
Denise J. Jamieson, M.D., M.P.H.,
and Sonja A. Rasmussen, M.D.
…Though data are limited, the available information regarding pregnancy during Ebola outbreaks provides a reason for concern. Women appear to have higher Ebola infection rates than men; perhaps they tend to become infected when caring for sick family members, or perhaps they have increased susceptibility. Although data from past outbreaks revealed a case-fatality rate among pregnant women as high as 90%, more recent data suggest that the risk of death among EVD-infected pregnant women might be similar to that among nonpregnant women.2 Additional data are needed, however, to better characterize outcomes…

Pediatrics
January 2019, VOLUME 143 / ISSUE 1
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/143/1?current-issue=y

Articles
An Educational Intervention to Improve HPV Vaccination: A Cluster Randomized Trial
Brian E. Dixon, Gregory D. Zimet, Shan Xiao, Wanzhu Tu, Brianna Lindsay, Abby Church, Stephen M. Downs
Pediatrics Jan 2019, 143 (1) e20181457; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-1457
We examine the effect of a digital educational intervention linked to previous vaccine history on HPV vaccination decisions in urban pediatric settings.

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Optimal gender-specific age for cost-effective vaccination with adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine in Chinese adults
Joyce H. S. You, Wai-kit Ming, Owen Tak-yin Tsang, Paul Kay-sheung Chan
Research Article | published 04 Jan 2019 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210005

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the human papillomavirus among health professionals in New Zealand
Susan M. Sherman, Karen Bartholomew, Hayley J. Denison, Hersha Patel, Esther L. Moss, Jeroen Douwes, Collette Bromhead
Research Article | published 31 Dec 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197648

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Choosing important health outcomes for comparative effectiveness research: 4th annual update to a systematic review of core outcome sets for research
Elizabeth Gargon, Sarah L. Gorst, Nicola L. Harman, Valerie Smith, Karen Matvienko-Sikar, Paula R. Williamson
Research Article | published 28 Dec 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209869

PLoS One
http://www.plosone.org/
[Accessed 5 Jan 2019]

Assessing the sensitivity of the polio environmental surveillance system
The polio environmental surveillance (ES) system has been an incredible tool for advancing polio eradication efforts because of its ability to highlight the spatial and temporal extent of poliovirus circulation. While ES often outperforms, or is more sensitive than AFP surveillance, the sensitivity of the ES system has not been well characterized. Fundamental uncertainty of ES site sensitivity makes it difficult to interpret results from ES, particularly negative results.
Steve J. Kroiss, Maiwand Ahmadzai, Jamal Ahmed, Muhammad Masroor Alam, Guillaume Chabot-Couture, Michael Famulare, Abdirahman Mahamud, Kevin A. McCarthy, Laina D. Mercer, Salman Muhammad, Rana M. Safdar, Salmaan Sharif, Shahzad Shaukat, Hemant Shukla, Hil Lyons
Research Article | published 28 Dec 2018 PLOS ONE
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208336