Vaccination Week in the Americas: An Opportunity to Integrate Other Health Services With Immunization

Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) is an initiative of the countries and territories of the Americas that works to advance equity and access to vaccination. The initiative focuses on reaching populations with limited access to regular health services and promotes solidarity among countries. As the Expanded Program on Immunization is one of the world’s best-established health programs, integrating other interventions with immunization services has been highly promoted. Using data available from the Pan American Health Organization, we explored the extent of integration of other interventions with immunization in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries as part of VWA. At least 14 countries or territories have integrated other interventions with immunization during VWA. The most common integrated intervention is vitamin A supplementation, followed by deworming. However, a variety of other interventions have been integrated, such as educational activities, supplementation with vitamins and minerals, and provision of health services. Data on coverage of integrated interventions are limited. Integration of other interventions with immunization in LAC countries is widespread, and its impact and lessons learned merit further examination

Fault kinematics in northern Central America and coupling along the subduction interface of the Cocos Plate, from GPS data in Chiapas (Mexico), Guatemala and El Salvador

International audienceNew GPS measurements in Chiapas (Mexico), Guatemala and El Salvador are used to constrain the fault kinematics in the North America (NA), Caribbean (CA) and Cocos (CO) plates triple junction area. The regional GPS velocity field is first analysed in terms of strain partitioning across the major volcano-tectonic structures, using elastic half-space modelling, then inverted through a block model. We show the dominant role of the Motagua Fault with respect to the Polochic Fault in the accommodation of the present-day deformation associated with the NA and CA relative motion. The NA/CA motion decreases from 18-22 mm yr−1 in eastern Guatemala to 14-20 mm yr−1 in central Guatemala (assuming a uniform locking depth of 14-28 km), down to a few millimetres per year in western Guatemala. As a consequence, the western tip of the CA Plate deforms internally, with ≃9 mm yr−1 of east-west extension (≃5 mm yr−1 across the Guatemala city graben alone). Up to 15 mm yr−1 of dextral motion can be accommodated across the volcanic arc in El Salvador and southeastern Guatemala. The arc seems to mark the northern boundary of an independent forearc sliver (AR), pinned to the NA plate. The inversion of the velocity field shows that a four-block (NA, CA, CO and AR) model, that combines relative block rotations with elastic deformation at the block boundaries, can account for most of the GPS observations and constrain the overall kinematics of the active structures. This regional modelling also evidences lateral variations of coupling at the CO subduction interface, with a fairly high-coupling (≃0.6) offshore Chiapas and low-coupling (≃0.25) offshore Guatemala and El Salvador

All These Worlds are Yours, Except India: The Effectiveness of Cash Subsidies to Export in Nepal

This paper studies the impact of a `textbook' ad-valorem export subsidy on firm-level export performance. The Cash Incentive Scheme for Exports (CISE) program offered by the government of Nepal offers a cash subsidy to firms exporting a select group of products to countries other than India. Using customs transactions data combined with subsidy disbursements at the firm level from 2011 to 2014, we estimate the impact of the subsidy on exports of targeted and non-target product-destination combinations and their extensive and intensive margins. We employ a range of doubly-robust matching estimators to control for the non-random selection of exporters into the scheme. We find that subsidized firms increased their exports of targeted product-destinations relative to firms in the control group and that this rise is fully accounted for by the extensive margin: a higher number of targeted products exported and foreign markets served. We do not find any significant changes along the intensive margin nor among non-targeted product-destination combinations. While our results show that the CISE scheme fomented export diversification, its limited impact on total exports and high fiscal cost call into question its effectiveness

International Law: The Supreme Court Rules on Government Authorized Abduction

United States v. Alvarez-Machain, 112 S. Ct. 2188 (interim ed. 1992)

ASPECTOS REPRODUTIVOS DO TUBARÃO ‘CAÇÃO-FRANGO’ Rhizoprionoson porosus DA COSTA DO NORDESTE DO BRASIL

This study aimed to verify reproductive aspects of Rhizoprionodon porosus (Poey, 1861) captured by small-scale fisheries on coastal waters from Northeastern of Brazil. Samples were obtained during the dry and rainy seasons between 2015 and 2016. Specimens were sexed, measured (cm ± sd), weighted (g ± sd), eviscerated and had their maturity stages verified. A total of 169 (103 male and 66 females) was sampled between 4 and 30 m depth. It was confirmed three maturity stages: neonate (37.95 ± 3.59 cm Total Length (Lt); 230.02 ± 72.90g Eviscerated Weight (We), juvenile (47.10 ± 2.91 cm Lt; 436.7 ± 79.60g We), and adults (69.15 ±12.29 cm Lt; 1556.08 ± 831.40g We). Males were predominant over females along the year. The negative allometric coefficient for adults suggests an adaptation strategy to reach larger sizes faster, avoiding predation. The size for first sexual maturation was estimated in 57.5 cm Lt. However, over 60% of total samplings corresponded to neonates. The period of reproduction seems to occur continuously with females migrating to shallow waters during the dry season to give birth. The abundance of neonates and some females at late maturity stages indicate fisheries are operating within nursery areas, which might affect recruits in the stock.Keywords: coastal shark migration; size at first maturity; nursery areas.Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar aspectos reprodutivos de Rhizoprionodon porosus (Poey, 1861) capturados em pescarias de pequena escala em águas costeiras do Nordeste do Brasil. As amostras foram obtidas durante as estações seca e chuvosa entre 2015 e 2016. As amostras foram sexadas, medidas (cm ± d.p.), pesadas (g ± d.p.), evisceradas e tiveram seus estágios de maturação verificados. Foram amostrados 169 (103 machos e 66 fêmeas) entre 4 e 30 m de profundidade. Foram confirmados três estádios de maturação: neonatos (37,95 ± 3,59 cm comprimento total (Lt); 230,02 ± 72,90g peso eviscerado (We), juvenis (47,10 ± 2,91 cm Lt; 436,7 ± 79,60g We) e adultos (69,15 ± 12,29 cm Lt; 1556,08 ± 831,40g We). O coeficiente alométrico negativo para adultos sugere uma estratégia de adaptação para atingir tamanhos maiores mais rapidamente, evitando a predação. O tamanho para a primeira maturação sexual foi estimado em 57,5 cm. No entanto, mais de 60% do total de amostras correspondeu a neonatos. O período de reprodução parece ocorrer continuamente com as fêmeas migrando para águas rasas para dar à luz durante a estação seca. A abundância de neonatos e algumas fêmeas nos estágios tardios da maturidade indica que a pesca está ocorrendo em áreas de berçário, o que pode afetar o recrutamento de novos indivíduos no estoque populacional.Palavras-chave: migração tubarão costeiro, tamanho de maturação sexual, áreas de berçário

Participatory integrated agro-climatic services benefits 33,000 farmers in 5 countries of Latin America

CCAFS scientists has co-developed and implemented "last-mile" mechanisms to reach directly the farmers providing climate information adapted for its use and allowing it to make a timely decision to mitigate its risk (i.e.,PICSA). In Guatemala's and Honduras's Climate-Smart Village, more than 60% of the farmers have perceived positive effects in yields/production with climate-informed decisions, even in unfavorable rainfall conditions. The effectiveness of PICSA has promoted their scaling out in zones of the Central America dry corridor and other Latinamerica countries

Outlook for modern cooking energy access in Central America

he Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are among the poorest in the Americas. While the fraction of population dependent on solid fuels has declined in these nations over the last 25 years, the number of people using them has risen. Here, we first assess current patterns of cooking energy use in these nations. We then apply a discrete model of household cooking choices and demand to simulate future pathways of clean cooking uptake and the outlook for achieving target 7.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by 2030. We find that by 2030, ensuing income growth is likely to enable 90% of urban populations in these nations to switch to using modern cooking energy services. However, without supporting policies, between 40% to 50% of rural Guatemalans and Hondurans, while over two-thirds of rural Nicaraguans, are likely to find clean fuels or stoves unaffordable in 2030. A targeted subsidy on modern fuels, like liquid petroleum gas (LPG), is the most effective policy mechanism we studied that could provide such support. A 50% subsidy policy on LPG targeted to the rural and urban poor population could, by 2030, make cooking with LPG affordable to an additional 7.3 million people in these countries. We estimate that such a policy would cost about $250 million per year and would have negligible greenhouse gas emissions impacts. Such a policy could also have significant health benefits, preventing about 8,890 premature deaths annually from reduced exposure to cooking-related household pollution in 2030

Kitchen Concentrations of Fine Particulate Matter and Particle Number Concentration in Households Using Biomass Cookstoves in Rural Honduras

Cooking and heating with solid fuels results in high levels of household air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM); however, limited data exist for size fractions smaller than PM2.5 (diameter less than 2.5 μm). We collected 24-h time-resolved measurements of PM2.5 (n = 27) and particle number concentrations (PNC, average diameter 10–700 nm) (n = 44; 24 with paired PM2.5 and PNC) in homes with wood-burning traditional and Justa (i.e., with an engineered combustion chamber and chimney) cookstoves in rural Honduras. The median 24-h PM2.5 concentration (n = 27) was 79 μg/m3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 44–174 μg/m3); traditional (n = 15): 130 μg/m3 (IQR: 48–250 μg/m3); Justa (n = 12): 66 μg/m3 (IQR: 44–97 μg/m3). The median 24-h PNC (n = 44) was 8.5 × 104 particles (pt)/cm3 (IQR: 3.8 × 104–1.8 × 105 pt/cm3); traditional (n = 27): 1.3 × 105 pt/cm3 (IQR: 3.3 × 104–2.0 × 105 pt/cm3); Justa (n = 17): 6.3 × 104 pt/cm3 (IQR: 4.0 × 104–1.2 × 105 pt/cm3). The 24-h average PM2.5 and particle number concentrations were correlated for the full sample of cookstoves (n = 24, Spearman ρ: 0.83); correlations between PM2.5 and PNC were higher in traditional stove kitchens (n = 12, ρ: 0.93) than in Justa stove kitchens (n = 12, ρ: 0.67). The 24-h average concentrations of PM2.5 and PNC were also correlated with the maximum average concentrations during shorter-term averaging windows of one-, five-, 15-, and 60-min, respectively (Spearman ρ: PM2.5 [0.65, 0.85, 0.82, 0.71], PNC [0.74, 0.86, 0.88, 0.86]). Given the moderate correlations observed between 24-h PM2.5 and PNC and between 24-h and the shorter-term averaging windows within size fractions, investigators may need to consider cost-effectiveness and information gained by measuring both size fractions for the study objective. Further evaluations of other stove and fuel combinations are needed

The cost of poverty alleviation transfer programs

"A common criticism of antipoverty programs is that the high share of administrative (nontransfer) costs substantially reduces their effectiveness in alleviating poverty. Yet there is surprisingly little hard empirical evidence on such programs' costs. A recent international review of targeted poverty alleviation programs in less developed countries found cost information which was rarely comparable between studies for fewer than one-third of the programs examined. Improved information and a better understanding of the costs of such programs are crucial for effective policymaking. This study proposes and implements a methodology for a comparative analysis of the level and structure of costs of three similar poverty alleviation programs in Latin America, in order to assess their cost-efficiency. The findings underscore that any credible assessment of cost-efficiency requires a detailed analysis of program cost structures that goes well beyond simply providing aggregate cost information." Authors' AbstractPoverty alleviation ,Human capital ,cost benefit analysis ,