Management of Melon Fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) Infesting Gherkin:An Areawide Control Programme Adopted in Peninsular India

An area-wide control (AWC) programme was undertaken for management of melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae(Coquillet), in 3 km2 area in Kashapura village of Gauribidanur taluk, Chickaballapura District, Karnataka State in peninsular India from 52nd week of 2007 to 30th week of 2010. Implementation of the AWC programme included field sanitation, male annihilation technique (MAT) through para-pheromone, Cue lure, and bait application technique (BAT). This AWC programme resulted in steady decline of melon fly population in the grid area, and corresponding reduction in per cent fruit fly infested gherkin fruits. In the AWC (grid) area, flies trapped per day (FTD) led to attaining suppression (1 to 0.1 FTD) and eradication levels (<0.1 FTD), which is acceptable to the Indian gherkin processing industry. Whereas, in the non-grid area, fruit fly populations perpetuated at infestation level (>1 FTD) during majority of weeks under observation

Preconception care: advancing from 'important to do and can be done' to 'is being done and is making a difference'

There is a growing evidence base for preconception care--the provision of biomedical, behavioral and social interventions to women and couples before conception occurs. Firstly, there is evidence that health problems, problem behaviours and individual and environmental risks contribute to poor maternal and child health outcomes. Secondly, there are biomedical, behavioural and social interventions that when delivered beforeconception occurs, effectively address many of these health problems, problem behaviours and risk factors.And thirdly, there is emerging experience of how to deliver these interventions in low and middle income countries (LMIC).The preconception care interventions delivered and whom they are delivered to, will need to be tailored to local realities. The package of preconception care interventions delivered in a particular setting will depend on the local epidemiology, the interventions already being delivered, and the resources in place to deliver additionalinterventions. Although a range of population groups could benefit from preconception care, prioritization based on need and feasibility will be needed.There are both potential benefits and risks associated with preconception care. Preconception care could result in large health and social benefits in LMIC. It could also be misused to limit the autonomy of women and reinforce the notion that the focus of all efforts to improve the health of girls and women should be at improving maternal and child health outcomes rather than at improving the health of girls and women as individuals in their own right.There are challenges in delivering preconception care. While the potential benefits of preconception care programmes could be substantial, extending the traditional Maternal and Child Health package will be both a logistic and financial challenge.We need to help countries set and achieve pragmatic and meaningful short term goals. While our longterm goal for preconception care should be for a full package of health and social interventions to be delivered to all women and couples of reproductive age everywhere, our short-term goals must be pragmatic. This is because countries that need preconception care most are the ones least likely to be able to afford them and deliver them.If we want these countries to take on the additional challenge of providing preconception care while they struggle to increase the coverage of prenatal care, skilled care at birth etc., we must help them identify and deliver a small number of effective interventions based on epidemiology and feasibility.Elizabeth Mason, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Valentina Baltag, Charlotte Christiansen, Zohra S Lassi, Zulfiqar A Bhutt

Studies on haloquinolines: Part I - Synthesis and characterisation of substituted haloquinolines

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A simple method for generating full length cDNA from low abundance partial genomic clones

BACKGROUND: PCR amplification of target molecules involves sequence specific primers that flank the region to be amplified. While this technique is generally routine, its applicability may not be sufficient to generate a desired target molecule from two separate regions involving intron /exon boundaries. For these situations, the generation of full-length complementary DNAs from two partial genomic clones becomes necessary for the family of low abundance genes. RESULTS: The first approach we used for the isolation of full-length cDNA from two known genomic clones of Hox genes was based on fusion PCR. Here we describe a simple and efficient method of amplification for homeobox D13 (HOXD13) full length cDNA from two partial genomic clones. Specific 5' and 3' untranslated region (UTR) primer pairs and website program (primer3_www.cgv0.2) were key steps involved in this process. CONCLUSIONS: We have devised a simple, rapid and easy method for generating cDNA clone from genomic sequences. The full length HOXD13 clone (1.1 kb) generated with this technique was confirmed by sequence analysis. This simple approach can be utilized to generate full-length cDNA clones from available partial genomic sequences

Reorienting adolescent sexual and reproductive health research: reflections from an international conference

On December 4th 2014, the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH) at Ghent University organized an international conference on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and well-being. This viewpoint highlights two key messages of the conference - 1) ASRH promotion is broadening on different levels and 2) this broadening has important implications for research and interventions – that can guide this research field into the next decade. Adolescent sexuality has long been equated with risk and danger. However, throughout the presentations, it became clear that ASRH and related promotion efforts are broadening on different levels: from risk to well-being, from targeted and individual to comprehensive and structural, from knowledge transfer to innovative tools. However, indicators to measure adolescent sexuality that should accompany this broadening trend, are lacking. While public health related indicators (HIV/STIs, pregnancies) and their behavioral proxies (e.g. condom use, number of partners) are well developed and documented, there is a lack of consensus on indicators for the broader construct of adolescent sexuality, including sexual well-being and aspects of positive sexuality. Furthermore, the debate during the conference clearly indicated that experimental designs may not be the only appropriate study design to measure effectiveness of comprehensive, context-specific and long-term ASRH programmes, and that alternatives need to be identified and applied. Presenters at the conference clearly expressed the need to develop validated tools to measure different sub-constructs of adolescent sexuality and environmental factors. There was a plea to combine (quasi-)experimental effectiveness studies with evaluations of the development and implementation of ASRH promotion initiatives.IS

Realising the health and wellbeing of adolescents

Adolescence is a critical stage of life characterised by rapid biological, emotional, and social development. It is during this time that every person develops the capabilities required for a productive, healthy, and satisfying life. In order to make a healthy transition into adulthood, adolescents need to have access to health education, including education on sexuality1; quality health services, including sexual and reproductive; and a supportive environment both at home and in communities and countries.The global community increasingly recognises these vital needs of adolescents, and there is an emerging consensus that investing intensively in adolescents’ health and development is not only key to improving their survival and wellbeing but critical for the success of the post-2015 development agenda.2 The suggested inclusion of adolescent health in the United Nations secretary general’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health is an expression of this growing awareness and represents an unprecedented opportunity to place adolescents on the political map beyond 2015. Ensuring that every adolescent has the knowledge, skills, and opportunities for a healthy, productive life and enjoyment of all human rights3 is essential for achieving improved health, social justice, gender equality, and other development goals.We argue that the priority in the revised Every Women Every Child Global Strategy needs to be giving adolescents a voice, expanding their choices and control over their bodies, and enabling them to develop the capabilities required for a productive, healthy, and satisfying life. We call for a global, participatory movement to improve the health of the world’s adolescents as part of a broader agenda to improve their wellbeing and uphold their rights

Alternative Strategies to Reduce Maternal Mortality in India: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

A cost-effectiveness study by Sue Goldie and colleagues finds that better family planning, provision of safe abortion, and improved intrapartum and emergency obstetrical care could reduce maternal mortality in India by 75% in 5 years

Integrating community health assistant- driven sexual and reproductive health services in the community health system in Nyimba district in Zambia: Mapping key actors, points of integration, and conditions shaping the process

Introduction: Although large scale public sector community health worker programs have been key in providing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in low- and middle-income countries, their integration process into community health systems is not well understood. This study aimed to identify the conditions and strategies through which Community Health Assistants (CHAs) gained entry and acceptability into community health systems to provide SRH services to youth in Zambia. The country’s CHA program was launched in 2010. Methodology: A phenomenological design was conducted in Nyimba district. All nine CHAs deployed in Nyimba district were interviewed in-depth on their experiences of navigating the introduction of SRH services for youth in community settings, and the data obtained analyzed thematically. Results: In delivering SRH services targeting youth, CHAs worked with a range of community actors, including other health workers, safe motherhood action groups, community health workers, neighborhood health committees, teachers, as well as political, traditional and religious leaders. CHAs delivered SRH education and services in health facilities, schools, police stations, home settings, and community spaces. They used their health facility service delivery role to gain trust and entry into the community, and they also worked to build relationships with other community level actors by holding regular joint meetings, and acting as brokers between the volunteer health workers and the Ministry of Health. CHAs used their existing social networks to deliver SRH services to adolescents. By embedding the provision of information about SRH into general life skills at community level, the topic’s sensitivity was reduced and its acceptability was enhanced. Further, support from community leaders towards CHA-driven services promoted the legitimacy of providing SRH for youth. Factors limiting the acceptability of CHA services included the taboo of discussing sexuality issues, a gender discriminatory environment, competition with other providers, and challenges in conducting household visits