The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria's investments in harm reduction through the rounds-based funding model (2002-2014)

Background: Harm reduction is an evidence-based, effective response to HIV transmission and other harms faced by people who inject drugs, and is explicitly supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In spite of this, people who inject drugs continue to have poor and inequitable access to these services and face widespread stigma and discrimination. In 2013, the Global Fund launched a new funding model-signalling the end of the previous rounds-based model that had operated since its founding in 2002. This study updates previous analyses to assess Global Fund investments in harm reduction interventions for the duration of the rounds-based model, from 2002 to 2014. Methods: Global Fund HIV and TB/HIV grant documents from 2002 to 2014 were reviewed to identify grants that contained activities for people who inject drugs. Data were collected from detailed grant budgets, and relevant budget lines were recorded and analysed to determine the resources allocated to different interventions that were specifically targeted at people who inject drugs. Results: 151 grants for 58 countries, plus one regional proposal, contained activities targeting people who inject drugs-for a total investment of US 620. million. Two-thirds of this budgeted amount was for interventions in th

Breast-milk iodine concentration declines over the first 6 mo postpartum in iodine-deficient women.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the iodine status of lactating mothers and their infants during the first 6 mo postpartum or, if deficient, the amount of supplemental iodine required to improve status. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine maternal and infant iodine status and the breast-milk iodine concentration (BMIC) over the first 6 mo of breastfeeding. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled supplementation trial was conducted in lactating women who received placebo (n = 56), 75 μg I/d (n = 27), or 150 μg I/d (n = 26) after their infants' birth until 24 wk postpartum. Maternal and infant urine samples and breast-milk samples were collected at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 wk. Maternal serum thyrotropin and free thyroxine concentrations were measured at 24 wk. RESULTS: Over 24 wk, the median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of unsupplemented women and their infants ranged from 20 to 41 μg/L and 34 to 49 μg/L, respectively, which indicated iodine deficiency (ie, UIC < 100 μg/L). Mean maternal UIC was 2.1-2.4 times higher in supplemented than in unsupplemented women (P < 0.001) but did not differ significantly between the 2 supplemented groups. BMIC in the placebo group decreased by 40% over 24 wk (P < 0.001) and was 1.3 times and 1.7 times higher in women supplemented with 75 μg I/d (P = 0.030) and 150 μg I/d (P < 0.001), respectively, than in unsupplemented women. Thyrotropin and free thyroxine did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSION: BMIC decreased in the first 6 mo in these iodine-deficient lactating women; supplementation with 75 or 150 μg I/d increased the BMIC but was insufficient to ensure adequate iodine status in women or their infants. The study was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry as ACTRN12605000345684

Tax revenue performance and vulnerability in developing countries

This paper addresses vulnerability of revenue to external shocks using export composition to capture economic structure and differentiating countries according to income levels, resource endowments and political regimes. This gives a richer characterization than previous studies. Lower income countries are vulnerable to shocks, especially in terms of trade (associated with the greatest revenue loss): democratic regimes seem to be less vulnerable to revenue losses due to shocks than non-democracies whereas revenue in resource rich is more vulnerable to shocks (except natural disasters) than non-resource rich countries. We find a negative relationship between manufacturing exports and revenue in lower income countries

The Grizzly, September 2, 2004

Governor Ed Rendell Visits Ursinus; Presents $5 Million State Grant for Performing Arts Center • Inside Scoop: What\u27s New at UC • I Am a Gay American : Reactions from the UC Community • Ursinus Safety Concerns: Past, Present, and Future • Dean Levy Announces New Faculty • Opinions: On a Date Between a Man and a Woman, Who Should Pay? • Summer Renovations at the Myrin Library • Jazzman\u27s Opens Cafe in Myrin Library • Fall Sports Outlook 2004: Editor\u27s Predictionshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1562/thumbnail.jp

A core curriculum for the continuing professional development of nurses: Developed by the Education Committee on behalf of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions of the ESC

Background: The European Society of Cardiology and the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions share a vision; to decrease the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe. Nurses represent the largest sector of the health professional workforce and have a significant contribution to make, which has not yet been fully realised. Recent evidence highlights an association between the level of nurse education and inpatient mortality making this an important topic, particularly as the provision of nurse education in Europe is variable. Aim: To develop a core curriculum to inform the education of nurses following initial qualification for work in cardiovascular settings. Method: A syllabus was developed using published literature, policy documents and existing curricula with expert input from service users, specialist nurses, cardiologists, educationalists and academics. The syllabus formed the framework for the development of the core curriculum. Results: Eight key themes characterise the core curriculum which are presented together with an account of the development process. While the curriculum is not intended to cover all aspects of the highly complex role of the cardiovascular nurse, the themes do exemplify the science and art of nursing and are transferable across different levels of clinical practice and settings. The curriculum functions both as a ‘map’, which identifies key themes to include in nurse education, and as a ‘tool’ to inform educational provision that bridges’ the gap between initial nurse education and advanced specialist practice. Content can be adapted for use to fit the national context and reflects the specific needs, health priorities, legislative and regulatory standards that govern safe nursing practice across different countries. Conclusion: The core curriculum can be used as a learning framework to guide nurse education, in particular the continuing professional education of post-qualifying nurses working in cardiovascular settings. This represents a significant step towards streamlining cardiovascular nurse education in Europ

Financial development and economic growth : long-run equilibrium and transitional dynamics

We analyze the impact of financial development on economic growth. Differently from previous studies that focus mainly on balanced growth path outcomes, we also analyze the transitional dynamics of our model economy by using a finance-extended Uzawa-Lucas framework where financial intermediation affects both human and physical capital accumulation. We show that, under certain rather general conditions, economic growth may turn out to be non-monotonically related to financial development (as suggested by the most recent empirical evidence) and that too much finance may be detrimental to growth. We also show that the degree of financial development may affect the speed of convergence, which suggests that finance may play a crucial role in determining the length of the recovery process associated with exogenous shocks. Moreover, in a special case of the model, we observe that, under a realistic set of parameters, social welfare decreases with financial development, meaning that even when finance positively affects economic growth the short term costs associated with financial activities more than compensate their long run benefits

Mboga za Watu wa Pwani: Kilifi Utamaduni Conservation Group

Vegetables of the Coast People of Kenya No region in Kenya boasts of a greater variety of vegetables than the coastal area. Over 100 species are used by the nine linguistically-related groups living here, the Mijikenda. Just as rich is the knowledge associated with these vegetables as seen in the variety of mixtures that may be formed in a single preparation and the delicate art of balancing the quantities of each. This book makes available information on this rich vegetable culture. It provides local names of the vegetables in the different dialects (Mijikenda groups), scientific names, ecological and production information, method of preparation and mixtures involved. Eight plates with over 100 photographs as well as over 60 illustrations are provided for easy identification of the species. This book will be valuable for people interested in Mijikenda vegetables and traditions, scientists, development workers as well as extension agents working in the field of agriculture, anthropology, food and nutrition and ethnobotany, among several others. Maelezo Mboga za Watu wa Pwani Hamna sehemu ya Kenya inayojivunia aina nyingi za mboga kuliko Pwani. Zaidi ya aina mia moja hutumiwa na wakaaji wa sehemu hii waitwao WaMijikenda. Vile kuna wingi wa aina za mboga, ndivyo pia kuna wingi wa ujuzi unaoambatana na hizi mboga. Huu ujuzi tunaushuhudia wakati mboga aina tofauti zinapochangnywa kwa umakini na kupikwa pamoja. Kitabu hiki kinasimulia utamaduni wa kipekee wa mboga za Wamijikenda. Kinaelezea maumbile ya hizi mboga, majina ya mboga kwa lugha za waMijikenda na ya kisayanzi, mazingira ambamo mboga inamea, ukuzaji, utayarishaji na ‘visanganyo’ vinavyotumiwa. Kwa jumla, zimo kurasa nane zilio na zaidi ya picha mia moja na pia kuna zaidi ya michoro sitini, ili kumsaidia msomaji kuzitambua hizi mboga kwa urahisi. Hiki kitabu kitakuwa cha manufaa kwa wale wanaotaka kufahamu utamaduni wa waMijikenda kuhusu mboga, na pia kwa wanasayanzi na wanaoendeleza miradi vijijini hasa katika nyanja za kilimo, mila na desturi, lishe bora pamoja na wanaosoma manufaa ya mimea kwa binadamu na wengine

Sharing Longevity Risk: Why Governments Should Issue Longevity Bonds

Government-issued longevity bonds would allow longevity risk to be shared efficiently and fairly between generations. In exchange for paying a longevity risk premium, the current generation of retirees can look to future generations to hedge their systematic longevity risk. Longevity bonds will lead to a more secure pension savings market, together with a more efficient annuity market. By issuing longevity bonds, governments can aid the establishment of reliable longevity indices and key price points on the longevity risk term structure and help the emerging capital market in longevity-linked instruments to build on this term structure with liquid longevity derivatives