News : Go to our new website

https:/www.wessexglobalhealthnetwork.org 

• News is now provided through our fortnightly Newsletter produced in collaboration with the South West Global Health Collaborative. It covers local and national news and events, funding, learning opportunities, ways to become involved, research, jobs and more. Go to our new website to sign up to receive it.

  Friday, March 3, 2023

  The Newsletter includes sections on Wessex news and events, a review article, events staged nationally, information about new funding available, news, learning, research and jobs.

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• Engaging in Global Health :The framework for voluntary engagement in global health by the UK health sector provides guidance for anyone in the NHS involved in or considering establishing a partnership with an organisation in a low or middle income country.

  Wednesday, June 7, 2017

  Engaging in Global Health : The framework for voluntary engagement in global health by the UK health sector was published by the Government in 2014. It provides guidance for anyone in the NHS involved in or considering establishing a partnership with an organisation in a low or middle income country.

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• We would like your news and comments. To contact the Network, e-mail john.acres@winchester.ac.uk.

  Wednesday, April 12, 2017

  John is the Co-ordinator for the Network and is keen to receive comments and ideas. If you find any broken links on the website, the please let him know.

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• European funding for low and middle income countries

  Thursday, September 4, 2014

  This item provides information on the agreements for 2014 - 2020 allocations for low and middle income countries from the European Development Fund that are in the process of being agreed.

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• Advice on Ebola for Acute Trusts

  Thursday, August 28, 2014

  Guidance for Acute Trusts provided by Public Health England on Ebola.

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• Ebola advice for Immigration Removal Centres

  Thursday, August 28, 2014

  Guidance provide by Public Health England for Ebola virus risk assessment for new entrants to immigration removal centres from outbreak countries.

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• Call for research proposals related to Ebola

  Thursday, August 28, 2014

  Special funding is available for Ebola related research.

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• How to hinder TB control

  Thursday, August 28, 2014

  Lancet article about the control of tuberculosis and what not to do.

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• That the Taliban and Al-Shabaab think of Aid Agencies

  Thursday, August 14, 2014

  This is a report based on research and interviews that gives an insight into the perceptions of the Taliban and Al-Shabeeb about Aid Agencies.

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• New Control Centre for Ebola Outbreak

  Tuesday, July 22, 2014

  West African governments and WHO have pledged to create a sub-regional control centre in Guinea, which will allow for greater cooperation between the different ministries and groups involved in the response.

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• July Newsletter of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

  Monday, July 21, 2014

  The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare helps the NHS fulfil its legal requirement to reduce its carbon footprint by 80% by 2050. Its July Newsletter provides information on its Clinical Transformation Programme, Sustainable Commissioning Guide, research etc..

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• Growing Health Crisis in Iraq

  Monday, July 21, 2014

  There has been a warning that there could be catastrophic health consequences of the disruptions in Iraq

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• Clinical Commissioning Groups urged to buy ethical services

  Sunday, July 20, 2014

  The BMA and Royal College of GPs have written a joint letter to all 211 Clinical Commissioning Groups in England outlining new guidance on ethical procurement.

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• Additional funding for the Health Partnership Scheme

  Friday, July 18, 2014

  Additional funding has been provided for new projects that strengthen developing countries' health services.

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• Syria facing water crisis

  Wednesday, July 9, 2014

  Syria faces crisis as water supplies diminish and infrastructure to supply safe water and sanitation service decline.

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• BMA ends investment in fossil fuels

  Tuesday, July 8, 2014

  Annual conference of BMA votes to end investment in fossil fuels

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• Addressing Global Dementia

  Friday, July 4, 2014

  Lancet review of recent developments to address the growing numbers of people living with dementia worldwide.

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• Bacterial infections in neonates

  Friday, July 4, 2014

  Lancet report of an assessment the levels of neonatal levels of possible severe bacterial infection in neonates in different regions of the world.

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• Map of notifications of Ebola in Africa

  Thursday, June 26, 2014

  Cases of Ebola continue to be reported in West Africa. The Health Protection Agency has mapped the locations and a link is provided to the Health Protection Agency for more information.

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• Overheads and videos of Summer Conference, Southampton, 12th June, now all available

  Thursday, June 26, 2014

  The overheads used and videos of guest speakers at the Population Health Summer conference are all now available on the Southampton University Website.

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• Aid alone is not the answer

  Thursday, June 26, 2014

  This is a summary of an interview with Hilary Benn, former International Development Secretary, talking about the problem with ill-thought through aid provision and the responsibility of human beings to look after those less fortunate than themselves.

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• World Blood Donor Day - Safe blood needed to save mothers

  Thursday, June 26, 2014

  World Blood Donor Day was 14th June. WHO called on countries to improve access to safe blood for saving the lives of mothers. Every day, almost 800 women die from causes related to complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Severe bleeding during pregnancy, delivery or after childbirth is the single biggest cause of maternal death and can kill a healthy woman within 2 hours if she is unattended. Urgent access to safe supplies of blood for transfusion is critical to saving these women’s lives.

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• Guardian reports MERS deaths

  Tuesday, May 13, 2014

  Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes respiratory infections in humans and animals. Public Health England has issued new guidance after a person found to have Mers was identified as having been a passenger on Saudi Airlines flight 113 from Jeddah to London, and who had transferred at Heathrow for onward travel on 1 May. Although the risk is low, Professor Nick Phin, head of respiratory diseases for Public Health England, said: "Any UK-based travellers who become unwell with a fever, cough or shortness of breath within 14 days of being in the Middle East, should make sure they call their doctor and tell them where they have travelled."

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• The Grand Challenge of Global Health NCD Season

  Thursday, April 24, 2014

  Non-Communicable Diseases – sometimes referred to as “chronic diseases”– are the world’s biggest killers, accounting for more deaths than any other cause worldwide. Eighty per cent of these deaths occur in the world’s poorest countries. NCDs include heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, cancer and mental illness. The Grand Challenge of Global Health NCD Season will bring together fields of inter-disciplinary expertise from UCL, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and beyond, in a series of symposia to challenge, provoke and inform.

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• Progress in diagnosing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

  Thursday, April 24, 2014

  Almost half of those who fall ill with TB have Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB). This is mainly due to lack of access to quality diagnostic services. EXPAND-TB (Expanding Access to New Diagnostics for TB) has helped to triple the number of MDR-TB cases diagnosed in participating countries. This improves the chances of people getting the right treatment and being cured, and helps stop spread of drug-resistant disease.

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• Unlocking New Opportunities : Jobs in Green and Healthy Transport

  Wednesday, April 23, 2014

  The Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP) partnership for the World Health Organisation concludes that there is significant potential for job creation through greener, healthier, more efficient transport.

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• Taking Action in Response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - Adaptation and Vulnerability

  Tuesday, April 22, 2014

  This is a report of the closing remarks by Lynn Featherstone to the meeting on agriculture, jobs, food security and climate in response to the most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Unmitigated climate change poses great risks to human health, global food security, and economic development and the effects are already widespread. Mitigation is the only real, long term, solution to reducing emissions and avoiding dangerous climate change. Something needs to be done, and done urgently to avert a crisis.

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• Hepatitis C Treatment Guidelines from WHO

  Wednesday, April 16, 2014

  WHO has issued its first guidance for the treatment of hepatitis C. They were launched on the eve of the opening of the 2014 International Liver Congress, attended by around 10 000 delegates in London. WHO will be working with countries to introduce the guidelines as part of their national treatment programmes.

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• United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report

  Saturday, April 12, 2014

  The United Nation’s Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published the third volume of its 5th Assessment Report on Climate Change: Mitigation of Climate Change in Berlin, Germany on 12 April 2014. Global emissions of greenhouse gases have risen to unprecedented levels despite a growing number of policies to reduce climate change. Emissions grew more quickly between 2000 and 2010 than in each of the three previous decades. Without additional efforts to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions beyond those in place today, emissions growth is expected to persist driven by growth in global population and economic activities. Without additional mitigation, global mean surface temperature will increase in 2100 from 3.7 to 4.8°C compared to pre‐industrial levels The report pointed, therefore, to the increasing urgency to introduce measures for both mitigation and adaptation.

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• Water Point Mapper

  Tuesday, April 1, 2014

  The Water Point Mapper produced by WaterAid is a free tool for producing maps showing the status of water supply services.

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• 2014 Chronic Poverty Report

  Thursday, March 27, 2014

  The new Chronic Poverty Report, 2014-15, from the Overseas Development Institute warns that unless there is action now or by 2030 one billion people will be at risk from extreme poverty. It asks why many escape from poverty only to fall back and it sets out measures to defuse this ticking time bomb.

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• Lancet article on polio eradication

  Wednesday, March 26, 2014

  WHO has declared its southeast Asia region polio-free at the end of this month. But progress is faltering in other regions with the remaining polio-endemic countries. John Maurice reports.

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• Mental Health at your fingertips : WHO launches the MiNDbank

  Thursday, January 23, 2014

  MiNDbank, a new WHO database goes online today, presenting a wealth of information about mental health, substance abuse, disability, human rights and the different policies, strategies, laws and service standards being implemented in different countries. It also contains key international documents and information. Launched on Human Rights Day, the platform is part of WHO’s QualityRights initiative, aiming to end human rights violations against people with mental health conditions. If a government, for example, wishes to develop a new mental health policy in line with international human rights standards it can - on the new platform - quickly get an overview about the policies of other countries and benefit from their experiences and an array of international guidance tools and resources,“ explains Nathalie Drew, WHO Technical Officer working on mental health and human rights. So far, already more than 160 countries are sharing key mental health information through the MiNDbank and updates will be provided on a regular basis.

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• Work by WHO to limit the health consequences of the South Sudan crisis

  Thursday, January 23, 2014

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• World Malaria Report, 2013

  Wednesday, January 22, 2014

  Global efforts to control and eliminate malaria have saved an estimated 3.3 million lives since 2000, reducing malaria mortality rates by 45% globally and by 49% in Africa, according to the "World malaria report 2013" published by WHO. The large majority of the 3.3 million lives saved between 2000 and 2012 were in the 10 countries with the highest malaria burden, and among children aged less than 5 years – the group most affected by the disease. Over the same period, malaria mortality rates in children in Africa were reduced by an estimated 54%. But more needs to be done.

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• WHO AFRO : Looking for a leader

  Tuesday, January 21, 2014

  WHO's Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) is at a turning point. At their 64th committee session in the second half of 2014, the 46 member states of the WHO African region will nominate a new Regional Director (RD) to lead the office when the second term of the current incumbent, Luis Gomes Sambo, comes to an end. Sambo, an Angolan public health specialist and a long-standing WHO employee, became director in February, 2005, and was re-appointed to serve another 5-year term from February, 2010. Under WHO rules, RDs can only have two terms in office, meaning a new leader should take the helm in February, 2015. As WHO AFRO enters a period of transition, The Lancet asked experts about the organisation and what Sambo has achieved during his 10-year directorship.

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• Family Planning 2020 : Tracking Progress by DfID

  Sunday, January 19, 2014

  Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) is a global partnership that was formed after the London Summit on Family Planning to enable 120 million more girls and women to use contraceptives by 2020. FP2020’s first progress report was launched at the International Family Planning Conference in Ethiopia last month. At the conference, International Development Minister Lynne Featherstone announced £27 million over 5 years as part of the UK’s family planning commitment made at the summit last year. This funding will strengthen monitoring and accountability efforts to make sure women have access to voluntary family planning and promises are delivered.

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• Child labour must be on the post-2015 agenda

  Saturday, January 18, 2014

  Although the number of child labourers is unknown, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that there are 215 million. Of these children, 115 million are in the worst forms of child labour 1 —“work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children”. Eleanor Turner-Moss looks at the health effects of child labour and makes some recommendations.

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• Global Pledges fund falls short of expectations

  Thursday, January 16, 2014

  Ann Danaiya Usher reports in the Lancet that donors restored their confidence in the Global Fund this month with substantial funding promises, but economic woes prevent some from increasing their contributions..

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• Research funding opportunities from DfID

  Sunday, January 12, 2014

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• Mental Health Information at your fingertips - WHO MiNDBank

  Wednesday, January 8, 2014

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• Time to change the game : Fossil fuel subsidies and climate change publication

  Monday, November 18, 2013

  Global fuel subsidies top healf a trillion dollars. This is a new Overseas Development Institute publication argues that it is time to change the game on fossil fuel subsidies. What is happening? Many of the world’s richest countries continue to pour money into fossil fuel subsidies, with average spending running at $112 per adult. In developing countries the majority of benefits from fossil fuel subsidies go to the richest 20% of households. How much is being invested? This is an expensive business. Fossil fuel subsidies cost over half a trillion dollars globally in 2011, and up to $90 billion in the OECD alone. What are the negative effects? The negative effects are profound. Fossil fuel subsidies are creating perverse incentives - where investment in carbon-intensive energy is favoured. This presents a major obstacle to green investment, and seriously undermines attempts to put a price on carbon. n addition, domestic and international support for fossil fuels dwarfs spending on health and education in a number of countries, and outstrips climate finance and aid.

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• Two new goals for the Malaria Vaccine Roadmap

  Thursday, November 14, 2013

  The Lancet published an article updating the roadmap for the development of a malaria vaccine to include two new goals to be met by 2030: vaccines to achieve malaria elimination in multiple settings, and vaccines that are highly efficacious against malaria disease.

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• Chatham House event on Central African Republic - A Country in Hiding

  Thursday, November 7, 2013

  This is a recording of an event held by Chatham House on 7th November, 2013. Following the overthrow of its President François Bozizé by the rebel group Séléka in January, the Central African Republic (CAR) has plunged into violence and uncertainty. Over 200,000 people are classified as internally displaced by the UN, 60,000 more have fled to neighbouring countries and 1.6 million are in need of urgent assistance. The humanitarian situation has been labelled as desperate. A team from Channel 4’s Unreported World showed clips from their film, which follows medical professionals assisting the fleeing population – in particular, expectant mothers. The panel will discuss the human impact of this conflict, assess its regional dimensions and ask what – if any – peace building opportunities exist. Against this backdrop, the panellists will explore why CAR continues to be largely overlooked by the international community.

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• Report of 2013 Conference of International Society for Evidence Based Health Care

  Saturday, November 2, 2013

  This is a summary of the proceeedings of the International Society for Evidence Based Health Care conference in 2013. As the sustainability of public health services is a global challenge, the aim of the Conference is to promote a global evidence-based approach to healthcare, education and research. Evidence-based Health Care can help health professionals, decision makers and policy makers through "Evidence, Governance, Performance". Evidence : Producing and using high-quality and trustworthy evidence: primary research, systematic reviews. Governance : Implementing the systemic approach to clinical governance to delivery an evidence-based, high-value, cost-conscious health care, integrating evidence-based practice, clinical guidelines, care pathways, clinical audit, risk management, continuing medical education, health technology assessment, etc. Performance : Measuring the performance of health care: safety, efficacy, appropriateness, consumer involvement, equity, accessibility, efficiency, productivity. More information about the proceedings of the conference.

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• UNA : UK Report - Chapter on The Pressure of Resource Scarcity

  Tuesday, October 22, 2013

  Resource security is now a priority for governments the world over. Markets for many resources are likely to remain tight and unstable as demand growth outstrips production and stocks struggle to recover. Government interventions in resource markets, such as biofuel mandates and export controls, often make things worse. In the medium term, climate change will create local scarcities in vital resources such as food and water, increase market instability by disrupting production and trade, and by fuelling conflict. Development models must adapt to this new reality. Five priorities for doing so are outlined in this chapter: Improve governance and transparency; Get the resource prices right; Unlock financing for clean development; Manage risk and reduce vulnerability; and, Global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This chapter is taken from the United Nations Association-UK report, Global Development Goals: Leaving No One Behind, which focuses on the MDGs and the post-2015 development agenda. Read report

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• UK response to Syria humanitarian crisis

  Tuesday, October 8, 2013

  Provides a link to the Department for International Development website news report summarising the position of the UK

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• Guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers from the UK 2013

  Tuesday, October 1, 2013

  Guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers from the United Kingdom 2013 These practical guidelines from the Public Health England Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention for UK Travellers update the Guidelines for malaria prevention in travellers from the United Kingdom published in 2007. The guidelines are for use by healthcare workers who advise travellers but may also be of use to prospective travellers who wish to read about the options themselves. http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/InfectiousDiseases/TravelHealth/1308MalariapreventionfortravellersfromtheUK/

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• Welcome Trust Scheme boosts sustainable health research

  Friday, July 19, 2013

  A new call for proposals from the Wellcome Trust aims to explore the threats to human health posed by dramatic changes in our global environment and world population. Becky McCall reports. Renowned for its novel approaches to funding health-related research, the Wellcome Trust's newly launched funding scheme—Sustaining Health—is heralded as “breaking new ground”. The scheme aims to seed research that elucidates the connections between environment, nutrition, and human health in response to the unprecedented challenge posed by global over-population and environmental change. The £5 million scheme will explore issues relating to the world's burgeoning population, relentless urbanisation, and changing climate. It rests on the premise that human activities, in association with a global population estimated to grow to 9 billion by 2050, drive environmental changes that have consequences for human health. If relationships can be established between these various factors then novel strategies could be implemented to mitigate health risks.

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• All Party Report on Improving Health at Home and Abroad

  Tuesday, July 16, 2013

  The latest report recommending upscaling of work

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• Comment on the UN Panel's Post MDG agenda

  Friday, July 12, 2013

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• The Lancet Child and Nutrition Series now available

  Wednesday, July 10, 2013

  The Lancet has published a major new Series examining the current and expected extent of maternal and child under-nutrition and obesity, and the interventions that are appropriate for low- and middle-income countries. The Series' publication coincides with the 'Nutrition for Growth: Beating hunger through business and science' pre-G8 meeting, convened by the UK government and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation. A digital version is available to view by visiting the Series page on TheLancet.com.

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• H7N9 bird flu is a 'serious threat' - researchers warn

  Wednesday, May 1, 2013

  The outbreak of a new type of bird flu in China poses a "serious threat" to human health, but it is still too soon to predict how far it will spread, experts have said. Of the 126 people known to be infected so far, 24 have died, with many more still severely ill in hospital. The H7N9 virus has not, however, yet proved able to spread between people - which limits its global threat.

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• Protecting Health : the global challenge for capitalism

  Wednesday, February 26, 2014

  The question to secure economic growth, after a financial crisis that raised serious questions about capitalism's ability to protect and sustain the wellbeing of populations in rich and poor countries alike, is the overriding political priority for many governments today. This article on 15th February, 2014, in The Lancet explores these issues in relation to health.

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• World Mosquito Day - 20th August

  Thursday, August 14, 2014

  World Mosquito Day on 20th August remembers the work of Sir Donald Ross in showing the role of the mosquito in the transmission of malaria between humans.

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