Round up - 17.11.2023
Good news on vaccines for NTDs and diet public health policies, trouble in paradise for a major philanthropic foundation, plus new estimates for the rate of intimate partner violence across 53 LMICs.
A single-dose vaccine for the chikungunya virus has been approved for adult use in the USA. Great news in the fight against NTDs. (CNN)
Colombia has introduced a tax on ultra-processed and other unhealthy foods to tackle dietary sources of non-communicable diseases. It is one of the first countries to do so. (The Guardian)
“The Museveni Succession” — a retrospective on Uganda’s long-time leader and what his departure from power could look like. (An Africanist Perspective)
Schmidt Futures — a large philanthropic foundation — has been facing bad press and may be in trouble. The Google founder’s philanthropic efforts have faced leadership concerns and have suddenly closed up programs. (Forbes)
“In Nigeria, Hospitals Are Unlawfully Detaining Newborns to Force Payment of Medical Bills.” - an investigation into a horrifying practice and the structural drivers behind it. (Global Health Now)
A study looking at population-based surveys provides the most recent look at the state of Intimate Partner Violence over the past decades: “ The weighted prevalence of any type of intimate partner violence was 37·2% (95% CI 36·6 to 37·8). A significant overall decline in the prevalence of any type of intimate partner violence was observed with an average annual rate of change of –0·2% (95% CI –0·4 to –0·03); however, six countries showed significant increasing trends, with average annual rates of change ranging from 1·2% (95% CI 0·7 to 1·7) in Nigeria to 6·6% (5·3 to 7·8) in Sierra Leone. Notably, the prevalence of psychological, intimate partner violence has risen (average annual rate of change, 2·3% [95% CI 2·1 to 2·6]), reflected in increased rates across eight countries.” (The Lancet)
“Globally, an estimated 48·8% of people who inject drugs were recently tested for HIV antibodies (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 43·3–54·2%; range 0·9–86·0%), and 47·1% had ever been tested for HCV antibodies (95% UI 43·4–51·0%; range 0·0–93·3%).” (The Lancet)
According to a new report on US foundations and their giving, “roughly 13 percent of U.S. foundations’ global grant dollars went directly to organizations based in the country where programs were implemented in the 2016-2019 period, up marginally from approximately 12 percent in the 2011-2015 period.” (Council on Foundations)
Elections to watch: As of writing, no results have been announced for the highly contested and controversial presidential elections in Madagascar. On Sunday, Argentinians go to the polls to choose between the continuity candidate, current Finance Minister Massa, and independent anarcho-capitalist and ultra-conservative Milei. (Al Jazeera; The Guardian)