Dear Centre Leaders,
Greetings from the INDEPTH Secretariat. We hope you have had a good week. We are very sorry we could not send the newsletter yesterday due to unforeseen circumstances.

We have the following items for your attention:

1. INDEPTH Board Chairman honoured

INDEPTH Network Board Chairman Prof Marcel Tanner has been honoured by the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire with the ‘Ordre Du Mérite Ivoirien’ at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. This decoration is one of the most prestigious in the country and rewards distinguished merits acquired in public, civil, military or private service. His success means a lot to the image of the Network, we congratulate him for this achievement. For more please follow this link:

http://www.swisstph.ch/news-events/ordre-du-merite-ivoirien-for-marcel-tanner.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter 

2. Prof Sankoh among global health leaders at MA4Health Summit

Prof Osman Sankoh and Karolinska Institute's Prof Hans Rosling  at the meeting.

INDEPTH Network Executive Director, Prof Osman Sankoh, has participated in the MA4Health global summit convened by USAID, the World Health Organisation, and the World Bank Group. Decision-makers, thought leaders, and implementers came together in Washington to advance a common agenda for post-2015 health measurement and to endorse Health Measurement and Accountability in the Post-2015 Era: A Common Roadmap. This document will set forth priorities and recommendations for measurement and enable countries to effectively measure and achieve their sustainable development goals.

The June 9 - 11, 2015 meeting among others discussed the need to strengthen Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems and the role of surveillance. INDEPTH looks forward to playing a critical role in delivering on the measurement agenda in the years to come.

3. INDEPTH Data managers attend iSHARE workshop in Dubai

Group one and two participants

Data managers from 16 INDEPTH member centres participated in a five-day iSHARE workshop which started on June 8, 2015 in Dubai.  The aim of this workshop was to assist member sites for the 1 July 2015 release of the next version of INDEPTH core micro-datasets and documentation for INDEPTH Data Repository and Indicators for INDEPTHStats using Centre-in-the-Box (CiB) research data management  appliance.  On July 1 every year the INDEPTH Data Repository is updated with fresh data from the member centres.

“At the conclusion of Day 3 yesterday, we had completed the first two batches, for a total of nine centres, and now have their computed indicators uploaded onto the non-public interface for internal review. We have just shared the non-public links with the respective centre leaders for review in preparation for the July 1 INDEPTHStats update. These include Agincourt, Dikgale, Filabavi, Karonga, Magu, Mbita, Nairobi, Ouagadougou, and Taabo. Indicators for Africa Centre and Vadu have also been received and will be uploaded shortly,” said INDEPTH Capacity Strengthening and Training Manager Dr Martin Bangha, adding:

“At moment we have the third batch finalising their core micro-datasets from which indicators will be computed by the close of the day. At the same time the last batch is starting. The last two batches consist of Kilifi, Kisumu, Kombewa, Ifakara/Rufiji, Gilgel Gibe, Dabat, and Kilite Awlaelo.”

4. Experts review approaches to unintended pregnancies

Samuelina of INDEPTH with other participants

Experts in fertility and family planning met in Accra recently to review existing approaches to the conceptualization and measurement of unintended pregnancy.  The meeting held at Labadi Beach Hotel from 2 - 4 June, 2015, was attended by 24 participants including representatives of INDEPTH Network.

The meeting funded by USAID with a theme “Conceptualizing and Measuring Unintended Pregnancy and Birth: Moving the Field Forward” also aimed at getting a clearer understanding and definition of unintended pregnancy and identifying challenges and opportunities for communicating evidence on unintended pregnancy, and informing policy, planning and investment decisions.

It also focused on drawing from existing approaches, proposing and drafting indicators, metrics, data collection instruments and analysing strategies for measuring and tracking unintended pregnancy through multiple data collection procedures.

Pregnancy unintendedness is a complex concept, and has been the subject of recent conceptual and methodological critiques. Pregnancy intentions are increasingly viewed as encompassing affective, cognitive, cultural and contextual dimensions. Developing a more complete understanding of pregnancy intentions should advance efforts to increase contraceptive use, to prevent unintended pregnancies and to improve the health of women and their children.

Participants also included Prof. Clémentine Rossier (I'Université de Genéve, Switzerland), John Casterline (Ohio State University, USA ); and Prof. Jacques Emina  and Samuelina Arthur from INDEPTH Secretariat.  A total of 24 delegates attended the meeting including representatives from INDEPTH member centres (Ouagadougou and Nairobi HDSSs).

5. World Environment Day Press Release

The INDEPTH Network joined the world in celebrating World Environment Day (WED) on June 5 - a day set aside to raise awareness about the importance of protecting planet Earth and Mother Nature.  The theme for this year’s WED was “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care". It tells us how the well-being of humanity, the environment, and the functioning of the economy, ultimately depend upon the responsible management of the planet’s natural resources.

Our colleagues from the Environment and Health Working Group, led by Dr Ali Sie provided commentary that was featured in a press statement. We thank them for taking time to do this. Like we did for the World Malaria Day statement in April, we have circulated this widely to stakeholders including the media.  We would like to thank all the centres that uploaded the statement on their websites and encourage others to do the same
(Link: http://indepth-network.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1950

The pdf link is: http://indepth-network.org/images/stories/world_environment_day_press_release_indepth_network.pdf ).

The World Population Day will be marked on 11 July 2015, we welcome contributions from all centres. We will share the theme once it is announced.

6. INDEPTH supported migration to OpenHDS

OpenHDS team with the Nanoro team

The Secretariat has been working closely with Nanoro HDSS to facilitate their movement from paper to electronic data capture using the OpenHDS application. In this light, the OpenHDS technical team from Swiss TPH is currently visiting Nanoro HDSS in Burkina Faso to assist in migrating the database from HRS2 to OpenHDS. Other neighboring member centres (in Burkina Faso and Ghana) have been alerted and will be sending staff to observe the process hopefully in preparation for their eventual migration. The exact dates of the visit are from 8 - 26 June with overlaps and the agenda is as follows:

 08 to 17 June: Nicolas MAIRE, Swiss TPH

12 to 26 June: Aurolio DI PASQUALE, Swiss TPH

 Observers include:

10 to 17 June: BAGNOA Nazi Vincent and SISSOKO Bintou Fatou, Kaya HDSS, Burkina Faso

12 to 17 June: Peter WONTUO, Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC), Navrongo, Ghana

15 to 17 June: Francis AMENI (INDEPTH) and Nouna HDSS team (the Data-Manager and the Demographer)

7. New articles from INDEPTH member centres

• “Patterns of fertility preferences and contraceptive behavior over time: An examination of change and continuities among the urban poor in Nairobi, Kenya,” by Beguy, D. and Mberu, B.U.  Journal of Culture, Health and Sexuality.
  
  
• “Trends in Causes of Adult Deaths in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements, 2003-2012: Results from an Urban Demographic and Health Surveillance System” by Mberu, B.U., Wamukoya, M., Oti, S. and Kyobutungi, C.. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine doi:10.1007/s11524-015-9943-6.

 Global Health Action has recently published the following articles:

• "Causes of death in the Taabo health and demographic surveillance system, Côte d'Ivoire, from 2009 to 2011" by Siaka Koné, Thomas Fürst, Fabienne N. Jaeger, Emmanuel L.J.C. Esso, Nahoua Baikoro, Kouamé A. Kouadio, Lukas G. Adiossan, Fabien Zouzou, Louis I. Boti, Marcel Tanner, Jürg Utzinger, Bassirou Bonfoh, Daouda Dao, Eliézer K. N'Goran

http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/27271

• "The experience of caregivers of people living with serious mental disorders: a study from rural Ghana" by Kenneth Ayuurebobi Ae-Ngibise, Victor Christian Korley Doku, Kwaku Poku Asante, Seth Owusu-Agyei

http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/26957

• "Correlates of previous couples’ HIV counseling and testing uptake among married individuals in three HIV prevalence strata in Rakai, Uganda" by Joseph K.B. Matovu, Jim Todd, Rhoda K. Wanyenze, Fred Wabwire-Mangen, David Serwadda

http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/27935

Please find other recent articles at http://www.globalhealthaction.net

8. Job vacancies at APHRC

The African Population & Health Research Center (APHRC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to conducting high quality and policy relevant research on population, health, education and development issues facing sub-Saharan Africa. The Center seeks to fill the positions Data Systems Manager and Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) Data Manager.

Please see attached for details.