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Background Pediatric Early Warning Scores (PEWS) are nurse-administered clinical assessment tools utilizing vital signs and patient signs and symptoms to screen for patients at risk for clinical deterioration.1–3 When utilizing a PEWS system, which consists of an escalation algorithm to alert physicians of high risk patients requiring a bedside evaluation and assessment, studies have demonstrated that PEWS systems can decrease pediatric intensive care (PICU) utilization, in-hospital cardiac arrests, and overall decreased mortality in high income settings. Yet, many hospital based settings in low and lower middle income countries (LMIC) lack systems in place for early identification of patients at risk for clinical deterioration. Methods A contextually adapted 16-h pediatric resuscitation program included training of a PEWS tool followed by implementation and integration of a PEWS system in a pediatric hematology/oncology ward in Beit Jala, Palestine. Four PDSA cycles were implemented post-implementation to improve uptake and scoring of PEWS which included PEWS tool integration into an existing electronic medical record (EMR), escalation algorithm and job aid implementation, data audits and ward feedback. Results Frequency of complete PEWS vital sign documentation reached a mean of 89.9%. The frequency and accuracy of PEWS scores steadily increased during the post-implementation period, consistently above 89% in both categories starting from data audit four and continuing thereafter. Accuracy of PEWS scoring was unable to be assessed during week 1 and 2 of data audits due to challenges with PEWS integration into the existing EMR (PDSA cycle 1) which were resolved by the 3rd week of data auditing (PDSA cycle 2). Conclusions Implementation of a PEWS scoring tool in an LMIC pediatric oncology inpatient unit is feasible and can improve frequency of vital sign collection and generate accurate PEWS scores. Contribution to the literature This study demonstrates how to effectively implement a PEWS scoring tool into an LMIC clinical setting. This study demonstrates how to utilize a robust feedback mechanism to ensure a quality program uptake. This study demonstrates an effective international partnership model that other institutions may utilize for implementation science.

To evaluate the efficacy of a cash transfer and nutrition education program on dietary diversity among children in Liberia. We hypothesized that a multi-pronged intervention would result in improved dietary diversity among children.We conducted a three-armed, cluster-randomized study in 42 communities (12 children per community) in Grand Gedeh County, Liberia, over a 12-month period. We randomly assigned communities to control (n = 14 communities), those that received both bimonthly cash transfers and a structured nutrition education program (n = 14 communities) and those that received bimonthly cash transfers alone (n = 14 communities). Community health assistants conducted bimonthly assessments in participants' homes. The primary outcome was the proportion of children aged 6-23 months who met minimum dietary diversity score (i.e., ≥4 food groups consumed per day). Secondary outcomes included meal frequency and healthcare utilization for illnesses (NCT04101487).There were 599 children enrolled; 533 (88.9%) were retained through the trial period. The proportion of children who consumed ≥4 food groups per day did not differ among the three arms. However, children randomized to receive cash transfers had higher dietary diversity scores than the control group. Children in communities that received cash transfers alone and with nutrition education consumed significantly more meals per day and were less likely to have visits to clinics or hospitals for illnesses than children in control communities.Bimonthly, unconditional cash transfers and nutrition education were associated with higher dietary diversity scores, greater meal frequency, and fewer healthcare visits for illnesses among children aged 6-23 months.Worldwide, more than one in five children suffers from chronic malnutrition. Children agedlt;2 years who do not eat a diverse diet are at risk of chronic malnutrition and stunting of their height. Thus, interventions are needed to combat the common problem of chronic malnutrition, particularly in settings like rural Liberia where as much as 30% of children are stunted. In this study, caregivers of children aged 6–23 months in rural communities in Eastern Liberia were randomly assigned to receive either bimonthly cash transfers, bimonthly cash transfers and specific nutrition education, or routine support from community health assistants to see if giving caregivers money and nutrition education would increase the dietary diversity of their young children. There were 599 children enrolled and 533 were retained over a 12-month study period. Children in communities randomized to receive cash transfers had higher dietary diversity scores than the control group. Children in communities that received cash transfers alone and with nutrition education consumed significantly more meals per day and were less likely to have visits to clinics or hospitals for illnesses than children in control communities. Unconditional cash transfers in rural Liberia may be one way to reduce inadequate dietary diversity among young children.

BackgroundSurgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) is one of the most effective measures to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs). According to WHO SAP guidelines, SAP requires appropriate indication for administration and delivery of the antimicrobial agent to the operative site through intravenous administration within 60–120 min before the initial surgical incision is made. In Liberia, it is unknown how surgeons practice and there has been anecdotal observation of antibiotic overuse.ObjectiveTo elucidate baseline SAP compliance, particularly appropriate SAP use based on wound class and time of antibiotic administration.MethodsAn observational, cross-sectional study was conducted from November to December 2017. One-day training was provided on SAP/SSI to 24 health workers by the Ministry of Health and WHO. Following this training, surgical cases (general surgery and obstetrics and gynaecology (OB/GYN) underwent chart review with focus on time of SAP administration and appropriate SAP based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wound classification.ResultsA total of 143 charts were reviewed. Twenty-nine (20.3%) cases showed appropriate prophylaxis through administrations of antibiotics 120 min before surgical incision, resulting in SAP compliance. One hundred and fourteen cases (79.7%) showed SAP noncompliance with timing of antibiotic administration. Of the OB/Gyn cases, 109 wounds were classified as Class I (clean) and one wound was classified as Class III (contaminated). For General Surgical cases, 32 wounds were classified as Class I and one as Class III. Of the 109 Class I OB/Gyn surgeries, 24 (22%) were appropriately given antibiotics based on the CDC wound guidelines while 78% were non-compliant with recommendations. Of the 32 Class I General surgery cases, 4 (12.5%) were compliant with antibiotics guidelines while 28 (87.5%) were not.ConclusionCompliance with SAP is low. More studies need to be done to explore the contributing factors to this. Implementing mechanisms to achieve proper use of SAP is needed.

Academic global health collaborations have the potential to improve joint understanding of health issues in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our objective was to elucidate perceptions of benefits and challenges of academic global health collaborations as well as areas for improving collaborative research conducted in LMICs. This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study surveyed investigators’ perceptions of benefits and challenges of pediatric academic global health collaborations. Authors of articles from four pediatric journals reporting pediatric research conducted in LMICs published between 2006 and 2015 were surveyed. Responses of LMIC investigators were compared with those of investigators in high-income countries (HICs). Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using a combined thematic and content analysis approach. Of 1,420 potential respondents, 252 (17.7%) responded to the survey. Collaborative research with investigators from other countries was perceived as beneficial by 88.5% of respondents (n = 223), although this perception was more common among HIC respondents (n = 110, 94.0%) than LMIC respondents (n = 113, 83.7%) (p = 0.014). Sixty-seven percent (n = 170) of respondents perceived that HIC investigators had set the research agenda in work conducted in a LMIC. Respondents identified several critical factors to improve academic global health collaborations, including research capacity building, communication, and early involvement of LMIC investigators with shared decision-making during study conception and grant writing. Pediatric academic global health collaboration was widely perceived as positive. However, despite calls for capacity building and locally generated research ideas, many respondents felt that HIC investigators set the research agenda for work conducted in LMICs. This study provides suggestions for improving collaboration among pediatric academicians globally.

IntroductionOver half of the 5 million annual deaths among children aged 0–59 months occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The period immediately after hospitalisation is a vulnerable time in the life of a child in sub-Saharan Africa as postdischarge mortality rates are as high as 1%–18%. Identification of neonates and children who are at highest risk for postdischarge mortality may allow for the direction of interventions to target patients at highest risk.Methods and analysisThe Predicting Post-Discharge Mortality study is a prospective, observational study being conducted at Muhimbili National Hospital (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) and John F. Kennedy Medical Center (Monrovia, Liberia). The aim is to derive and validate two, age population specific, clinical prediction rules for the identification of neonates (n=2000) and children aged 1–59 months (n=2000) at risk for all-cause mortality within 60 days of discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit or paediatric ward. Caregivers of participants will receive phone calls 7, 14, 30, 45 and 60 days after discharge to assess vital status. Candidate predictor variables will include demographic, anthropometric and clinical factors. Elastic net regression will be used to derive the clinical prediction rules. Bootstrapped selection with repetitions will be used for internal validation. Planned secondary analyses include the external validation of existing clinical prediction models, determination of clinicians’ ability to identify neonates and children at risk of postdischarge mortality at discharge, analysis of factors associated with hospital readmission and unplanned clinic visits and description of health-seeking behaviours in the postdischarge period.Ethics and disseminationThis study received ethical clearance from the Tanzania National Institute of Medical Research, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, the John F. Kennedy Medical Center Institutional Review Board, and the Boston Children’s Hospital Institutional Review Board. Findings will be disseminated at scientific conferences and as peer-reviewed publications.

BackgroundBiomarkers may enhance diagnostic capability for common paediatric infections, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where standard diagnostic modalities are frequently unavailable, but disease burden is high. A comprehensive understanding of the diagnostic capability of commonly available biomarkers for neonatal sepsis in LMICs is lacking. Our objective was to systematically review evidence on biomarkers to understand their diagnostic performance for neonatal sepsis in LMICs.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published in English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and Arabic reporting the diagnostic performance of C reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cell count (WBC) and procalcitonin (PCT) for neonatal sepsis. We calculated pooled test characteristics and the area under the curve (AUC) for each biomarker compared with the reference standards blood culture or clinical sepsis defined by each article.ResultsOf 6570 studies related to biomarkers in children, 134 met inclusion criteria and included 23 179 neonates. There were 80 (59.7%) studies conducted in LMICs. CRP of ≥60 mg/L (AUC 0.87, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.91) among 1339 neonates and PCT of ≥0.5 ng/mL (AUC 0.87, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.92) among 617 neonates demonstrated the greatest discriminatory value for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis using blood culture as the reference standard in LMICs.ConclusionsPCT and CRP had good discriminatory value for neonatal sepsis in LMICs. ESR and WBC demonstrated poor discrimination for neonatal sepsis in LMICs. Future studies may incorporate biomarkers into clinical evaluation in LMICs to diagnose neonatal sepsis more accurately.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020188680.

To understand the importance of authorship and authorship position, and gauge perceptions of inappropriate authorship assignment, among authors publishing paediatric research conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).We conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study using an online survey of both corresponding and randomly selected, non-corresponding authors who published research conducted in LMICs from 2006 to 2015 in the top four paediatric journals by Eigenfactor score. We used chi-square tests to compare responses by authors living in LMICs to authors living in high-income countries (HICs). We analysed qualitative responses using thematic analysis.Of 1420 potential respondents, 19.6% (n = 279) completed the survey. 57% (n = 159) lived in LMICs and 43% (n = 120) in HICs. LMIC authors more commonly perceived first authorship as most important for their academic advancement than HIC authors (74.2% vs. 60.8%, P = 0.017), while HIC authors reported last authorship as most important (25.1% vs. 38.3%, P = 0.018). 65% (n = 181) of respondents believed that their collaborators had been inappropriately assigned authorship positions (no difference in LMIC and HIC responses) and 32.6% (n = 91) reported personally accepting inappropriate authorship positions (more common in HIC respondents, P = 0.005). In qualitative data, respondents questioned the applicability of standard authorship guidelines for collaborative research conducted in LMICs.LMIC and HIC authors held different perceptions about the importance of authorship position. Reported inappropriate authorship assignment was common among both LMIC and HIC respondents. Alternatives to standard authorship criteria for research conducted in LMICs merit further studies.Comprendre l'importance de la paternité d'auteur et de la position de l'auteur, et évaluer les perceptions de l'attribution inappropriée de la paternité d'auteur parmi les auteurs qui publient des recherches pédiatriques menées dans des pays à revenu faible ou intermédiaire (PRFI). MÉTHODES: Nous avons mené une étude transversale à méthodes mixtes avec un sondage en ligne auprès d'auteurs de correspondance et sélectionnés au hasard, d'auteurs not de correspondance, ayant publié des recherches menées dans des PRFIde 2006 à 2015 dans les quatre revues pédiatriques les mieux classées par le score d'Eigenfactor. Nous avons utilisé des tests de chi carré pour comparer les réponses des auteurs des PRFI à ceux des aux auteurs des pays à revenu élevé (PRE). Nous avons analysé les réponses qualitatives à l'aide d'une analyse thématique. RÉSULTATS: Sur 1.420 répondants potentiels, 19,6% (n = 279) ont répondu au sondage. 57% (n = 159) vivaient dans des PRFI et 43% (n = 120) dans des PRE. Les auteurs des PRFI estimaient plus souvent que la position de premier auteur était le plus important pour leur avancement universitaire que les auteurs des PRE (74,2% contre 60,8%, P = 0,017), tandis que les auteurs desPRE ont déclaré que le dernier auteur était le plus important (25,1% contre 38,3%, P = 0,018). 65% (n = 181) des répondants estimaient que des positions d'auteur avaient été attribués de manière inappropriée à leurs collaborateurs (aucune différence entre les réponses des PRFI et des PRE) et 32,6% (n = 91) ont déclaré avoir personnellement accepté des positions d'auteurs inappropriées (plus fréquents chez les répondants desPRE, P = 0,005). En ce qui concerne les données qualitatives, les répondants se sont interrogés sur l'applicabilité des directives standards en matière de paternité d'auteur pour la recherche collaborative menée dans les PRFI.Les auteurs des PRFI et desPREont des perceptions différentes sur l'importance de la position de l'auteur. L'attribution inappropriée de laposition d'auteur signalée était fréquente chez les répondants des PRFI et des PRE. Les alternatives aux critères standards de la paternité d'auteur pour les recherches menées dans les PRFI méritent d’être approfondies.

Procedural sedation has become a routine pediatric practice in high-income countries with a goal to decrease procedural time and error rates while increasing patient, parent, and provider satisfaction. Unfortunately, procedural sedation is not commonly performed in resource-limited settings due to lack of training, provider availability, medication availability, monitoring and resuscitation equipment, and clinical practice guidelines specific for use in resource-limited settings. This article outlines the development of a pediatric sedation curriculum tailored specifically for use in low- and middle-income countries. This curriculum was piloted in Liberia for pediatric and surgical residents in 2016, and the challenges and next steps for broader implementation of such a curriculum are detailed here. Globally available pediatric procedural sedation is necessary to improve the health care and outcomes of children living in low- and middle-income countries.

Fourteen years of civil war left Liberia with crumbling infrastructure and one of the weakest health systems in the world. The 2014–2015 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak exposed the vulnerabilities of the Liberian health system. Findings from the EVD outbreak highlighted the lack of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices, exacerbated by a lack of essential services such as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities. The objective of this intervention was to improve IPC practice through comprehensive WASH renovations conducted at two hospitals in Liberia, prioritized by the Ministry of Health (MOH). The completion of renovations was tracked along with the impact of improvements on hand hygiene (HH) practice audits of healthcare workers pre- and post-intervention. An occurrence of overall HH practice was defined as the healthcare worker practicing compliant HH before and after the care for a single patient encounter. Liberia Government Hospital Bomi (LGH Bomi) and St. Timothy Government Hospital (St. Timothy) achieved World Health Organization (WHO) minimum global standards for environmental health in healthcare facilities as well as Liberian national standards. Healthcare worker (HCW) overall hand hygiene compliance improved from 36% (2016) to 89% (2018) at LGH Bomi hospital and from 86% (2016) to 88% (2018) at St. Timothy hospital. Improved WASH services and IPC practices in resource-limited healthcare settings are possible if significant holistic WASH infrastructure investments are made in these settings.

Objectives The purpose of this qualitative descriptive research study was to understand the current state, perceived content, and experiential needs of pediatric nurses preparing for global health (GH) fieldwork experience. This study aimed to inform stakeholders about the standard and unique preparation needs of pediatric GH nurses. Study design and methods One group and five individual interviews were held with nurses from a large pediatric quaternary care facility in the Northeast United States. Data from the interviews were transcribed verbatim, eliminating personal data. Only deidentified transcripts were used for data analysis. Members of the study team used content analysis to systematically code and analyze the data. Results Qualitative content analysis revealed five categories: (1) identifying clear objectives, (2) understanding the practice environment, (3) self-assessment of clinical skills, cultural competencies, and adaptability, (4) safety and logistics planning, and (5) psychological self-care and reentry anticipatory guidance. Conclusions Findings can provide a basis for program planning to prepare pediatric nurses for GH fieldwork. Program planning must account for the unique features of the site and situation. Organizational and personal preparation can influence the perceived success of the GH experience.

Background: Despite the growing interest in the development of emergency care systems and emergency medicine (EM) as a specialty globally, there still exists a significant gap between the need for and the provision of emergency care by specialty trained providers. Many efforts to date to expand the practice of EM have focused on programs developed through partnerships between higher- and lower-resource settings. Objective: To systematically review the literature to evaluate the composition of EM training programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) developed through partnerships. Methods: An electronic search was conducted using four databases for manuscripts on EM training programs – defined as structured education and/or training in the methods, procedures, and techniques of acute or emergency care – developed through partnerships. The search produced 7702 results. Using a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria, 94 manuscripts were included. After scoring these manuscripts, a more in-depth examination of 26 of the high-scoring manuscripts was conducted. Findings: Fifteen highlight programs with a focus on specific EM content (i.e. ultrasound) and 11 cover EM programs with broader scopes. All outline programs with diverse curricula and varied educational and evaluative methods spanning from short courses to full residency programs, and they target learners from medical students and nurses to mid-level providers and physicians. Challenges of EM program development through partnerships include local adaptation of international materials; addressing the local culture(s) of learning, assessment, and practice; evaluation of impact; sustainability; and funding. Conclusions: Overall, this review describes a diverse group of programs that have been or are currently being implemented through partnerships. Additionally, it highlights several areas for program development, including addressing other topic areas within EM beyond trauma and ultrasound and evaluating outcomes beyond the level of the learner. These steps to develop effective programs will further the advancement of EM as a specialty and enhance the development of effective emergency care systems globally.

Objective:To assess Liberian health care workers’ feelings around safety in returning to work in the setting of the Ebola virus disease outbreak of 2014–2015 after receiving infection prevention and control (IPC) training.Methods:Academic Consortium Combating Ebola in Liberia (ACCEL) training surveys were done at 21 public, Liberian hospitals to understand health care workers’ attitudes surrounding Ebola and whether they felt safe while at work based on multiple factors. Logistic regression was used for analysis.Results:We found that health care workers feeling safe at work during the Ebola outbreak was primarily predicted by the number of IPC/Ebola trainings received pre-ACCEL interventions. Health care workers felt increasingly safer and motivated to return to work as trainings approached 3 (OR 8, p-value < 0.001); however, more than 3 trainings resulted in decreased safety and motivation. In addition, health care workers who reported washing their hands before and after patient contact were 3.4 times more likely to understand how to protect themselves from Ebola.Conclusions:These results help to better understand the utility of repeated trainings on health care worker practice attitudes and the importance of IPC policies within hospitals, such as hand hygiene promotion and education, when coordinating humanitarian efforts.

IntroductionAuthorship parasitism (ie, no authors affiliated with the country in which the study took place) occurs frequently in research conducted in low-income and middle-income countries, despite published recommendations defining authorship criteria. The objective was to compare characteristics of articles exhibiting authorship parasitism in sub-Saharan Africa to articles with author representation from sub-Saharan African countries.MethodsA bibliometric review of articles indexed in PubMed published from January 2014 through December 2018 reporting research conducted in sub-Saharan Africa was performed. Author affiliations were assigned to countries based on regular expression algorithms. Choropleth maps and network diagrams were created to determine where authorship parasitism occurred, and multivariable logistic regression was used to determine associated factors.ResultsOf 32 061 articles, 14.8% (n=4754) demonstrated authorship parasitism, which was most common among studies from Somalia (n=175/233, 75.1%) and Sao Tome and Principe (n=20/28, 71.4%). Authors affiliated with USA and UK institutions were most commonly involved in articles exhibiting authorship parasitism. Authorship parasitism was more common in articles: published in North American journals (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.26, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.50) than in sub-Saharan African journals, reporting work from multiple sub-Saharan African countries (aOR 8.41, 95% CI 7.30 to 9.68) compared with work from upper-middle income sub-Saharan African countries, with 10 authors, and was less common in articles published in French (aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.85) than English.ConclusionsAuthorship parasitism was common in articles reporting research conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. There were reliable predictors of authorship parasitism. Investigators and institutions in high-income countries, as well as funding agencies and journals should promote research from sub-Saharan Africa, including its publication, in a collaborative and equitable manner.

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic, which began in West Africa in December 2013, claimed more than 11,000 lives, with more than 4,800 of these deaths occurring in Liberia. The epidemic had an additional effect of paralyzing the health-care systems in affected countries, which led to even greater mortality and morbidity. Little is known about the impact that the epidemic had on the provision of basic health care. During the period from March to May 2015, we undertook a nationwide, community-based survey to learn more about health-care access during the EVD epidemic in Liberia. A cluster sampling strategy was used to administer a structured in-person survey to heads of households located within the catchment areas surrounding all 21 government hospitals in Liberia. A total of 543 heads of household from all 15 counties in Liberia participated in the study; more than half (67%) of urban respondents and 46% of rural respondents stated that it was very difficult or impossible to access health care during the epidemic. In urban areas, only 20-30% of patients seeking care during the epidemic received care, and in rural areas, only 70-80% of those seeking care were able to access it. Patients requiring prenatal and obstetric care and emergency services had the most difficulty accessing care. The results of this survey support the observation that basic health care was extremely difficult to access during the EVD epidemic in Liberia. Our results underscore the critical need to support essential health-care services during humanitarian crises to minimize preventable morbidity and mortality.

Introduction The 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Liberia highlighted the importance of robust preparedness measures for a well-coordinated response; the initially delayed response contributed to the steep incidence of cases, infections among health care workers, and a collapse of the health care system. To strengthen local capacity and combat disease transmission, various healthcare worker (HCW) trainings, including the Ebola treatment unit (ETU) training, safe & quality services (SQS) training and rapid response team (RRT), were developed and implemented between 2014 and 2017. Methods Data from the ETU, SQS and RRT trainings were analyzed to determine knowledge and confidence gained. Results The ETU, SQS and RRT training were completed by a total of 21,248 participants. There were improvements in knowledge and confidence, an associated reduction in HCWs infection and reduced response time to subsequent public health events. Conclusion No infections were reported by healthcare workers in Liberia since the completion of these training programs. HCW training programmes initiated during and post disease outbreak can boost public trust in the health system while providing an entry point for establishing an Epidemic Preparedness and Response (EPR) framework in resource-limited settings.

Background Despite the known burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) on child health, there is limited information on current efforts to increase pediatric therapeutic options. Our objective was to quantify and characterize research activity and treatment availability for NTDs in children in order to inform the prioritization of future research efforts. Methodology/Principal findings We conducted a review of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to assess research activity for NTDs. The burden of disease of each NTD was measured in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs), which was extracted from the Global Health Data Exchange. First- and second-line medications for each NTD were identified from WHO guidelines. We reviewed FDA drug labels for each medication to determine whether they were adequately labeled for use in children. Descriptive statistics, binomial tests, and Spearman’s rank order correlations were calculated to assess research activity compared to burden of disease. Children comprised 34% of the 20 million DALYs resulting from NTDs, but pediatric trials contributed just 17% (63/369) of trials studying these conditions (p, Author summary Neglected tropical diseases are a group of poverty-associated parasitic, bacterial, and viral conditions. Collectively, they pose a substantial burden on child health, but there is limited information on current efforts to increase pediatric therapeutic options for these conditions. Understanding gaps in research activity and treatment options to reduce the global impact of neglected tropical diseases in children presents the opportunity to inform strategic initiatives and prioritize future research efforts. We analyzed trials in the World Health Organization’s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and found that pediatric trials comprised a disproportionately small number of drug and vaccine trials for neglected tropical diseases. Certain neglected tropical diseases, including rabies, leishmaniasis, scabies, and dengue, were particularly under-represented relative to their disease burden in children. We also determined that most medications recommended for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases lack critical data to support use in children, though few of these are currently being studied in pediatric trials. This study points to the urgent need to increase pediatric research activity for certain neglected tropical diseases that result in high disease burden and for which there are limited pediatric treatment options.

The unprecedented Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa, with its first cases documented in March 2014, has claimed the lives of thousands of people, and it has devastated the health care infrastructure and workforce in affected countries. Throughout this outbreak, there has been a critical lack of health care workers (HCW), including physicians, nurses, and other essential non-clinical staff, who have been needed, in most of the affected countries, to support the medical response to EVD, to attend to the health care needs of the population overall, and to be trained effectively in infection protection and control. This lack of sufficient and qualified HCW is due in large part to three factors: 1) limited HCW staff prior to the outbreak, 2) disproportionate illness and death among HCWs caused by EVD directly, and 3) valid concerns about personal safety among international HCWs who are considering responding to the affected areas. These guidelines are meant to inform institutions who deploy professional HCWs. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:586–590)

Child mortality remains a global health challenge and has resulted in demand for expanding the global child health (GCH) workforce over the last 3 decades. Institutional partnerships are the cornerstone of sustainable education, research, clinical service, and advocacy for GCH. When successful, partnerships can become self-sustaining and support development of much-needed training programs in resource-constrained settings. Conversely, poorly conceptualized, constructed, or maintained partnerships may inadvertently contribute to the deterioration of health systems. In this comprehensive, literature-based, expert consensus review we present a definition of partnerships for GCH, review their genesis, evolution, and scope, describe participating organizations, and highlight benefits and challenges associated with GCH partnerships. Additionally, we suggest a framework for applying sound ethical and public health principles for GCH that includes 7 guiding principles and 4 core practices along with a structure for evaluating GCH partnerships. Finally, we highlight current knowledge gaps to stimulate further work in these areas. With awareness of the potential benefits and challenges of GCH partnerships, as well as shared dedication to guiding principles and core practices, GCH partnerships hold vast potential to positively impact child health.

Situational needs of health care facilities inform the optimal allocation of resources and quality improvement efforts. This study examines surgical care delivery metrics at a tertiary care institution in Liberia. We retrospectively reviewed operative and ward logbooks from January 1 to December 31, 2012. Data parameters included patients’ age, diagnosis, procedure, mortality, and perioperative provider information. In 2012, 1,036 operations were performed. The breakdown of adult surgical cases reveals 452 (45.1 %) general surgery operations, 192 (18.5 %) orthopedic operations, and 180 (17.4 %) ophthalmic operations. Other significant case volume included urologic 53 (5.1 %), ENT 36 (3.5 %), neurosurgical 31 (3.0 %), vascular 24 (2.3 %), and plastic 14 (1.4 %) operations. Pediatric patients accounted for 24.5 % (243) of surgical cases, and 9 % of pediatric surgical cases were for hydrocephalus. General, spinal, and total intravenous anesthesia was provided by non-physician personnel, except when surgeons provided their own anesthesia. Ward logs documented 7.4 % mortality among all patients admitted to the surgical ward, most of which occurred after exploratory laparotomy (44 %), in burn (14 %) patients, and in patients with head/neck emergencies (12 %). This operative log review can be used to identify surgical practice patterns, needs, and deficits in order to inform the growth of surgical capacity at Liberia’s only tertiary medical institution. Using this data to identify critical areas of high-yield operations (e.g., for pediatric hydrocephalus), or excessively high mortality rates (e.g., in burn care), can focus the direction of limited resources toward areas of need. While the heavy reliance on non-consultant surgeons reflects human capacity shortages and a pressing need for postgraduate training programs, identifying the breadth of surgical expertise demonstrated in these operative logs reveals the proficiencies required of surgeons to provide comprehensive surgical care in this setting.

The current Ebola outbreak is the worst global public health emergency of our generation, and our global health care community must and will rise to serve those affected. Aid organizations participating in the Ebola response must carefully plan to carry out their responsibility to ensure the health, safety, and security of their responders. At the same time, individual health care workers and their employers must evaluate the ability of an aid organization to protect its workers in the complex environment of this unheralded Ebola outbreak. We present a minimum set of operational standards developed by a consortium of Boston-based hospitals that a professional organization should have in place to ensure the health, safety, and security of its staff in response to the Ebola virus disease outbreak. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-2)

Background: Globally, malnutrition is responsible for 53% of deaths in children under 5. This proportion is arguably higher among hospitalized newborns. In hospitals, the newborn is isolated from its natural feeding sourceethe mothereand often too immature or weak to suck. Furthermore, feeding a sick newborn is not intuitive. Doctors who initiate this process often have insufficient knowledge on newborn feeding. The situation is exacerbated in under-resourced settings where there is a scarcity of doctors. EMAS is a 5-year USAID-funded program, which aims to reduce high maternal and neonatal mortality rates in Indonesia by increasing the quality of medical services in 150 hospitals and 300 health centers. At year 3, EMAS is targeting neonatal nutrition and introducing the use of decision support tools to directly improve neonatal feeding practices. Decision support is a quality improvement methodology that directs users toward evidence-based choices—often in checklist form—at the time of vital decisions. Structure/Method/Design: September to December 2013, teams consisting of one U.S. volunteer pediatrician and two Indonesian general doctors mentored staff at eight hospitals on neonatal nutrition for a period of 10 days. Using patient records and an electronic scale, baseline data on nutrition status of the neonates were obtained. With the permission of hospital pediatricians, perinatology nurses took responsibility for nutrition management. The mentoring teams taught nurses how to use the new scale, how to use decision support tools to determine feeding volume and caloric content ofmilk from themeasuredweight, andhow to preparemilk for feeding, including supplementing breast milk to 24 kcal per 30 cc for infants less than 2000 grams. The team calculated average weight gain of newborns 6 days after the start of the intervention.Neonatal units agreed to report on average weight gain of patients monthly. Results (Scientific Abstract)/Collaborative Partners (Programmatic Abstract): Indonesian MOH Indonesian Pediatric Association Boston Children’s JHPIEGO SAVE Summary/Conclusion: Two of the eight hospitals chose not to proceed to the intervention stage.Of the remaining six hospitals, prior to the intervention, newborns only received 78% of recommended feed volume (n1⁄4 50) and none routine caloric supplementation. Newborns 7 days old had average weight gain of +1.38 g/kg/day (n 1⁄4 23) (95% CI, e2.27 to 5.051). Following the intervention, newborns 7 days old increased weight gain to +13 g/kg/day (n1⁄4 21; P< 0.01). The latter rates are considered normal even for healthy newborns. The average weight of patients in this study was 2191 grams.

To review the advances in the assessment, treatment, and evaluation of care for pediatric dehydration.Recent studies have added new information across the spectrum of care for dehydration. Advances in the assessment of dehydration allow more accurate clinical evaluation, but do not help predict the treatment outcomes. Antiemetics as an adjunct to oral rehydration therapy have been proven well tolerated, efficacious, and cost-effective. Rapid, large-volume intravenous rehydration for outpatients with dehydration did not show any benefit over more standard regimens. Clinical guidelines incorporate all these aspects of care; however, physicians show poor adherence to the guidelines despite the evidence that guidelines improve outcomes and reduce cost.Dehydration burdens the healthcare system worldwide. Through advances in its assessment, treatment with antiemetics and intravenous fluids, and standardization of practice with clinical guidelines, this burden could be reduced.

This article describes a model employed by the Academic Collaborative to Support Medical Education in Liberia to augment medical education in a postconflict setting where the health and educational structures and funding are very limited. We effectively utilized a cohort of visiting US pediatric faculty and trainees for short-term but recurrent clinical work and teaching. This model allows US academic medical centers, especially those with smaller residency programs, to provide global health experiences for faculty and trainees while contributing to the strengthening of medical education in the host country. Those involved can work toward a goal of sustainable training with a strengthened host country specialty education system. Partnerships such as ours evolve over time and succeed by meeting the needs of the host country, even during unanticipated challenges, such as the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.