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To identify vitamin A supplementation (VAS) trends in South Sudan and provide insights to refocus VAS programming vis a vis polio eradication campaigns recently phased out while access to health care, land, food, and markets remain challenging.Review of data from survey and coverage reports; review of policy and program documents; key informant responses; general literature search.Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is likely a severe public health problem among preschool-aged children in South Sudan based on a high under-5 mortality rate (96.2 deaths/1,000 live births) and high levels of undernutrition, infections, and food insecurity. Vitamin A capsules, with deworming tablets (VASD), have been delivered to preschool-aged children during national immunization days (NIDs) for the past decade. Although areas of South Sudan and certain populations continue to have low VAS coverage, when comparing national VAS coverage (reported in the last 6 months) between 2010 and August 2019, a large improvement is noted from 4% to 76%. In 2021, VAS coverage was more than 90% at the national level during 2 stand-alone distribution campaigns. Deworming coverage trends generally mimicked VAS coverage. VAS is provided to postpartum mothers who deliver at health facilities (approximately 12%-25%), but coverage data are not available.Twice-yearly VAS should remain a key lifesaving intervention to address VAD, but alternative delivery strategies will be needed. Conducting events, such as child health days, supported by promotional activities or community-based VASD distribution activities for the youngest children and those missed during campaigns, should be considered. For the long term, a hybrid approach targeting underserved areas with mass distribution events while integrating VASD into community-based programs such as quarterly screening for wasting should be tested further and gradually scaled up everywhere as this has the potential to sustainably reach all vulnerable children twice yearly.

“Belt and Road Initiative”, also known as “yi dai yi lu”, is a twenty-first century silk road that is made up of an overland and maritime corridor. According to Green Belt and Road Initiative Center, as of 2021, there are 140 countries part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), spread across all continents which include 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, 34 in Europe and Central Asia, 25 from East Asia and Pacific and 41 countries from the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, Caribbean and South East Asia. The Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 stated that such a network would expand the international use of Chinese currency, the Renminbi (RMB), and “break the bottleneck in Asian connectivity.

Background The choice of radiographic contrast media for use in patients at increased risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is of ongoing interest. Methods The current study is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind design comparing the renal effects of the non-ionic, iso-osmolal agent, iodixanol, versus the non-ionic, low-osmolal agent, iopamidol, in 526 subjects with impaired baseline renal function (chronic kidney disease) and diabetes mellitus undergoing diagnostic and/or therapeutic coronary angiographic procedures. The co-primary end points were the peak increase in serum creatinine (SCr) and the incidence of CIN (increase ≥0.5 mg/dL) in SCr from baseline within 3 days of receiving contrast media. Results In 418 evaluable subjects with complete postcontrast media SCr data, the median peak increase in SCr in the iodixanol arm was 0.10 mg/dL, whereas in the iopamidol arm, the median peak increase was 0.09 mg/dL (P = .13). The overall CIN incidence was 10.5% (11.2% % in the iodixanol arm and 9.8% in the iopamidol arm, P = .7). The volume of contrast media, volume of saline administered, frequency of coronary interventional procedures, and severity of baseline kidney disease and of diabetes mellitus were similar between treatments. Conclusions In the present study, the overall rate of CIN in patients with chronic kidney disease and DM undergoing coronary angiographic procedures was 10.5%. There was no significant difference between iodixanol and iopamidol in either peak increase in SCr or risk of CIN.

Since Xi Jinping’s unveiling, in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has drawn remarkable global attention, raising polarized judgements about China’s ambitions. A number of countries and institutions enthusiastically considered the BRI as a valuable infrastructural and economic contribution that would enhance connectivity among Eurasian countries; on the other hand, critics viewed the BRI as part of Beijing’s effort to gain global influence, especially within its neighborhood. Chinese policymakers have considered Southeast Asia as a critical region for the success of the BRI, mainly because of the geographical proximity as well as the strong economic ties with both individual states and the ASEAN. In Southeast Asian states’ view, however, the BRI still presents a mixed picture of opportunities and challenges. Despite the clear appeal the BRI has to both democratic and authoritarian leaders in the region, especially at a time of economic uncertainty—fueled by unhelpful actions by the United States (withdrawal from the TPP and the trade war against Beijing)—concerns remain. Potential overdependence on China, the BRI’s financial sustainability and negative popular perceptions about Beijing within certain Southeast Asian countries, all contribute to nurture caution in the region. The paper aims at showing how the implementation of the BRI will likely enhance China’s influence in Southeast Asia. Against this backdrop, whereas the establishment of a renovated Sinocentric system is far from certain, this study sheds light on the challenges and opportunities the BRI is determining upon Southeast Asian countries and their relationship with Beijing.