This report presents-for the first time-country specific plans for achieving U.S. goals and objectives along with measurable indicators to track progress and report results. The report also highlights the work of U S agencies and departments to build partnerships, improve science and technology capacity, and increase political will among developing and donor countries to address water and sanitation challenges. Finally, this report builds on the USAID/DOS Joint Framework for Action by giving special consideration to three key emerging challenges: increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and promoting hygiene for the poorest populations; responding to climate change; and increasing food productivity.

WAPI to indicate when SODIS has reached appropriate temperature. $6

Pakistan Philanthropist Cares For Karachi's Forgotten

Click on the "Read more about Breastfeeding" link to see the 10 facts. A good overall summary of breastfeeding benefits.

'Diseases that disproportionately affect the developing world cause immense suffering and ill health. Medical innovation has the potential to deliver new medicines, vaccines, and diagnostics to overcome these diseases, yet few treatments have emerged. Current efforts to resolve the crisis are inadequate: financing for research and development (R&D) is insufficient, uncoordinated, and mostly tied to the system of intellectual property rights. Delivering appropriate medicines and vaccines requires reforms to the existing R&D system and a willingness to invest in promising new approaches.'

Abstract: 'Each year, more than half a million women die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and nearly 4 million newborns die within 28 days of birth. Millions more suffer from disability, disease, infection and injury. Cost-effective solutions are available that could bring rapid improvements, but urgency and commitment are required to implement them and to meet the Millennium Development Goals related to maternal and child health. The first chapter of The State of the World's Children 2009 examines trends and levels of maternal and neonatal health in each of the major regions, using mortality ratios as benchmark indicators. It briefly explores the main proximal and underlying causes of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, and outlines a framework for accelerating progress.'

'What interventions are needed to improve the legal position of women, especially in Muslim societies, so that women's rights exist not only on paper but are realised in practice? Drawing on interviews conducted in Egypt, Yemen and Jordan in early 2008 with affected individuals, activists and people involved in development projects, this report proposes three key areas of action: formal legal reforms, improving women's access to their rights, and working closely with traditional and religious authorities to spread knowledge about existing laws. It presents case studies of interventions taking place in relation to these three areas, including an example of how the Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women (ADEW) lobbied for gender equality in nationality law in Egypt, a study of a national coalition against underage marriage in Jordan, and an example of how cooperation with male and female Islamic preachers in Yemen was successful in raising awareness of existing laws to protect women's rights. A central factor in the success of all the projects presented was the combination of lobbying with training measures and action research. Documentaries and public hearings at which affected women could tell their own stories proved to be particularly effective in lobbying and advocacy. Projects with judges (male and if possible also female), with employees of the judiciary and with the police force were also found to bring about positive changes.'

The paper argues that successful service delivery to poor people requires that clients have voice and influence in the process of service design and delivery. It presents methods - such as participatory planning and gender budgeting - to strengthen the voice of poor women, and help ensure that both women's and men's concerns and priorities are taken into account. But it also recognises that tools and training are not enough; if women's perspectives on poverty reduction priorities disappear once the consultative stage is over, or if the results of a gender budgeting process are ignored, then nothing will change. Women's organisations, other civil society organisations and donors therefore have an important role to play in holding governments and providers accountable with respect to women's empowerment and gender equality. Guidelines are presented to support donors in strengthening accountability with respect to public services. These include: provide and demand sex-disaggregated data in all documents to make gender biases visible, promote gender auditing systems and gender budgeting initiatives, and carry out assessments and evaluations to measure outcomes and impact of service delivery with regard to gender equality.'

This report presents the public financial management and accountability assessment (PFMAA) for Pakistan's Sindh province. The assessment uses the public expenditure and financial accountability (PEFA) 20051 framework, which comprises 31 performance indicators to evaluate (i) the six core public financial management (PFM) dimensions (credibility of the budget; transparency and comprehensiveness; policy-based budgeting; predictability and control in budget execution; accounting, recording, and reporting; and external scrutiny), and (ii) the extent to which donor practices and the management of donor funds affect the PFM systems in the country. This assessment report highlights the likely impact of PFM weaknesses on budgetary outcomes, aggregate fiscal discipline, the strategic allocation of resources, and efficient service delivery.

A steep decline in the number of girls as compared to boys born in India highlights a deepening crisis in the country. Due to a strong cultural preference for sons and the easy availability of technology to determine the sex of a fetus, sex selective abortions have increased radically. Statistics show that in the last hundred years, 35 million females are missing from the population. The 2001 census showed that there are 927 girls for every 1000 boys in the 0-6 age group, nationally. In an effort to combat sex selective abortions, the Government of India promulgated the Prenatal Diagnostic Technique Act in 1994, which has been amended to include pre conception techniques. Now the Act is called the Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act (PCPNDT Act) 1994. However it has not been effectively implemented.

'International humanitarian aid provides relief to tens of millions of people each year: in 2007 to more than 43 million people through UN humanitarian appeals alone. However, it is also often too little, too late, and unpredictable, or inappropriate to the needs of communities, including specific groups such as women and girls. The UN-led reforms since 2005 to improve humanitarian aid have begun - but only begun - to make a difference to this variable performance. Oxfam International published its analysis of the successes and challenges facing humanitarian action in a major report, The Right to Survive, in April 2009. This note now considers one specific recent reform: the development of 'pooled funds'. This reform has coincided with increased competition for humanitarian resources - at the same time as the need for humanitarian aid is growing.'

'This paper summarises the events of a workshop on institutional collaboration in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The workshop was held in Pakistan in March 2009, and discussed the participatory research in livelihoods that two Norwegian organisations conducted in Afghanistan. The paper states that this work has great potential for contributing further toward capacity and institution building in Afghanistan in several rural development sectors, including water and sanitation (WATSAN).

This evaluation of the role and contribution of the United Nations system to the Republic of South Africa was conducted between August 2008 and March 2009 by an independent, external team of South African and international evaluation specialists. The report is the outcome of a new approach to evaluation in the United Nations based on partnership between a national government and the UN Evaluation Group. It is an attempt to address the call in the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review for nationally led evaluations and capacity development in evaluation.

This guide is written for MFIs committed to managing and achieving their social mission, and the organisations that support them. Inside, you will find step-by-step guidance on integrating a social lens into your performance management systems. This practice guide draws upon experience and lessons learnt from over 45 MFIs and support organisations across the industry, detailing: - Different entry points into SPM - Case examples from the field - Key issues at each step of the process - Practical tips and clear guidance - Further resources and support Whatever your starting point, you can use this guide to strengthen the systems you use to deliberately balance your social and financial objectives.

Development strategies and rural development: Exploring synergies, eradicating poverty The Journal of Peasant Studies, Vol.36, No.1, January2009, 103-137

The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and neonatal health. It explains why support for the rights of women and children is a prerequisite for improving maternal and newborn health, emphasizes the need to establish effective continua of care and outlines ways to strengthen health systems.

Although Jharkhand is among the less urbanized states of India, the state has been witnessing rapid growth of urban population in recent decades. As per the 2001 Census, 60 lakh persons comprising 22.25 per cent of the state's population were residing in towns and cities. It is estimated that the urban population of Jharkhand will grow rapidly to reach 93 lakh by 2026. Along with rapid urbanization, there is a rapid growth of the urban poor population in Jharkhand. As per estimates of the National Sample Survey Organization, 13.2 lakh persons comprising 20.2 per cent of the state's urban population is living below poverty line. However, estimates of the Jharkhand government put the slum population at around 40 per cent of the total urban population. The urban poor rarely benefit from the facilities in urban areas and are as deprived as those in rural areas. The health of the urban poor is considerably worse off than the non poor and is comparable to the rural figures. This wall chart presents health of the urban poor in Jharkhand compared with other population groups based on an analysis of the Third National Family Health Survey conducted in 2005-06. A wealth index has been developed based on 33 assets and household characteristics. The bottom quartile in urban areas is taken as the representative of the urban poor.

In spite of the enshrining anti-poverty programs and objectives of the poverty eradication programs contained in India's five year plans, women's poverty in India, even after 58 years of independence, is glaring. This paper, based on a field survey, addresses the issues of economic constraints and the denial of women's access to productive assets in the form of land ownership and human capital such as education, skill-training. The article contributes to the overall picture of female poverty at the national level. The author finds an exaggerated emphasis being placed on women laborers and inadequate economic opportunities among them as the major obstacle to reducing female poverty. Because of these constraints and discrimination, women enter into the unorganized sector, i.e. the agriculture sector. This paper examines how lack of skills, heavy physical work of different types, long hours of work with limited payment, lack of guarantee of minimum wages, lack of job security, lack of minimum facilities at the work place are the characteristics of the informal sector which contribute to women's economic disempowerment. With regard to the economic position of Indian women, it is clearly evident that India is principally an agricultural economy, and despite their significant contributions to economic production, they are far from equal to men. Land, for example, is a critical asset in rural areas. Evidence points to gender disparities in access to this and other assets necessary for poverty reduction. Having rights to land is a crucial factor in determining how people will ensure their basic livelihood. In all cases women's more limited access to these assets hamper their efforts to reduce poverty and diminishes the effectiveness of poverty reduction more generally. Although the principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution (in its preamble with respect to fundamental rights, fundamental duties and directive principles) with respect to

This book is designed to assist women in caring for their own health, and to help community health workers or others meet women's health needs. It remains highly relevant and includes valuable and vital information that will be useful for those with no formal training in health care skills and for those who do have some training. It provides comprehensive chapters on sexual and reproductive health, nutrition for women, family planning and women with disabilities.