Professor James Phillips, has received the 2020 Carl S. Schultz Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Public Health Association in recognition of his work on health systems research and policy development in Asia and Africa. This award honours individuals who have made an outstanding lifetime contribution to the field of population and reproductive health.

WHO considers m-Health to be a potential game changer, transforming the face of health service delivery worldwide. Recently, efforts have been undertaken globally to utilise smart phone applications in health service delivery. Against this backdrop, a team of researchers from icddr,b endeavoured to develop an innovative m-Health scheme to ensure quick access to safe blood for transfusion during a medical emergency.

To date there is no evidence of the repercussions of COVID-19 on menstrual health. However, the COVID-19 pandemic will have secondary impacts on girls’ and women’s ability to manage their menstruation, health and hygiene.

Effective strategies for controlling disease spread may have unintended consequences in low-income settings. For many residents physical distancing is not possible. Regular handwashing with soap reduces the spread of respiratory infections. In low-income communities, the high cost of soap can be a barrier to regular handwashing.

Local understandings about illnesses are varied and could contribute to the transmission of respiratory infections. School children offer a unique opportunity to communicate public health messages to the family and larger community - a useful strategy for wider prevention efforts.