In editorials this month, Alakes Kumar Kole and colleagues (230) explain why India accounts for one-third of the annual global deaths from rabies. Francesco Branca and colleagues (231) highlight a lack of progress in preventing and treating anaemia in the childbearing year. Priya Shetty (234–235) reports on the difficulty of improving breastfeeding rates in Indonesia. Ciro de Quadros (236–237) tells Fiona Fleck why it’s harder to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases today than it was in the past.
South Africa
Timing the comfort feed
Michelle J Groome et al. (238–245) study whether breastfeeding effects the immune response to human rotavirus vaccine.
United Republic of Tanzania
Bypassing primary care
Margaret E Kruk et al. (246–253) ask why mothers avoid their local clinics when giving birth.
Caribbean Community
Any progress on noncommunicable diseases?
T Alafia Samuels et al. (270–276) ask if political commitments have been kept.
Timor-Leste
Retaining the rural workforce
Augustine D Asante et al. (277–282) examine the factors that keep doctors in rural areas.
South Sudan
More nets, but more malaria
Emmanuel Chanda et al. (290–296) consider how best to distribute bednets.
From SARS to influenza
Sirenda Vong et al. (303–308) evaluate the return on investment in better communications.
Guatemala
Building capacity
Lauren D Arnold et al. (297–302) describe efforts to improve local cancer prevention, control and research.
Global
The human cost of polluted oceans
Mary C Sheehan et al. (254–269) review the evidence on mercury exposure from seafood.
What’s in the water?
Ameer Shaheed et al. (283–289) explain why improved water sources are not always safe.