Implementing FATF standards in developing countries and financial inclusion : findings and guidelines

This report, emanating from a project commissioned by the FIRST Initiative, considers the impact of the implementation of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) controls on financial inclusion in five countries (Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan and South Africa). Based on these findings, it develops a set of guidelines to assist the authorities in developing countries to design effective AML/CFT regimes that are compliant with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards and supports financial inclusion.
The report and guidelines will be of benefit to countries striving towards the dual goals of protecting their institutions against money laundering and the financing of terrorism as well as extending financial inclusion, irrespective of whether protective measures are being considered in the process of implementing or amending AML/CFT controls to meet the Forty Nine Recommendations of the FATF or in order to meet other, related international requirements, such as those set out in the 2000 United Nations Convention on Transnational Organised Crime or the 2003 United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
The project was supervised and guided by a steering committee consisting of representatives from the FIRST Management Unit, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), the South African National Treasury, the FinMark Trust and Professor Nikos Passas, an acknowledged world expert on AML/CFT standards and implementation.

Equity-focused health impact assessment framework

Background to the Development of the Equity-Focused HIA Framework
The equity focused health impact assessment (EFHIA) framework arises out of a two year research project funded for the most part by the Australian Government’s Public Health Education Research Program (PHERP) Innovations Grants (Round 2) scheme. This project had as its primary objective the development of a framework for health inequalities impact assessment, subsequently renamed equity focused health impact assessment. A partnership between the University of Newcastle, Deakin University and the University of New South Wales (the Project Management Steering Committee) received the funding and the Australasian Collaboration for Health Equity Impact Assessment (ACHEIA) was formed to undertake appropriate background research and to develop, pilot test, modify and disseminate the framework. The work commenced in September 2002 and concluded in October 2004. Part of the funding included a capacity building workshop in August 2004. ACT Health and the Division of Medicine at the John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, also provided financial support for the project. The August 2004 Workshop was supported by NSW Health. All participants and organisations involved in the project gave extensive in-kind support.
The aims of the workshop were to bring together an international collaboration of multidisciplinary investigators, public health experts, and key senior health managers working in national, state and local settings, to inform the further development of the framework and to provide training in its application. The initial goals of the project were to work collaboratively to develop a strategic framework to assess the health inequalities of public health-related policies, plans, strategies, decisions, programs and services. The EFHIA framework as presented at the August workshop was developed through:
1. an extensive review of the relevant literature
2. formal and informal consultation with members of ACHEIA (the international
reference group), members of the Project Management Steering Committee and
other relevant experts; and
3. testing of the draft EFHIA framework with the 5 case study partners – who applied the draft framework in a range of health settings (see
Acknowledgements).
The result of this work has been the development of an equity focused health impact assessment framework that can be used to determine the unanticipated and systemic health inequities that may exist within the decision making processes or activities of a range of organisations and sectors. The EFHIA framework provides one approach that can be used to assist decision makers to put equity and health on their agenda in a more obvious and systematic way. The framework represents a ‘moment in time’ rather than a definitive statement or ‘toolkit’ on the best way to proceed. Further practice, refinement and adjustment will be needed over many years to consolidate both HIA and EFHIA. As well as this guide to the framework, additional outputs from the project team include:
- A literature review
- A position paper
- A report on the five case studies
- An evaluation report.
With the consent of the Australian Government, a monograph will be made available to workshop participants at the end of October which contains the framework and the appropriate background papers.

Implementing a suitable jobs register in the construction industry : preliminary evidence

This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a job register index to support return to work (RTW) for injured workers in the construction industry. Participants included injured workers (n = 22), supervisors/managers (n = 23), treating practitioners (n = 5), occupational rehabilitation consultants (n = 5), union representatives/occupational health and safety representatives (n = 5), RTW coordinators (n = 2), steering committee members (n = 4) and the designated project officer (n = 1). A pre–post test intact group design was used to evaluate the perceived utility of the job register. A partial set of the sample including injured workers and supervisors/managers participated in the pretrial phase (n = 28) while the trial phase included more numerous stakeholder groups to assess the perceived utility of the register (n = 39). Participants completed surveys that incorporated a number of differing sections including injury description and circumstances, communication and collaboration with others, their overall opinion of the return to work process in general and suggestions for future improvements. Additional questions were designed for those participating in the trial with regards to the efficacy of the register. Data were analysed using analysis of variance procedures with pairwise comparisons of pre–post intervention test means. Alternative job options were seen to be offered more frequently. Communication and cooperation improved post implementation. Supervisors perceived the job register a useful innovation to facilitate RTW. The register represents a new resource to the construction industry with potential for wider application following further study.

EPODE approach for childhood obesity prevention : methods, progress and international development

Childhood obesity is a complex issue and needs multistakeholder involvement at all levels to foster healthier lifestyles in a sustainable way. ‘Ensemble Prévenons l'ObésitéDes Enfants’ (EPODE, Together Let's Prevent Childhood Obesity) is a large-scale, coordinated, capacity-building approach for communities to implement effective and sustainable strategies to prevent childhood obesity. This paper describes EPODE methodology and its objective of preventing childhood obesity.

At a central level, a coordination team, using social marketing and organizational techniques, trains and coaches a local project manager nominated in each EPODE community by the local authorities. The local project manager is also provided with tools to mobilize local stakeholders through a local steering committee and local networks. The added value of the methodology is to mobilize stakeholders at all levels across the public and the private sectors. Its critical components include political commitment, sustainable resources, support services and a strong scientific input – drawing on the evidence-base – together with evaluation of the programme.

Since 2004, EPODE methodology has been implemented in more than 500 communities in six countries. Community-based interventions are integral to childhood obesity prevention. EPODE provides a valuable model to address this challenge.

The Virtualopolis archipelago: creatively interconnecting work-based virtual scenarios

One of the key elements of a quality student experience in higher education, outlined in the 2008 Bradley Report on the review of Australian higher education, is access to well-designed and engaging courses that lead to good vocational outcomes. 1 The Virtualopolis project concerns the development of a virtual city or platform which can encompass a community or vocational context for learning resources, linking these to engaging course delivery across disciplines and faculties. It is a virtual community with great potential to scaffold the imaginative immersion of the modem net generation learner. It was designed to incorporate virtual scenarios which were already in use, such as the country town of Bilby and the Pacific-style island of Newlandia, and has expanded to provide a virtual city of Virtualopolis across faculties and disciplines. One of the key strengths of this form of virtual environment is its capacity to focus on graduate attributes across disciplines. Virtualopolis provides access and a virtual city context to an interactive teamwork scenario, to develop attributes related to working with others, interrelating virtual business entities across all faculties. The teamwork scenario has multiple applications, with capacity to be a hurdle requirement, assessment item or training activity depending on the needs of the faculty's Work-integrated Leaming (WIL) policy. By developing the online virtual framework or platform of Virtualopolis, work-integrated team assessment can be used as skills preparation for experiential learning units such as internships, professional experience and workplace-based projects university-wide. It also provides the opportunity to repeatedly reuse the virtual city context for resources to support other courses. The Virtualopolis city and its interactive team scenario will be transferable for future cross-faculty and interdisciplinary virtual developments. Plans are already made for content areas as diverse as community health, nursing, creative arts, international relations and management.

Vitamins D and A can be successfully measured by LC-MS/MS in cord blood diluted plasma

OBJECTIVES: In widely used protocols for the collection and isolation of cord blood mononuclear cells, investigators are left with substantial volumes of diluted plasma which could be used for other measurements. The aim of this study was to ascertain the validity of umbilical cord blood (UCB) diluted plasma samples for vitamin D, A and E analysis compared to UCB serum samples. DESIGN & METHODS: Twenty UCB matched samples of diluted plasma and serum were collected. The samples were analysed by two liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods on two separate occasions. RESULTS: The results of 25(OH)D3 obtained by the two laboratories demonstrated close agreement with a mean difference of 0.14nmol/L [95% confidence interval (95% CI), -6.8 to 7.1]. Both methods demonstrate close agreement for 25(OH)D3 in UCB serum versus diluted UCB plasma; mean difference 2.2nmol/L [95% CI, -9.5 to 13.9] and 4.1nmol/L [95% CI, -14.5 to 6.1] for the results from Lab A and Lab B, respectively. Vitamin A was quantified by Lab A in UCB serum and diluted UCB plasma; mean difference 0.07μmol/L [95% CI, -0.41 to 0.28]. Results of 25(OH)D3 epimer and vitamin E in the diluted UCB plasma were below the limit of quantification, and could not be compared with UCB serum. CONCLUSIONS: Diluted UCB plasma can be used for the quantification of retinol and 25(OH)D3 by LC-MS/MS. By contrast, quantification of 25(OH)D3 epimer and vitamin E in diluted UCB plasma is not supported by this study due to limitations in analytical sensitivity.