New Kaiser Family Foundation tool shows which global health interventions are working

Jun 2 2011

Today, the Kaiser Family Foundation unveiled an innovative, online tool that allows users to learn quickly and easily about which global health interventions work. The Global Health Intervention Review (GHIR) compiles the latest information on the efficacy of key global health interventions, including the strength of the evidence, and presents the information in a variety of accessible formats. Users can view a comprehensive overview and a key findings table.

The GHIR evaluates data about prevention and treatment strategies for eight key conditions that represent the leading causes of premature mortality and disease burden in the developing world: HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, maternal hemorrhage, maternal sepsis, dengue fever, and waterborne diarrhea. The tool reviews more than 90 prevention and 50 treatment strategies.

Examples of findings available through the GHIR include:

• HIV/AIDS: Very strong evidence exists that male circumcision achieves a significant reduction (50 to 54 percent) in the incidence of HIV
• Malaria: Long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets reduce overall child mortality by 17 to 23 percent (very strong evidence). Spraying long-acting insecticides on the walls and roofs of houses and animal shelters reduces malaria incidence by 14 to 54 percent (moderate strength evidence)
• Waterborne Diarrhea: Soap and other sanitizers, combined with hand-washing education, reduce the incidence of waterborne diarrhea by 23 to 41 percent (strong evidence)

In addition to overviews, tables, and logic models, a glossary of terms is available to enable researchers and policymakers working across different disciplines to understand methodology and findings. Developed in conjunction with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, the tool can be accessed on the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Global Health gateway.