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Abstract9 Background: Burden of disease (BoD) studies have been conducted in numerous international settings since the10 early 1990's. Two national BoD studies have been undertaken in Australia, in 1998 and 2003, although neither study11 estimated the BoD specifically for Indigenous Australians. In 2005 the Australian Government Department of Health12 and Ageing Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health formally commissioned the University of13 Queensland to undertake, in parallel with the second national BoD study, the "Burden of Disease and Injury in14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples" study, drawing on available data up to 2003. This paper is part of a15 broader NHMRC-funded project that examines the uptake of evidence to policy, using the 2007 Indigenous BoD16 (IBoD) study as a case study.17 This study aims to explore the policy context and narrative in the lead up to commissioning the IBoD study,18 focusing on relevant contextual factors and insights regarding the perspectives and anticipated value of the study19 by key stakeholders.20 Methods: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken in late 2013 and early 2014, and the findings21 triangulated with 38 key informant interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics, researchers, statisticians,22 policy advisors, and policymakers, conducted between 2011 and 2013.23 Findings: Contextual features which led to commissioning the IBoD study included widespread recognition of24 longstanding Indigenous disadvantage, lower life expectancy than non-Indigenous Australians, and the lack of25 an adequate evidence base upon which to determine priorities for interventions. Several anticipated benefits26 and expectations of key stakeholders were identified. Most informants held at least one of the following expectations27 of the study: that it would inform the evidence base, contribute to priority setting, and/or inform policy. There28 were differing or entirely contrasting views to this however, with some sharing concerns about the study being29 undertaken at all.30 Conclusions: The IBoD study, in concept, offered the potential to generate much desired 'answers', in the form31 of a quantified ranking of health risks and disease burden, and it was hoped by many that the results of the32 study would feed into determining priorities and informing Indigenous health policy.

BACKGROUND: Burden of disease (BoD) studies have been conducted in numerous international settings since the early 1990's. Two national BoD studies have been undertaken in Australia, in 1998 and 2003, although neither study estimated the BoD specifically for Indigenous Australians. In 2005 the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health formally commissioned the University of Queensland to undertake, in parallel with the second national BoD study, the "Burden of Disease and Injury in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples" study, drawing on available data up to 2003. This paper aims to explore the policy context and narrative in the lead up to commissioning the Indigenous BoD (IBoD) study, focusing on relevant contextual factors and insights regarding the perspectives of key stakeholders and their anticipated value of the study. It is part of a broader project that examines the uptake of evidence to policy, using the IBoD study as a case study. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken in late 2013 and early 2014, and the findings triangulated with 38 key informant interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics, researchers, statisticians, policy advisors, and policymakers, conducted between 2011 and 2013. FINDINGS: Contextual features which led to commissioning the IBoD study included widespread recognition of longstanding Indigenous disadvantage, lower life expectancy than non-Indigenous Australians, and the lack of an adequate evidence base upon which to determine priorities for interventions. Several anticipated benefits and expectations of key stakeholders were identified. Most informants held at least one of the following expectations of the study: that it would inform the evidence base, contribute to priority setting, and/or inform policy. There were differing or entirely contrasting views to this however, with some sharing concerns about the study being undertaken at all. CONCLUSIONS: The IBoD study, in concept, offered the potential to generate much desired 'answers', in the form of a quantified ranking of health risks and disease burden, and it was hoped by many that the results of the study would feed into determining priorities and informing Indigenous health policy.

We analysed the performance of Ethiopia in achieving the health-related millennium development goals (MDGs) with the aim of acquiring lessons for the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Ethiopia achieved most of the health MDGs: a 67% reduction in under-five mortality, a 71% decline in maternal mortality ratio, a 90% decline in new HIV infections, a decrease in malaria-related deaths by 73% and a more than 50% decline in mortality due to tuberculosis. We argue that these achievements are due to implementation of a mix of comprehensive strategies within the health system and across other sectors of the government. Scaling up of interventions by disease control programmes (including the health extension programme) and strengthening of the health system have played important roles towards the achievements. These health gains could not have been realised without progress in the other MDGs: poverty reduction, education, access to safe drinking-water and peace and stability of the country. However, the gains were not equitable, with differences between urban and rural areas, among regions and socioeconomic strata. Ethiopia's remarkable success in meeting most of the targets of the health-related MDGs could be explained by its comprehensive and multisectoral approach for health development. The inequity gap remains a challenge that achieving the health-related SDGs requires the country to implement strategies, which specifically target more marginal populations and geographic areas. This also needs peace and stability, without which it is almost impossible to improve health.

Background: Recent research as part of a multi-disciplinary investigation on the acceptability and impact of male circumcision for HIV prevention in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has shown that health workers (HWs) undertake unauthorized forms of penile cutting practices in public health facilities or in community settings, at times within a traditional context. Participation in these activities shares common features with coping mechanisms, strategies used by HWs to alleviate the burden of unsatisfactory living and working conditions. Coping mechanisms, however, are typically described as motivated by economic advantage, but in PNG evidence exists that the behaviours of HWs are also influenced by opportunities for social capital.