The Lives Saved Tool (LiST) is a computer-based model that estimates the impact of increasing coverage of interventions on maternal, neonatal and child mortality. The model has its origins in earlier work from the Lancet Series papers that looked at estimating the impact of increasing coverage of proven interventions on child mortality and neonatal mortality as well as the impact of interventions related to nutrition and nutritional status of mothers and children. During the past four years, LiST has been developed into a free, publically available software tool that has been used by programs or organizations to estimate the impact of scaling up different interventions and thereby help in the health planning process.
The development of LiST is closely linked to the work of the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) of WHO and UNICEF. The CHERG provides technical inputs to the assumptions and procedures used in the model and also guides the on-going development of the model. As part of this process, this journal issue, along with a previous supplement, is being published to ensure that the methods and assumptions in the model are peer reviewed and made publicly available for comments, criticism and feedback.
In addition to the fact that the model now includes 75 interventions, LiST also continues to expand in terms of the scope of the program, including two major functionality additions in the current version. First, the new version of LiST estimates the impact of interventions on stillbirths. Second, the new version of LiST allows users the ability to add future interventions, thereby judging the impact of these interventions in conjunction with existing interventions. For example, one could put in a vaccine for malaria, set the efficacy of the vaccine and then estimate the impact that this vaccine would have on malaria deaths with or without the scale up of an existing malaria intervention, such as insecticide-treated nets or indoor residual spraying. More details about the Lives Saved Tool, (LiST) including documentation, training materials, and background information is available at http://www.jhsph.edu/IIP.
This supplement includes 35 articles, the majority of which present reviews and meta-analyses that are used to estimate the effectiveness of interventions. In addition there are several articles that either look at the possible impact of future interventions or deal with methodological issues related to the Lives Saved Tool.
- Assumptions and methods in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) Monica J Fox, Reynaldo Martorell, Nynke van den Broek, Neff WalkerBMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):I1 (13 April 2011)
- Screening and triage of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in general population and high risk pregnancies: a systematic review with a focus on reduction of IUGR related stillbirths Aamer Imdad, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Saad Siddiqui, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta BMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):S1 (13 April 2011)
- Effect of screening and management of diabetes during pregnancy on stillbirths Madiha Syed, Hasan Javed, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Zulfiqar A Bhutta BMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):S2 (13 April 2011)
- Effectiveness of interventions to screen and manage infections during pregnancy on reducing stillbirths: a review Sidra Ishaque, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Aamer Imdad, Robert L Goldenberg, Thomas P Eisele, Zulfiqar A Bhutta BMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):S3 (13 April 2011)
- The effect of folic acid, protein energy and multiple micronutrient supplements in pregnancy on stillbirths Aamer Imdad, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Zulfiqar A Bhutta BMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):S4 (13 April 2011)
- Elective induction for pregnancies at or beyond 41 weeks of gestation and its impact on stillbirths: a systematic review with meta-analysis Arwa Abbas Hussain, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Aamer Imdad, Zulfiqar A Bhutta BMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):S5 (13 April 2011)
- Impact of interventions to prevent and manage preeclampsia and eclampsia on stillbirths Mehnaz Jabeen, Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Aamer Imdad, Zulfiqar A Bhutta BMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):S6 (13 April 2011)
- The effect of providing skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care in preventing stillbirths Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Mahrukh Ayesha Ali, Mohammad Usman Ali, Aamer Imdad, Joy E Lawn, Nynke Van Den Broek, Zulfiqar A Bhutta BMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):S7 (13 April 2011)
- Neonatal resuscitation and immediate newborn assessment and stimulation for the prevention of neonatal deaths: a systematic review, meta-analysis and Delphi estimation of mortality effect Anne CC Lee, Simon Cousens, Stephen N Wall, Susan Niermeyer, Gary L Darmstadt, Waldemar A Carlo, William J Keenan, Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Christopher Gill, Joy E Lawn BMC Public Health 2011, 11(Suppl 3):S12 (13 April 2011)