The report presents data on progress on the health goals and targets. It looks beyond the numbers to analyse why improvements in health have been slow and to suggest what must be done to change this. The report points to weak and inequitable health systems as a key obstacle, including particularly a crisis in health personnel and the urgent need for sustainable health financing
This is a literature review on drug promotion, summarising current research findings on: professional and lay people's attitudes toward drug promotion; impact of pharmaceutical promotion on attitudes and knowledge; impact of pharmaceutical promotion on behaviour; and interventions carried out to counter promotional activities. The review suggests that promotion affects attitudes and behaviour. However evidence is patchy and more research is needed to verify the relationship between drug promotion and behaviour change
This report discusses the links between poverty and disability, and community based rehabilitation (CBR). CBR is a strategy for socio-economic development and it is essentially about human rights. The key principles of CBR are poverty alleviation, education, health and rehabilitation and enabling people with disabilities to participate in the whole range of human activities. The report presents a CBR draft framework, a step-by-step practical guideline for CBR programme implementers. The meeting also identified steps to be taken to develop CBR guidelines
This meeting decided that the CBR guidelines would be a joint document of ILO, UNESCO and WHO. The members of the advisory group were finalised, and their reponsibilities were outlined to decide the content of the guidelines and its development. A revised CBR matrix was drafted. This document is useful for people interested in CBR and the development of the CBR Guidelines
This report argues that a comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategy linking prevention, treatment, care and support for people living with the virus could save the lives of millions of people in poor and middle-income countries. At present, almost six million people in developing countries need treatment, but only about 400 000 of them received it in 2003. The World Health Report 2004 argues that a treatment gap of such dimensions is indefensible and that narrowing it is both an ethical obligation and a public health necessity. In September 2003 WHO, UNAIDS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and their partners launched an effort to provide three million people in developing countries with antiretroviral therapy (ART) by end 2005 - the 3 by 5 initiative. This World Health Report shows how a partnership linking international organizations, national governments, the private sector and communities is working simultaneously to expand access to HIV/AIDS treatment, reinforce HIV prevention and strengthen health systems in some of the countries where they are currently weakest
In 1994 the ILO, WHO and UNESCO published the first version of this joint position paper. Since then progress has been made in several fields. Nevertheless many disabled people are still not reached or included in the fields of rehabilitation, employment or education - particularly disabled women, people with mental health problems or HIV/AIDS and poor disabled people.
This paper underlines that community-based rehabilitation is a strategy promoting multi-sectoral collaboration to reach different community groups. CBR has to be based on the principles of equal opportunities, participation and human rights.
The objective of this report is to describe strategies to reduce global disparities in health through improvements in health research systems at national and international levels and systematic application of evidence-based knowledge. It takes stock of the current state of health research around the world and reaches the following conclusions: increased investments are needed for a new, innovative approach to research on health systems; health research must be managed more effectively if it is to contribute to strengthening health systems and building public confidence in science; stronger emphasis should be placed on translating knowledge into action to improve health by bridging the gap between what is known and what is actually being done. The report provides a compass to reorient health research so that it may respond more effectively to public health challenges on a national and global level. This reorientation requires a strengthening of the health research sector, an environment that is more conducive to research-informed policy and practice, and more focus on key priorities for research to improve health systems. While building on past achievements, the report's recommendations highlight aspects of the health research sector that, if managed more closely, could reap even more benefits for public health in future
A large number of people are exposed to extreme stressors that are a risk factor for mental health and social problems. This report describes principles and strategies that can be applied in resource poor settings where there are people who have been exposed to extreme stressors, such as refugees, internally displaced persons, disaster survivors and populations exposed to terrorism, genocide or war
This document summarises the outcomes of the international consultation. The main conclusions were that human rights play a role in CBR, CBR has to be supported by national governments, various sectors have to cooperate and that UN agencies, governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have to promote CBR as a poverty re-education strategy
This report argues that real progress in health depends on strengthening health systems, centred on the principles of primary health care. This requires effective use of existing knowledge and technologies and innovation to create new health tools, along with appropriate structures and strategies to apply them. Success will need new forms of cooperation between international health agencies, national health leaders, health workers and communities, and other relevant sectors. Chapter 1 of the report looks at the current state of global health, highlighting the gap between the poor and better-off everywhere. Chapter 2 reflects on the slow progress towards achieving the Millenium Development Goals. Chapter 3 looks at the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and demonstrates why HIV/AIDS control needs to drive the agenda for the global health community. Chapter 4 looks at the steps needed to achieve polio eradication within the next few years, and chapter 5 concentrates on the lessons learned from the SARS outbreak. The theme of chapter 6 is the the overlap between communicable and non-communicable diseases and injuries occurring throughout the developing world, leading to a crisis of priorities for health systems. The concluding chapter returns to the statement that stronger health systems are necessary, and that strengthening health systems should be based on the principles and practices of primary health care
This review paper provides background information and a suggested framework for considering the issues and challenges of integrating gender into programmatic and policy action. It also offers examples of successful HIV/AIDS interventions that have addressed gender issues in a meaningful and significant way
This review examines the role of communities and community-based resource persons in providing support for appropriate feeding practices and access to skilled support when mothers need it. This document is based on a literature review and an analysis of three projects in Madagascar, Honduras and India. It assesses the impact of interventions, the mechanisms through which behaviours can be changed, and the factors that are necessary to maximise and sustain the benefits of interventions
This study on how disabled people experience community-based rehabilitation, based on the experience of the users themselves, is a useful resource for CBR managers and policy makers
This study on how disabled people experience community -based rehabilitation (CBR), based on the experience of the users themselves, is a useful resource for CBR managers and policy makers
This conference report includes recommendations for government action using a rights-based approach. It covers a range of care issues including a holistic approach to access; legislation and funding; medical rehabilitation; support service; and awareness raising
The objective of this document is to provide a conceptual framework to explain the situation of women and men with regard to health and drugs, and to encourage policy makers and programme managers to adopt a gender-sensitive approach. The document draws on and quotes theoretical anthropological literature, and the English version is a relatively poor translation of the French original
ICF is a classification of health and health related domains that describe body functions and structures, activities and participation. The domains are classified from body, individual and societal perspectives. Since an individual's functioning and disability occurs in a context, ICF also includes a list of environmental factors
This review looks at the status of female genital mutilation programming, the types of behaviour change strategies being implemented, their successes and failures, what lessons have been learned, and what support and strategies are required if the goal of eliminating female genital mutilation is to be achieved. The review focuses on the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions
