International Conference on Engaging Communities | Brisbane | Australia

International Conference on Engaging Communities | Brisbane | Australia
An Initiative of the United Nations and Queensland Government

14 - 17 August 2005
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Queensland, Australia

The International Conference on Engaging Communities is an initiative of the United Nations and the Government of the State of Queensland, Australia. This unique event will explore all issues related to community engagement and address the experiences, challenges and research which effect all citizens, governments and organisations alike. The program is designed to interest representatives from community groups, academia, government agencies, corporations, associations and the like.

Accuracy of Revised Bethesda Guidelines, Microsatellite Instability, and Immunohistochemistry for the Identification of Patients Wit

JAMA -- Abstract: Accuracy of Revised Bethesda Guidelines, Microsatellite Instability, and Immunohistochemistry for the Identification of Patients With Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer, April 27, 2005, Pi�ol et al. 293 (16): 1986

Stroke patients shed light on metaphors - S team finds key part of the brain that decodes figurative speech.

news @ nature.com�-�Stroke patients shed light on metaphors�-�US team finds key part of the brain that decodes figurative speech.: "Most people understand that the proverb 'The grass is always greener on the other side' has a deeper, more general meaning: someone else's situation always looks more attractive than your own.
"

The R.A. Fisher Digital Archive

The R.A. Fisher Digital Archive:
"The History of Science has suffered greatly from the use by teachers of second-hand material, and the consequent obliteration of the circumstances and the intellectual atmosphere in which the great discoveries of the past were made. A first-hand study is always instructive, and often ... full of surprises.'
R.A. Fisher, 1955
(p. 6, Experiments in plant hybridisation / G. Mendel. Edinburgh : Oliver & Boyd, 1965) "

Social Determinants of Health

Solid Facts. Edited by Richard Wilkinson and Michael Marmot

The Third Age of Phage

PLoS Biology: The Third Age of Phage:
"So, naturalists observe, a flea Has smaller fleas that on him prey; And these have smaller still to bite 'em; And so proceed ad infinitum.—Jonathan Swift

If Jonathan Swift was wrong in envisioning his infinite series of parasites, the “ultimate flea” could be a DNA sequence whose sole biological property is to ensure its own reproduction. But close to the diminutive end of this parasitic spectrum, there are the phages-viruses that infect bacteria. Phages were discovered early in the 20th century, and, at first, interest focussed on the potential of phages as therapeutic tools in the fight against bacterial infectious diseases. The advent of antibiotics was an influential factor in sidelining this ambition. Then for many years the study of phages underpinned the development of modern molecular biology, but that too became pass. The third age of phage has begun only recently with the growing recognition that phages may be major players in the great planetary biogeochemical cycles [1] and also may represent the greatest potential genetic resource in the biosphere."

Secretaria de Ciência, Tecnologia e Insumos Estratégicos

Secretaria de Ciência, Tecnologia e Insumos Estratégicos: "
(Recomendado por Dra. Rosa Maria Vila-nova)
Conheça o regulamento do Prêmio de Incentivo em Ciência e Tecnologia para o SUS - 2005.

Imprima o Folder

As inscrições serão realizadas de 1o. a 30 de junho."

Decentralisation as an organisational model for health care in England

studyinghealthcare_peckham_draftfinal0205.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Background
Current NHS policy sets out a number of broad themes that include organisational freedom from central control, patient empowerment and clinical empowerment. These reflect many of the assumptions made in the literature about the benefits of decentralisation. In other sectors, as in the NHS, decentralisation is usually seen as a good thing because it:
· frees managers to manage
· enables more responsive public services, attuned to local needs
· contributes to economy by enabling organisations to shed unnecessary middle managers
· promotes efficiency by shortening previously long bureaucratic hierarchies
· produces contented and stimulated staff, with increased sense of room for manoeuvre
· makes politicians more responsive and accountable to the `people’

Health Equity and Diversity Conference 2005 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Health Equity and Diversity Conference 2005 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada:
"Introduction

The Health Equity and Diversity Conference 2005 is a Toronto Summit that focuses on health needs and issues in relation to diversity. This conference unites professionals, organizations, and communities to challenge the exclusion and barriers faced by marginalized communities in accessing the health care system. By holding this conference, international best practices and perspectives leads to a voice and action in these concerns through local and global awareness.

What makes this conference unique?

* Sparked through Visioning Day 2002.
* Inspired by youth's contribution and involvement.
* Recognizes motivated health care systems in our communities.
* Highlights diversity and marginalization issues.
* Involves equitable partnerships.
* Creates a Toronto People's Charter on Health Equity and Diversity on toaddress disparities within diverse marginalized communities."

Diabetic and Obese Teen Carotids Appear Elderly - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today

Diabetic and Obese Teen Carotids Appear Elderly - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today:
"Diabetic and Obese Teen Carotids Appear Elderly


By Katrina Woznicki, MedPage Today Staff Writer
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
May 13, 2005

MedPage Today Action Points

* This study using ultrasound found carotid artery changes among obese and diabetic kids. These changes, a measure of arterial stiffness, are noninvasive measures of subclinical atherosclerosis that have been used as surrogate measures of cardiovascular events in various adult studies. Thus, the foundation for later cardiovascular disease in obese and diabetic children may begin during childhood. Interventions such as lifestyle changes may help reduce that risk.

* Encourage all children to get plenty of physical activity into their daily lives because this can help reduce the risks of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, down the road.

Review
PITTSBURGH, May 13-The carotid arteries of type 2 diabetic or obese teenagers have the look of those their grandfathers might have, suggests a small study.

This study, led by Silva Arslanian, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, adds to a growing body of evidence that cardiovascular disease takes root in childhood.

'I was flabbergasted,' Dr. Arslanian said in an interview. 'Wouldn't you be surprised that someone who is 14 years old is showing (cardiovascular) signs similar to 60-year-old men?'

Her study of 62 teens, reported in the May issue of Diabetes Care, found that aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), a measure of arterial stiffness, was significantly higher among type 2 diabetic adolescents when compared with obese and normal weight teens. And obese children had more abnormal aPWV measurements than normal weight adolescents, who had normal aPWV.

She said these functional changes are typically reversible, but what is unknown is what type of interventions would work to reverse them.

The study looked at 20 adolescents with type 2 diabetes, 20 obese youths, and 22 normal-weight controls. None of the participants had a family history of hyperlipidemia. The average age of the participant was 14. Four of them -- three of normal weight and one obese -- were smokers. Each participant underwent a physical exam and provided blood samples. Researchers used ultrasound to measure arterial changes.

Carotid artery intima media thickness did not differ among the three groups. However, aPWV (centimeters per second) was highest among those with type 2 diabetes (769.4 � 81.7) followed by obese adolescents (583.9 � 26.9) while the normal weight subjects had normal readings (496.9 � 15.2). These differences were statistically significant (p <0.001)

The researchers also reported that after controlling for systolic blood pressure, aPWV significantly correlated with body mass index (r = 0.50), fasting insulin (r = 0.46), fasting glucose (r = 0.38), homeostasis model assessment of insulin sensitivity (r = -0.52), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (r = 0.47), and triglycerides (r = 0.27).

The study also showed, the researchers concluded, that a 'higher aPWV in type 2 diabetes versus equally obese youth of similar age and blood pressure is suggestive of the additional impact of hyperglycemia on vascular stiffness.'

They concluded, 'The elevated aPWV in type 2 diabetic youth in our study is comparable with values obtained from 41- to 59-year-old obese adults. These findings may reflect early functional changes in the vasculature... With increasing age and duration of diabetes, these functional changes may progress to structural changes if left without intervention.'

Whether that intervention should be lifestyle, such as diet or exercise, Dr. Arslanian said, or pharmacological is unclear at this point.

When asked to compare her findings to those from the initial landmark Bogalusa Heart Study, Dr. Arslanian said her study was unique because it measured arterial stiffness. The Bogalusa Heart Study, launched in 1972, was the first to suggest anatomic changes that occurred between ages five and eight to set the stage for cardiovascular disease in adulthood.

Dr. Arslanian said the scientific community was more skeptical then about the link between heart disease and childhood, but given the nation's current childhood obesity epidemic, findings such as hers are receiving more serious attention. According to the CDC, 15% of all children in the United States are overweight or obese, a figure that has tripled since the 1980s.

Dr. Arslanian said type 2 diabetes diagnoses are certainly paralleling the recent spike in childhood obesity.

Related articles:

* State of the Child Report: Obesity Dragging Them Down

* Bill Clinton and AHA Launch Campaign Against Childhood Obesity

Primary source: Diabetes Care
Source reference:
Gungor et al. Early Signs of Cardiovascular Disease in Youth With Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. May 2005, vol. 28, No. 5, p.1219-1221."

TRI: No Shortcut to Strep Test - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today

TRI: No Shortcut to Strep Test - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today: "TRI: No Shortcut to Strep Test


By Katrina Woznicki, MedPage Today Staff Writer
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
May 15, 2005

MedPage Today Action Points

* Physicians will still have to swab the tonsils to get the most accurate results for Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci. Swabbing the cheek or gums was not as effective.

* Rapid cycle real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing was superior to standard culture testing in detecting Streptococci from tonsil core and adenoid tissue specimens.

* This study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference either as an oral or poster presentation. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary as they have not yet been reviewed and published in a peer-reviewed publication.

Review
BOCA RATON, Fla.- They tried the cheek and they tried the gums, but in the end they needed to swab the tonsils for enough DNA for an accurate diagnosis of Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci.

So reported a Mayo Clinic group that had sought a more user-friendly DNA-based strep test. Instead, the investigators said Sunday at the Triological Society meeting here, only direct swabbing of the tonsils yielded the most accurate results, even with a rapid cycle real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCS) assay.

'We found you have to go all the way to the back of the throat to swab where there will be enough DNA,' said Laura Orvidas, M.D., an otorhinolaryngologist at the Rochester, Minn., facility. 'You have to actually touch the tonsils. The infection is much more concentrated in the tonsil tissue.'

The Mayo group conducted a prospective study of 130 patients, about 75% of them children, all undergoing tonsillectomy. Some were also having an adenoidectomy.

The researchers used two tests, standard culture and rapid cycle RT-PCS, which takes only hours, not days, to produce results. They swabbed from the tonsil surface, in front of the mouth between the lip and gum, and inside the cheek towards the back molars. Tissue samples were also collected from the tonsil core and from the adenoid tissue among patients undergoing adenoidectomy.

In 41 of the patients, Streptococcus was detected from one or more of the swabbed sites, and 29 of those positive results were detected on the tonsil surface. Standard culture and rapid cycle RT-PCR techniques were both positive for strep in 28 of the 29.

Neither test showed significant superiority in the analysis of gum and cheek swabs. Of the 29 strep cases, standard and RT-PCR tests were both positive at the lip-gum site from four cases. Of seven tonsil surface positive cases that also had interior cheek swabs, RT-PCR was only positive for one case and standard culture was positive for two.

The detection rates from inside the cheek or at the gum were lower than those taken from the tonsil surface no matter which test was used. Only 43% of patients with strep on their tonsils were positive from the swab that was taken from the interior of their cheek. That figure dropped to 35% of patients where the swab was taken from between the lip and gum.

The researchers also found RT-PCR was superior to standard culture in detecting Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci from the tonsil core and adenoid tissue samples. The RT-PCR test detected the bacteria in 11 tonsil core samples and from 10 adenoid tissue specimens whereas the standard culture test failed to do so.

Primary source: Triological Society Annual Meeting
Source reference:
Lee at al, Rapid Cycle Real Time PCR Versus Standard Culture Detection of Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci at Various Anatomical Sites in Tonsillectomy Patients, Triological Society Annual Meeting, May 13-16, 2005, Boca Raton, Fla."

AMNews: May 23/30, 2005. Which patients should be screened for hemochromatosis? ... American Medical News

AMNews: May 23/30, 2005. Which patients should be screened for hemochromatosis? ... American Medical News:
"Which patients should be screened for hemochromatosis?
What was once the poster child of genetic medicine has turned out to be much more complicated than anyone thought possible.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. May 23/30, 2005.

When David Little, MD, associate professor of family medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, sees a patient with symptoms suggesting hemochromatosis, he orders several phenotypic diagnostic tests. After a confirmed diagnosis, he discusses genetic testing in a very specific way.

'Genetic testing I reserve for people with the disease and their family members, to see who else might be at risk,' he said."

Justiça veta verba da Souza Cruz no Judiciário

Untitled Document
SILVANA DE FREITAS e IURI DANTAS
Do Tabaco Zero
DA SUCURSAL DE BRASÍLIA
O juiz do TRF (Tribunal Regional Federal) da 1ª Região Antônio Souza Prudente suspendeu o programa que prevê a injeção de R$ 2,4 milhões da indústria de cigarros Souza Cruz em projetos de informatização da Justiça.
A decisão foi dada em ação civil pública movida pelos procuradores da República em Brasília José Alfredo de Paula Silva e Raquel Branquinho contra a parceria firmada entre a Souza Cruz, o Ministério da Justiça e a Fundação Getúlio Vargas para execução do programa "Justiça sem Papel". A ação foi proposta com base em reportagem da Folha.

Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century

Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century
Nuclear weapons have been a focus of FAS work since its founding in 1945 by scientists concerned about control of the awesome new technology they had helped create.

Today we are often asked to speak on the dangers of radiological weapons known as dirty bombs. We inform on the dangers of nuclear weapons proliferation by individuals, non-state terrorists, or states. We follow next generation nuclear weapons development including proposed “bunker busters.”

We stay on top of the debate over resuming nuclear weapons testing. We track Administration policy and hard-to-find reports for Congress.

In January 2005 FAS released a study that asked: What missions remain for US nuclear weapons now, 15 years after the end of the Cold War? What rationales justify our keeping 6,000 deployed warheads, plus missiles, bombers and other support, at a cost of <$8 billion taxpayer dollars per year? Why does Russia try to keep <5,000 warheads officially deployed, though they are daily more prone to accidental launch against?

Arms Sales Monitoring Project

Arms Sales Monitoring Project
The security threats spawned by the global arms trade are among the most vexing problems confronting the world today. Sophisticated military technologies proliferate at an alarming rate as legitimate and black market arms dealers transfer weapons, and the capacity to produce those weapons, to an ever-growing list of clients. Deadly small arms and light weapons, which claim an estimated 500,000 lives a year, are easily smuggled across all but the most rigorously patrolled borders.

For over a decade, the Arms Sales Monitoring Project has addressed these threats by increasing transparency, accountability and restraint in the global arms trade. More specifically, we

* Provide timely, in-depth analysis on U.S. arms transfers and the international arms trade. This analysis takes various forms, including webpages, op-eds and articles, and full-length reports.
* Maintain the largest online collection of data and documents on U.S. arms exports and export policy. New documents - including previously unreleased documents obtained via freedom of information act requests - are added almost daily to the hundreds of documents already available. Our website is a one-stop shop for researchers, policymakers and concerned citizens.
* Serve as a resource for the media and policymakers, who often need quick answers to complex questions.

RSS: News Reader

Open Directory - Reference: Libraries: Library and Information Science: Technical Services: Cataloguing: Metadata: RDF: Applications: RSS: News Readers

Wizz RSS News Reader

Wizz RSS News Reader
The Wizz RSS News Reader, is a very simple RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news aggregator. It is an XUL application, implements as a Firefox extension and is absolutely 100% free of charge. Wizz RSS News Reader does NOT contain ANY spyware or adware.

Features

# A public list of "popular" preset RSS, Atom and Podcast feeds.
# Drag and drop Quick View function for viewing feeds without having to add them.
# A private list to which you can add your own feeds.
# Can add channels to private list by dragging them from public list.
# Private lists are stored centrally and are thus easily available from any PC.
# Simple drag and drop for adding channels to the private list.
# Integrated search functionality.
# HTTP Authentication.
# OPML imports and exports.
# Supports all versions of RSS.
# Supports Atom 0.3.
# Supports Podcast feeds (Enclosures).
# Supports the Feed protocol.
# Optionally hide/show read items.

Drug lowers inflammatory markers associated with risk for heart attack

Drug lowers inflammatory markers associated with risk for heart attack: ]
"'The clinical trial by Hakonarson et al provides an exciting attempt to translate genetic findings to clinical applications. How close clinicians and researchers are to the promised destination of a genome-based diagnostics and therapeutics for MI and stroke remains uncertain. This phase 2 pharmacogenetic trial and its implications must be interpreted with the same degree of caution as with any newly proposed risk factor. Continued research is warranted to replicate the original ALOX5AP association. Careful attention to proper study design will be essential to make future trials credible. … As with nongenetic risk factors, the emerging evidence will need to be carefully and continuously examined to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks as genomics-based strategies are tested in clinical trials,' concludes Dr. O'Donnell. "

WHO | Management for health services delivery

WHO | Management for health services delivery
YES, if you work in a setting with limited resources

YES, if you make decisions on how best to use staff, budgets, drugs and other resources

YES, if you are responsible for making things happen

If you answered YES to these questions, then this website is for YOU!

What will you find here?

* Concepts, guidance and tools to help you decide how best to use resources, or to solve problems to do with:
o Working with staff
o Budgeting and monitoring expenditure
o Collecting and using information
o Obtaining and managing drugs and equipment
o Maintaining equipment, vehicles and buildings
o Interacting with the community and other stakeholders
o … and more…

* Contributions from managers like you:
o Health Managers' Diary
sharing experiences of management successes and problems, or perhaps cartoons and quotations
o Share and Exchange
sharing materials such as policies, procedures, standards or guidelines thought by managers to be useful
o Country Experiences
sharing more formal reports on some aspect of management implemented or changed in a country

* Links to other useful websites

You will not find:
- clinical or case management
- high level policy and health system management
These are available at other WHO Sites and Topic pages

Globaltech 2005

clicRBS | Globaltech 2005: "Uma das atrações da feira serão os robôs de serviço do Instituto de Engenharia, Manufatura e Automação Fraunhofer – IPA, em Stuttgart. O serviço portátil de robô tem a habilidade de interagir e ajudar as pessoas em determinadas tarefas."

Hypertension Day

World Hypertension League
(Referred by Arun Chockalingham)
The WHL has designated Saturday, May 14, 2005 as World Hypertension Day. The goal is to underscore the health consequences of hypertension, and encourage people to get their blood pressure measured and, if it is elevated, to do something about it. World Hypertension Day is to communicate the importance of hypertension and its consequences, and to provide information on how it can be treated and controlled.

PDF format Message to WHL member organizations from Dr. Claude Lenfant

Healthy ageing

82-618-MIE2005004.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Laurent Martel, Alain Bélanger, Jean-Marie Berthelot and Yves Carrière

Healthy today, healthy tomorrow?
Findings from the National Population Health Survey Component of Statistics Canada Catalogue 82-618-MWE2005004 Long life is most desirable especially if it is lived in good health.
While it is not surprising that old age would be accompanied by health problems, some people stay healthy as they age, thereby increasing their chances of enjoying retirement and taking full advantage of their senior years. Who are they and why do they remain in good health?
In countries such as Canada where the proportion of seniors is increasing rapidly, it is crucial to better understand the determinants of healthy aging. As the large cohorts of babyboomers get older, the demand for health care and home care is likely to increase. People can be empowered to take charge
of their health by informing them of the dangers of particular behaviours, protecting them from avoidable risks, and creating a healthy social environment. This aid could limit the expected increase in the demand for health care services and consequently contribute to reducing the burden of illness and dependence on the public health care system and on the main caregivers of the informal support network - spouses and children.

European Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care

bmjpg - Conferences from the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd

CALL FOR PAPERS

11th European Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care 26-28 April 2006 Prague, Czech Republic

To request further information email quality@bmjgroup.com

10th European Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care Presentations available online soon 13-15 April 2005
ExCel Conference Centre, London, UK

Stopping Aspirin Increases Risk of Recurrent Stroke -

CONFERENCE REPORT: Stopping Aspirin Increases Risk of Recurrent Stroke - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today
Results of a retrospective case control study showed that stroke survivors who stopped aspirin therapy significantly increased their risk for recurrent stroke, according to lead investigator Patrik Michel, MD, a stroke researcher form the Lausanne University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Economic Dimensions of violence

9241591609.pdf (application/pdf Object)
WHO's World report on violence and health (published in 2002) makes a strong case for violence prevention. It reviewed available scientific evidence. It showed the need to work at all levels of the ecological model - with individuals, families, communities and societies - and to draw upon the contributions of multiple sectors, such as justice, education, welfare, employment and health. It concluded that violence prevention is complex, but is possible. The present report, on The economic dimensions of interpersonal violence, strengthens the case for investing in prevention even further by highlighting the enormous economic costs of the consequences of interpersonal violence, and reviewing the limited but nonetheless striking evidence for the cost-effectiveness of prevention programmes.

World report on violence and health

WHO | World report on violence and health
The World Health Organization launched the first World report on violence and health on October 3rd, 2002. Since then, more than 30 governments have organized national launches or policy discussions about the Report, and resolutions endorsing the Report and calling for its implementation have been passed in a number of fora, such as the World Health Assembly, the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, and the African Union.

The World report on violence and health is the first comprehensive review of the problem of violence on a global scale – what it is, whom it affects and what can be done about it. Three years in the making, the report benefited from the participation of over 160 experts from around the world, receiving both peer-review from scientists and contributions and comments from representatives of all the world’s regions.

Social Science & Medicine : Social inequality and depressive disorders in Bahia, Brazil: interactions of gender, ethnicity, and social

ScienceDirect - Social Science & Medicine : Social inequality and depressive disorders in Bahia, Brazil: interactions of gender, ethnicity, and social class
Naomar Almeida-Filho, Ines Lessab, Lucélia Magalhãesb, Maria Jenny Araújob, Estela Aquinob, Sherman A. Jamesc and Ichiro Kawachid
We conducted a study of the association between gender, race/ethnicity, and social class and prevalence of depressive disorders in an urban sample (N=2302) in Bahia, Brazil. Individual mental health status was assessed by the PSAD/QMPA scale. Family SES and head of household's schooling and occupation were taken as components for a 4-level social class scale. Race/ethnicity (white, moreno, mulatto, black) was assessed with a combination of self-designation and a system of racial classification. The overall 12-month prevalence of depressive symptoms was 12%, with a female:male ratio of 2:1. Divorced/widowed persons showed the highest prevalence and single the lowest. There was a negative correlation with education: the ratio college educated:illiterate was 4:1. This gradient was stronger for women than men. There was no F:M difference in depression among Whites, upper-middle classes, college-educated, or illiterate. Prevalence ratios for single, widowed and Blacks were well above the overall pattern. Regarding race/ethnicity, higher prevalences of depression were concentrated in the Moreno and Mulatto subgroups. There was a consistent social class and gender interaction, along all race/ethnicity strata. Three-way interaction analyses found strong gender effect for poor and working-class groups, for all race/ethnicity strata but Whites. Black poor yielded the strongest gender effect of all (up to nine-fold). We conclude that even in a highly unequal context such as Bahia, Blacks, Mulattos and women were protected from depression by placement into the local dominant classes; and that the social meaning of ethnic-gender-generation diversity varies with being unemployed or underemployed, poor or miserable, urban or rural, migrant or non-migrant.

Social determinants of health inqualities.

Marmot-Social determinants of health inqualities.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Social determinants of health inequalities
Michael Marmot
The gross inequalities in health that we see within and between countries present a challenge to the world. That there should be a spread of life expectancy of 48 years among countries and 20 years or more within countries is not inevitable. A burgeoning volume of research identifies social factors at the root of much of these inequalities in health.
Social determinants are relevant to communicable and non-communicable disease alike. Health status, therefore, should be of concern to policy makers in every sector, not solely those involved in health policy. As a response to this global challenge, WHO is launching a Commission on Social Determinants of Health, which will review the evidence, raise societal debate, and recommend policies with the goal of improving health of the world’s most vulnerable
people. A major thrust of the Commission is turning public-health knowledge into political action.

HealthforSome: Deaths, Disease and Disparity in a globalizing era.

HealthforSome.pdf (application/pdf Object)
by Ronald Labonte, Ted Schrecker, Amit Sen Gupta
Health for Some investigates the impact of globalization on human health. Although increasing affluence improves health, globalization often fails to deliver rapid economic growth and poverty reduction. Those who fall behind in the winner take all markets of global competition not only suffer from poverty and poor health, but also lose access to health care and other essential health-producing services.

Reversing these trends will require decisive and coordinated action on the part of high-income countries in areas we often do not connect with: debt cancellation, increased development assistance, fair trade policies and global tax reforms. Ultimately, everyone should have the opportunity to lead a healthy life: it should be a basic human right.

Reality Check. The Canadian Review of Wellbeing.

Atkinson Charitable Foundation: "The purpose of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) is to provide Canadians with a clear, valid, and regular accounting of the things that matter to them and the genuine progress of Canada.

Our goal is to to account honestly and accurately for changes in our human, social, economic and natural wealth through a new index that can best capture the full range of factors that determine wellbeing in Canada.

Our vision is that the CIW will help foster a common vision for the future of Canada and will be used as a basis for improving health and wellbeing outcomes that matter to Canadians."

Paliative Care

E82931.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Foreword
Palliative care is an important public health issue. It is concerned with the suffering, the dignity, the care needs and the quality of life of people at the end of their lives. It is also concerned with the care and support of their families and friends. This is by and large a neglected topic in Europe, but is one that is relevant to everybody in the Region. The purpose of this booklet is to provide a concise overview of the best available evidence on the concept of palliative care and of related services. It is written mainly for decision-makers and health professionals at all levels. Translating scientific evidence into policy and action is a complex process. We hope the booklet will be used as a tool for spreading awareness and for stimulating debate and, above all, policy development and action.
The booklet is the result of a systematic and comprehensive effort to review scientific evidence and to make policy recommendations, drawing on the expertise, suggestions and inputs of individuals from many academic centres and disciplines. It expresses a European viewpoint, but may nevertheless reflect issues relevant to other parts of the world. During the review it has become clear that the evidence available on palliative care is not complete, and that there are differences in what can be offered across the European Region. Issues for further work have been highlighted.

The End of Poverty (small)1.pdf

Time Magazine Mar 14 2005 - The End of Poverty (small)1.pdf (application/pdf Object)
We can banish extreme poverty in our generation-yet 8 million people die each year because they are too poor to survive. The tragedy is that with a little help, they could even thrive. In a bold new book, Jeffrey D. Sachs shows how we can make it happen.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was carried out between 2001 and 2005 to assess the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and to establish the scientific basis for actions needed to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems and their contributions to human well-being. The MA responds to government requests for information received through four international conventions—
the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the Convention on Migratory Species—and is designed to also meet needs of other stakeholders, including the business community, the health sector, nongovernmental organizations, and indigenous peoples.
The sub-global assessments also aimed to meet the needs of users in the regions where they were undertaken.
The assessment focuses on the linkages between ecosystems and human well-being and, in particular, on “ecosystem services.” An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and microorganism communities and the nonliving environment interacting as a functional unit. The MA deals with the full range of ecosystems—from those relatively undisturbed, such as natural forests, to landscapes with mixed patterns of human use, to
ecosystems intensively managed and modified by humans, such as agricultural land and urban areas. Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include provisioning services such as food, water, timber, and fiber; regulating services that affect climate, floods, disease, wastes, and water quality; cultural services that provide recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual benefits; and supporting services such as soil
formation, photosynthesis, and nutrient cycling. (See Figure A.) The human species, while buffered against environmental changes by culture and technology, is fundamentally dependent on the flow of ecosystem services.
The MA examines how changes in ecosystem services influence human well-being.
Human well-being is assumed to have multiple constituents, including the basic material for a good life, such as secure and adequate livelihoods, enough food at all times, shelter, clothing, and access to goods; health, including feeling well and having a healthy physical environment, such as clean air and access to clean water; good social relations, including social cohesion, mutual respect, and the ability to help others and provide for children; security, including secure access to natural and other resources, personal safety, and security from natural and human-made disasters; and freedom of choice and action, including the opportunity to achieve what an individual values doing and being.
Freedom of choice and action is influenced by other constituents of well-being (as well as by other factors, notably education) and is also a precondition for achieving other components of well-being, particularly with respect to equity and fairness.
The conceptual framework for the MA posits that people are integral parts of ecosystems and that a dynamic interaction exists between them and other parts of ecosystems, with the changing human condition driving, both directly and indirectly, changes in ecosystems and thereby causing changes in human well-being. (See Figure B.) At the same time, social, economic, and cultural factors unrelated to ecosystems alter the human condition, and many natural forces influence ecosystems. Although the MA emphasizes the linkages between ecosystems and human well-being, it recognizes that the actions people take that influence ecosystems result not just from concern about human wellbeing but also from considerations of the intrinsic value of species and ecosystems.

A lasting public health victory: Polio vaccine at 50 years ... American Medical News

AMNews: Editorial - May 16, 2005. A lasting public health victory: Polio vaccine at 50 years ... American Medical News: "A lasting public health victory: Polio vaccine at 50 years
The polio vaccine's anniversary is a reminder of both the enormous threat posed by disease and the power of a concerted response in confronting it.

The recent observance of the 50th anniversary of the development of polio vaccine paid appropriate tribute to one of medicine's greatest triumphs.

Only a small number of physicians practicing in the United States have seen a patient with polio. But the memory of the disease -- often called infantile paralysis at the time -- was an ominous specter for the generations of Americans who grew up in the first half of the 20th century."

Main ProMED-mail

Main ProMED-mail
The global electronic reporting system for outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases & toxins, open to all sources.
ProMED-mail, the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases, is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Multiplicity in randomised trials II: subgroup and interim analyses

The Lancet:
"Subgroup analyses can pose serious multiplicity concerns. By testing enough subgroups, a false-positive result will probably emerge by chance alone. Investigators might undertake many analyses but only report the significant effects, distorting the medical literature. In general, we discourage subgroup analyses. However, if they are necessary, researchers should do statistical tests of interaction, rather than analyse every separate subgroup. Investigators cannot avoid interim analyses when data monitoring is indicated. However, repeatedly testing at every interim raises multiplicity concerns, and not accounting for multiplicity escalates the false-positive error. Statistical stopping methods must be used. The O'Brien-Fleming and Peto group sequential stopping methods are easily implemented and preserve the intended α level and power. Both adopt stringent criteria (low nominal p values) during the interim analyses. Implementing a trial under these stopping rules resembles a conventional trial, with the exception that it can be terminated early should a treatment prove greatly superior. Investigators and readers, however, need to grasp that the estimated treatment effects are prone to exaggeration, a random high, with early stopping."

The JFK Assassination Medical Evidence

The JFK Assassination Medical Evidence

The Lancet published a 10-article series on the health aspects of the U.N. Millennium Project's recommendations.

In early 2005, The Lancet published a 10-article series on the health aspects of the U.N. Millennium Project's recommendations.

The series include articles on child and maternal health, improving the lives of slum dwellers, trade, and science, technology, and innovation. Below are the articles that have been published so far.



26 March 2005 | The Lancet
Trade, drugs, and health-care services: Patrick A Messerlin



22 March 2005 | The Lancet
Reinventing global health: the role of science, technology, and innovation by: Calestous Juma, Lee Yee-Cheong



12 March 2005 | The Lancet
"Transforming health systems to improve the lives of women and children", by Lynn P Freedman, Ronald J Waldman, Helen de Pinho, Meg E Wirth, A Mushtaque R Chowdhury, Allan Rosenfield



5 March 2005 | The Lancet
"The 21st century health challenge of slums and cities", by Elliott D Sclar, Pietro Garau, Gabriella Carolini




26 February 2005 | The Lancet
"Focusing on improved water and sanitation for health", by Jamie Bartram, Kristen Lewis, Roberto Lenton, Albert Wright




19 February 2005 | The Lancet
"The Millennium Project: the positive health implications of improved environmental sustainability",by Don J Melnick, Yolanda Kakabadse Navarro, Jeffrey McNeely, Guido Schmidt-Traub, Robin R Sears



12 February 2005 | The Lancet
"Emerging consensus in HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and access to essential medicines", by Josh Ruxin, Joan E Paluzzi, Paul A Wilson, Yesim Tozan, Margaret Kruk, Awash Teklehaimanot



5 February 2005 | The Lancet
"Taking action to improve women's health through gender equality and women's empowerment", by Caren Grown, Geeta Rao Gupta, Rohini Pande



29 January 2005 | The Lancet
"Hunger in Africa: the link between unhealthy people and unhealthy soils", by Pedro A. Sanchez and M.S. Swaminathan



22 January 2005 | The Lancet
"The Millennium Project: a plan for meeting the Millennium Development Goals", by Jeffrey D. Sachs and John W. McArthur

In early 2005, href="http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/TheLancetTrade.pdf">The Lancet published a 10-article series on the health aspects of the U.N. Millennium Project's recommendations.

The series include articles on child and maternal health, improving the lives of slum dwellers, trade, and science, technology, and innovation. Below are the articles that have been published so far.

26 March 2005 | The Lancet
Trade, drugs, and health-care services: Patrick A Messerlin

22 March 2005 | The Lancet
Reinventing global health: the role of science, technology, and innovation by: Calestous Juma, Lee Yee-Cheong

12 March 2005 | The Lancet
"Transforming health systems to improve the lives of women and children", by Lynn P Freedman, Ronald J Waldman, Helen de Pinho, Meg E Wirth, A Mushtaque R Chowdhury, Allan Rosenfield

5 March 2005 | The Lancet
"The 21st century health challenge of slums and cities", by Elliott D Sclar, Pietro Garau, Gabriella Carolini

26 February 2005 | The Lancet
"Focusing on improved water and sanitation for health", by Jamie Bartram, Kristen Lewis, Roberto Lenton, Albert Wright

19 February 2005 | The Lancet
"The Millennium Project: the positive health implications of improved environmental sustainability",by Don J Melnick, Yolanda Kakabadse Navarro, Jeffrey McNeely, Guido Schmidt-Traub, Robin R Sears

12 February 2005 | The Lancet
"Emerging consensus in HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and access to essential medicines", by Josh Ruxin, Joan E Paluzzi, Paul A Wilson, Yesim Tozan, Margaret Kruk, Awash Teklehaimanot

5 February 2005 | The Lancet
"Taking action to improve women's health through gender equality and women's empowerment", by Caren Grown, Geeta Rao Gupta, Rohini Pande

29 January 2005 | The Lancet
"Hunger in Africa: the link between unhealthy people and unhealthy soils", by Pedro A. Sanchez and M.S. Swaminathan

22 January 2005 | The Lancet
"The Millennium Project: a plan for meeting the Millennium Development Goals", by Jeffrey D. Sachs and John W. McArthur

Global health as an emerging academic discipline

From: Coleman, Catherine
3 de maio de 2005 16:02
[ProCOR] Global health as an emerging academic discipline

ProCOR colleagues,
Global health as an emerging academic discipline was the subject of a Global Health Forum convened by Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 18-19, 2005 (www.stat.sfu.ca/globalhealth).

Increased focus on global health and the resulting demand for professionals knowledgeable in local, national, and international determinants of health is being reflected in the establishment of global health courses and degree programs at a number of universities worldwide. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's (LSHTM) Centre on Global Change and Health has been teaching and researching the links between global change and health since 1999.
Currently 1200 students from 120 countries are enrolled in LSHTM via distance learning and an additional 1800 students from 80 countries are enrolled on-site.
A new global health department has been established at Simon Fraser University as well as at other institutions, including Yale University, University College London, Cambridge University, and Harvard University.

Discussion of the core competencies needed now and in the future by professionals working to promote global health revealed that the need for a consistent universal definition of "global health." Kelley Lee, LSHTM, noted that global health is distinct from international health. In "Globalisation and Health, an Introduction," (2003) she developed these definitions of global versus international health:

International health: "Where a national government can assert relative control over crossborder flows that impact on the health of the population within its territorial boundaries, the term international health is more accurate.

Global health: "Where there is an erosion of that [crossborder] control by transborder flows that undermine, or even disregard territorial space, the term global health is more appropriate. It is not simply that health determinants and their consequences spill over national borders. It is the degree to which state institutions can manage such spillovers effectively."

Stephen Matlin, Executive Director, Global Forum for Health Research, Geneva, emphasized that health must be recognized, first and foremost, as a human right and th

Medical devices Inspector Gadget would love ...

AMNews: May 9, 2005. Medical devices Inspector Gadget would love ... American Medical News: "Medical devices Inspector Gadget would love
Small, cheap and powerful diagnostic tools could change the way health care is provided.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. May 9, 2005.

Washington -- Patients with diabetes who test their glucose levels using credit card-size devices represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of small and powerful medical diagnostics.

How about using sensor arrays, also called electronic noses because they are based loosely on the principles of the olfactory system, to 'sniff' out lung cancer? Such arrays could move out of the lab soon."

Variety of reasons medicine not taken, a survey of seniors says ..

AMNews: May 9, 2005. Variety of reasons medicine not taken, a survey of seniors says ... American Medical News: "Variety of reasons medicine not taken, a survey of seniors says
A new Medicare drug law can go only so far toward encouraging adherence to a medication regimen.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. May 9, 2005.

Washington -- Cost isn't the only reason elderly patients don't take all the drugs prescribed to them, say the authors of a large survey of Medicare beneficiaries.

Seniors were about as likely to cite a drug's side effects or their beliefs that the medications weren't effective as they were to cite high cost, according to findings published online April 19 in Health Affairs."

INTERNET: omnipresente

Comitê Gestor :: Clipping
Demi Getschko: A rede mundial vai se tornar onipresente
Por Renato Cruz

Demi Getschko, especialista que presenciou a primeira conexão de internet no País, prevê nova etapa da revolução tecnológica

A internet deve desaparecer no futuro, prevê Demi Getschko, conselheiro do Comitê Gestor da Internet no Brasil e diretor de Tecnologia da Agência Estado.

Alguma catástrofe à vista? Não. "Da mesma forma que não discutimos o que acontece com a energia elétrica, a internet vai se tornar onipresente e não precisará ser chamada com esse nome", explicou Getschko. Ele sabe do que está falando. O engenheiro fez parte do grupo de especialistas que trouxe a rede mundial para o Brasil, com a primeira conexão da Fundação de Amparo e Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (Fapesp), em janeiro de 1991. A velocidade, para todo o País, era de 4.800 bits por segundo (bps). Uma conexão discada hoje é 11 vezes mais rápida.

hemochromatosis: Screening?

The Lancet: "Haemochromatosis would seem to be an ideal disease for community population-screening with genetic testing. The disease is common in white populations and a genetic test for a single mutation can detect a risk of iron overload. However, population screening for haemochromatosis has not been widely endorsed. The major concerns have been the uncertainty surrounding the natural history of untreated disease,1 informed consent, labelling and stigmatisation among participants that may never develop illness, and genetic discrimination. Genetic testing continues to have a negative connotation to many and yet the rationale for genetic exceptionalism may not be well established.2 In today's Lancet, Martin Delatycki and co-workers provides strong evidence that many of these concerns about genetic testing are not valid. Key questions are whether we are screening for a significant illness, and whether iron depletion by phlebotomy improves the health status of detected C282Y homozygotes."