[EQ] Health Situation in the Americas: Basic Indicators 2007

Health Situation in the Americas:  Basic Indicators 2007

 

Regional Core Health Data and Country Profiles Initiative-  Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)

 

Available online as PDF file [12p.]
English version at: http://www.paho.org/english/dd/ais/BI_2007_ENG.pdf

Spanish version: http://www.paho.org/spanish/dd/ais/IB_2007_SPA.pdf

 

Core Data website:
English: http://www.paho.org/english/dd/ais/coredata.htm

Spanish: www.paho.org/spanish/dd/ais/coredata.htm .

 

The brochure "Health Situation in the Americas: Basic Indicators 2007" presents the latest information available on 57 basic indicators for the 48 countries and territories as well as the subregions. With regard to the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), we graphically present the malaria indicator with reference to MDG six.

 

The figure illustrates the malaria situation in 2000, 2006, and the proposed over-all goal for 2015. We also include a map showing the 1990 and 2004 urban/rural geographical distribution for the MDG seven, indicator "Population using improved sources of drinking water" at the national level. 

 

 

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This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ IKM Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
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[EQ] Improving the reporting of public health intervention research: advancing TREND and CONSORT

Improving the reporting of public health intervention research: advancing TREND and CONSORT

Rebecca Armstrong, Senior Research Fellow^1,2,
Elizabeth Waters, Professorial Fellow, Public Health and Health Equity^1,2
Laurence Moore, Professor and Director³
Elisha Riggs, Research Fellow²
Luis Gabriel Cuervo, Unit Chief, Research Promotion and Development⁴
Pisake Lumbiganon, Professor in Ob & Gyn⁵
Penelope Hawe, Professor, Markin Chair in Health and Society & Alberta Heritage, Foundation for Medical Research Health Scientist⁶

Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on January 19, 2008

Published by Oxford University Press

Website: http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/fdm082v1

Background Evidence-based public health decision-making depends on high quality and transparent accounts of what interventions are effective, for whom, how and at what cost. Improving the quality of reporting of randomized and non-randomized study designs through the CONSORT and TREND statements has had a marked impact on the quality of study designs. However, public health users of systematic reviews have been concerned with the paucity of synthesized information on context, development and rationale, implementation processes and sustainability factors.

Methods This paper examines the existing reporting frameworks for research against information sought by users of systematic reviews of public health interventions and suggests additional items that should be considered in future recommendations on the reporting of public health interventions.

Results Intervention model, theoretical and ethical considerations, study design choice, integrity of intervention/process evaluation, context, differential effects and inequalities and sustainability are often overlooked in reports of public health interventions.

Conclusion Population health policy makers need synthesized, detailed and high quality a priori accounts of effective interventions in order to make better progress in tackling population morbidities and inequalities. Adding simple criteria to reporting standards will significantly improve the quality and usefulness of published evidence and increase its impact on public health program planning.

Authors:
¹ Cochrane Health Promotion and Public Health Field, VicHealth,  Melbourne, Australia
² The McCaughey Centre: the VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
³ Cardiff Institute of Society, Health and Ethics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
⁴ Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO), Washington DC, USA
⁵ Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
⁶ Population Health Intervention Research Centre, University of Calgary, AB, Canada

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This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ IKM Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
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[EQ] Proximal, Distal, and the Politics of Causation: What's Level Got to Do With It?

 

Proximal, Distal, and the Politics of Causation: What’s Level Got to Do With It?

 

Krieger Nancy
Am J Public Health – February 2008; 98:221-230. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.111278
American Journal of Public Health  - February 2008, Vol 98, No. 2

URL: http://www.ajph.org/

Abstract:
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/2/221?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=krieger&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

 

“….Causal thinking in public health, and especially in the growing literature on social determinants of health, routinely employs the terminology of proximal (or downstream) and distal (or upstream). I argue that the use of these terms is problematic and adversely affects public health research, practice, and causal accountability. At issue are distortions created by conflating measures of space, time, level, and causal strength.

 

To make this case, I draw on an ecosocial perspective to show how public health got caught in the middle of the problematic proximal–distal divide—surprisingly embraced by both biomedical and social determinist frameworks—and propose replacing the terms proximal and distal with explicit language about levels, pathways, and power….”

 

 

For reprints requests:
Nancy Krieger, PhD Professor, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health

Harvard School of Public Health

677 Huntington Avenue, Kresge 717 Boston, MA 02115 (USA)
email: vnkrieger@hsph.harvard.edu

web:     http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/faculty/NancyKrieger.html

 

 

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This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ IKM Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
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    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.