Health Equity: 01/26/09

Monday, January 26, 2009

[EQ] World Malaria Report 2008

World Malaria Report 2008

World Health Organization

Available online PDF file [215p.] at: http://www.who.int/malaria/wmr2008/malaria2008.pdf

“….Half of the world's population is at risk of malaria, and an estimated 247 million cases led to nearly 881 000 deaths in 2006. The advent of long-lasting insecticidal nets and artemisinin-based combination therapy, plus a revival of support for indoor residual spraying of insecticide, presents a new opportunity for large-scale malaria control.

The World malaria report 2008 describes the global distribution of cases and deaths, how WHO-recommended control strategies have been adopted and implemented in endemic countries, sources of funding for malaria control, and recent evidence that prevention and treatment can alleviate the burden of disease. …”

  Summary & Key points
English [pdf 144kb] | French [pdf 121kb] | Spanish [pdf 103kb] | Chinese [pdf 515kb] | Russian [pdf 150kb] | Arabic [pdf 100kb] | Portuguese [pdf 50kb]

::  Table of contents [pdf 33kb]

::  Chapter 1: Introduction [pdf 65kb]

::  Chapter 2: Policies, strategies and targets for malaria control [pdf 110kb]

::  Chapter 3: Estimated burden of malaria in 2006 [pdf 366kb]

::  Chapter 4: Interventions to control malaria [pdf 241kb]

::  Chapter 5: Impact of malaria control [pdf 180kb]

::  COUNTRY PROFILES: 30 high-burden countries

  ::  Profiles: Methods and definitions [pdf 87kb]

::  Angola
::  Bangladesh
::  Burkina Faso
::  Brazil
::  Cambodia
::  Cameroon
::  Chad
::  Côte d'Ivoire
::  Colombia
::  Democratic Republic of the Congo
::  Ethiopia
::  Ghana
::  India
::  Kenya
::  Madagascar
::  Malawi
::  Mali
::  Mozambique
::  Myanmar
::  Niger
::  Nigeria
::  Pakistan
::  Papua New Guinea
::  Senegal
::  Sudan
::  Tajikistan
::  Turkey
::  Uganda
::  United Republic of Tanzania
::  Zambia

::  Annex 1: Estimating the numbers of malaria cases and deaths by country in 2006
[pdf 228kb]

::  Annex 2: Estimated and reported cases and deaths, 2006
[pdf 110kb] [Excel 57kb]

::  Annex 3: A. Reported malaria cases, 1990–2007
[pdf 120kb] [Excel 44kb]
    Annex 3: B. Reported malaria deaths, 1990–2007
[pdf 120kb] [Excel 48kb]

::  Annex 4: A. Recommended policies and strategies for malaria control, 2007
[pdf 130kb] [Excel 63kb]
    Annex 4: B. Antimalarial drug policy, 2008
[pdf 130kb] [Excel 41kb]

::  Annex 5: Operational coverage of insecticide-treated nets, indoor residual spraying and antimalarial treatment, 2004–2007
[pdf 152kb] [Excel 271]

::  Annex 6: A. Household surveys of mosquito net ownership and usage, 2001–2007
[pdf 140kb] [Excel 284kb]
    Annex 6: B. Household surveys of antimalarial treatment, 2001–2007
[pdf 140kb] [Excel 44kb]

::  Annex 7: Funding for malaria control, 2004–2007
[pdf 120kb] [Excel 124kb]

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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/ KMS 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] Financing the Health Care System. Is Long-term Sustainability Possible?

Financing the Health Care System. Is Long-term Sustainability Possible?

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - December 15, 2008

Sean Burnett

Available online as PDF [15p.] at:

http://www.policyalternatives.ca/~ASSETS/DOCUMENT/Saskatchewan_Pubs/2008/Financing_Health_Care_Dec_11.pdf

“… The report analyzes three indicators of sustainability: the ratio of total health care spending to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the ratio of public spending on health care to GDP and the ratio of government health expenditures to total government revenue. ….”

“…..The Analysis of Health Care Expenditures focuses on expenditures for health care as a determinate of sustainability. The first part looks at historical trends in spending, followed by estimated cost drivers and the expected influence these will have on total health care spending. Finally, financing options will be reviewed for their impact on public spending.

In a recent paper Ruggeri (2006) analysed sustainability of health care. He suggests there are several indicators of sustainability with three being the most useful:

1 The ratio of total health care spending to GDP.

2 The ratio of public spending on health care to GDP.

3 The ratio of government health expenditures to total government revenue.

These indicators provide a framework to determine sustainability using additional data to the original Ruggeri study. The chosen indicators are important because they can be used to refute claims by opponents of the public health care system that it is in fiscal crisis….”

Content

Introduction

Categories of Health Spending

History of Fiscal Federalism

Moving Towards a “Two-Tier” System

Analysis of Health Care Expenditures
The Impact of Future Costs on Sustainability

Not a Public Health Care Fiscal Crisis

Policy Recommendations

Avoid Privatization

Reform the Pu

* * * *

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/ KMS 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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Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html

    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.

[EQ] The Financial Crisis and Global Health

The Financial Crisis and Global Health

Report of a High-Level Consultation

World Health Organization, Geneva - 19 January 2009

Available onlinePDF [18p.] at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/meetings/2009_financial_crisis_report_en_.pdf

“…..The objectives were:

(a) to build awareness of the ways in which an economic downturn may affect health spending, health services, health-seeking behaviour and health outcomes;

(b) to make the case for sustaining investments in health; and

(c) to identify actions – including monitoring of early warning signs – that can help to mitigate the negative impact of economic downturns.

Conclusions: a five-point framework for action

The consultation suggested five areas where action at global, regional and country levels – with support from WHO – will help to ensure that the health sector emerges from the crisis in good condition.

Leadership

Leaders in health must be prepared to speak out – unequivocally and on the basis of sound evidence – to make the case for health at times of crisis. This must happen at country level, where health ministers and their officials work with ministries of finance. Regional institutions can be a powerful force in bringing countries together. At global level, it is imperative that the need for safeguarding progress in health, and ensuring that donors keep to their commitments, becomes a focus in meetings of global leaders. WHO should ensure a strong voice for health through its work on advocacy.

Monitoring and analysis

Contingency planning must be based on good quality information. It is clear that the impact of the crisis will vary country by country. Country-specific analysis will therefore be essential to guide policy and to assess the potential impact on different populations and institutions. Early warning systems will require collaboration between organizations with complementary fields of expertise. In addition, WHO will pay particular attention to monitoring financial flows for health from governments and donors as well as the cost and availability of medicines and other forms of care.

Pro-poor and pro-health public spending

There is widespread agreement that counter-cyclical public spending provides a means of reviving economies. Aid will play a key role in providing a boost that many low-income countries cannot finance alone. The challenge is to ensure that spending is genuinely pro-poor and that, where possible, it has a positive impact on health. Infrastructure investments provide one route, but other opportunities for safeguarding lives and income can also be identified. Short-term measures can provide the basis for more ethical public spending in the future.

Policies for the health sector

Primary health care provides an overarching approach to policy at a time of financial crisis. Its continuing relevance lies in its value base – stressing the importance of equity, solidarity and gender; through inclusiveness – and the objective of working towards universal coverage and pooling of risk; through a multisectoral approach to achieving better outcomes; and through utilizing the assets of all health actors in the private, voluntary and nongovernment sectors. WHO should provide support, on request, through country offices supported, as necessary, by regional offices and headquarters.

New ways of doing business in international health

The financial crisis requires that the international health community asks some fundamental questions about the way it operates. These include: how to reduce overlap and duplication between the work of different agencies; how to promote greater synergy between individual health programmes; how to ensure that key health promoting interventions in areas such as nutrition and sanitation are not neglected; how to accelerate progress in United Nations reform; how to bring a greater number of specific initiatives more in line with country priorities?

Progress will depend on action at country, regional and global level. WHO is also concerned to increase its own effectiveness, and work is in hand to seek efficiencies, to explore new and better ways of working, and to review priorities….”

* * *
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/ KMC Area]

    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.