Friday, January 30, 2009

[EQ] Bridging the divide: global governance of trade and health

Bridging the divide: global governance of trade and health

 

Kelley Lee, Devi Sridhar, Mayur Patel

This is the second in a Series of six papers on trade and health Centre on Global Change and Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,

London, UK (K Lee DPhil); and All Souls College, Department of Politics and International Relations (D Sridhar DPhil) and Department of International

Development (M Patel MPhil), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Volume 373, Issue 9661, Pages 353-432 - 31 January 2009-6 February 2009

 

Abstract:  http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)61776-6/abstract

 

The main institutions responsible for governing international trade and health—the World Trade Organization (WTO), which replaced the General Agreement on Tariff s and Trade (GATT) in 1995, and WHO—were established after World War 2. For many decades the two institutions operated in isolation, with little cooperation between them.

The growth and expansion of world trade over the past half century amid economic globalisation, and the increased importance of health issues to the functioning of a more interconnected world, brings the two domains closer together on a broad range of issues. Foremost is the capacity of each to govern their respective domains, and their ability to cooperate in tackling issues that lie at the intersection of trade and health. This paper discusses how the governance of these two areas relate to one another, and how well existing institutions work together…”

 

Trade and Health SERIES – The Lancet

Launched in London, UK, Jan 21, 2009

"The fact that trade directly and indirectly affects the health of the global population with an unrivalled reach and depth undoubtedly makes it a key health issue", states a Comment introducing the Series.

Executive summary

Many health professionals perceive trade as complex or unrelated to their practice. The Series on trade and health provides timely analysis of the key challenges to achieving an appropriate balance between trade and health across a diverse range of issues. This six-part Series examines differences in structures of the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization that promote wealth before health. Issues of global trade governance, effects of trade practices on health of workers and the implications of intellectual property rights for access to live-saving medicines are all explored.

 

Series Comments

Trade and health: time for the health sector to get involved

Full Text | PDF


Trade agreements and health in developing countries

Full Text | PDF


Health before profits? Learning from Thailand's experience

Full Text | PDF


Trade and health: the need for a political economic analysis

Full Text | PDF


Series Papers

Managing the pursuit of health and wealth: the key challenges

Summary | Full Text | PDF


Bridging the divide: global governance of trade and health

Summary | Full Text | PDF


Trade and social determinants of health

Summary | Full Text | PDF


Trade in health-related services

Summary | Full Text | PDF


Trade, TRIPS, and pharmaceuticals

Summary | Full Text | PDF


Trade and health: an agenda for action

Summary | Full Text | PDF

 

 

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[EQ] Instruments of development: Randomization in the tropics, and the search for the elusive keys to economic development

Instruments of development: Randomization in the tropics, and the search for the elusive keys to economic development

 

Angus Deaton

Research Program in Development Studies - Center for Health and Wellbeing

Princeton University - January, 2009

 

Available online as PDF file [56p.] at: http://www.princeton.edu/~deaton/downloads/Instruments_of_Development.pdf

 

“……There is currently much debate about the effectiveness of foreign aid and about what kind of projects can engender economic development. There is skepticism about the ability of econometric analysis to resolve these issues, or of development agencies to learn from their own experience. In response, there is movement in development economics towards the use of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to accumulate credible knowledge of what works, without over-reliance on questionable theory or statistical methods.

 

When randomized controlled trials RCTs are not possible, this movement advocates quasi-randomization through instrumental variable (IV) techniques or natural experiments. I argue that many of these applications are unlikely to recover quantities that are useful for policy or understanding: two key issues are the misunderstanding of exogeneity, and the handling of heterogeneity. I illustrate from the literature on aid and growth. Actual randomization faces similar problems as quasi-randomization, notwithstanding rhetoric to the contrary.

 

I argue that experiments have no special ability to produce more credible knowledge than other methods, and that actual experiments are frequently subject to practical problems that undermine any claims to statistical or epistemic superiority. I illustrate using prominent experiments in development. As with instrumental variable IV methods, randomized controlled trials RCT-based evaluation of projects is unlikely to lead to scientific progress in the understanding of economic development. I welcome recent trends in development experimentation away from the evaluation of projects and towards the evaluation of theoretical mechanisms….”  Author

 

 

 

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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/ KMC Area]

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and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
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[EQ] Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions

Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions

 

Govind Persad, Alan Wertheimer, Ezekiel J Emanuel

Department of Bioethics, The Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

Volume 373, Issue 9661, Pages 353-432 - 31 January 2009-6 February 2009

 

Website: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60137-9/fulltext

 

“…..Allocation of very scarce medical interventions such as organs and vaccines is a persistent ethical challenge.
We evaluate eight simple allocation principles that can be classified into four categories:
- treating people equally,
- favouring the worst-off ,
- maximising total benefits, and
- promoting and rewarding social usefulness.

 

No single principle is sufficient to incorporate all morally relevant considerations and therefore individual principles must be combined into multiprinciple allocation systems. We evaluate three systems: the United Network for Organ Sharing points systems, quality-adjusted life-years, and disability-adjusted life-years. We recommend an alternative system—the complete lives system—which prioritises younger people who have not yet lived a complete life, and also incorporates prognosis, save the most lives, lottery, and instrumental value principles….”

 

 

 

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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/ KMC 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.