Health Equity: 08/06/09

Thursday, August 6, 2009

[EQ] A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians - Public Health Classic

A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians

Marc Lalonde

The Public Health Agency of Canada, 1974

A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians is one of the founding documents in health promotion. Since its release in 1974, the document has challenged traditional views about health and has received, and continues to receive, national and international acclaim and recognition for its contribution to the health field.

It has been a cornerstone of Canada's international reputation and a proud historical achievement in the health field.

The document outlined a conceptual framework for health (called the "Health Field Concept") comprising four main elements:
- human biology,
- environment,
- lifestyle and
- health care organization.

This innovative framework gave impetus to national and international initiatives in knowledge development, health promotion, health protection and health care which not only have contributed to the health of Canadians, but also to global health initiatives.

Available online PDF [77p.] at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/pdf/perspect-eng.pdf

Snippets:

“…..Good health is the bedrock on which social progress is built. A nation of healthy people can do those things that make life worthwhile, and as the level of health increases so does the potential for happiness….”

“…..Complete well-being for all may be beyond our grasp, given the human condition, but much more can be done to increase freedom from disease and disability, as well as to promote a state of well-being sufficient to perform at adequate levels of physical, mental and social activity, taking age into account….”

“…..One of the purposes of this Working Paper, nevertheless, is to show the links between different kinds of mortality and illness on the one hand and their underlying causes on the other. Only when these links are known will it be possible to make judgments on whether certain risks are worth taking or certain sacrifices are worth making.

These judgments must be made by individuals in respect of their own living habits, by society in respect of the values it holds, and by governments in respect of both the funds they allocate to the preservation of health and the restrictions they impose on the population for whose well-being they are responsible. Ultimately, it is to help in making those judgments that this Working Paper has been written…………”

Table of Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

1. THE TRADITIONAL VIEW OF THE HEALTH FIELD.

2. THE LIMITATIONS OF THE TRADITIONAL VIEW

3. MAJOR PROBLEM AREAS IN THE HEALTH FIELD

HEALTH STATUS OF THE POPULATION

PROBLEMS IN THE ORGANIZATION AND DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE

4. THE HEALTH FIELD CONCEPT

5. ISSUES ARISING FROM THE USE OF THE HEALTH FIELD CONCEPT

6. POPULATIONS AT RISK.

7. CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS AND THE PRESENT FEDERAL ROLE.

8. RESEARCH AND THE HEALTH FIELD CONCEPT

9. SCIENCE VERSUS HEALTH PROMOTION

10. CARE VERSUS CURE.

11. MENTAL HEALTH

12. THE HEALTH FIELD CONCEPT AND STRATEGIES FORTHE FUTURE

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

ANNEX A

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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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[EQ] Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, and the Childhood Roots of Health Disparities

Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, and the Childhood Roots of Health Disparities
Building a New Framework for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Jack P. Shonkoff, W. Thomas Boyce, Bruce S. McEwen
JAMA, June, 2009—Vol 301, No. 21 2257
American Medical Association

URL: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/301/21/2252

“…..A scientific consensus is emerging that the origins of adultdisease are often found among developmental and biological disruptionsoccurring during the early years of life. These early experiencescan affect adult health in 2 ways—either by cumulativedamage over time or by the biological embedding of adversitiesduring sensitive developmental periods.

In both cases, therecan be a lag of many years, even decades, before early adverseexperiences are expressed in the form of disease. From bothbasic research and policy perspectives, confronting the originsof disparities in physical and mental health early in life mayproduce greater effects than attempting to modify health-relatedbehaviors or improve access to health ca
re in adulthood……”.

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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.

[EQ] Evidence Informed Health Policy

Evidence Informed Health Policy

This series of articles provides support for the use of research evidence in developing health policies

Evidence-informed health policy 4
Case descriptions of organizations that support the use of research evidence

John N Lavis, Ray Moynihan, Andrew D Oxman, Elizabeth J Paulsen
Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services
Implementation Science 2008, 3:56 (17 December 2008)

Available online PDF at: http://www.implementationscience.com/content/pdf/1748-5908-3-56.pdf

“….The findings from our case descriptions, the first of their kind, intersect in interesting ways with the messages arising from two systematic reviews of the factors that increase the prospects for research use in policymaking. Strong relationships between researchers and policymakers bodes well given such interactions appear to increase the prospects for research use. The time-consuming nature of an evidence-based approach, on the other hand, suggests the need for more efficient production processes that are ‘quick and clean enough.’ Our case descriptions and accompanying video documentaries provide a rich description of organizations supporting the use of research evidence, which can be drawn upon by those establishing or leading similar organizations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries…”

Evidence-informed health policy 3
Interviews with the directors of organizations that support the use of research evidence

John N Lavis, Andrew D Oxman, Ray Moynihan, Elizabeth J Paulsen
Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services
Implementation Science 2008, 3:55 (17 December 2008)
Available online PDF at: http://www.implementationscience.com/content/pdf/1748-5908-3-55.pdf

“…..Only a small number of previous efforts to describe the experiences of organizations that produce clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), undertake health technology assessments (HTAs), or directly support the use of research evidence in developing health policy (i.e., government support units, or GSUs) have relied on interviews and then only with HTA agencies. Interviews offer the potential for capturing experiences in great depth, particularly the experiences of organizations that may be underrepresented in surveys…”

Evidence-informed health policy 2
Survey of organizations that support the use of research evidence

John N Lavis, Elizabeth J Paulsen, Andrew D Oxman, Ray Moynihan
Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services
Implementation Science 2008, 3:54 (17 December 2008)
Available online PDF at: http://www.implementationscience.com/content/pdf/1748-5908-3-54.pdf

“….The findings from our survey, the most broadly based of its kind, both extend or clarify the applicability of the messages arising from previous surveys and related documentary analyses, such as how the ‘principles of evidence-based medicine dominate current guideline programs’ and the importance of collaborating with other organizations. The survey also provides a description of the history, structure, processes, outputs, and perceived strengths and weaknesses of existing organizations from which those establishing or leading similar organizations can draw….”

Evidence-informed health policy 1
Synthesis of findings from a multi-method study of organizations that support the use of research evidence

John N Lavis, Andrew D Oxman, Ray Moynihan, Elizabeth J Paulsen
Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services
Implementation Science 2008, 3:53 (17 December 2008)

Available online PDF at: http://www.implementationscience.com/content/pdf/1748-5908-3-53.pdf

“…..This synthesis of findings from a multi-method study, along with the more detailed findings from each of the three phases of the study (which are reported in the three following articles in the series), provide a strong basis on which researchers, policymakers, international organizations (and networks) like WHO can respond to the growing chorus of voices calling for efforts to support the use of research evidence in developing health policy….”

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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.

[EQ] Strategic Framework for Reducing Risks of Infectious Diseases at the Animal-Human-Ecosystems Interface

Contributing to One World One Health:

A Strategic Framework for Reducing Risks of Infectious Diseases at the Animal-Human-Ecosystems Interface

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CFEZID) hosted the One World One Health Expert Consultation in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from March 16-19, 2009.

Report of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s One World One Health Expert Consultation webpage can be found in English at:
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/er-rc/index-eng.php

and in French at
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/er-rc/index-fra.php

Full report as PDF Format 45p at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/er-rc/pdf/er-rc-eng.pdf

The One World One Health (OWOH) concept proposes an international, interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral approach to surveillance, monitoring, prevention, control and mitigation of emerging diseases, as well as to environmental conservation (from OWOH Strategic Framework, 2008).

It recognizes the linkages between animal, human and ecosystem health domains. Broadly stated, the OWOH concept provides a framework for preventing emerging infectious diseases of animal origin, instead of simply responding to them once they have occurred.

International and Canadian experts from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, United Nations organizations, and the private sector gathered together to discuss Contributing to One World One Health: A Strategic Framework for Reducing Risks of Infectious Diseases at the Animal-Human-Ecosystems Interface.

The Strategic Framework was the joint product of six major international organizations: the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Bank, and the United Nations System Influenza Coordination.

The document sets out six priority objectives for countries to consider, such as developing capacity in surveillance, promoting inter-agency and cross-sectoral partnerships, and ensuring functioning national emergency response capacity.

TM: One World One Health is a registered trademark of the Wildlife Conservation Society

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s One World One Health Expert Consultation webpage can be found in English at:
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/er-rc/index-eng.php

and in French at
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/er-rc/index-fra.php

Full report as PDF Format 45p at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/er-rc/pdf/er-rc-eng.pdf

Table of Contents

Part 1: Consultation Overview and Key Recommendations

Part 2: Setting the Context
Opening Remarks
Context and Purpose
Overview of One World One Health
Overview of the Strategic Framework

Part 3: Working Sessions and Feedback
Best Practices for Developing Integrated International, National and Regional Capacity in Surveillance
Best Practices for Ensuring Adequate International, National and Regional Capacity in Public and Animal Health, including Communication
Best Practices for Ensuring Integrated Functioning of National Emergency Response Capacity
Best Practices for Promoting Inter-agency and Cross-sectoral Collaboration and Partnership
Best Practices for Controlling HPAI and Other Existing and Potentially Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases
Best Practices for Conducting Strategic Research

Part 4: Optional Sessions
Part 5: Closing Remarks

Nick Previsich - Senior Advisor and Manager
One World One Health - Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
Public Health Agency of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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“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.