Health Equity: 09/20/11

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

[EQ] Segregated Spaces, Risky Places: The Effects of Racial Segregation on Health Inequalities

Segregated Spaces, Risky Places:
The Effects of Racial Segregation on Health Inequalities

Thomas A. LaVeist, Darrell Gaskin, Antonio J. Trujillo

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies –September 2011

Supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Available online PDF [44p.] at: http://bit.ly/nFtQo9

“……..Place matters for health. Research by the Joint Center and others has consistently shown that neighborhood characteristics, often referred to as social determinants of health, such as the quality of schools, access to quality health care and nutritious foods, and exposure to environmental hazards, have a significant impact on how long one lives. Residents of neighborhoods that have poor and underfunded schools, limited access to quality health care and nutritious foods, and high levels of exposure to environmental hazards will, on average, live substantially shorter lives than residents of neighborhoods that don’t suffer from these characteristics.

This research report highlights the effects of place on health and health inequities. It outlines the existing evidence of residential segregation’s effect on health, and it extends upon existing literature by examining the relationship between segregation and health inequities using the latest federal Census and health data. What the report finds is striking. Using infant mortality as a measure of population health, the authors find that although residential segregation is decreasing, the relationship between segregation and infant mortality disparities appears to have intensified in recent years.

Government at all levels can improve health opportunities by stimulating public and private investment to help make all communities healthier. We can do so by creating incentives to improve neighborhood food options, by aggressively addressing environmental degradation, and by de-concentrating poverty from inner-cities and rural areas through smart housing and transportation policy. ….”

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[EQ] Governance for health in the 21st century

Governance for health in the 21st century:
a study conducted for the WHO Regional Office for Europe

WHO regional Office for Europe – August 2011

Available online at: http://bit.ly/r25XXA

“………Mind-sets on how we view and address health and its determinants have shifted. Two challenges go hand in hand: (1) the governance of the health system and health systems strengthening, which are what we refer to as ‘health governance’; and (2) the joint action of health and non-health sectors, of the public and private sectors and of citizens for a common interest in what we call ‘governance for health’. The latter is the subject of this study.

Living in a ‘knowledge society’ means that power and authority are no longer concentrated in government. Informed citizens, conscientious businesses, independent agencies and expert bodies increasingly have a role to play. Nevertheless, governments and health ministries continue to be important in managing governance for health, setting norms, providing evidence and ‘making the healthier choice the easier choice’.

We define governance for health and well-being as ‘the attempts of governments and other actors to steer communities, whole countries or even groups of countries in the pursuit of health as integral to well-being through both whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches’. The entire society must be understood as being responsible for its health……….” Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe

Content:

Executive summary

1. 21st century governance for health and well-being

1.1 Focus of the study

1.2 Contextual drivers

1.2.1 Global interdependence: the context for governing health has changed

1.2.2 Complexity: Our understanding of health has changed and expanded

1.2.3 Co-production: The new role of citizens and civil society

2. Governance

2.1 Three key governance dynamics

2.1.1 Diffusion of governance

2.1.2 Expansion of monitory democracy

2.1.3 ‘Shared value’

2.2 The changing nature of policy-making

3. Governance for health and well-being

4. Good governance for health and well-being

4.1 What is good governance?

4.2 Role of guiding value systems

4.3 The relationship between values and evidence

5. Smart governance for health and well-being

5.1 Introduction to smart governance

5.2 Five types of smart governance for health and well-being

5.2.1 Governing through collaboration

5.2.2 Governing through citizen engagement

5.2.3 Governing by a mix of regulation and persuasion

5.2.4 Governing through independent agencies and expert bodies

5.2.5 Governing by adaptive policies, resilient structures and foresight

6. New governance for health

6.1 New role for the health sector

6.2 Political engagement and leadership

6.3 Conclusions and recommendations to the new European policy for health, Health 2020

EUR/RC61/Inf.Doc./6 - Glossary – Bibliography

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[EQ] The Growing Danger of Non-Communicable Diseases Acting Now to Reverse Course

The Growing Danger of Non-Communicable Diseases
Acting Now to Reverse Course

The World Bank - Human Development Network – September 2011

Available online PDF file [24p.] at: http://bit.ly/mY9zP8

“….The aim of this note is to support policy makers in lower-and middle-income countries, as well as the development community, in taking action across sectors to effectively address the growing crisis of NCDs amongst other national and global priorities.
The World Bank’s support to policy makers in addressing the NCD challenge builds on its work in strengthening development and improving health outcomes in middle- and lower-income countries….
‘”….The Bank stands ready to help countries, particularly those dealing with a “double burden” of disease, to shape strategies to achieve their MDG targets, and build the evidence, for both middle and lower income countries, to effectively respond to the NCD challenge, while resolving the inevitable tradeoffs that policymakers will face in allocating national health budgets….”

Content:
Executive Summary .

A Call to Action: The Mounting Development Challenge of NCDs .

Changing Course: The Prevention Opportunity.

Effective Response Requires Action Across Sectors.

Conclusion.

Figures

Figure 1 The Rising NCD Challenge in Developing Regions Includes Younger Populations.

Figure 2 High Cost of NCDs to Economies, Health Systems, Households and Individuals Economies.

Figure 3 Examples of Priority Interventions to Address NCDs.

Figure 4 Proposed Expansion Path for an NCD Prevention Package in China.

Figure 5 A Wide Range of Possible Policy Interventions.

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