Global health briefs May 2013
May / June 2013 | Volume 12, Issue 3
Preparing for a global rise in chronic disease
With noncommunicable diseases set to rise around the globe, scientist should study the related research questions, according to a series of policy briefs, "Addressing the Gaps in Policy and Research for Noncommunicable Diseases," published by Johns Hopkins University.
World Bank offers online policy resources
The World Bank has released an online policy resources toolkit that can facilitate private sector contributions to important developing country health goals.
WHO kit improves vital statistics data
The WHO is offering materials to help countries produce reliable statistics. Titled "Strengthening registration and vital statistics for births, deaths and causes of death," the kit was developed by numerous technical partners and institutions.
WHO suggests how to cut health inequities
The WHO has compiled expert policy briefs on how to further health equity around the world. "Closing the Health Equity Gap" covers such topics as working toward universal health coverage, ways to measure inequities and cross-government actions helpful in urban settings.
UN report notes South's rise
Prospects of people in the South have improved at an unprecedented pace, according to the UN's 2013 Human Development Report. The report notes inequality in health and education declined, even as income inequalities rose. Mothers' education was found to raise child survival more than household income levels.
Countries in flux need to measure health
Health impact assessments are important tools for maximizing health promotion, but many countries do not conduct them systematically while under the pressure of population growth, urbanization, natural resource pressure and global climate change, the WHO reports in an article "Untapped potential of health impact assessment."
To view Adobe PDF files,
download current, free accessible plug-ins from Adobe's website.