Editorial: Health workers for all – a global problem
Dear reader,
No one doubts that having sufficient health workers both in quantity and quality is vital to a health system that responds to the health needs of its population. However, the global situation is far from acceptable: More than 50 countries, mainly in Africa and South Asia, face a critical shortage of health workers which explains much of the mortality and morbidity in these countries. In Spain, the situation can become dramatic as well.
Aging societies of the so-called developed countries in Europe and North America need more and more chronic care. This trend, together with the increased use of health care and the aging of the health workforce itself – with many retirements to be expected in the years to come – cause staff needs that are not covered by the respective national health systems. In fact, the European Commission estimates in its working document Action Plan for the EU Health Workforce that if the current training skills are kept, there will be a shortage of one million health workers in Europe by 2020. In Spain, it is estimated that by 2025 there will be a 14% deficit of health workers, including family physicians and specialists. These estimates were obtained before knowing the current situation, where, because of the economic crisis, many Spanish professionals are seeking job opportunities outside our borders.
The WHO identifies four key strategic areas for Member States to achieve a volume of sustainable health workforce and to strengthen health systems: defend, communicate and mobilize existing resources; build information systems for human resources for health; strategically invest in human resources for health development; and align human resources with other public health policies and interventions.
What solutions exist for staff shortages? The first and most rational solution we find when we think about this subject is that each country would appropriately plan its needs of health workers and in this way put the basis for ensuring the training of the needed staff, both in quantity and quality. However, this plan is not easy. On one hand, changes in epidemiological and demographic patterns and future demands of the population are difficult to estimate, and even more in countries with a fragile health system that do not have sufficient resources to successfully carry out this planning. Furthermore, many countries – if not all of them – do not know the exact number of their health workers, especially in the private sector. For example, Spain is trying to introduce the first record of health workers, which is expected to be operational in 2014, because we do not know how many health workers are currently in our country and so we rely on estimations. Even designating who should be included in “medical staff” is sometimes confusing, especially in countries where traditional medicine or health promoters play an important role in health care.
The second and “easier” solution implemented by many countries over the recent years is the import of health personnel. As the labour market becomes more globalized, the increasing international demand is boosting the migration and mobility among health workers. Until not long ago, the most developed countries were the largest recipients of health workers, but in recent years this transfer of staff also occurs from developed countries to emerging countries. A current example of this is the Brazil program “Mais médicos para o Brazil” (More doctors for Brazil) where 28% of the 358 physicians enrolled in its third edition are Spanish. Therefore, it is a global problem that affects or could affect every country.
The recruitment of foreign health workers can be a way to satisfy domestic demand for a certain time. However, it can worsen the shortage of skilled workers elsewhere, especially in low and middle income countries and even in developed countries like some European ones. And there is another element to add to this debate: The cost incurred by the countries in training health personnel. For example in Spain it is estimated that it costs about 120,000€ to train a graduate. The CESM (Spanish Confederation of Medical Trade Unions) estimates that the cost of training a MRI specialist is approximately 200,000€. Worldwide, figures are worrying. Estimates show that the national health systems of nine African countries have lost 2,170 million dollars, the investment in the training of their doctors, due to emigration after graduation. The same influx of immigrants has come to provide a profit of 4,550 million dollars to the recipients of these professionals. So we have the contradiction that the flow of health workers is going from countries where there is a larger shortage to countries that have more resources.
Those who work in development know this story very well. Many of the training programs that are developed in the health cooperation have little success because the staff migrates once the training is over, leaving the populations with most needs without staff to assist them. The proportion of health workers in many African countries is ridiculous compared to Europe: 2 doctors/1000 inhabitants in Africa to 33 doctors/1000 inhabitants in Europe – and Europe keeps attracting African staff! Although this capture is worldwide, some countries absorb most of the foreign staff. The United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia use 69% of the overall foreign doctors working in OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Countries).
Carlos Mediano, federacion2@medicusmundi.es
Federation of Medicus Mundi Spain
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Related Network report: HW4All
Health workforce shortages and international mobility in the EU
A report published by the European civil society project «Health workers for all and all for health workers» (HW4All) warns of an impending crisis in Europe which will have a global impact. The report analyses trends in the international recruitment of health workers in the European region and highlights three cross-cutting issues: Human Resources for Health planning capacity across the European Union; fiscal space for health workforces in the context of the economic crisis; and health workforce mobility and trade in services. (The HW4all project includes various MMI Network members and the MMI secretariat)
> https://interact.healthworkers4all.eu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=3735989
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Related Network paper: Wemos
Caring for carers – a relevant concern?
Globally sustainable and fair personnel policies for the Dutch health care sector: What does it mean in practice? Wemos published a booklet intended for anyone directly or indirectly involved with the problem of impending staff shortages in the Dutch health care sector and similar sector shortages in other countries’ health care sectors.
> https://interact.healthworkers4all.eu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=3735964
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Related Network paper: Health Poverty Action
The Health Worker Crisis – an analysis of the issues and main international responses
The report produced by Health Poverty Action gives an overview of the impact of the brain drain on health care provisions in source countries and current international strategies to mitigate its effects. It will argue that these strategies are faced with severe challenges and present some alternative approaches to address the health worker shortage, based on an acknowledgement of the Global North’s contribution to the current crisis.
> https://interact.healthworkers4all.eu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=3735872
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Related Network resource: HW4All
HW4All online collaboration platform launched
The European civil society project «Health workers for all and all for health workers» (HW4All) launched an online collaboration platform where all relevant actors and stakeholders are invited to share experiences, opinions, suggestions, best practices and proposals on health workforce issues. Platform users will also find occasions to activate themselves as advocates of increased coherence between development cooperation policies and domestic health policies and practices of European Member States. Join in! (The online platform is administered by the MMI secretariat)
MMI Network: Events 2014 (what we know so far…)
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Network event: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Is “Value for Money” the best approach for improving weak health systems?
Basel, 9 April 2014. The aid community now systematically refers to the “Value for Money” (VfM) concept in relation to health programmes. Still, the concept has varying meaning among individuals and agencies. It spans benchmarking the costs of certain products, to focusing exclusively on high level impact indicators. Applying universal standards in very different contexts can be counterproductive, force missed opportunities, and devalue the need for “patient capital” and long-term capacity development. Consider the situation of countries with weak health systems – where health conditions are dire, and resources are limited. Is VfM the mantra that leads to the most prudent allocation of investments? Spring Symposium of the Swiss TPH, a member of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland.
> http://www.swisstph.ch/spring_symposium_2014.html
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Network event: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
How to address sexual violence and HIV
Bern, 10 April 2014, aidsfocus.ch conference. Sexual violence is a fundamental violation of human rights and has a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of people, especially women. Research shows that violence is a major cause of HIV transmission, but also a consequence of HIV infection. The conference explores how sexual and gender based violence increases vulnerability to HIV, AIDS and other STIs. It highlights current interventions to address the consequences of sexual violence on the health of women, children and men. Based on experiences and best practice, the conference will explore programming and key actions addressing the consequences of sexual violence on HIV in protection of the survivors of sexual violence. The focus is on sharing of experiences and information and learning from each other. The conference is co-organized by aidsfocus.ch, a platform coordinated by Medicus Mundi Switzerland, and its member terre des hommes schweiz.
> http://www.aidsfocus.ch/platform/Event.2013-09-11.4135
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Network event: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Global Health: Interconnected Challenges, Integrated Solutions
Geneva, 15-17 April 2014. “During recent decades significant progress has been made to focus policy attention and channel new financial resources towards global health issues. Despite this, the challenges facing our global community are becoming increasingly complex and inter-connected.” The Geneva Health Forum is organized by the Division of International and Humanitarian Medicine at the Hospitals of the University of Geneva, a member of Medicus Mundi Switzerland
> http://ghf.globalhealthforum.net/2013/03/19/announcing-geneva-health-forum-2014/#.UcgUcZzheBx
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Network event: Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network
Maternal and Child Health Care Access to Safe Pharmaceuticals
Nairobi, 28-30 April 2014. This year’s EPN Forum is expected to bring together senior executives from Christian Health Associations, Church Based Pharmaceutical Supply Agencies and International Organizations working on or interested in health and pharmaceutical supply issues as well as other stakeholders. The biennial EPN Forum is an opportunity for members of the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network to meet physically, learn, share and exchange experience and knowledge, discuss, develop ideas and make critical decisions in relation to the activities of the Network with experts, friends and partners. Visit the EPN websites for updates.
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Network event: Medicus Mundi International
Global health: What’s ahead?
Geneva, 24 May 2014. Annual General Assembly of the Medicus Mundi International Network with a public mini-symposium on global health challenges in the next five years – in view of the development of a MMI Network strategy 2015-20. Mark the date! Details to follow in April.
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Network event: action medeor
innovativ und kompetent helfen
Tönisvorst, 27 June 2014. The German MMI Network member action medeor celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a symposium and exhibition at their headquarters.
> http://www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/events/2014/innovativ-und-kompetent-helfen
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Network event: MMI / Cordaid / Memisa
An ideal match! Successfully connecting NGO practice and Health Systems Research
Cape Town, October 2014. The MMI Network participates in the Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research which will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 30 September to 3 October 2014, with a session on “An ideal match! Successfully connecting NGO practice and Health Systems Research.” The session targets NGOs, researchers, policy makers and funders to learn how international NGOs working in the field of health development cooperation have successfully started integrating an evidence based approach into their institutional culture and operational practice. Experiences of successful collaboration of NGOs and research institutions will be discussed. The focus will be less on the content of the research collaboration but on processes allowing innovative interaction between critical actors in a people-centered health system.
> http://hsr2014.healthsystemsresearch.org/
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Network event: MMI / Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Basel, 5-6 November 2014. Annual MMI Network meeting with a symposium hosted by Medicus Mundi Switzerland. Mark the dates! And get in touch with the MMI secretariat if you are interested to contribute to the planning of the symposium on sexual and reproductive health and rights!
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Network event: MMI / Medicus Mundi Switzerland
The best science for global health challenges
Basel, Basel, September 6-10, 2015. The next European Congress on Tropical Medicine and international Health (ECMTIH) will be organized by the Swiss TPH, a member of Medicus Mundi Switzerland, on behalf of the Federation of European Societies for Tropical Medicine and International Health (FESTMIH) and the Swiss Society for Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. As the conference topic “The best science for global health challenges” is highly relevant for NGOs working in the field of international health cooperation and global health, Medicus Mundi International and Medicus Mundi Switzerland participate as NGO partners in the Local Organizing Committee. A first congress website will be available in April 2014.
To be included in the MMI Network news and in the events calendar on the MMI ePlatform, Network members are invited to send their announcements to the MMI Secretariat.
International health and global health policy: MMI updates
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Universal health coverage, Health systems strengthening
Health financing (national and global level)
- A global UHC campaign launches: Health for All Post2015
http://healthforallcampaign.org/health-for-all-post-2015/call-to-action/ - Arguing for Universal Health Coverage. New publication by WHO
http://www.who.int/health_financing/UHC_ENvs_BD.PDF?ua=1 - Is UHC in Africa post2015 a myth or can it become reality? Charles Birungi
http://e.itg.be/ihp/archives/universal-health-coverage-africa-post-2015-myth-reality - Is universal health coverage the practical expression of the right to health care? Ooms et al.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-698X/14/3 - Reprioritizing government spending on health: pushing an elephant up the stairs? Ajay Tandon et al.
http://bit.ly/1hwjHGr - Fiscal space for domestic funding of health and other social services. Di McIntyre and Filip Meheus
http://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/papers/view/198263 - A bioethical framework for health systems activity. Conceptual exploration applying systems thinking. Krubiner/Hyder
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/hs/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/hs20141a.html - The Health Financing Transition: Inevitable Change for the Better?
http://www.cgdev.org/blog/health-financing-transition-inevitable-change-better - A Global Fund for Health: towards truly shared responsibility. Interview with Gorik Ooms
http://www.healthfinancingafrica.org/3/post/2014/03/a-global-fund-for-health-towards-truly-shared-responsibility.html - Health in austerity: hard decisions for hard times. Lancet comment and articles on the state of health care in Greece
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960241-5/fulltext - Strengthening health systems by health sector reforms. Flavia Senkubuge et al.
http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/23568 - Health systems performance assessment in low-income countries: learning from international experiences
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/10/1/5/abstract - No universal health coverage without strong local health systems. Bruno Meessen et al.
http://www.who.int/entity/bulletin/volumes/92/2/14-135228/en/index.html
See also below:
Health beyond 2015
Global health policy
Twitter: #UHC
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Health policy and systems research
- Organisational capacity strengthening for research in the health sector in Africa. Imelda Bates et al.
http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content/12/1/11/abstract - Two great new calls from IDRC for Health policy research organisations & implementation research in Africa
http://www.idrc.ca/EN/Funding/competitions/Pages/default.aspx
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Human resources for health
Migration of health professionals
- Educating Health Professionals: an Intersectoral Policy Approach. Beat Sottas et al. (2013, pdf)
http://bit.ly/1mgC4Fi - Transforming and scaling up health professionals’ education and training. WHO Education Guidelines (2013)
http://www.who.int/hrh/resources/transf_scaling_hpet/en/ - Global Supply of Health Professionals. Nigel Crisp and Lincoln Chen
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1111610 - Road Map for Scaling Up the Human Resources for Health in the African Region 2012–2025
http://www.afro.who.int/en/clusters-a-programmes/hss/human-resources-for-health/3999-scaling-up-hrh2012-2025 - Health workforce shortages and international mobility in the EU. HW4All report
https://interact.healthworkers4all.eu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=3735989 - The Health Worker Crisis – an analysis of the issues and main international responses. Health Poverty Action
https://interact.healthworkers4all.eu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=3735872 - Caring for carers – a relevant concern? Globally sustainable & fair personnel policies for Dutch health care sector. Wemos
https://interact.healthworkers4all.eu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=3735964 - Southeast Asian countries to allow free flow of doctors. Chris McCall
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960391-3/fulltext - Placement, support and retention of health workers in South Africa: national cross-sectional findings. Hatcher et al.
http://www.human-resources-health.com/content - Job satisfaction and retention of health-care providers in Afghanistan and Malawi. L. Fogarty et al.
http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/12/1/11/abstract - Is Brain Drain real? A new series to find out. Tom Murphy
http://www.humanosphere.org/2014/02/brain-drain-real/ - The workforce for health in a globalized context – global shortages and international migration. Aluttis et al.
http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/23611 - Global mobility of health workers and triple win migration. Linda Mans
http://www.healthworkers4all.eu/eu/project/2014bratislava/ - Journey Through Laos: Where Are All the Doctors? Rosa Ellis
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/rosa-ellis/laos-doctors_b_4726541.html - Skilled #healthworkers migration: a lose-lose situation. Noreen M. Sugrue
http://blogs.shu.edu/ghg/2014/01/30/health-care-labor-migration/
Twitter: #HRH, #healthworkers #healthworkerscount, #3GFHRH
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Access to medicines and vaccination
Medical research and development
Communicable diseases
- “Urban bias” in access to imported medicines in Tanzania and its policy implications. PGM Mujinja et al.
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/10/1/12/abstract - Civil Society Working Towards Promoting Local Generic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing in Eastern Africa. Moses Mulumba
http://bit.ly/1eQWT2q - Deadly Medicines and Organised Crime: How Big Pharma Has Corrupted Healthcare. Peter Gøtzsche’s book reviewed
http://bit.ly/1dcl68k - Access to essential medicines at WHO EB134: Report by TWN
http://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/intellectual_property/info.service/2014/ip140106.htm
…and adopted ad hoc resolution
http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB134/B134_R16-en.pdf - Compulsory patent licensing and local drug manufacturing capacity in Africa. Olasupo Ayodeji Owoeye
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/92/3/13-128413/en/ - Pharmaceutical Drug Trial Industry in Kenya. Catherine J. Frompovich
http://www.activistpost.com/2014/02/pharmaceutical-drug-trial-industry-in.html - Health of trial subjects in South Africa jeopardized to market blockbuster drugs that’re merely add ons to existing ones
http://bit.ly/13u1rKU - Big pharma in the dock over patent law plot in South Africa. Adele Baleta
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960160-4/fulltext - Safeguarding Public Health: South Africa’s Challenge to International Intellectual Property Laws http://sacsis.org.za/site/article/1918#.UwJZWCyFkpM.twitter
- Drugs for the Poor, Drugs for the Rich: Why the Current R&D Model Doesn’t Deliver. MSF
http://blogs.plos.org/speakingofmedicine/2014/02/14/drugs-poor-drugs-rich-current-rd-model-doesnt-deliver - Is the pharmaceutical industry improving with regard to access to essential medicines? Hans V Hogerzeil
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X%2813%2970159-1/fulltext - World Tuberculosis Day 2014 (03/24), is around the corner, visit the WHO site to download posters & fact sheets!
http://ow.ly/uI1bH - World Health Day, 7 April 2014: Protect yourself from vector-borne diseases
http://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2014/en/ - 10 myths about the AIDS response. Peter Piot
http://www.aidsalliance.org/NewsDetails.aspx?Id=291690
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Women’s and children’s health
Sexual and reproductive rights and health
- An inspired change—stopping sexual violence against women. Lancet editorial
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960428-1/fulltext - From concept to measurement: operationalizing WHO’s definition of unsafe abortion. Bela Ganatra et al.
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/92/3/14-136333/en/ - Ending newborn deaths. Ensuring every baby survives. Report by Save the Children
http://bit.ly/1k5VNU6 - Family planning versus contraception: what’s in a name? Maria I Rodríguez et al.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X%2813%2970177-3/fulltext - International Conference on Population and Development: ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report
http://icpdbeyond2014.org/about/view/29-global-review-report - The State of the World’s Children 2014 in Numbers. UNICEF
http://goo.gl/TacqU6
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Prevention and control of NCDs
Disabilities, Mental Health, Care
- WHO opens public consultation on draft sugars guideline
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2014/consultation-sugar-guideline/en/ - How’s hearing care in your country? WHO report
http://goo.gl/twthq8 - Hitting the target: a new framework for mental health trials. Lancet editorial
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960465-7/fulltext - Global elderly care in crisis. Lancet editorial
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960463-3/fulltext - Language, culture and task shifting – an emerging challenge for global mental health. Swartz et al.
http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/23433/html - 2nd International Conference on Nutrition will focus on how to address major nutrition challenges over coming decades
http://goo.gl/1Y9mfI - Big Food lobbying: tip of the iceberg exposed. Gary Sacks on commercial determinants of health
http://theconversation.com/big-food-lobbying-tip-of-the-iceberg-exposed-23232 - Our new paper in Lancet Global Health poses some questions about WHO’s 25×25 strategy on NCDs. Martin McKee
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(14)70015-4/fulltext - NCDs: time for fewer proposals and more action. Robert Beaglehole
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960171-9/fulltext - Palliative care: a peaceful, humane global campaign is needed. The Lancet editorial
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960166-5/fulltext?rss=yes - Cancer survival: global surveillance will stimulate health policy and improve equity. Michel P Coleman
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2813%2962225-4/fulltext - World Cancer Report 2014: “Access to effective and affordable cancer treatments in developing
http://fb.me/1ZjP4HRdF
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Equity and human right to health
Social determinants of health
Poverty and social protection
- Sir Michael Marmot: Health inequalities solutions lie outside healthcare sector
http://bit.ly/1fQ4zG9 - The difficulty of making healthy choices and “health in all policies”. Pricivel Melendez Carrera
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/92/3/13-121673/en/ - From Health in All Policies (HIAP) to Health Equity in All Policies. The Human Rights way. Claudio Schuftan.
http://www.socialmedicine.org/2014/02/23/uncategorized/health-policies-health-equality-policies-human-rights-way/ - Associations between unhealthy behaviours, mental stress, and low socio-economic status. AI Lazzarino et al.
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/10/1/10/abstract - Health in global context; beyond the social determinants of health? Anja Krumeich and Agnes Meershoek
http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/23506 - Social determinants of health. PAHO Journal
http://www.paho.org/journal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135&Itemid=231&lang=en - Tackling inequality in global health: Why we must break down health data by ethnicity
http://bit.ly/1cYqmtO - Humanity Divided: Confronting Inequality in Developing Countries UNDP Report
http://bit.ly/1gO3B9A
Twitter: #SDH, #HIAP
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Global health governance and policy
- The political origins of health inequity: prospects for change. Lancet Oslo Commission on global health governance http://www.thelancet.com/commissions/global-governance-for-health
- “From public to planetary health”: Sign the Lancet Manifesto!
http://preview.smartfocusdigital.com/go.asp?/.2014.digitalmarketing.planetaryhealth.homepage/bELA001 - The Donors’ Dilemma’ – A Manifesto for International Public Finance in the 21st Century. Jonathan Glennie
http://bit.ly/1qSYOvC - Investing in health. Lancet debate
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960473-6/fulltext
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960476-1/fulltext - …and more:
On global health – stick to sovereignty. Wim De Ceukelaire and Marc Johan Botenga
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960478-5
What does UHC mean? Raoul A Bermejo et al.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960477-3/fulltext
Investing in health. Robert Yates and Ranu S Dhillon
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960474-8/fulltext - The battle against commercialization of “.health” is most probably lost
http://www.jmir.org/2014/3/e73/
…despite the clear statement by the last World Health Assembly that “.health” should be protected http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA66/A66_R24-en.pdf - A late night attempt at a Hippocratic Oath for (health) economists. Kristof Decoster
http://e.itg.be/ihp/archives/late-night-attempt-hippocratic-oath-health-economists/#sthash.N9fLsi3k.dpuf - Global health impacts of policies: lessons from the UK. Modi K Mwatsama et al.
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/10/1/13/abstract - Health as a universal right – Civil society hopes and struggles.
http://e.itg.be/ihp/archives/health-universal-civil-society-hopes-struggles - Engaging in global health: Who sets the agenda? Bente Molenaar Neufeld
http://equinetafrica.org/newsletter/index.php?issue=157#1 - A new governance space for health. Ilona Kickbusch and Martina Marianna Cassar Szabo
http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/23507 - Global health in the 21st century. Ulrich Laaser and Helmut Brand
http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/23694 - Facets of Global Health: Globalisation, Equity, Impact and Action (Special issue)
http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/23696 - Foreign Policy and Global Health – A Hybrid Affair. Ilona Kickbusch
http://bit.ly/POrkkj - Global health and global citizenship. Chris David Simms
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960176-8/fulltext - The present global health crisis is not primarily one of disease but of governance
http://www.med.uio.no/helsam/english/research/global-governance-health/events/launch.html
Twitter: #globalhealth #healthgovernance
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Health beyond 2015 (MDGs and SDGs)
- Health in the Framework of Sustainable Development. Report by UNSDSN thematic group
http://unsdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Health-For-All-Report.pdf - Health 2015: A conversation with Davidson Gwatkin on Progressive Universalism. Christina Starr
http://r4d.org/blog/2014-02-25/health-2015-conversation-davidson-gwatkin-progressive-universalism - Sustainable Development: The more ‘friendly’ phase of the post2015 process has come to an end. Saskia Hollander
http://www.thebrokeronline.eu/en/Articles/From-stocktaking-to-negotiation - Health #post2015: evidence and power. Kent Buse and Sarah Hawkes
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2813%2961945-5/fulltext - Rethinking the Millennium Development Goals for the world of today. Sarah Edwards
http://bit.ly/1c32wcq
Twitter: #post2015
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World Health Organization
WHO reform and financing
- 67th World Health Assembly 2014: First documents are now available on the WHO website
http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha67.html - 67th World Health Assembly, 19-27 May 2014: First comments by PHM
http://www.ghwatch.org/who-watch/wha67 - WHO criticised for not following policy on recognising NGOs. Rema Nagarajan
http://bit.ly/Nt1Vuq - WHO’s role in GHG under pressure. PHM case study of WHO’s Resolution A59.26 on trade and health http://www.med.uio.no/helsam/english/research/global-governance-health/background-papers/who-trade.pdf
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Development, aid and international institutions
- Rethinking the Power of Aid: The Crisis of Humanitarian Action.
medico report http://medico.de/material/artikel/medico-report-25-macht-und-ohnmacht-der-hilfe/3603/
English supplement http://medico.de/media/rethinking-the-power-of-aid.pdf - In for a bumpy ride: international aid and the closing space for domestic NGOs
http://bit.ly/OvoaAW - Beyond aid: Regaining solidarity. Sabine Balk
http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/critics-want-aid-be-re-designed-order-promote-international-solidarity - Journalists should not be the public relations team for NGOs. Mike Jennings
http://www.humanosphere.org/2014/03/journalists-public-relations-team-ngos - Rethinking Foreign Aid. Public systems needed to provide healthcare, clean drinking water, education. Paul Farmer
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/140495/paul-farmer/rethinking-foreign-aid - …and a recent response by Nora Lester Mund based on experiences in Palestine: Starting from scratch
http://www.whydev.org/starting-from-scratch-a-response-to-paul-farmer/ - Regional variation in the allocation of development assistance for health Michael Hanlon et al.
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/10/1/8/abstract
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