Editorial: Rights related to maternal health – action required
Dear reader,
Throughout the world, bringing life into the world is one of the most joyous events experienced by women. In developed countries, women can generally expect to experience pregnancy and childbirth in relative safety, with nearly all related complications treatable with well-known and routine solutions. This is not the case for women going through the same experience in developing countries. Each year, 358,000 women lose their lives due to causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Even as the global number of maternal deaths has decreased, the burden has remained unchanged, with 99% of all maternal deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. To give this a little more perspective, we can look at a woman’s lifetime risk of death due to causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. In Switzerland, a given woman’s risk of death due to maternal causes is approximately 1 in 7600. This risk is exponentially higher for a woman living in a developing country; she faces an astounding lifetime risk of 1 in 120. This state of affairs is especially tragic given that the vast majority of maternal deaths are entirely avoidable, as it has been clearly demonstrated in rich countries. The United Nations has referred to the disparity in maternal mortality and morbidity between developed and developing nations as the “world’s worst health inequity”.
As the tragedy of maternal mortality has gained increased attention in the international community, the contextualization of maternal mortality within a rights framework has gained momentum. Already in 2001, the World Health Organization recognized that “the failure to address preventable maternal disability and death represents one of the greatest social injustices of our time.” In 2009, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution on preventable maternal morbidity and mortality, denouncing it as violations to women’s and girls’ rights life, health, equality and non-discrimination, the rights to benefit from scientific progress, and the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including sexual and reproductive health. Just last fall, the United Nations Human Rights Council reaffirmed the resolution on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, calling on actors to implement direct action to save mother’s lives using a rights approach.
This international mobilization around this common concern reinforces the case and credibility for action to improve maternal health at the national level. At this level, governments must be held accountable for designing policies conducive to improving maternal health and for expanding and strengthening the health services that are necessary to allow women to experience birth safely and have obstetrical complications treated. While it is understood that many governments have resource constraints, most, if not all, can invest more in maternal health and would receive long-term benefits for doing so.
Moreover, this increasing emphasis on rights must also embolden action at the local level within communities. Action at this level will require joint efforts of various actors, including local government, NGOs and community organizations in order to increase awareness of women’s rights related to maternal health, empower women to exercise these rights and ensure the support of the broader community in creating an environment where women can exercise their rights. Efforts to achieve this will necessarily be multipronged. Women, families and communities need to come to understand that women have the right to seek needed maternal and newborn health services. In order for this to occur, women must have the power to make the decision to seek care within the household and be empowered to demand the services which have been defined as their right. Within the health services, women should understand that they have the right to be treated with empathy and respect, have their questions answered and be accompanied by a companion of their choice during antenatal and postnatal care visits as well as during birth. To accomplish this, interventions should target not only women, but their families, male partners, as well as local leaders and health workers. In short, real change will require acting on the entire community and all the actors involved.
The challenge to promote women’s rights related to maternal health and achieve equity in this domain may seem daunting, but it is essential to improving not only the health but also the status and well-being of women throughout the world. It is essential that we capitalize on the current energy and work at international, national and local levels to expand this effort and ensure the rights of all women.
Cecilia Capello, Enfants du Monde, sante@edm.ch
Enfants du Monde is a member of Medicus Mundi Switzerland
MMI Network: Annual Report 2011 – Members first!
We still wait for a very last contribution to the MMI Annual Report 2011, so it will be published only later on this week. In the meantime, you might have a look at the great contributions by Network members published already on the MMI ePlatform. Thanks to all of you!
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Members of the MMI Network: “short stories”
Focus on mother and child health
- The risk of birth
action medeor - Mothers and children first
Doctors with Africa CUAMM - ARV combination suspension for paediatric HIV/AIDS patients
Medicus Mundi Italy and action medeor - Another year of smiles
Smile Train Italy
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Members of the MMI Network:
More “short stories”
- Mapping pharmaceutical human resources in church health services
Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network - European people show their faces against Malaria!
STOP MALARIA NOW! - Contracting brought to the universal level of the Catholic Church
Edgar Widmer
MMI Annual report: www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/reporting/2012/annual-report-2011-of-the-mmi-network. Annual reports of MMI Network members will be published here next month – let us know!
MMI Network news: Sharing knowhow and joining forces towards Health for All
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MMI Network: Geneva events (1)
Annual Assembly of the MMI Network
Geneva, 25 May 2012. As usually, the Annual Assembly of the Medicus Mundi International Network will take place in the week of the World Health Assembly. We will meet at the Ecumenical Institute Château de Bossey outside Geneva. The Assembly agenda will include the annual report and accounts of MMI, the admission of HealthNet TPO, The Netherlands, as a new Network member, and the election of a new Board member. Medicus Mundi Italy proposes Fabian R. Schumacher as successor of Nina Urwantzoff who retires from the Board. A dinner on Thursday evening, 24 May and meetings of the MMI working groups on research (Thursday afternoon) and human resources (Friday morning) are planned as side events to the Assembly.
The formal invitation will be sent to the Network members and key partners on 3 May 2012 by e-mail. The Assembly documentation will be available soon in the internal section of the MMI ePlatform.
www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/events/2012/mmi-assembly
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MMI Network: Geneva events (2)
Civil society events around the 65th World Health Assembly
Geneva, 17-26 May 2012. An informal calendar of civil society events around the upcoming 65th WHA compiled by Medicus Mundi International. Network members and partners are invited to register for the WHA through the MMI secretariat until 9 May 2012. Thank you!
www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/events/2012/65th-world-health-assembly-civil-society-events
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Network conference report: ACHAP
Supporting African faith-based organizations to develop health workforce advocacy messages
Nairobi, 16-18 April 2012. Human Resources for Health leaders from several faith-based organizations across Africa gathered in Nairobi at a meeting of the HRH Technical Working Group of the African Christian Health Associations (ACHA) Platform. Participants identified issues and their root causes and effects related to health service provision faced by their organizations and affiliated health facilities. While poor retention is a problem faced by all organizations and health facilities, the root causes and effects were different from country to country. Using the root cause discussion as a springboard, the group brainstormed themes for the development of key HRH advocacy messages for the ACHA Platform and the individual organizations to use for HRH lobbying.
www.capacityplus.org/supporting-african-fbos-to-develop-health-workforce-advocacy-messages
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Network conference report: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Advocacy and HIV
Berne, 17 April 2012. Support groups of people living with HIV turn more and more into advocacy groups to stand up for their interests and rights. Advocacy is a key component in the struggle towards an AIDS-free future and the fulfilment of the right to health for all. The aidsfocus.ch conference 2012 focused on advocacy and opened a space for sharing, discussion and joint learning on experiences, visions and strategies to end the epidemic.
http://www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/events/2011/advocacy-and-hiv
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Network report: ITM Antwerp and MMI
The difficult relationship between faith-based health care organisations
and the public sector in sub-Saharan Africa
“We are happy to present the final revised version of the original MMI study report on contracting between public health authorities and faith-based health organisations in four sub-Saharan African countries (Cameroun, Chad, Tanzania and Uganda). This version has been thoroughly reviewed so as to better fit academic standards and is currently in press in the ITM Series ‘Studies in Health Services Organisation & Policy’.” Delphine Boulenger and Bart Criel, April 2012
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Emergency relief: Medicus Mundi Andalucia
Food crisis in Burkina Faso
“In 2012, Burkina Faso faces a serious food crisis caused by different factors, like the drought and the harvest shortage of 2011, the high prices of food, the deep poverty and the regional conflicts (Mali). Medicus Mundi Andalucía will focus its work on fight against malnutrition on children who have nutritional disorders in severe and moderate rates, especially in the most vulnerable zones, supporting population to face the crisis, particularly in the provinces of Yatenga, Koulpélogo and Ganzourgou. We ask you to collaborate URGENTLY in this campaign, either individuals or entities and institutions. This campaign, which has already started, will be extended at least until October-November, when it is expected the next harvest.”
http://www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/projects/2012/food-crisis-in-burkina-faso
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Networking tools: MMI
Thematic guide: International migration and recruitment of health personnel
Our thematic guide to internet resources leads you beyond the limits of the Medicus Mundi International Network. Any important resources missing? Please let us know.
http://www.medicusmundi.org/en/topics/human-resources/migration
Global Health: MMI updates
Bits and pieces of news on international health policy: each “MMI update” is 140 characters or less – these are the rules of the game on twitter. Just enough for a headline, eventually an author, a date, the source – and a link to the website where you find the full information. Have a look at some of our “tweets” published during the last month. As usual, it’s a bit much, so take it or leave it.
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Human resources for health
- The global health workforce – pathways to health. Irish Forum for Global Health Conference statement, February 2012
http://globalhealth.ie/index.php?i=325 - A strong human resources information system (HRIS) enables quick answers to key policy and management questions
http://www.capacityplus.org/hris-strengthening - Information systems on human resources for health: a global review. Patricia L Riley et al.
http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/10/1/7/abstract - External evaluation of the Global Health Workforce Alliance: Evaluation report and GHWA Board response
http://www.who.int/workforcealliance/media/news/2012/eeBoardChairLetter/en/index.html
- Health worker migration, the WHO code of practice and the Health Worker Migration Initiative (HWMI). Video 2012
http://player.vimeo.com/video/35700098?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff - Africa’s neglected area of human resources for health research – the way forward. Carel IJsselmuiden et al.
http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/5377/4011 - US distribution of physicians from lower income countries. E. Fuller Torrey and Barbara Boyle Torrey
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0033076 - Share Human Resources in Health (HRH) Toolkit
http://www.k4health.org/toolkits/hrh
- Why do health workers in rural Tanzania prefer public sector employment? Nils Gunnar Songstad et al.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6963-12-92.pdf
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Health systems strengthening
Health services, health financing
Universal health coverage
- Sign up for Universal Social Health Insurance
http://saludporderecho.org/thinkingaboutyou.html - The new global health agenda: Universal Health Coverage, Oren Ahoobim et al., (US) Council on Foreign Relations 2012
http://www.cfr.org/global-health/new-global-health-agenda/p27998 - Healthcare in Thailand: a story to inspire confidence. Mushtaque Chowdhury and Natalie Phaholyothin
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Healthcare-in-Thailand-a-story-to-inspire-confiden-30180854.html - Taking a stand against user fees for health care. Partners in Health
http://www.pih.org/news/entry/taking-a-stand-against-user-fees-for-health-care/ - National health insurance is a worldwide trend – said South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi
http://allafrica.com/stories/201204250246.html
- Health system performance comparison: an agenda for policy, information & research. PC Smith, I Papanicolas, WHO Europe
http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/data-and-evidence/health-evidence-network-hen/publications/2012/health-system-performance-comparison-an-agenda-for-policy,-information-and-research-2012 - Universal Indian health system: Replace “Health for All’ with “Universal Access to Health Care”? A. Sengupta/ V. Prasad
http://www.socialmedicine.info/index.php/socialmedicine/article/view/587/1126 - Seven worries about focusing on results, and how to manage them. Owen Barder http://www.owen.org/blog/5483
- Toward Universal Health Coverage. David de Ferranti and Julio Frenk
http://uhcforward.org/blog/2012/apr/5/toward-universal-health-coverage - Organizational capacity building: Lessons to strengthen health systems. Health Systems 20/20 brief, March 2012
http://www.healthsystems2020.org/content/resource/detail/85845/ - Left to their own devices, health systems will not gravitate spontaneously towards health for all. Wim Van Lerberghe
http://www.research-europe.com/index.php/2011/08/dr-wim-van-lerberghe-of-the-world-health-organization-department-for-health-system-governance-and-service-delivery/
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Health research
- Beyond Aid. Research and innovation as key drivers for health, equity and development. Cohred colloquium report
http://www.cohred.org/publications/cohred-publications/policy-and-synthesis/beyond-aid-synthesis-report-of-cohred-colloquium-2011/ - Translational science and evidence-based healthcare: How knowledge is generated and used. Alan Pearson et al.
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/nrp/2012/792519/ - Securing the public good of health research and development for developing countries. John-Arne Røttingen et al.
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/90/5/12-105460/en/index.html - A paradigm shift in the way that health research is funded promises a better future. David Dickson
http://scidevnet.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/a-paradigm-shift-that-promises-a-better-future/ - We need a global treaty on health research for the poor. David Dickson
http://www.scidev.net/en/health/editorials/we-need-a-global-treaty-on-health-research-for-the-poor-1.html - Where there is no health research: What can be done to fill the global gaps in health research? Martin McKee et al.
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001209 - Global report for research on infectious diseases of poverty. WHO TDR, April 2012
http://www.who.int/tdr/stewardship/global_report/en/ - New incentives needed to encourage health research and development for developing countries. WHO CEWG, April 2012
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2012/health_research_20120405/en/index.html
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Access to medicines and vaccination
Control of communicable diseases
- Disease control & health systems in low- and middle-income countries: enhancing positive interrelation. Collins et al.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2012.02968.x/pdf - Health activists welcome Kenyan High Court judgment on anti-counterfeit law. Joint statement of MSF, HAI Africa, KELIN
http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug/archive/201204/msg00024.php - A research agenda for the control and elimination of human helminthiases. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases collection
http://www.ploscollections.org/article/browseIssue.action?issue=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fissue.pcol.v08.i03 - Civil society in the HIV response: urging UNAIDS action in the HIV funding crisis. 2012 PCBNGO report
http://unaidspcbngo.org/?page_id=18002 - Global partners launch new plan to control and eliminate measles and rubella. WHO news release
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2012/measles_20120424/en/index.html - Measles deaths are down – but short of the target and more work to do. Sarah Boseley
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/sarah-boseley-global-health/2012/apr/24/infectiousdiseases-vaccines - World Immunization Week, 21-27 April 2012
http://www.who.int/immunization/newsroom/events/immunization_week/en/index.html - South Africa’s AIDS response: the next 5 years. Lancet editorial
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2960578-9/fulltext - Can patent pools get more AIDS drugs to patients? David de Ferranti and Robert Hecht
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-de-ferranti/aids-drugs_b_1404218.html - …referring to: Patent pools: Assessing their value-added for global health innovation & access. Palriwala/Goulding
http://healthresearchpolicy.org/assessments/patent-pools-assessing-their-value-added-global-health-innovation-and-access - The Story of Cholera. Short animated film produced by the Global Health Media Project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jG1VNSCsP5Q
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Women’s and children’s health
Reproductive health and rights
- The global health financing revolution: why maternal health is missing the boat. G. Ooms et al.
http://www.fvvo.be/assets/229/03-Ooms_et_al.pdf - U.N. SG Ban speaks about need for reproductive health care for young people and releases UNFPA report. KFF Daily
http://globalhealth.kff.org/Daily-Reports/2012/April/24/GH-042412-UN-Reproductive-Health.aspx - Progress in child well-being: Building on what works. ODI / Save the Children / UNICEF 2012
http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/content/library/documents/progress-child-well-being-building-what-works-0 - ‘How to know what you need to do’: a cross-country comparison of maternal health guidelines. Ulrika Baker et al.
http://www.implementationscience.com/content/7/1/31/abstract - Uganda: Pregnancy and childbirth mean playing Russian roulette with women’s lives Jessica Mack
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/04/02/uganda-womens-rights-maternal-health-fall-to-back-line-once-again - Family planning: Making the fundamental human right a reality. Babatunde Osotimehin
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-babatunde-osotimehin/international-contraception-debate_b_1412134.html - UK Government, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announce Family Planning Summit to take place in London in July 2012
http://www.unfpa.org/public/home/news/pid/10222 - Accountability for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival: An update on progress in priority countries. WHO 2012
http://www.who.int/pmnch/topics/part_publications/201203_accountability_for_mncsurvival.pdf
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Equity and human right to health
Social determinants of health
- Improving equity in health by addressing Social Determinants. Commission on SDH Knowledge Networks (eds.), 2011
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241503037_eng.pdf - Misery index. Low social status is bad for your health. Biologists are starting to understand why
http://www.economist.com/node/21552539 - How does wealth affect health in Sub-Saharan Africa? A PRB infographic
http://www.prb.org/Articles/2012/population-economic-development-infographic.aspx
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Global health governance and policy
- The end of the golden era of global health? J. Stephen Morrison
http://csis.org/publication/end-golden-era-global-health - WHO reform and public interest safeguards: An historical perspective. Judith Richter
http://www.socialmedicine.info/index.php/socialmedicine/article/view/637/1198 - USAID Global Health Strategic Framework, 2012–2016
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/home/Publications/gh_framework.html - Does aid to Africa from Brics countries differ from traditional aid? Jonathan Glennie
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/apr/26/aid-africa-brics-countries-traditional - What would happen if the global health donors were your parents and you asked them for a new car? Victoria Fan
http://blogs.cgdev.org/globalhealth/2012/04/if-the-global-health-donors-were-your-parents-a-whimsical-comparative-perspective-2.php - The Global Fund: What next for aid effectiveness and health systems strengthening? David McCoy et al.
http://www.aidspan.org/index.php?issue=181&article=4 - Making priority-setting a priority for global health. Amanda Glassman and Kate McQueston
http://blogs.cgdev.org/globalhealth/2012/04/making-priority-setting-a-priority-for-global-health.php - Global health funding and economic development. Greg Martin et al.
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/8/1/8/abstract - Globalization and ‘corporate governance’ has fueled growing inequality between rich and poor. J Sachs video interview
http://humanosphere.kplu.org/2012/04/jeffrey-sachs-globalization-and-corporate-governance-has-fueled-growing-inequality-between-rich-and-poor - The Global Fund at a crossroads, again… this time the stakes are even higher. Gorik Ooms
http://e.itg.be/ihp/archives/global-fund-crossroads-again-this-time-stakes-even-higher/
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Beyond 2015, MDGs and SDGs
- Christmas tree, jigsaw or bullseye? A rough guide to post-2015 frameworks. Claire Melamed
http://www.globaldashboard.org/2012/04/25/christmas-tree-jigsaw-or-bullseye-a-rough-guide-to-post-2015-frameworks/ - Beyond the MDGs: Agreeing to a post-2015 development framework. Alex Evans and David Steven, MGO Working Paper, 2012
http://www.cic.nyu.edu/scarcity/docs/evans_steven_millennium_2015.pdf - MDG Global Monitoring Report 2012 – covering all MDGs, focus on food prices and nutrition. World Bank, April 2012
http://www.worldbank.org/gmr2012 - Advancing the global development agenda post-2015: some practical suggestions. Jan Vandemoortele
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/untaskteam_undf/desa_post2015paper_jv.pdf
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NGO debate
- What would an International CSO governance revolution look like? Linda Raftree
http://lindaraftree.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/icso-governance-revolution/ - Code of good practice for NGOs responding to HIV/AIDS.
http://www.hivcode.org/ – support and implement it! - Janet Voute, Nestlé public affairs, formerly WHF and WHO, on stakeholders, conflicts of interest, PINGOs and BINGOs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmMKhL29d9o
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The new World Bank president: a doctor…
- Global health leader takes World Bank helm – what does this mean for global health? Dr Devi Sridhar
http://www.chathamhouse.org/media/comment/view/182877 - So Jim Kim is the new World Bank president: what’s in his in-tray? Elizabeth Stuart
http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=9687 - What should the new WB president focus on in his first year? The Guardian asked a panel of experts
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/apr/17/jim-young-kim-world-bank-focus-first-year - A health expert in the driving seat at #WorldBank would be good but a democratic merit-based process would be better
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/apr/15/world-bank-leadership-kim-ocampo
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World Day on Safety and Health at Work
28 April 2012
- Promoting safety and health in a green economy
http://www.istas.net/web/abreenlace.asp?idenlace=4056 - The urgent need to protect health and life at work. Mauricio Torres-Tovar
http://e.itg.be/ihp/archives/world-day-safety-health-work-urgent-protect-health-life-work/
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World Malaria Day
25 April 2012
- Sustain gains, save lives: invest in malaria.
http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/worldmalariaday/index.html - Test, treat, track – we can defeat malaria. WHO video for World Malaria Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnsoTPE_PUc&feature=youtu.be - Test. Treat. Track. Scaling up diagnostic testing, treatment and surveillance for malaria. WHO initiative launched
http://www.who.int/malaria/test_treat_track/en/index.html - Malaria, aid and shopkeepers: saving lives or playing with fire? Anna Marriott and Mohga Kamal-Yanni
http://www.globalhealthcheck.org/?p=837 - Responding to malaria: a view from the ground. Estrella Lasry, MSF
http://blogs.plos.org/speakingofmedicine/2012/04/25/responding-to-malaria-a-view-from-the-ground - Malaria resurgence: a systematic review and assessment of its causes. Justin M Cohen
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/11/1/122/abstract
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World Health Day
7 April 2012
- Grey matter: ageing in developing countries. Priya Shetty
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2960541-8/fulltext - A new look at old age. Katie Hickling
http://blogs.plos.org/speakingofmedicine/2012/04/06/world-health-day-a-new-look-at-old-age - Ageing well: a global priority. Lancet editorial
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2960518-2/fulltext - Good health adds life to years: WHO global brief for World Health Day 2012
http://www.who.int/ageing/publications/whd2012_global_brief/en/index.html
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Other topics
- Focus on e-health. WHO Bulletin, May 2012 http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/90/5/en/index.html
- Surgery in the global South and why it matters. Abraar, Swasthya Mundial
http://swasthyamundial.com/2012/04/surgery-in-the-global-south-and-why-it-matters/#more-861 - WHO is failing in its duty to protect those populations who are victims of radioactive contamination
http://independentwho.org/en - Putting adolescents at the centre of health and development. Lancet editorial
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2960536-4/fulltext? - Medicine and surgery: the yin and yang of health systems. Adam L Kushner et al.
http://www.lancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2960631-X/fulltext - A new resolution for global mental health. Rebecca S Hock et al.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2960243-8/fulltext - The economic impact of non-communicable diseases on households in India. Michael M Engelgau et al.
http://www.globalizationandhealth.com/content/8/1/9/abstract - Five ways to tackle disastrous diets. UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter
http://www.srfood.org/index.php/en/component/content/article/1-latest-news/2054-five-ways-to-tackle-disastrous-diets-un-food-expert
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