FROM a Great Canadian and World Statesman

"A great gulf... has... opened between man's material advance and his social and moral progress, a gulf in which he may one day be lost if it is not closed or narrowed..." Lester B Pearson http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1957/pearson-lecture.html

Thursday 14 August 2008

SELECTED WEB RESOURCES ON GLOBAL HEALTH with an acknowledgement to ProCOR

PREAMBLE: This issue highlights some of the work of an organization we respect for its efforts to bring together a virtual community of health professionals from around the world. ProCOR is devoted to examining health and related social issues of relevance to developing countries, with particular reference to cardiovascular diseases. ProCor's monthly "Resource Update" (edited by Juan Ramos) highlights relevant materials. A recent Resource Update on ProCOR listed a number of websites that offer valuable information about health and/or health resources around the world. The following are selected from this list in order to further disseminate ProCOR’s efforts in this regard, as well as to draw attention to the health communications work of ProCOR:

For more information about ProCOR itself, visit their website at: http://www.procor.org/ For other sites that we regularly recommend, see column at right for “Recommended Global Links”.

- SELECTED WEB RESOURCES ON GLOBAL HEALTH -
African Network for Health Knowledge Management and Communication: Agency that explores harnessing modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) for community health and development in Africa. http://www.afriafya.org/

Books for Africa: Organization that distributes medical and nursing textbooks to 18 African countries. http://www.booksforafrica.org/

Challenges and successes in reducing health disparities - Workshop summary: Textbook summary of a workshop on challenges and successes in reducing health disparities held on 31 July 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Entire textbook is available free online. National Academies Press, 2008. http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12154

Community guide to environmental health: Illustrated guide on global crisis in environmental health for health promoters, development workers, educators, activists, and community leaders in rural or urban settings. Materials from the book are available for free download. www.hesperian.org/projects_inProgress_communityGuide.php

Global Health Action: Open access journal of hands-on approaches to global public health challenges. Umeå Centre for Global Health Research. www.co-action.net/journals/gha

Global Smokefree Partnership: Multi-partner initiative to promote effective smoke-free policies worldwide. Helps advocates access evidence, request assistance, and take action in support of smoke-free policies. http://www.globalsmokefree.com/

Growth report - Strategies for sustained growth and inclusive development: Report examining how developing countries can achieve fast, sustained, and equitable growth. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2008. PDF (10.3 MB): www.growthcommission.org/storage/cgdev/documents/Report/GrowthReportfull.pdf

Health and Human Rights: Open access international journal dedicated to advancing health as an issue of fundamental human rights and social justice. http://www.hhrjournal.org/

HIFA2015 website: Advocacy and knowledge-sharing network of 1500 members from 110 countries with the shared goal: Every person worldwide will have access to an informed healthcare provider by 2015. Email discussion group archives available at www.dgroups.org/groups/hifa2015. http://www.hifa2015.org/

International Fruit and Vegetable Alliance: Global alliance that supports efforts to increase intake of fruit and vegetables worldwide. Provides a toolkit for starting a "5 a day" program. http://www.ifava.org/

International research community on multimorbidity: Electronic network focused on research questions relevant to international communication on multimorbidity in primary care. www.med.usherbrooke.ca/cirmo

Libraries, literacy, and poverty reduction - A key to African development: Paper outlining affordable and achievable library strategies for poor communities to promote development. Book Aid International, 2006. PDF (302 KB): www.bookaid.org/resources/downloads/advocacy/Libraries_Literacy_Poverty_Reduction.pdf

MobileActive strategy guide #2: Using mobile phones in advocacy campaignsGuide offering strategies, case studies, lessons learned, and a how-to section for advocacy organizations using mobile phones to advance their causes. Encourages the adoption of mobile phones by NGOs to build constituent lists, influence political causes, and raise money. MobileActive, 2007. PDF (955 KB): http://mobileactive.org/files/MobileActiveGuide2_0.pdf

Primary health care for older people: A participatory study in 5 Asian countriesStudy report on healthy ageing and access to quality primary health care services. Focuses on improving stroke and diabetes management. HelpAge International, 2008.www.helpage.org/News/Latestnews/G61d

Scientists without Borders: Initiative to mobilize and coordinate science-based efforts that improve the quality of life in the developing world. Website homepage provides options for low- or high-bandwidth connection. New York Academy of Sciences. http://scientistswithoutborders.nyas.org/default.aspx

Sharing Knowledge Handbook 2: Handbook for men and women working in villages, towns, and rural areas who wish to transform their communities through information sharing. Oxfam Horn of Africa Capacity Building Program, 2004.www.oxfam.ca/news-and-publications/publications-and-reports/sharing-knowledge-handbook-2

SimIns health financing policy tool 2.1: Computerized tool to aid in health financing policy decisions. Projects health expenditure and funding for a 10-year time period; evaluates feasibility of alternative mixes of financing sources, including social health insurance, community-based health insurance, and government budget lines. WHO, 2008.www.who.int/health_financing/tools/simins

Thomas McKeown, meet Fidel Castro: Physicians, population health and the Cuban paradox: Open access article about Cuba's "first world" population health status despite a minimal economic base. Healthcare Policy/Politiques de Santé 2008; 3(4): 21-32http://www.longwoods.com/product.php?productid=19916

World Diabetes Day materials: Materials for World Diabetes Day, 14 November 2008, available for free download. International Diabetes Federation, 2008.www.worlddiabetesday.org/materials

INSPIRATIONAL WELCOME ............................... from T.S.Eliot's "Little Gidding"

If you came this way From the place you would come from... It would be the same at the end of the journey... If you came, not knowing what you came for, It would be the same... And what you thought you came for Is only a shell, a husk of meaning... From which the purpose breaks only when it is fulfilled If at all.