Understanding the Global Dimensions of Health

ISBN-13: 9781441936882 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 304 str.

Anthony Piel

Opis

"Health is not escaping the current bulldozer of 'globalization, ' with its attendant benefits, errors, complications, and unknowns. Economic, social, political, environmental, behavioural, and even transcendental factors are being perceived as shaping the increasingly borderless world order, and societal structures, including the health professional, are finding themselves ill prepared for the changes...This book is an attempt to understand, explain and if possible act on the transformations....It is highly recommended as a welcome collection of level-headed analyses of the current confused transmutations in disease theory and health action" (Journal of Humanitarian Medicine, vol. IV, no. 4, October-December 2004). "With a free spirit, the authors examine the bioethical, socio-political and scientific aspects of health" (World Health Organization Quarterly News, October-December 2005). Health is a basic human right. But as our planet grows smaller, the number of people without even minimal care continues to rise. Understanding the Global Dimensions of Health brings into sharp focus the ethics and multiple questions involved in keeping the world in optimal health - and identifies the massive tasks that lie ahead. Twenty-one internationally known contributors examine the bioethical, sociopolitical and scientific aspects of health, epidemics, aging populations, the double burden of disease, food safety, and other major health concerns of well-being at the international level. Because exporting health care expertise abroad entails more than merely translating what we know, they meet the controversies head-on: - Are health technologies wisely used?
- Can today s medicine coexist with traditional views and cultural practices?
- Will the configuration of health resources change as people live longer?
- Why are pandemics not controlled better?
- Who wins when health systems clash with sociopolitical systems?
- Does globalization necessarily mean the westernization and homogenization of care? Fast changing conditions and recent catastrophic events demand answers to these and similar vital questions. The authors of Understanding the Global Dimensions of Health balance realism, optimism and social conscience in their coverage so health professionals, policymakers and leaders can address them - locally as well as globally."

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"This work on global health addresses what may be considered the midlevel issues ... . The editors can be commended for inviting a truly nationally diverse group of authors ... who identify the successes, challenges, and next steps in their areas of expertise in global health. ... The book will challenge both novice and expert in their thinking about global health and the methods to achieve results." (Health Promotion Practice, January 2008)

Spis treści

Contents Introduction Section I: Fundamentals 1. A brief history of advances towards health John Last 2. The health, poverty and development merry-go-round: the tribulations of WHO Socrates Litsios 3. Old and new pestilences Andrew A. Arata 4. Value systems and healthcare ethics Bernard M. Dickens 5. World health: a mobilizing utopia? M. Manciaux T. M. Fliedner Section II: Systems 6. Health policies versus public policies Andrzej Wojtczak 7. A medicine based on evidence J. Szczerban 8. The promise of technology P. B. Mansourian 9. Critical inquiries on technology utilization Arminee Kazanjian 10. Therapeutic patient education for chronic diseases Jean-Philippe Assal Section III: The Dynamics 11. The humanitarian imperative in major health crises and disasters S. W. A. Gunn 12. Dealing with global infectious disease emergencies David L. Heymann 13. Knowledge-based methodologies in the health sector B. McA. Sayers Juan J. Angulo 14. Food safety – a pressing public health and economic issue Fritz Käferstein 15. Future health in an ageing world A. Michael Davies Section IV: The Controversies 16. Disease and health in the cultural context Assen Jablensky 17. Global issues and health interactions: reflexions from the south A. P. R. Aluwihare 18. The coming storm: health system planning versus free market enterprise Anthony Piel 19. Education, understanding, and eudaemonia: a contrarian view on global health Gerhard W. Brauer Postscript 'The Present and the Future of Global Health' A. Michael Davies The Contributors Index

O autorze

Health care is a basic human right. However, as our planet grows smaller, the number of people without even minimal care continues to rise. This volume brings into sharp focus the ethics and multiple questions involved in keeping the world in optimal health, and identifies the massive tasks that lie ahead. Twenty-one prestigious contributors examine the bioethical, sociopolitical, and scientific aspects of health, epidemics, aging populations, the double burden of disease, food safety, and other major health concerns of well-being at the international level.