Development and Health Determinants

International Journal for Equity in Health

IJEH aims to improve the understanding of issues that influence the health of populations. This includes the discussion of political, policy-related, economic, social and health services-related influences, particularly with regard to systematic differences in distributions of one or more aspects of health in population groups defined demographically, geographically, or socially.

International Journal of Health Services

The Journal contains articles on health and social policy, political economy and sociology, history and philosophy, ethics and law in the areas of health and health care. The Journal provides analysis of developments in the health and social sectors of every area of the world, including relevant scholarly articles, position papers, and stimulating debates about the most controversial issues of the day. It is of interest to health professionals and social scientists interested in the many different facets of health, disease, and health care.

Knowledge Ecology International

There are probably 5 billion people who live in the margins of the global economy, and an entire planet that depends upon knowledge for economic and personal development, education and health, political power and freedom, culture and fun. KEI is an organization that searches for better outcomes, including new solutions, to the management of knowledge resources, in ways that are more efficient, more fair, and responsive to human needs.

The Lancet

The Lancet is an important source which aims to combine publication of the best medical science in the world with a zeal to counter the forces that undermine the values of medicine, be they political, social, or commercial. It offers many articles for free online, just with a simple registration.

Monthly Review

It is a very interesting publication dating back on 1949, which provide some interesting and alternative analyses on health issues and broader. Issues of health inequality and broader context of health are dealt in a political context opening up spaces for deeper analyses.

Oxfam

Oxfam website, (use search engine with health as key word) offers some very interesting papers on health and health determinants issues as education, debt and aid issues, water and sanitation among others. Other papers deal with other important issues such as the impact of trade agreements on health are and promotion of health, access to health services and to essential medicines, as well as HIV/AIDS.

Thirld World Network

TWN is an independent non-profit international network of organizations and individuals involved in issues relating to development, the Third World and North- South issues. Thirld World Network - Health is directly related to health and relevant issues to health (http://www.twnside.org.sg/twr.htm); and provides very interesting analyses.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The UNDP website provides important analysis regarding health, especially in the yearly Human Development Reports. Issues of health care financing and issues related to health determinants represent a considerable part of the papers on health, which could be searched through the key word: health.

WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health

The Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) supports countries and global health partners to address the social factors leading to ill health and focus on health inequities. It draws the attention of society to the social determinants of health that are known to be among the worst causes of poor health and inequalities between and within countries. The determinants include unemployment, unsafe workplaces, urban slums, globalization and lack of access to health systems.

Renegotiating the Social Contract: Challenges to Health and Social Policy in Japan, Khoon, Chan Chee (2007)

This article builds around the issue of health determinants based on the case of Japan, which has been well known for its high health indicators in spite of the relatively low health expenditure. Health care expenditure is weakly related to health indicators while other factors, such as: diet, physical activity, lesser social disparity, and a relatively homogeneous and inclusive society were much more important. The article presents an interesting analyses of the challenges that the health systems are faced in Japan actually.

What is a National Health Policy, Navarro, Vincente (2006)

The paper discusses the main components of a national health policy and also the main indicators that should be used for each component and for each intervention. It brings the example of Sweden to build a National Health Policy and the paper is build and expands on that model.

An alternative World Health Report, Global Health Watch (2005-2006)

The report is a collaboration of public health experts, non-governmental organizations, community groups, health workers and academics. It presents a hard-hitting assessment of inequalities in health and health care - and is aimed at challenging the major institutions, such as the World Health Organization, that influence health.

Creating Health Equity through Social Justice, Hofrichter, Richard (2002)

This article tries to provide the rationale for advancing local public health theory and practice within a social justice frame work as well as to present organisational and public policy options that can create health equity. Though it is coming from a US perspective, it refers to challenges and problems common in other parts of the world.

Thomas McKeown, Meet Fidel Castro: Physicians, Population Health and the Cuban Paradox

Robert g. evans, 2008. The article makes an in-depth analyses of health system in Cuba, as a deliberate social action, of a very explicit focus not only on medical care but on the non-medical determinants of health: education, nutrition, housing, employment and social cohesion. Rather than seeing medical and non-medical determinants as competitive, Cuba has chosen, despite very limited resources, to go for both.

Global Health Watch 2

The new report, Global Health Watch 2, says that unfair social and economic policies combined with bad politics are to blame for the poor state of the health of millions of people in the world. The report makes stinging criticisms of key global actors, including the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the Gates Foundation. The report calls on governments to stop the Bank from meddling in health politics. Global Health Watch 2 provides examples of civil society mobilization across the world for more equitable health care and more health promotion, although more is needed to bring about significant improvements in health.

The World Health Report 2008: Primary Health Care

The World Health Report 2008, critically assesses the way that health care is organized, financed, and delivered in rich and poor countries around the world. The WHO report documents a number of failures and shortcomings that have left the health status of different populations, both within and between countries, dangerously out of balance.

Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health

"Social determinants of health" have been the focus of a three-year investigation by an eminent group of policy makers, academics, former heads of state and former ministers of health - the World Health Organization's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. (The) toxic combination of bad policies, economics, and politics is, in large measure responsible for the fact that a majority of people in the world do not enjoy the good health that is biologically possible.

Longwoods Publishing Corporation

Longwoods is a publishing corporation aiming to explore ideas, share best practices and enable excellence in promoting wellness and providing care. Leaders in healthcare management, practice, education, research and product development will find Longwoods a fundamental resource for innovations, knowledge and learning.

Social Medicine Portal

Social Medicine Portal is a project developed by faculty members of the Department of Family and Social Medicine of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The main aim of the website is to link together the diverse international community of people working in social medicine and health activism.