Saturday, September 8, 2007

Under-nutrition levels in India among the highest

This article has details on the CARE campaign for better nutrition in India:

Citizen News Service: Under-nutrition levels in India among the highest: "...Around 40% children are low birth weight and around 47% children are malnourished. It is understood that 60% of Infant & child deaths could be prevented only if we are able to check malnutrition among children [...]"

Friday, September 7, 2007

Some Food Additives Raise Hyperactivity, Study Finds

Some Food Additives Raise Hyperactivity, Study Finds - New York Times: "Common food additives and colorings can increase hyperactive behavior in a broad range of children, a study being released today found.

It was the first time researchers conclusively and scientifically confirmed a link that had long been suspected by many parents. Numerous support groups for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have for years recommended removing such ingredients from diets, although experts have continued to debate the evidence [...]"

Widening Socioeconomic Disparities in US Childhood Mortality, 1969 2000 -- Singh and Kogan 97 (9): 1658 -- American Journal of Public Health

Widening Socioeconomic Disparities in US Childhood Mortality, 1969 2000 -- Singh and Kogan 97 (9): 1658 -- American Journal of Public Health: "Results. Despite marked declines in child mortality, socioeconomic gradients (relative mortality risks) in overall child mortality increased substantially during the study period. During 1969–1971, children in the most deprived socioeconomic quintile had 52%, 13%, 69%, and 76% higher risks of all-cause, birth defect, unintentional injury, and homicide mortality, respectively, than did children in the least deprived socioeconomic quintile. The corresponding relative risks increased to 86%, 44%, 177%, 159%, respectively from 1998–2000.

Conclusions. Dramatic reductions in mortality among children in all socioeconomic quintiles represent a major public health success. However, children in higher socioeconomic quintiles experienced much larger declines in overall, injury, and natural-cause mortality than did those in more deprived socioeconomic quintiles, which contributed to the widening socioeconomic gap in mortality. Widening disparities in child mortality may reflect increasing polarization among deprivation quintiles in material and social conditions."

Jobs Abroad Support ‘Model’ State in India

Jobs Abroad Support ‘Model’ State in India - New York Times: "...With leftist governments here in the state capital spending heavily on health and schools, a generation of scholars has celebrated the “Kerala model” as a humane alternative to market-driven development, a vision of social equality in an unequal capitalist world. But the Kerala model is under attack, one outbound worker at a time [...]"

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Utilization of Antenatal Care Services by a Semi-Nomadic Bedouin ...

ConnectComplete: Utilization of Antenatal Care Services by a Semi-Nomadic Bedouin: "...Conclusions. The study demonstrated improvement in utilization of ANC in the study population. However, after the establishment of a local MCH clinic, over 40% of pregnant women still received no ANC. Non-geographic barriers to ANC are important and need to be addressed through community-based intervention programmes."

More fathers attend babies' clinics

More fathers attend babies' clinics - Fiji Times Online: "Health authorities are encouraged by the increasing number of fathers who are taking their babies for their routine medical checks."

World Clock

Statistics (based on estimates) updating in real time about deaths, diseases, disasters, etc globally.

(found via Gyford.com)

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

1.5 Million Children Could Be Saved If Diarrhea Treatments Followed

ScienceDaily: 1.5 Million Children Could Be Saved If Diarrhea Treatments Followed: "Despite global efforts to control it, diarrhoea is still one of the most common reasons for the high child mortality rates in many low and middle-income countries. This according to a doctoral thesis, soon to be presented at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet. One fifth of all the deaths amongst children under the age of five that are reported every year are caused by serious diarrhoea [...]"

Men - Architects of Change in Promoting Maternal Health

This article reminded me of Dr. Cunningham's recommendation that men be included in the maternal and child health discussions:

allAfrica.com: Malawi: Men - Architects of Change in Promoting Maternal Health: "...Most tradition in Malawi has it that men have decision-making powers in their different roles as husbands, fathers, traditional and religious as well as political leaders. Their decision-making powers transcend all the spheres including health matters. In this respect it is essential that men, as decision makers, need to take an active role in ensuring that maternal health outcomes are favourable for a healthy mother and baby [...]"

class updates

I'm so glad some of you are already finding your way around Blogger. Another tool to acquaint yourself with is the Blog This button. This is a browser add-in to your bookmarks tool bar that makes posting articles during your research very fast.

Yesterday Dr. Brown brought up Mr. Condom, the famous sex educator in Thailand. The NYTimes profiled Mechai Viravaidya in 1992. This interview covers his big return to public life in 2005. In an unusual case of promoting Best Practices research, India is now looking for their own brand of Mr. Condom.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

The Great Debate readings

Readings from the booklist (on the sidebar, scroll down) relevant to today's class debate on vertical versus horizontal public health interventions:

Just and Lasting Change (Taylor): pages 8-30, 62-68, 308-321
My Name is Today (Morley): 177, 190-202, 203-235, 250-253, 352
Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Freire): 52-62
The Myth of Development (DeRivero): 1-10

Monday, September 3, 2007

Hans Rosling presentation from TED

This presentation by Professor Hans Rosling was shown on the first day of class. If you missed it, be sure to watch it at home!



This presentation was from TED 2006. Click here to see the March 2007 follow-up!

Click here to learn more about Professor Rosling.

Click here to learn more about TED.