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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the views of stove users in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on how stoves affect their health., Design/methodology/approach: In this paper focus groups were conducted with improved stove users; traditional stove users; and a mix of traditional and improved stove users. Individual interviews were also held with various types of stove users. A translator moderated all discussions with a questioning route. All discussions were fully transcribed and translated. The transcripts were analysed by identifying common themes in responses to form an emerging theory., Findings: The findings in the paper are that all stove users recognised respiratory symptoms caused by stove smoke and other health effects such as warmth, dirt and workload, which they perceived to be important. Stove users had a lack of knowledge about the diseases caused by the smoke. Public health was a key driver for the improved stove project, yet has been neglected in improved stove marketing., Research Limitations/implications: The study used in this paper was limited by the language barrier. Some of the meanings of participants' responses may have been lost in translation., Practical Implications: This paper has highlighted the importance of the health effects of stove smoke to stove users. Uptake of the improved stoves has been low. Public health should be included in marketing strategies for improved stoves to increase their uptake., Originality/value: The paper shows that acute respiratory infections are a major cause of mortality world-wide. Indoor air pollution from burning biomass fuels in household stoves causes a significant proportion of respiratory infections. No qualitative research has been published exploring stove users' views on the health effects of stoves. This paper provides an insight into stove users' perceptions for those interested in people-centred approaches to tackling international health issues.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences and views of the first group of medical students to complete the intercalated International Health BSc in Leeds., Design/methodology/approach: The paper draws on experiences of international health and draws parallels with those of other international health students. The paper also discusses how studying international health may benefit future doctors and considers how medical education can take a more international approach., Findings: The paper finds that international health education can help future doctors acquire knowledge and skills in refugees' health, patients' cultural differences, the multifactoral influences on health, policymaking, the interests of various stakeholders, problem-solving skills and evidence-based medicine., Practical Implications: The paper shows that international health teaching is both relevant and valuable in medical education. The medical profession should give more recognition to its worth., Originality/value: This is the first paper to reflect on medical students' experiences of studying for an intercalated BSc at Leeds. It makes some important points about international health education for doctors and medical students world-wide.

Background: This paper explores the application of participatory methods in a Bombay slum of 33 households, Budh Mandir, to establish the local women's perception of their health status., Method: Six participatory meetings were conducted alongside informal interviews with key informants. The meetings were structured with health ranking, mapping and seasonal mapping exercises., Results: The participatory exercises expose the differences in perceptions between professional health deliverers and the women of Budh Mandir, as well as providing data at a household scale about the incidence of disease and important differences in the interpretation of health problems., Conclusions: Differences in the perception between local women and health professionals are noted, which, it is argued, have important implications in redefining health delivery. Some methodological problems are identified and solutions are offered. It is argued that participatory methods can act as a process through which slum dwellers can demand appropriate health care for themselves and their families. In so doing, they can redefine their health needs in order that health intervention can be directed more appropriately.