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This book discusses the need to establish social work for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) with an emphasis on the emerging role of effective and sustainable social interventions for the control and elimination of NTDs. NTDs are a group of infectious diseases prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, causing significant morbidity and mortality to the world's poorest populations but receiving relatively lesser attention. They significantly affect communities with poor financial resources, inadequate sanitation and limited healthcare facilities, indicating their social dimension. Addressing NTDs requires multifaceted strategies that consider environmental, social, and economic factors, with socioeconomic factors emerging as a critical determinant. The global battle against NTDs has seen significant progress, yet social workers'involvement remains limited, particularly in high-prevalence regions like India. This stems from undefined roles and a lack of focus within existing NTD frameworks. Integrating social work into NTD intervention is crucial for addressing the diverse challenges associated with these diseases, especially the social dimensions. Social workers, by advocating for health equity, engaging communities, addressing social determinants, and collaborating with healthcare professionals, can contribute significantly to the broader efforts in mitigating the impact of NTDs on vulnerable populations. This book builds on the social nature of NTDs to argue for the case of NTD social work. Establishing NTD social work requires efforts in training, standardising practices, research, advocacy, infrastructure development, and partnerships. Among the topics covered: Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Brief Introduction to the Global Scenario Neglected Tropical Diseases and the Social Dimension of Illness in India Social Work for the Control and Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases Towards Sustainable Impact: Future Directions in Social Work for NTD Control and Elimination Social Work with Populations Vulnerable to Neglected Tropical Diseases helps readers to understand the intersectional nature of health inequities and effectively work towards the control and elimination of diseases of poverty, specifically NTDs. The book is useful reading for health social workers, social work educators, healthcare professionals, medical and public health educators, and public policy and health policy researchers.

This book holds a distinguished promise of an intellectual understanding and complete account of that shifts in laying out resilient planning, development, and policy landscapes for the cities to come. The approach offers a unique perspective on planning and development in the post-pandemic era, addressing the interconnectedness of diverse spatial, social, cultural, economic, demographic, and political aspects. It provides insights into the transformational behavior of cities and citizens, explores the influence of remote work on the real estate market, emphasizes the need for resilient infrastructure and adaptive planning, and reinforces the association between health infrastructure and planning for resilient cities. The book provides a comprehensive account of the shifts and challenges faced in planning and development due to climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores transformational urban planning, sociocultural, and economic landscapes and addresses topics, including land use changes, transformational real estate market, urban recreational space, adaptive infrastructure, and the need for resilient planning. It offers valuable insights for urban designers, architects, geographers, city planners, policymakers, and pubic officials seeking to enhance city resilience in the post-pandemic era. The intended readership of the book includes urban designers, architects, city planners, geographers, policy makers, and public officials. It caters to individuals interested in gaining a critical understanding of the interconnectedness between various spatial, social, cultural, economic, demographic, and political aspects. The content level is academic, offering scholarly insights and a unique post-pandemic perspective on enhancing city resilience.

This book offers strategies and solutions for rural communities dependent on fossil fuel economies to enable them to transition to sustainable development. The move to renewable energy development and use is gaining global traction and will inevitably become standard practice in the coming years, and yet vulnerable communities around the world remain dependent on finite resource extraction for local economic activity. What will happen to these communities as the fossil fuel era fades away? Dependence on declining resource extraction economies arises from entrenched short-term interests in political and corporate worlds, and in the knowledge, skills and opportunities that local populations have at their disposal. The edited volume takes a public health perspective by showing how dependence on fossil fuel extraction and processing economies creates not only environmental and economic problems but also public health disparities. More importantly, rather than documentation of problems and obstacles, this book focuses primarily on solutions, on real examples happening right now in communities around the world to take charge of their futures. A series of case studies provide examples of local efforts underway in these communities to create sustainable economic alternatives to fossil fuel dependence. The final section of the volume describes theory-based and empirically grounded development priorities that are needed to make transitions achievable and long-lasting, including improvements in adolescent health and well-being, regenerative development, sustainable food systems, adult education, and community-based leadership. Finally, case studies and development priorities are integrated within a new rural development framework to guide other communities in their own transition efforts. Although the challenges are daunting, the book is ultimately optimistic and forward-looking. Sustainable Development and Rural Public Health: From Fossil Fuels to Greener Futures is essential reading for public health practitioners and researchers, social justice advocates, and students in sustainability studies, environmental justice and related areas. Rural health professionals, community leaders, environmental planners, policy makers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs also will find this resource useful for their work.

This book focuses on integrated disaster risk reduction arising out of climate change and shows how communities build resilience through adaptive and transformative strategies at the local and global levels. It integrates disaster risk, uncertainty, and maladaptation to climate change with evidence from empirical research and a systematic review of existing studies. The book also proposes two important contributions, which makes it distinctive. First, it gives a systematic review of the literature to capture the changing context and concept of risk, uncertainty, and maladaptation to climate change. Second, it uses case studies from around the globe to demonstrate the ways that communities have fostered to build resilience to mitigate the impacts of climate change.There is a growing recognition that decision-makers often rely on intuitive thinking processes rather than undertaking a systematic analysis of options in a deliberative fashion. This latter approach requires accepting a plurality of narratives, embracing multiple disciplinary perspectives, and above all, integrating the appropriate disciplines that can help in finding better solutions. Thus, the book adds value to the existing knowledge on climate change adaptation, perception, and policy initiatives to address disaster risk reduction. It considers all these interconnected issues of risk, uncertainty, and maladaptation through a series of conceptual review- and evidence-based case studies to create new knowledge to address climate change adaptation and a resilient future. The book is a useful contribution to resilience scientists, policymakers, and practitioners from diverse disciplines.

This book examines women's behavioral health (defined as alcohol, drug use, and mental health) problems from a population or public health perspective. It provides the current state of knowledge for women's behavioral health and examines the need for behavioral health services and implications for policy. It also reviews major issues in the organization, financing, and provision of women's behavioral health services. Global and national studies show that women are nearly twice as likely as men to have selected mental disorders. There also has been increasing attention to the social, behavioral, institutional, and economic determinants of health that result in service inequities for women in the United States compared to women in other countries. This textbook highlights mental and substance use disorders of particular concern to women, emphasizes services research issues in women's behavioral health, incorporates the social determinants of health, and provides a discussion of these critical issues from an interprofessional and interdisciplinary public health perspective. It also presents an overview of the epidemiology of mental and substance use disorders across the lifespan of women and service delivery issues from a population and system-level perspective. Applied services research chapters comprise the book's 14 chapter contributions that are organized into three parts: Part I. Framing Women's Behavioral Health; Part II. Selected At-Risk Populations; and Part III. Services Delivery issues. Women's Behavioral Health: A Public Health Perspective is a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in many academic disciplines, including the social and behavioral sciences, public health, women's studies, medical anthropology, and medical sociology. It also is useful for postdoctoral students in public health, population health, and the health professions. This volume can serve as a reference book for academicians and researchers in community and social psychology, community health, community nursing, community and preventive medicine, and public health; practitioners and policymakers at various levels of government; and behavioral health professionals at mental health and substance use programs in various national and global healthcare organizations.

This book provides a multi-disciplinary exploration of gender, public health, and disease with a focus on urban areas impacted by climate change. In three sections, global case studies are provided that analyze health risk management strategies in vulnerable populations containing high rates of mortality and disease morbidity. The sections are broadly divided along the themes, of women's health and gendered health challenges, demographic health issues such as aging populations, and the impacts of urbanization on health and the strategies to improve public health in urban areas such as green space projects. The book will be useful resource for students and researchers of health geography and public health, as well as public health practitioners and policymakers.

The book is one of the outcomes of the SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration) project titled'Fine particulates matters in the air environment and their cancer risks in human beings,'sponsored by MHRD (now MoE), Govt. of India. The editors of the book are PIs and Co-PIs of the said project. The text deliberates on air pollution's health risks with contributions from well-known experts from diverse research fields (environmental science, toxicology, geology, public health science, biology, physics, chemistry, and geospatial technology). It explores it its control and mitigation strategies. The book provides an up-to-date overview of the modern methods and tools used in air quality monitoring and human health risk assessment. Case studies from different global settings offer invaluable insights into air pollution-related regional health issues. It addresses all aspects of air quality, covering indoor-outdoor air pollution, gaseous and particulate pollutants; characterization of source and pathways of air pollutants; and the modeling and assessing of health risks (respiratory, epidemiological, and toxicological) with regional and global perspectives. It also addresses air quality management issues. The lucid explanation of the role of oxidative stress mechanisms and molecular biomarkers (genomics, proteomics) may be considered as inputs into the development of cancer therapeutics. Along with providing a scientific basis for air pollution, this book will help readers appreciate the environmental determinants of public health and apply research evidence to improve the quality of life. It also delineates future research initiatives and policy actions needed to protect human health from air pollution, locally and globally. The book will be of great educational value and help for consultation and teaching.

This book presents contributions from a multidisciplinary team of researchers who analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and prospects for the Caribbean region. This book examines experiences, and responses to the pandemic in the region as well as some of the lessons that can be leveraged on beyond the pandemic. The volume is organized into four parts. Part I offers perspectives on the structural factors that influenced the Caribbean's experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. Part II delves into the social and psychological dimensions of the pandemic's impact in the region, offering specific examples. Part III explores the ramifications of the pandemic on crime and violence. And Part IV is dedicated to analyzing the regional and national responses to the pandemic. Prospects and Challenges for Caribbean Societies in and beyond COVID-19 will be of interest to researchers in a wide range of disciplines within the Social and Behavioral Sciences interested in studies about the Caribbean. It also aims to serve as a source of information and inspiration for researchers, practitioners and decision makers interested in contributing to the development of the Caribbean region.

This book provides analyses of sanitation, health, population dynamics and demographic variables from different perspectives, including data science, statistics, modeling, economics and natural sciences, to inform sustainable decision making and policies related public health and hygiene and in mainly rural and impoverished areas. The structure is arranged into three broad sections: Part I, Population Dynamics, Environment and Society; Part II, Health, Livelihood and Policy Response; and Part III, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). The book makes recommendations for policymakers on designing and delivering social protection policies to deal with different aspects of water, health, sanitation, population, and hygiene, taking the needs of women and rural communities into special consideration. It also aims to educate students and early career researchers, to help them develop novel approaches for sustainability with environmentally sound practices.

This book provides detailed information on the impact of climate change on gastrointestinal and liver health and disease patterns on the African continent. It also discusses the adaptation measures required to mitigate these impacts and highlights the complex interplay between climate change and various forms of gut diseases, ranging from the spread of infectious diseases to emerging parasites. This volume is intended for both public health researchers, climate epidemiologists, gastroenterologists, hapatologists, and tropical medicine physicians seeking to develop a comprehensive understanding of the links between climate change and disease patterns in Africa. The ideas and findings covered in this book contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 13: Climate Action.

This book provides a snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic situation from the perspective of the tourism, aviation and hospitality industries. The book analyzes the challenges and possible strategies for recovery to meet the urgent needs of the industry to deal with this catastrophic health crisis. A good part of the book discusses the negative effect of the pandemic to these industrial sectors and the strategies to reduce it. The book also explores other aspects of the tourism and hospitality development as the base for recovery such as applying more flexible business models, understanding the resident's perception and emotion experience, strengthening the human resource management, and improving the destination image for marketing, etc. Some long-term issues are also discussed such as management education and environment protection education. The book is highly recommended for tourism and aviation researchers, policy makers, industry practitioners, and graduate students. This book is a collection of selected papers from the 10th International Conference on Tourism and Hospitality between China and Spain (www.china-spain.org).

This open access book addresses the multiple health dimensions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in India and other countries including nine in Asia, five in Sub-Saharan Africa, and New Zealand. It explores the impact of the pandemic on mental health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, health financing, self-care, and vaccine development and distribution. The contributing authors discuss its impact on vulnerable populations, including interstate migrants and female sex workers. The significant role of media and communications, rapid dissemination of information in social media, and its impact during the COVID-19 pandemic era are discussed. It closes with lessons learned from the experiences of countries that have contained the pandemic. With contributions from experts from around the world, this book presents solutions of problems that relate to COVID-19. It is a valuable resource appealing to a wide readership across the social sciences and the humanities. Readers include governments, academicians, researchers, policy-makers, program implementers, as well as lay persons.

This is an open access book which brings together leading scholars and critical discourses on political, economic, legal, technological, socio-cultural and systemic changes and continuities intersecting media and health crises in Sub-Saharan Africa. The volume extensively discusses COVID-19 but it also covers other epidemics, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS as well as “silent” health crises such as mental health---simmering across the subcontinent. The chapters fill knowledge gaps, highlight innovations, unpack the complexities surrounding the media ecosystem in times of health crises. They explore, among other issues, the politics of public health communication; infodemics; existential threats to media viability; draconian legislations; threats to journalists/journalism; COVID-related entrepreneurship, marginalization, and more.This is a timely resource for academics, advocacy groups, media practitioners and policy makers working on crises and media reporting, not just in Africa but anywhere in the global South.

This ambitious reference work focuses on social inclusion in health and social care and offers a good understanding of matters that include or exclude people in society.Social inclusion stems from the ideal of an inclusive society where each individual can feel valued, differences between individuals are respected, needs of each person are met, and everyone can live with dignity as “the norm”. Social inclusion can explain why some individuals are situated at the centre of society or at its margins, as well as the consequences of the social layer in society. Closely related to the concept of social inclusion is social exclusion, which is marked by unequal access to capabilities, rights, and resources. It engages at the individual, household, community, nation, and global levels. Social exclusion renders some individuals or groups to social vulnerability.This comprehensive reference work covers a wide range of issues pertaining tothe social inclusion paradigm, including:Theories that are linked to social inclusion and exclusion in research and practicesMethodological and ethical considerationsSocial inclusion and social exclusion: Population groups, lived experiences, and issuesInclusive research methods that enhance social inclusion including participatory researchSocial inclusion programs and interventionsThe role of health and social care for promoting social inclusionHandbook of Social Inclusion: Research and Practices in Health and Social Sciences is an invaluable resource for professors, students, researchers, and scholars in public health, social sciences, medicine, and health sciences. Readers at research institutes, government, and industry can also benefit from adopting the concepts and theories of social inclusion/exclusion in their own work and practice.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of universal health coverage in India. It starts by setting the historical context and politics of the debates around universal health coverage (UHC) in India and proceeds to analyze the present crisis of public health in the country. The book examines the present policies on the pharmaceutical industry, missing links in universalizing health, and the importance of social determinants of health. It is divided into five sections, and some of the topics covered include the difference between comprehensive primary health care and universal health care, public health and medical care, health service, and health system. The chapters are contributed by scholars and practitioners based on historical, interdisciplinary, empirical, and policy research. The book is insightful to academics, public health administrators, policymakers, practitioners, and students interested in health care and organization, looking to transform theory into policy andpractice.

Over the course of the last decade, political and mental entities at large have embraced global mental health: the idea that psychiatric health is vital to improved quality of life. Physicians globally have implemented guidelines recommended by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in 2007, thereby breaking down barriers to care and improving quality of life in areas where these practices have been implemented. Programs for training and education have expanded as a result. Clinicians benefit more from both local resources in some regions as well as in international collaboration and technological advancements. Even amidst all of these positive outcomes, clinicians still face some stumbling blocks. With worldwide statistics estimating that 450 million people struggle with mental, neuropsychiatric, and neurological disorders—25 percent of the world's non-communicable disease burden—rising to these challenges prove to be no small feat, even in wealthy Western nations. Various articles and books have been published on global mental health, but few of them thoroughly cover the clinical, research, innovative, and social implications as they pertain to psychiatry; often, only one of these aspects is covered. A comprehensive text that can keep pace with the rapidly evolving literature grows more and more valuable each day as clinicians struggle to piece together the changes around the world that leave open the possibility for improved outcomes in care. This book seeks to boldly rectify this situation by identifying innovative models of service delivery, training, education, research funding, and payment systems that have proven to be exemplary in implementation and scalability or have potential for scalability. Chapters describe specific barriers and challenges, illuminating effective strategies for improved outcomes. This text is the first peer-reviewed resource to gather prestigious physicians in global mental health from around the world and disseminate their expertise in the medical community at large in a format that is updateable, making it a truly cutting-edge resource in a world constantly changed by medical, scientific, and technological advances. Innovations in Global Mental Health is the ultimate resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, primary care physicians, hospitalists, policy makers, and all medical professionals at the forefront of global mental health and its implications for the future.

This book is a collection of works written by young scientists involved in the Integrated Disaster Risk Research (IRDR). Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) is a decade-long research programme co-sponsored by the International Science Council (merged by International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). It is a global, multi-disciplinary approach to dealing with the challenges brought by natural disasters, mitigating their impacts, and improving related policy-making mechanisms. The book examines multidisciplinary research and actions related to disaster risk reduction internationally. The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Young Scientists programme is: • A sub-programme within IRDR which promotes capacity building of young professionals and encourages them to undertake innovative and need-based research which makes science–policy and science–practice linkages stronger. • IRDR Young Scientists Programme was started in late 2016. Currently, it is a community of 115 young researchers from over 40 countries after 3 batches of application. • IRDR network and partners provide academic advice and training courses, workshops, and programmes for IRDR young scientists. • IRDR young scientists contribute to innovative research in the field of disaster risk reduction and participate in conferences and/or social media as the ambassador of IRDR. The book is of interest to researchers and scholars in the field of governance of sustainability and environmental governance. Postgraduate students will benefit this book within courses on environmental governance, on climate change governance, and on transformation and social change processes. Societal actorsin climate change adaptation and other environmental governance fields on local, national, and international levels can benefit from the focus on societally relevant findings in the past 10 years of research on adaptiveness.

This timely text examines the causes and consequences of population displacement related to climate change in the recent past, the present, and the near future. First and foremost, this book includes an examination of patterns of population displacement that have occurred or are currently underway. Second, the book introduces a three-tier framework for both understanding and responding to the public health impacts of climate-related population displacement. It illustrates the interrelations between impacts on the larger physical and social environment that precipitates and results from population displacement and the social and health impacts of climate-related migration. Third, the book contains first-hand accounts of climate-related population displacement and its consequences, in addition to reviews of demographic data and reviews of existing literature on the subject. Topics explored among the chapters include: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico The California Wildfires Fleeing Drought: The Great Migration to Europe Fleeing Flooding: Asia and the Pacific Fleeing Coastal Erosion: Kivalina and Isle de Jean Charles Although the book is largely written from the perspective of a researcher, it reflects the perspectives of practitioners and policymakers on the need for developing policies, programs, and interventions to address the growing numbers of individuals, families, and communities that have been displaced as a result of short- and long-term environmental disasters. Global Climate Change, Population Displacement, and Public Health is a vital resource for an international audience of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers representing a variety of disciplines, including public health, public policy, social work, urban development, climate and environmental science, engineering, and medicine.

​This volume presents selected papers presented during the First Asian Conference on Indoor Environmental Quality (ACIEQ). The contents cover themes of indoor air quality monitoring and modeling; the influence of confounding factors like thermal comfort parameters, such as temperature and relative humidity with respect to different building types, e.g., residential, commercial, institutional; ventilation characteristics, lighting and acoustics. It also focuses on people's performance, productivity, and behavior with respect to their exposure to various indoor air pollutants and parameters influencing the overall indoor environmental quality. This volume is primarily aimed at researchers working in environmental science and engineering, building architecture and design, HVAC and ventilation, public health, and epidemiology. The contents of this volume will also be useful to policy makers working on occupational health and building codes.

This book explores the pivotal role played by technology over the past decade in advancing global public health and health care. At present, the global community faces unprecedented healthcare challenges fueled by an aging population, rising rates of chronic disease, and persistent health disparities. New technologies and advancements have the potential to extend the reach of health professionals while improving quality and efficiency of service delivery and reducing costs within the public and the private health systems. The chapters highlight the barriers faced by the global healthcare workforce in using technology to promote health and human rights of communities:Role of Digital Health, mHealth, and Low-Cost Technologies in Advancing Universal Health Coverage in Emerging EconomiesTelehealth and Homecare AgenciesTechnology and the Practice of Health Education in Conflict ZonesThe Worldwide Digital Divide and Access to Healthcare TechnologyTechnology for Creating Better Professional Teams to Strengthen Healthcare SystemsGlobal Public Health Disaster Management and TechnologyAs a resource on the evolution of technology as a valuable and integral component in the promotion and practice of public health and health care, with a focus on SDG 3 targets, Technology and Global Public Health should engage students, instructors, practitioners, and other professionals interested in public health, universal health care, health technology, digital health, and health equity.Dr. Murthy has been a respected leader and mentor on scientific health-related matters within the UN system for many years. Her book develops a theoretical system connecting concepts that have coined global public health with the rapid development of technology, all with the focus to achieve Sustainable Development Goal number three, within the time frame set by World Leaders. - Henry L. Mac-Donald, Former Permanent Representative of Suriname to the United Nations

This book provides a solid empirical portrait based on the complexities of demographic components of population change. It describes recent innovations, trends, challenges and solutions to population change and public policy issues, such as but not limited to immigration, gender discrimination in the labor market, student housing, teen pregnancy programs, smoking and alcohol consumption, and environment and self-rated health. As such it provides an interesting platform for academics, researchers, policy makers, and students to explore experiences and research findings on special topics in applied demography and how those inform the field of population studies and public policy.

This book focuses on the core problems of occupational health, safety and well-being of workers in the informal sector in developing countries, where it accounts for most of the rural labour force and a substantial percentage of the urban labour force. The sector is characterised by low incomes, unstable employment and lack of protection in the form of legislation/policies or trade unions. Though some health and problem-solving measures have been introduced, a focused academic effort to address the problems confronting workers in the unorganised sector, or informal economy, is lacking.The book evaluates workers'physical and mental health in the context of labour migration, social inclusion of minorities and the differently abled, provisions for women workers, demonetisation, occupational safety for hazardous work, and in connection with various areas of informal work, e.g. agriculture, construction, transportation, sanitation, tanning, the tobacco industry, powerloom industry, surrogacy, and self-employment. It provides a well-rounded description of an analytical reflection on the challenges these workers face and focuses on social policy changes to help alleviate them. Accordingly, it offers a valuable asset for researchers and students interested in development studies, the sociology of work, health and labour economics, public health, and social work.

This book provides a global overview of pulse intake and future trends from a variety of perspectives. Pulses, which include dried beans, peas and lentils, are second only to grains as a source of food for the world's population. Contributors from around the globe explore a number of issues related to this food group, including their impact on global health and sustainability, the relationship between pulse intake and chronic disease, and their nutritional and gastrointestinal benefits. The primary purpose of the volume is to explore the nutritional and health benefits of pulses (starchy legumes) as a sustainable food source. Initial chapters focus on the role of pulses in complementary feeding and in the prevention of malnutrition in infants and children in the developing nations of Africa. Authors also consider the feasibility and sustainable properties of pulses as a staple food for these regions. Subsequent chapters focus on the association between pulse intake and chronic disease risk reduction. Contributors identify the unique contributions of pulses, versus legumes as a whole, to chronic disease risk and management. Additional chapters provide a comprehensive review of the nutrient contents of pulses, their bioavailability, and the nutritional impact of pulse consumption. The book also explores the phytochemicals contained in pulses from two perspectives, the traditional perspective of risk (e.g. anti-nutrients) and a nutraceutical perspective, focused on the novel benefits of pulse components (e.g. antioxidants). The editor has designed the book for students, faculty, and research scientists, as well as practicing dietitians. Members of the pulse industry, grower associations, and government agencies also will find the information relevant to their work, as will those in the private sector employed by food companies with an interest in pulse ingredients.

This book demonstrates different statistical techniques for analyzing health-related data as well as providing new techniques for forecasting and/or projecting the incidence of diseases/disorders. It presents information on a variety of health related issues from the developed and developing world. Featuring cutting edge research from distinguished applied demographers and public health specialists, the book bridges the gap between theory and research. Each chapter provides methods and materials that can be used to conduct further research aimed at promoting public health issues. This book is intended for public health professionals, health policy makers, social epidemiologists, administrators, researchers, and students in the fields of applied demography and public health who are interested in exploring the potential of ground-breaking research or who want to further develop their existing research techniques. It complements another volume in the Applied Demography Series, Applied Demography and Public Health (Springer, 2013), which describes how applied demographic techniques can be used to help address public health issues.

This open access book offers a detailed account of a range of mHealth initiatives across South, Southeast and East Asia. It provides readers with deep insights into the challenges such initiatives face on the ground, and a view of the diverse cultural contexts shaping strategies for overcoming these challenges. The book brings together various discussions on the broader mHealth literature, and demonstrates how a research focus on diverse Asian contexts influences the success and/or failure of current mHealth initiatives. It also highlights the important roles social scientists can play in advancing theoretical approaches, as well as planning, implementing and evaluating mHealth initiatives. The book is a valuable resource for project planners, policy developers in NGOs and government institutions, as well as academics, researchers and students in the fields of public health, communications and development studies.

This textbook examines strategies of investing in human health and investing in economic growth as distinct approaches to development. It explores the symbiotic relationship of these tactics, and considers the applications and outcomes from a global, national and community level perspective. Each chapter introduces concepts of economic development and population health, and uses case studies to illustrate the same. These case studies include program and policy examples from Bangladesh, Chile, Haiti, Rwanda, South Africa and Sri Lanka. The textbook also examines the impact of macroeconomic adjustment programs, health care restructuring, investment in primary health care, public-private partnerships, and the challenges of program coordination and up-scaling in stable and conflict-ridden countries. Discussion questions are provided at the end of each chapter to facilitate classroom activities. Solutions are provided at the end of the textbook.

This book examines the extent to which social position impacts exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and whether women with IPV exposure are more vulnerable to social inequities in health. At the intersection of sociological theories on health, gender, and policy, this book explores these issues against the social policy contexts of the United States, Germany, and Norway. It applies a conceptual framework which argues that differential exposure to IPV and differential vulnerability to poor health are two primary mechanisms driving health inequities for IPV survivors. Empirical analysis reveals context-specific nuances in the interactions of social position and IPV exposure in their impact on health, and suggests that encouraging women's economic independence and ensuring access to health care are vital policy intervention points for reducing the health inequities of IPV survivors. This book offers a cross-national comparative look at the role of social policy in the lives of IPVsurvivors, highlighting the effects of various policy approaches in three modern welfare states and suggesting policy implications.

Strategic Urban Health CommunicationCharles C. Okigbo, editorPeople are bombarded with messages continuously and sorting through them constantly. In this milieu, critical ideas about health promotion and illness prevention are forced to compete with distracting, conflicting, even contradictory information. To get vital messages through, communication must be effective, targeted, artful—in a word, strategic.Strategic Urban Health Communication provides a road map for understanding strategy, enhancing strategic planning skills, and implementing strategic communication campaigns. Deftly written chapters link the art and science of strategic planning to world health goals such as reducing health inequities and eradicating diseases. Flexibility is at the heart of these cases, which span developed and developing countries, uses of traditional and digital media, and chronic and acute health challenges. And the contributors ground their dispatches in the larger context of health promotion, giving readers useful examples of thinking globally while working locally. Included in the coverage:Urbanization, population, and health myths: addressing common misconceptions.Integrating HIV/family planning programs: opportunities for strategic communication.The role of sports in strategic health promotion in low-income areas.The Internet as a sex education tool: a case study from Thailand.Advertising and childhood obesity in China.Health communication strategies for sustainable development in a globalized world.Balancing depth of understanding of audiences and methods of reaching them, Strategic Urban Health Communication is a forward-looking resource geared toward professionals and researchers in urban health, global health, and health communication.

In this book, leading academics and practitioners in the field of reproductive health address topics such as contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted infections, maternal and prenatal health, sexuality and reproductive rights by examining a number of critical issues in these areas. The authors describe new research, identify gaps and priorities in policy and practice, and illustrate innovative solutions. The book further addresses such current imperatives as understanding the social meanings of emergency contraception, measuring gender-based violence, improving reproductive health governance, strengthening health systems and services, and redressing institutional barriers. The book also assesses how reproductive health programs can be reconfigured to new challenges such as those posed by climate change, vulnerable youth in fragile states, and risks from new infertility treatments. Using a rich and varied set of cases, a broad public health and social science perspective, and novel methodological approaches, this book questions common assumptions, illustrates effective solutions and sets out research, policy, and programmatic agendas for the present and future.This is a comprehensive volume which provides a valuable resource to researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers and students, as well as anyone studying or advocating for reproductive health.

This book provides an overview of the health of developing nations in the early twenty-first century. The basic assumption is that the health of a population is not independent of broader demographic trends, and does follow the health transition model. The coverage is broad, ranging from health transition in developing countries, to the health of women, to an analysis of morbidity. Population health is an essential component of human and social development. As both a means and an end of development, health lies at the heart of underdevelopment, and ranks first on the list of international priorities. The WHO slogan ‘Health for all in 2000'reflects the spirit of a more general movement in favor of health promotion throughout the world. But the developing world is far from reaching this aim. The health of populations has improved in developing regions but there are still deep inequalities, and serious problems remain, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. After reviewing the core concepts of population health, the book examines health transition in developing countries, a process that has resulted in a double burden of diseases. A discussion of mortality in developing countries serves to highlight the high rates of child mortality in these regions. The book devotes a full chapter to women's health, and its chapter-length analysis of morbidity highlights the double burden weighing down developing populations and concludes with an analysis of health systems in developing countries.

This book is a follow up to Social Capital and Health (2008), edited by Kawachi, Subramanian & Kim. Global Perspectives on Social Capital and Health provides a timely update on emerging topics in a fast-growing field, and features contributions from an outstanding international team of scholars, selected from a diverse range of disciplinary backgrounds including: social epidemiology, medical geography, social psychology, social welfare and gerontology, pediatrics, political science, economics, and medical sociology. The book is organized in three parts: Part 1. Emerging directions in social capital research. This section highlights novel directions in social capital research. These include: a) novel settings for conducting research on social capital (workplaces, schools), b) new approaches for causal inference in social capital (instrumental variable analysis, twin fixed effects designs); c) cutting-edge directions for social capital research, including studies of the origins of community social capital, the use of social network analysis to investigate social capital, and novel methods for investigating the link between social capital and crime. Part 2. Social capital and health policy. The three chapters in this section highlight implications of social capital for interventions and health policy. Part 3. Social capital and health in global perspective The four chapters in this section look at research on social capital and health from a global perspective. The authors summarize the empirical studies on social capital and health conducted in each country/region, or each population group; discuss how the concept of social capital “translates” across different cultures; and identify challenges and future directions for research.

This book integrates the expertise of profession­ tion available on the various health concerns and als from a broad array of disciplines-anthro­ subpopulations and by the numerous method­ pology, health services research, epidemiology, ological complexities in compiling the neces­ medicine, dentistry, health promotion, and so­ sary data. Recognition of the nuances within and cial work-in an examination of rural health across rural populations, as recommended here, care and rural health research. This investiga­ will allow us to provide care more efficiently tion includes an inquiry into issues that are uni­ and effectively and to prevent disease or ame­ versal across rural populations, such as public liorate its effects. Reliance on some of the newer health issues and issues of equity in health care. technologies and approaches discussed here, Several chapters explore the health care issues such as distance learning and broad-based, com­ that confront specified subpopulations includ­ munity-wide health initiatives, will facilitate ing, for instance, migrant workers and Native disease treatment and prevention in relatively Americans, while others provide a more focused isolated areas. Ultimately, all of us must work approach to diseases that may disproportionately to ensure the availability of adequate health care have an impact on residents of rural areas, such to even the most isolated communities, for'as as specific chronic and infectious diseases.

Reproductive tract infections (RTis) have become a silent epidemic that is devastating women's lives. Each year, thousands of women die needlessly from the consequences of these infections, including cervical cancer, ectopic pregnancy, acute and chronic infections of the uterus and the fallopian tubes, and puerperal infections. For many women, this happens because they receive medical attention too late, if at all. The terrible irony of this tragedy is that early diagnosis of and treatment for many RTis do not require high-technology health care. For the hundreds of millions of women with chronic RTis acquired from their sexual partners, life can become a living hell. Infection is a major cause of infertility, and it leads to scorn and rejection in many countries. These women may experience constant pain, have festering lesions of the genital tract, be at enhanced risk of second­ ary diseases, and endure social ostracism. The problems associated with RT!s have grown even greater in the past decade with the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS. Preexisting sexually transmitted disease, particularly when associated with genital tract ulcers, raises women's vulnerability to the transmission of HIV 3-5 fold.

This book presents recent findings about the consequences and policy implications of economic stress for human capital development and family well-being in Asia. The scope of the chapters goes beyond the impact of current financial crisis to include the effect of economic deprivation families in Asia experience as a result of job loss, low-wage employment, and catastrophic natural calamities. The studies show how macro-level economic stress can filter down through households to affect individuals'economic and socio-psychological well-being. The chapters reveal a wide spectrum of economic stresses experienced by families in Asia that is linked to poor human capital development, emotional distress, health problems, changing fertility patterns, more frequent geographic movement, and less supportive parenting behavior. The elderly, women, children, low-skilled workers are particularly vulnerable. The economic shocks in the past several decades have exposed the vulnerability of the family institution and the weaknesses in this region's social protection system that can lead to detrimental long-term effects on human capital development. This book is relevant for researchers and students in fields such as Family Studies, Globalization, Development, Social Problems, Social Stratification, Social Inequalities, Poverty and Welfare, Education, and Social Policies.

The knowledge base in the domains of quality of life, well-being, and subjective well-being is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. In light of this growth, and the interest it reflects on the part of scholars, practitioners, and policy makers internationally, this book will play an important role in bringing scholars and students up to date on diverse topics and promoting and encouraging research in the field of quality-of-life (QOL) studies. Unlike most other similar publications quality of life studies is broadly construed to involve all of the social and health sciences. This volume has much to offer the reader. The papers reflect a diversity of disciplinary and methodological perspectives, it contains material on (a) the monitoring, assessing, and modelling of quality of life, (b) matters of policy, finance, marketing, and business, and (c) papers devoted to the determinants and correlates of well-being and quality of life.

Volume 2 discusses the relationship between patient and caregiver in terms of structural and interactional determinants. The impact of provider characteristics on'compliance'and'adherence'is given especially noteworthy treatment. Each volume features extensive supplementary and integrative material prepared by the editor, the detailed index to the entire four-volume set, and a glossary of health behavior terminology.

There are about 34 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. Half are women. There has been a dramatic global increase in the rates of women living with HIV/AIDS. Among young women, especially in developing countries, infection rates are rapidly increasing. Many of these women are also mothers with young infants. When a woman is labeled as having HIV, she is treated with suspicion and her morality is being questioned. Previous research has suggested that women living with HIV/AIDS can be affected by delay in diagnosis, inferior access to health care services, internalized stigma and a poor utilization of health services. This makes it extremely difficult for women to take care of their own health needs. Women are also reluctant to disclose their HIV-positive status as they fear this may result in physical feelings of shame, social ostracism, violence, or expulsion from home. Women living with HIV/AIDS who are also mothers carry a particularly heavy burden of being HIV-infected. This unique book attempts to put together results from empirical research and focuses on issues relevant to women, motherhood and living with HIV/AIDS which have occurred to individual women in different parts of the globe. The book comprises chapters written by researchers who carry out their projects in different parts of the world, and each chapter contains empirical information based on real life situations. This can be used as evidence for health care providers to implement socially and culturally appropriate services to assist individuals and groups who are living with HIV/AIDS in many societies. The book is of interest to scholars and students in the domains of anthropology, sociology, social work, nursing, public health & medicine and health professionals who have a specific interest in issues concerning women who are mothers and living with HIV/AIDS from cross-cultural perspective.

This book puts great emphasis on the importance of Integrated Water Resources Management IWRM as the way forward towards food, water, and energy security. It offers better ways and means of managing the limited water resources; using water more efficiently; adopting new policies in order to cope with climate change and drought; increase water supply through the use of non conventional water resources, especially waste water; inducing stakeholders participation and information exchange and raise public awareness to the value of water. It is an important book for all those involved in all aspects of water resources and contains valuable information for scientists, researchers, farmers, extension services and students.

South Africa's peaceful transition to democracy has gained it world recognition. This book gives a frank report on contemporary South African society and the challenges which the new nation faces. Sixteen social scientists, experts in fields as wide-ranging as economics, politics, and development planning, have compiled a social report on South Africa two years into democracy. The volume covers critical concerns which impact on the well-being of the average South African. The dozen chapters in the book present facts and figures as well as in-depth commentary on social issues which South Africa must address. The authors discuss the legacies of the past, including poverty and social inequality; problems of transition ranging from trauma to crime; and the hopes for the future which lie in economic growth and development, a deeper understanding of democracy, and a healthy dose of optimism. The book draws on information from a wide variety of sources including government statistics, independent social surveys, community research, and opinion polls. This rich data weaves a tapestry of the quality of life in South Africa for Africa watchers and the general public.

Among women's health concerns, reproductive issues, both prenatal and postpartum, hold particular prominence. Yet despite the many programs dedicated to improving women's reproductive health, maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates in minority communities remain unchanged—or have increased. Confronting this alarming statistic head-on, Reducing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Reproductive and Perinatal Outcomes is the first book systematically examining public health interventions designed toward meeting this important and elusive goal. Its contributors offer the best thinking and practice on this complicated topic, clarifying the relationship between evidence-based medicine and evidence-based public health and its potential for increasing parity, considering interventions in the multiple contexts of women's lives, reviewing the evidence base for each program or initiative featured, and describing methodologies for evaluating interventions. The resulting volume advocates for an integrative lifespan approach, including topics related to:Family planning STI and HIV/AIDS screening and treatment Smoking cessation and reducing exposure to environmental smoke Preconceptional well-woman care Depression screening and treatment Labor/delivery approaches and intrapartum care Emerging prenatal care interventions, from centering pregnancy to doula support For professionals and graduate students in psychiatry, psychology, sociology, women's health, and public health, Reducing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Reproductive and Perinatal Outcomes reframes a set of ongoing issues and guides the reader toward state-of-the-art solutions.

At the turn of the 21st century, human health and economic growth are inextricably linked components of international development. Challenges in Health and Development is a primer on the changing configurations of population health and economic growth in development policy. It examines strategies of investing in human health and investing in economic growth as distinct approaches to development, explores the symbiotic relationship of these tactics, and considers the applications and outcomes from a global, national and community level perspective. Each chapter introduces concepts of economic development and population health, and uses case studies to illustrate the same. These case studies include program and policy examples from Bangladesh, Chile, Haiti, Rwanda, South Africa and Sri Lanka. This text examines the impact of macroeconomic adjustment programs, health care restructuring, investment in primary health care, public-private partnerships, and the challenges of program coordination and up-scaling in stable and conflict-ridden countries. Discussion questions are provided at the end of each chapter to facilitate classroom activities. health and economic growth are inextricablylinked components of international development. Challenges in Health and Developmentis a primer on the changing configurations of population health and economicgrowth in development policy. It examines strategies of investing in human healthand investing in economic growth as distinct approaches to development, explcomes ofthe same from a global, national and community level perspective. Each chapter introducesconcepts of economic development and population health and uses case studiesto illustrate the same. These case studies include program and policy examples fromBangladesh, Chile, Haiti, Rwanda, South Africa and Sri Lanka. This text examines theimpact of macroeconomic adjustment programs, health care restructuring, investmentin primary health care, public-private partnerships, and the challenges of program coordinationand up-scaling in stable and conflict-ridden countries. Discussion questionsare provided at the end of each chapter to facilitate classroom activities.

This book disseminates current information pertaining to the modulatory effects of foods and other food substances on behavior and neurological pathways and, importantly, vice versa. This ranges from the neuroendocrine control of eating to the effects of life-threatening disease on eating behavior. The importance of this contribution to the scientific literature lies in the fact that food and eating are an essential component of cultural heritage but the effects of perturbations in the food/cognitive axis can be profound. The complex interrelationship between neuropsychological processing, diet, and behavioral outcome is explored within the context of the most contemporary psychobiological research in the area. This comprehensive psychobiology- and pathology-themed text examines the broad spectrum of diet, behavioral, and neuropsychological interactions from normative function to occurrences of severe and enduring psychopathological processes.

Peter Uhlenberg The classic handbook of population, The Study of Pop- by the beginning of the twenty-first century and p- ulation edited by Philip Hauser and Otis Dudley Dun- jections show that by 2035 there will be twice as many can, was published in 1959. As described on the dust over age 65 as under age 15. In Italy and in Japan, jacket, this book was “…an encyclopedic summary of where extraordinarily low fertility is persisting, p- the field of demography, ranging from its historical jections indicate that by 2050 there will be three times beginnings to promising subjects for its future study…” as many people over age 80 as children under age 5. Not only was “population aging” not included as the Although population aging is progressing at different title of one of the 28 chapters in this encyclopedic vol- paces in different parts of the world, significant po- ume on demographic knowledge but the term was not lation aging is expected in every region of the world even included in the index. Demographers at that time in coming decades. The emergence of global popu- did, of course, understand the determinants of a popula- tion aging as one of the most important demographic tion's age distribution and a discussion of this topic was trends in the world today has stimulated scholars to included.

It has now been 25 years since the apocryphal report in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report dated June 5, 1981 entitled, “Pneumocystis Pneumonia - Los Angeles”, which announced what was to become HIV/AIDS. HIV has now affected virtually all countries that have looked for it and has had a devastating impact on the public health and medical care infrastructure around the world. HIV/AIDS has also disproportionately affected nations with the least capacity to confront it, especially the developing world nations in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the emerging republics of Eastern and Central Asia. The pandemic, unlike any other disease of our time, has had profound impacts on the practice of public health itself: bringing affected communities into decision making; demanding North-South partnerships and collaborations; and changing the basic conduct of clinical and prevention trials research. While much has been written in scholarly publications for medical, epidemiologic and disease control specialists, there is no comprehensive review of the public health impact and response to HIV/AIDS in the developing world. This edited volume seeks to systematically describe the emergence and form of the epidemics (epidemiology), the social, community and political response, and the various measures to confront and control the epidemic, with varying levels of success. Of particular importance are strategies that appear to have been useful in ameliorating the epidemic, while contrasting the situation in a neighboring country or region where contrasting prevention or care initiatives have had a deleterious outcome. Common to all responses has been the international multi-sectoral response represented by the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and the Gates Foundation, among others, to promote HIV pharmacologic therapy in resource-poor settings. The chapter authors will explorethe political challenges in meeting HIV/AIDS prevention and care in concert with the public health realities in specific country and regional context.

The last few years have seen enormous progress in terms of our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of cervical cancer (particularly with respect to the role of human papillomaviruses), and this has opened up new avenues for prevention. Additionally, there have been further refinements of existing technologies for cervical cancer control. To read about the state of the art on cervical cancer, health professionals have to locate individual articles and reviews of specific topics. In recognition of this, we propose to produce a book that will bring together in one place reviews of the contribution of descriptive and analytical epidemiological research to our understanding of cervical cancer etiology, as well as research on the application of that knowledge (plus knowledge gained from basic science investigations) to prevention through screening, chemoprevention, and vaccine development. The proposed book will include authoritative reviews by scientists working on the disciplines that are pertinent to the topic of the epidemiology and prevention of cervical cancer.

Asia has become the new battle ground for the war against HIV/AIDS. The magnitude of the potential public health problems caused by AIDS in this populous continent may become a catastrophic disaster. A 10% rate of prevalence of HIV-1 in India and China alone would mean more than 200 million people are infected with HIV. AIDS in Asia is useful as a comprehensive, up-to-date AIDS reference book for public health and medical professionals. This volume provides concrete information on the diagnosis, treatment, care, prevention and impact of AIDS. Part I contains'Snapshots of HIV/AIDS in Asia.'Countries and regions included in this section are: Thailand, India, China, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Part II addresses the molecular epidemiology of HIV/AIDS. Part III deals with the diagnosis, surveillance and projected scenarios of the AIDS epidemic. Part IV outlines prevention efforts and treatment options. Part V provides an overview of the ongoing collaborative efforts involved in several different nations in the worldwide war against AIDS. This volume will be invaluable to all the public health professionals and researchers working in this field.'...the book is a useful addition to the HIV/AIDS literature.''AIDS in Asia offers a comprehensive, interesting overview of the epidemic there and of general issues that will influence its progression.'-Roger Detels, MD, MS, University of California-Los Angeles The Journal of the American Medical Association, Book Review, 293:15