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The article explains how health systems contribute to the societal goals of social cohesion, environmental sustainability and economic development. It discusses the role of health systems in conceptualizing societal well-being through services like curative care, preventive care and health promotion, as well as in ensuring equitable access to health care, providing resources for health, improving quality of life and optimizing health service resources and green initiatives.

The article explains the importance of a taxonomy for the private and public financing of health. Topics discussed include private sector participation in financial market investments in the healthcare sector, the European Union taxonomy developed to help companies and investors identify environmentally sustainable economic activities, integration of health metrics into sustainable investment frameworks, and role of the World Health Organization in the development of health taxonomy.

The article suggests approaches to increase finance for national antimicrobial resistance action plans. These include investment of counties in establishing national antimicrobial resistance governance and multisectoral coordination mechanisms, incorporation of financial resources for national action plans into budgets and planning cycles of national governments and regional development banks, prioritization and budgeting channeled towards addressing antimicrobial resistance.

A correction is presented to the article "Elimination and Eradication Goals for Communicable Diseases: A Systematic Review," which appeared in the October 1, 2023 issue of the magazine.

Objective To consolidate recent information on elimination and eradication goals for infectious diseases and clarify the definitions and associated terminology for different goals. Methods We conducted a systematic search of the World Health Organization's Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (WHO IRIS) and a customized systematic Google advanced search for documents published between 2008 and 2022 on elimination or eradication strategies for infectious conditions authored by WHO or other leading health organizations. We extracted information on names of infectious conditions, the elimination and eradication goals and timelines, definitions of goals, non-standardized terminology, targets and assessment processes. Findings We identified nine goals for 27 infectious conditions, ranging from disease control to eradication. In comparison with the hierarchy of disease control, as defined at the Dahlem Workshop in 1997, six goals related to disease control with varying levels of advancement, two related to elimination and one to eradication. Goals progressed along a disease-control continuum, such as end of disease epidemic to pre-elimination to elimination as a public health problem or threat. We identified the use of non-standardized terminology with certain goals, including virtual elimination, elimination of disease epidemics, public health threat and public health concern. Conclusion As we approach the 2030 target date to achieve many of the goals related to disease control and for other infections to become candidates for elimination in the future, clarity of definitions and objectives is important for public health professionals and policy-makers to avoid misperceptions and miscommunication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the factors that need to consider to modify the organizational evaluation process to enhance health equity initiatives world wide. Topics mentioned include the importance of investing in several forms of evidence generation and use and independent evaluation, the issues pertaining to health equity, and the role of evaluation in decision making and capacity building.

The article focuses on the role of sustainable development goal (SDG) indicators developed by the United Nations Inter-Agency and Expert Group to assess the accessibility of the public to essential medicines. Topics mentioned include the evaluation of health facilities that provide affordable essential medicines, the reasons for the lack of data for SDG indicators, and the need to establish routine electronic data collection at retail pharmacies.

The article offers information on the introduction of a framework for designating and publicly listing a regulatory authority as a WHO Listed Authorities (WLA) provides a transparent and evidence-based pathway for authorities to be recognized as meeting and applying WHO and other internationally recognized standards and guidelines, as well as good regulatory practice. It mentions the main purpose of the WLA designation is the replacement of the concept of an Stringent Regulatory Authorities.

The article discusses the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee's recommendations on the mpox virus as of May 2023. Topics covered include the required sustained mpox surveillance by Member States amid the decline of global cases, the integration of mpox surveillance into primary care, the commitment towards equitable diagnostics access, and the support to resource-constrained settings. Also noted is a proposed strategy for mpox elimination and control, and planning support.

The authors suggest three ways in which natural ecosystems can be integrated into global health and food security programmes to achieve goals more sustainably. Topics mentioned include inclusion of ecosystem-related questions in household surveys as appropriate, examples of ecosystem-related survey questions that reflect the current state of the evidence, and linkages between natural ecosystems and global health and food security priorities.

The article discusses the inequities of ethnicity- and gender-based bias and discrimination in global immunization coverage as of February 2020. Topics covered include data quality improvement, use of traditional surveys, electronic health information systems, machine learning, satellite imagery, and better data visualization, and building of national and local capacity for data use and service expansion. Also noted are the challenges of vertical programmes and underserved children.

Gender refers to the social relationships between males and females in terms of their roles, behaviours, activities, attributes and opportunities, and which are based on different levels of power. Gender interacts with, but is distinct from, the binary categories of biological sex. In this paper we consider how gender interacts with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, including sustainable development goal (SDG) 3 and its targets for health and well-being, and the impact on health equity. We propose a conceptual framework for understanding the interactions between gender (SDG 5) and health (SDG 3) and 13 other SDGs, which influence health outcomes. We explore the empirical evidence for these interactions in relation to three domains of gender and health: gender as a social determinant of health; gender as a driver of health behaviours; and the gendered response of health systems. The paper highlights the complex relationship between health and gender, and how these domains interact with the broad 2030 agenda. Across all three domains (social determinants, health behaviours and health system), we find evidence of the links between gender, health and other SDGs. For example, education (SDG 4) has a measurable impact on health outcomes of women and children, while decent work (SDG 8) affects the rates of occupationrelated morbidity and mortality, for both men and women. We propose concerted and collaborative actions across the interlinked SDGs to deliver health equity, health and well-being for all, as well as to enhance gender equality and women's empowerment. These proposals are summarized in an agenda for action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The approaches and tools of health promotion can be useful for civil society groups, local and national governments and multilateral organizations that are working to operationalize the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Health promotion and sustainable development share several core priorities, such as equity, intersectoral approaches and sustainability, that help maximize their impact across traditional sectoral boundaries. In the Region of the Americas, each of these priorities has strong resonance because of prominent and long-standing health inequities that are proving resistant to interventions driven solely by the health sector. We describe several cases from the World Health Organization's (WHO) Region of the Americas in which the approaches and tools of health promotion, with a focus on cities, healthy settings and multisectoral collaboration, have been used to put the agenda into practice. We highlight areas where such approaches and tools can be applied effectively and provide evidence of the transformative potential of health promotion in efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Universal Periodic Review is a comprehensive, state-to-state peer-review mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council. Created in 2006, the mechanism scrutinizes the human rights record of all UN Member States, including their efforts to realize the right to health. However, the mechanism is relatively under-used in global health governance compared to treaty-based procedures, such as those overseen by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. We suggest that the Universal Periodic Review could be used to support the monitoring and review processes of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The review could offer a unique perspective for other actors on how to ensure accountability for the complex and intertwined SDGs, including their commitments for health. This article provides an overview of how health-related rights have been addressed in the Universal Periodic Review process and how the review can contribute to advancing global commitments to health, including those embodied in the SDGs. We present some of the current limitations in the way health is addressed in the Universal Periodic Review. We also consider what role specialized UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization, might play during the Universal Periodic Review process and how this involvement can contribute towards the comprehensive realization of health and wellbeing for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kidney disease has been described as the most neglected chronic disease. Reliable estimates of the global burden of kidney disease require more population-based studies, but specific risks occur across the socioeconomic spectrum from poverty to affluence, from malnutrition to obesity, in agrarian to post-industrial settings, and along the life course from newborns to older people. A range of communicable and noncommunicable diseases result in renal complications and many people who have kidney disease lack access to care. The causes, consequences and costs of kidney diseases have implications for public health policy in all countries. The risks of kidney disease are also influenced by ethnicity, gender, location and lifestyle. Increasing economic and health disparities, migration, demographic transition, unsafe working conditions and environmental threats, natural disasters and pollution may thwart attempts to reduce the morbidity and mortality from kidney disease. A multisectoral approach is needed to tackle the global burden of kidney disease. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) emphasize the importance of a multisectoral approach to health. We map the actions towards achieving all of the SDGs that have the potential to improve understanding, measurement, prevention and treatment of kidney disease in all age groups. These actions can also foster treatment innovations and reduce the burden of such disease in future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A life-course approach to health encompasses strategies across individuals' lives that optimize their functional ability (taking into account the interdependence of individual, social, environmental, temporal and intergenerational factors), thereby enabling well-being and the realization of rights. The approach is a perfect fit with efforts to achieve universal health coverage and meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Properly applied, a life-course approach can increase the effectiveness of the former and help realize the vision of the latter, especially in ensuring health and well-being for all at all ages. Its implementation requires a shared understanding by individuals and societies of how health is shaped by multiple factors throughout life and across generations. Most studies have focused on noncommunicable disease and ageing populations in high-income countries and on epidemiological, theoretical and clinical issues. The aim of this article is to show how the life-course approach to health can be extended to all age groups, health topics and countries by building on a synthesis of existing scientific evidence, experience in different countries and advances in health strategies and programmes. A conceptual framework for the approach is presented along with implications for implementation in the areas of: (i) policy and investment; (ii) health services and systems; (iii) local, multisectoral and multistakeholder action; and (iv) measurement, monitoring and research. The SDGs provide a unique context for applying a holistic, multisectoral approach to achieving transformative outcomes for people, prosperity and the environment. A life-course approach can reinforce these efforts, particularly given its emphasis on rights and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of care provided by health systems contributes towards efforts to reach sustainable development goal 3 on health and well-being. There is growing evidence that the impact of health interventions is undermined by poor quality of care in lower-income countries. Quality of care will also be crucial to the success of universal health coverage initiatives; citizens unhappy with the quality and scope of covered services are unlikely to support public financing of health care. Moreover, an ethical impetus exists to ensure that all people, including the poorest, obtain a minimum quality standard of care that is effective for improving health. However, the measurement of quality today in low- and middle-income countries is inadequate to the task. Health information systems provide incomplete and often unreliable data, and facility surveys collect too many indicators of uncertain utility, focus on a limited number of services and are quickly out of date. Existing measures poorly capture the process of care and the patient experience. Patient outcomes that are sensitive to health-care practices, a mainstay of quality assessment in high-income countries, are rarely collected. We propose six policy recommendations to improve quality-of-care measurement and amplify its policy impact: (i) redouble efforts to improve and institutionalize civil registration and vital statistics systems; (ii) reform facility surveys and strengthen routine information systems; (iii) innovate new quality measures for low-resource contexts; (iv) get the patient perspective on quality; (v) invest in national quality data; and (vi) translate quality evidence for policy impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is unclear if current programmes in China can achieve the post-2015 global targets for tuberculosis -- 50% reduction in incidence and a 75% reduction in mortality by 2025. Chinese policy-makers need to maintain the recent decline in the prevalence of tuberculosis, while revising control policies to cope with an epidemic of drug-resistant tuberculosis and the effects of ongoing health reform. Health reforms are expected to shift patients from tuberculosis dispensaries to designated hospitals. We developed a mathematical model of tuberculosis control in China to help set appropriate targets and prioritize interventions that might be implemented in the next 10 years. This model indicates that, even under the most optimistic scenario -- improved treatment in tuberculosis dispensaries, introduction of a new effective regimen for the treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis and optimal care of cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis -- the current global targets for tuberculosis are unlikely to be reached. However, reductions in the incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis should be feasible. We conclude that a shift of patients from tuberculosis dispensaries to designated hospitals is likely to hamper efforts at tuberculosis control if cure rates in the designated hospitals cannot be maintained at a high level. Our results can inform the planning of tuberculosis control in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing maternal and child mortality is a priority in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and will likely remain so after 2015. Evidence exists on the investments, interventions and enabling policies required. Less is understood about why some countries achieve faster progress than other comparable countries. The Success Factors for Women’s and Children’s Health studies sought to address this knowledge gap using statistical and econometric analyses of data from 144 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over 20 years; Boolean, qualitative comparative analysis; a literature review; and country-specific reviews in 10 fast-track countries for MDGs 4 and 5a. There is no standard formula – fast-track countries deploy tailored strategies and adapt quickly to change. However, fast-track countries share some effective approaches in addressing three main areas to reduce maternal and child mortality. First, these countries engage multiple sectors to address crucial health determinants. Around half the reduction in child mortality in LMICs since 1990 is the result of health sector investments, the other half is attributed to investments made in sectors outside health. Second, these countries use strategies to mobilize partners across society, using timely, robust evidence for decision-making and accountability and a triple planning approach to consider immediate needs, long-term vision and adaptation to change. Third, the countries establish guiding principles that orient progress, align stakeholder action and achieve results over time. This evidence synthesis contributes to global learning on accelerating improvements in women’s and children’s health towards 2015 and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underpinning the global commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) is the fundamental role of health for well-being and sustainable development. UHC is proposed as an umbrella health goal in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda because it implies universal and equitable effective delivery of comprehensive health services by a strong health system, aligned with multiple sectors around the shared goal of better health. In this paper, we argue that social determinants of health (SDH) are central to both the equitable pursuit of healthy lives and the provision of health services for all and, therefore, should be expressly incorporated into the framework for monitoring UHC. This can be done by: (a) disaggregating UHC indicators by different measures of socioeconomic position to reflect the social gradient and the complexity of social stratification; and (b) connecting health indicators, both outcomes and coverage, with SDH and policies within and outside of the health sector. Not locating UHC in the context of action on SDH increases the risk of going down a narrow route that limits the right to health to coverage of services and financial protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To measure the progress made by the collaborative actions of multisectorial partners in a community health effort using a systematic method to document and evaluate community/system changes over time. Methods. This was a community-based participatory research project engaging community partners of the Latino Health for All Coalition, which based on the Health for All model, addresses health inequity in a low-income neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America. Guided by three research questions regarding the extent to which the Coalition catalyzed change, intensity of change, and how to visually display change, data were collected on community/system changes implemented by the community partners from 2009-2012. These changes were characterized and rated according to intensity (event duration, population reach, and strategy) and by other categories, such as social determinant of health mechanism and sector. Results. During the 4-year study period, the Coalition implemented 64 community/system changes. These changes were aligned with the Coalition's primary goals of healthy nutrition, physical activity, and access to health screenings. Community/system efforts improved over time, becoming longer in duration and reaching more of the population. Conclusions. Although evidence of its predictive validity awaits further research, this method for documenting and characterizing community/system changes enables community partners to see progress made by their health initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article mentions the world's failure to meet the targets on ending the preventable deaths of newborns and children under five as of February 2022.

Objective. To compare health research priority-setting methods and characteristics among countries in Latin America and the Caribbean during 2002-2012. Methods. This was a systematic review that identified national health research policies and priority agendas through a search of ministry and government databases related to health care institutions. PubMed, LILACS, the Health Research Web, and others were searched for the period from January 2002-February 2012. The study excluded research organized by governmental institutions and specific national strategies on particular disease areas. Priority-setting methods were compared to the "nine common themes for good practice in health research priorities." National health research priorities were compared to those of the World Health Organization's Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Results. Of the 18 Latin American countries assessed, 13 had documents that established national health research priorities; plus the Caribbean Health Research Council had a research agenda for its 19 constituents. These 14 total reports varied widely in terms of objectives, content, dissemination, and implementation; most provided a list of strategic areas, suggestions, and/or sub-priorities for each country; however, few proposed specific research topics and questions. Conclusions. Future reports could be improved by including more details on the comprehensive approach employed to identify priorities, on the information gathering process, and on practices to be undertaken after priorities are set. There is a need for improving the quality of the methodologies utilized and coordinating Regional efforts as countries strive to meet the MDG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the World Health Organization's Council on the Economics of Health for All has urged for goals to be implemented to reform and redirect health financing to meet the objective of Health for All.

The article reports that under-five mortality rates have declined by nearly 60 percent between 1990 and 2019, according to a report released by the United Nations Children's Fund and partners on September 9, 2020.

The authors convey their concerns about healthy living, well-being, and the sustainable development goals. Topics discussed include 31-year discrepancy between the countries with the shortest and longest life expectancies, a report by the United Nations on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, and the approval of World Health Organization's (WHO) new General Programme of Work 2019-2023 by WHO Member States in May 2018.

An interview with Göran Tomson, co-founder of the Swedish Institute for Global Health Transformation, is presented on how scientists can help achieve sustainable development. Topics discussed include the definition of sustainable development in the 1987 report "Our Common Future," forms of development that are not sustainable and need to change, and his thoughts about sustainable food system.

The authors discuss the need for all stakeholders including the health sector to collaborate in reforming the birth and death registration processes, and in building information into civil registration and vital statistics systems in 2018. Topics covered include the initiative's providing of documented evidence of identity that will allow social participation, and of continuous updates on population registers. Also noted is its support by the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In the article, the authors discuss how the millennium development goals (MDG) and sustainable development goals (SDG) by various countries around the world are helping improve the lives of people affected by wars and conflicts as of early 2017. Also cited are the number of individuals directly affected by war like the refugees and internally displaced people, as well as the situations in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo as examples.

The author reflects on the need to address the quality of health care to meet the sustainable development goal (SDG) 3 of ensuring health lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. He cites plans to publish a them issue on quality-of-care in the era of SDGs that will include original research articles on quality-of-care in low and middle-income countries and calls for submission of papers around 2 themes including measurement of health-care quality.

The author reflects on the shift in global landscape of malnutrition with countries facing a double burden of undernutrition and obesity as economic development, changing diet patterns and sedentary lifestyles outpaced efforts to develop infrastructure, strengthen institutions and expand provision of health services. He suggests that global health and food systems can help restore the vitality of economies globally and cites the importance of cultivating food environments that promote health.

An interview with Andréia Azevedo Soares, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is presented. She talks about how she became interested in climate change policy, how her anthropological background helps her in bringing 195 nations together for the delivery of a new agreement, and progress in making health a priority in the debate about global warming. Soares explains how countries can further enhance their anti-pollution regulations.

An interview with Pali Lehlola, the Statistician-General of South Africa, is presented. Lehlola talks about the challenges of monitoring health and development programs toward the Millenium Development Goals that end in 2015. He speaks about the development goals focused on health set for 2015 to 2030. He then discusses the civil registration and vital statistics movement aimed at obtaining quality health data.

The article reports the move by the World Health Organization (WHO) as of February 2017 to expand the scope of health programs under the 17 sustainable development goals (SDG) to include noncommunicable diseases, mental illness and injuries, and the risks to health during emergencies and epidemics.

The author reflects on the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the health worker sector. He agrees about the need for a quality community-based health workers research for optimising universal health coverage. An overview of major issues to be considered for building evidence-based research is given. The author suggests that the World Health Organization (WHO) platform in the Special Programme for Research Training in Tropical Diseases can help promote quality research.

The article discusses the social determinants of health in the Americas. The topics discussed include the progress of the Americas in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, inequality being the greatest challenge for health and sustainable development in the Americas, and global efforts to reduce health inequities through the Health in All Policies approach. The author also recommends strategies in pursuit of universal health coverage and to address the social determinants of health.

The article offers public health news briefs as of September 1, 2013. The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening a meeting with its member states on November 13, 2013 for the completion of a United Nations (UN) task force on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). WHO member states will attend a UN General Assembly meeting in New York on September 23, 2013. WHO released revised mental health clinical protocols and guidelines for health-care workers.