Global public health
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Global public health · Jan 2011
Human rights violations during Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip: 27 December 2008 to 19 January 2009.
The Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip from 27 December 2008 to 19 January 2009 was characterised by gross, unprecedented human rights violations, which were the result of a deliberate political decision to overlook the loss of civilian lives in order to save those of Israeli soldiers. These violations included attacking medical personnel and civilians, impeding emergency medical evacuations, restricting health care for the civilian population, preventing referral to care outside the Gaza Strip and jeopardising distribution of medical supplies and food. ⋯ It will emphasise how the Palestinian medical system has been stretched to its breaking point, severely and negatively affecting the provision of medical services; the consequences of denying patients referral to care outside the Gaza Strip; and other severe violations of human rights. It will conclude by reiterating that only the withdrawal of Israeli occupation from Palestinian land can guarantee the right to health of Palestinians.
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Global public health · Jan 2011
Battles on women's bodies: war, rape and traumatisation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Rape has been used as a weapon in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in unprecedented ways. Research into the phenomenon of war-rape is limited, particularly in this context. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of local leaders in eastern DRC concerning rape and raped women in the war context. ⋯ Furthermore, an exclusive focus on raped women missed the extent of traumatisation entire communities suffered. More significantly, the lack of political will, corruption, greed and inappropriate aid creates a tangled web serving to intensify the war. This complexity has implications for humanitarian interventions including public health.
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Global public health · Jan 2011
Promoting emergency medical care systems in the developing world: weighing the costs.
Despite the global health community's historical focus on providing basic, cost-effective primary health care delivered at the community level, recent trends in the developing world show increasing demand for the implementation of emergency care infrastructures, such as prehospital care systems and emergency departments, as well as specialised training programmes. However, the question remains whether, in a setting of limited global health care resources, it is logical to divert these already-sparse resources into the development of emergency care frameworks. ⋯ Crucial to the success of any public health or policy intervention, emergency care systems also seem to be strongly desired at the community and governmental levels. Integrating emergency care into existing health care systems will ideally rely on modest, low-cost steps to augment current models of primary health care delivery, focusing on adapting the lessons learned in the developed world to the unique needs and local variability of the rest of the globe.
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Global public health · Jan 2010
Implementation effects of GFATM-supported HIV/AIDS projects on the health sector, civil society and affected communities in Peru 2004-2007.
The emergence of opportunities for support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) for HIV-related projects has so far generated funding of over US$75 million for three proposals in Peru. The size of this investment creates the need for close monitoring to ensure a reasonable impact. This paper describes the effects of collaboration with the GFATM on key actors involved in HIV-related activities and on decision-making processes; on health sector divisions; on policies and sources of financing; on equity of access; and on stigma and discrimination of vulnerable and affected populations. ⋯ GFATM-funded activities have required significant input from the public sector, sometimes beyond the capacity of its human resources. A significant increase in HIV funding, in absolute amounts and in fractions of the total budget, has been observed from several sources including the National Treasury, and it is unclear whether this has implied reductions in the budget for other priorities. Patterns of social exclusion of people living with HIV/AIDS are diverse: children and women are more valued; while transgender persons and sex workers are often excluded.