Journal of public health policy
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Although China embraced the concept of essential medicines in 1979 and issued its first National Essential Medicines List in 1982, until recently China has lacked a comprehensive national essential drug policy. In its most recent health-care reform (2009-2012), the Chinese government explicitly proposed the establishment of a national essential medicines system, and made it one of five top priorities in the coming years. We review the evolution of China's essential medicines policies, explain the importance of fully implementing the essential medicines policy, and analyze recent policy developments surrounding essential medicines.
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J Public Health Policy · May 2011
Temporal factors in school closure policy for mitigating the spread of influenza.
Is school closure effective in mitigating influenza outbreaks? For Singapore, we developed an individual-based simulation model using real-life contact data. We evaluated the impacts of temporal factors - trigger threshold and duration - on the effectiveness of school closure as a mitigation policy. ⋯ Our studies reveal the critical importance of timing in school closure, especially in cost-cautious situations. Our studies also demonstrate the great potential of a properly developed individual-based simulation model in evaluating various disease control policies.
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The mercury sphygmomanometer was introduced over 100 years ago. Mercury, however, is a potent human neurotoxin. An international effort has developed to eliminate health-care sources of mercury--the thermometer and sphygmomanometer--and replace them with less toxic alternatives. ⋯ Oscillometric devices were less studied and their performance was variable. All three devices showed variable performance. They should be validated before purchase and calibrated on a regular basis.
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J Public Health Policy · Feb 2011
Electronic cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy for tobacco control: a step forward or a repeat of past mistakes?
The issue of harm reduction has long been controversial in the public health practice of tobacco control. Health advocates have been reluctant to endorse a harm reduction approach out of fear that tobacco companies cannot be trusted to produce and market products that will reduce the risks associated with tobacco use. Recently, companies independent of the tobacco industry introduced electronic cigarettes, devices that deliver vaporized nicotine without combusting tobacco. ⋯ We then revisit the tobacco harm reduction debate, with a focus on these novel products. We conclude that electronic cigarettes show tremendous promise in the fight against tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. By dramatically expanding the potential for harm reduction strategies to achieve substantial health gains, they may fundamentally alter the tobacco harm reduction debate.
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J Public Health Policy · Jan 2011
You become afraid to tell them that you are gay: health service utilization by men who have sex with men in South African cities.
We describe the utilization of health services by men who have sex with men (MSM) in South African cities, their perceptions of available health services, and their service preferences. We triangulated data from 32 key informant interviews (KIIs), 18 focus group discussions (FGDs) with MSM in four cities, and a survey of 285 MSM in two cities, recruited through respondent-driven sampling in 2008. ⋯ Fifty-seven per cent of the survey participants had used public health services in the previous 12 months, and 69 per cent had no private health insurance, with no difference by HIV status. Despite these findings, South Africa is well placed to take the lead in sub-Saharan Africa in providing responsive and appropriate HIV services for MSM.