Asia-Pacific journal of public health
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Asia Pac J Public Health · Nov 2016
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Intellectual Property Protection, and Access to Medicines.
The inclusion of elevated standards of intellectual property (IP) protection in the recently negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement has raised serious public health concerns regarding access to medicines. A lesser-known trade agreement under negotiation in the Asia-Pacific region is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Framed as an attempt to reassert ASEAN's position in response to the United States-led TPP, RCEP includes key players China and India as well as several low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). ⋯ This article identifies TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement)-Plus provisions in leaked negotiating texts and examines their implications for LMICs that are not also parties to the TPP: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, China, and India. We find that higher levels of IP protection delay the market entry of generic medicines, giving rise to increased costs to governments and reduced access to essential medicines. The article concludes that the public health community should recognize risks inherent in trade agreements that promote expansions of IP rights and engage with governments to ensure that public health is adequately and explicitly protected in trade and investment negotiations.
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Asia Pac J Public Health · Mar 2016
Gender Inequalities in Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors Among Indonesian Urban Population.
Gender is an important determinant of health. We conducted a study to examine hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking behavior among adults aged >15 years in urban Indonesia. We compared the prevalence, predicted socioeconomic factors, the gender inequalities, and the contributing factors to the inequalities. ⋯ However, the inequalities were also accounted for by different effects of the socioeconomic factors in men and women. Gender is interlinked with socioeconomic and biological factors in determining health. This emphasizes the need of gender responsive policies to control and prevent chronic disease.
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Asia Pac J Public Health · Jul 2015
Descriptive Epidemiology of Unintentional Burn Injuries Admitted to a Tertiary-Level Government Hospital in Nepal: Gender-Specific Patterns.
This study describes the epidemiology of unintentional adult burn injury admissions in a tertiary hospital in Nepal, from 2002 to 2013, focusing on gender-specific patterns. Chi-square tests and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests were performed. There were 819 unintentional burn admissions: 52% were male and 58% younger than 35 years. ⋯ Kerosene (31%) and biomass (27%) were the major fuels. Cooking, heating, and lighting were the main activities associated with burn injury. Results support interventions to reduce the use of open fires and kerosene and to promote electrical safety.
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Asia Pac J Public Health · Jul 2015
Unintentional Exposure to Online Sexual Content and Sexual Behavior Intentions Among College Students in China.
This study examined the relations of unintentional exposure to Internet sexual content to intentions for sex and condom use and potential mediators of these relations, including attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy, among college students in China. A sample of 524 Chinese college students completed an online questionnaire. Mediation path analyses were conducted to test the theory of planned behavior as a model of the relations between unintentional exposure and intentions to have sex and use condoms. ⋯ Descriptive norm was a stronger mediator for females than males. In contrast, unintentional exposure was unrelated to condom-use intention and mediators. The theory of planned behavior provides a model for the development of Internet-based interventions with these students.