Public health
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The 1999 World Bank report claimed that growth in gross domestic product (GDP) between 1960 and 1990 only accounted for 15% of concomitant growth in life expectancy in developing countries. These findings were used repeatedly by the World Health Organization (WHO) to support a policy shift away from promoting social and economic development, towards vertical technology-driven programmes. This paper updates the 1999 World Bank report using the World Bank's 2005 dataset, providing a new assessment of the relative contribution of economic growth. ⋯ In the poorest countries, socio-economic change is likely to be a more important source of health improvement than technical progress. Technical progress, operating by increasing the size of the effect of a unit of GDP on health, is likely to benefit richer countries more than poorer countries, thereby increasing global health inequalities.
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To investigate the aetiology of persistent cough among vaccinated children as suspected cases of pertussis in Khairpur District, Sindh, Pakistan. Pertussis or whooping cough, caused by Bordetella pertussis, is re-appearing in many countries despite vaccination coverage. In Khairpur, persistent cough and symptoms similar to pertussis among vaccinated children are common but the aetiology has not been investigated previously. ⋯ To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of pertussis in vaccinated children in Khairpur. There is a need for continuous monitoring of pertussis after immunization programmes in order to assess the efficacy of pertussis vaccination.
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Comparative Study
Shipyards and sectarianism: how do mortality and deprivation compare in Glasgow and Belfast?
The extent to which the higher level of mortality seen in Glasgow compared with other UK cities is solely attributable to socio-economic deprivation has been the focus of much discussion recently. Some authors have suggested that poorer health in the city may be influenced by issues related to its history of religious sectarianism. In order to investigate this further, this study compared deprivation and mortality between Glasgow and Belfast, a similar post-industrial city, but one with a considerably more pronounced sectarian divide. ⋯ Area-based deprivation did not explain the higher mortality in Glasgow in comparison with Belfast. Belfast has a more profound history of sectarianism, and similar climatic conditions, to Glasgow. If these factors were to be important in explaining the high mortality in Glasgow, the question arises as to why they have not produced similar effects in Belfast.
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This article presents an overview of a partnership between public health teams in two primary care trusts in South East London, their local acute hospital trusts, and crime and disorder reduction partnerships to support the reduction of harm from violence. It discusses recent developments in violence prevention in emergency departments in the UK, and developments around outreach and case management, more common in the USA. It then outlines the elements of the violence prevention project being conducted in South East London.
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Historical Article
'Decipio': examining Virchow in the context of modern 'democracy'.
More than 100 years ago Rudolf Virchow advocated for enhanced democracy and socioeconomic reforms in order that the state could empower people to achieve better health. With reference to these now famous assertions this article traces the promises and pit-falls of democracy from ancient Greece to neo-liberal economies, to ascertain if the democratic state is indeed the ideal mechanism for promoting public health. In the end we conclude that contemporary western political systems are not rooted in the interest of the people, but are rather deceptive forces of branding designed to promote underlining agendas. This 'decipractic' (decipo = to deceive) system of politics demands a vigilant analysis and response from those in the health and academic communities to ensure that governments can be a mechanism for positive change in the public's interest.