World health forum
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The students and faculty of the Aga Khan University School of Nursing, working in collaboration with other groups and organizations, have made a considerable contribution to Pakistan's polio immunization programme in the area of District Council West and Malir, Karachi. Recommendations for improving the programme are presented on the basis of the experience gained.
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The Alma-Ata Conference on Primary Health Care in 1978 marked a turning point in WHO's history and in international cooperation in health. Attempts to put the decisions of that conference into practice have not always been successful, but the principles that were formulated then remain as valid as ever. The author, who was one of the main moving spirits behind this unique event, puts things into perspective.
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The work of WHO's Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases since its inception in 1975 is outlined in the present article.
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Tobacco has been a common commodity in Africa for over three centuries. By 1993, some 500 000 tons of tobacco were being grown in 33 African countries, with only two countries exporting more than they import. Attempts to measure the current and potential impact of the tobacco business on health, society and the environment are still in their early stages, but the need for preventive action is already inescapably clear. Comprehensive control strategies are urgently required to prevent a major epidemic of tobacco-related disease in Africa.