Resources


Meeting Notes

2008 SfAA Meetings: A small contingent met and discussed the global health statement that was being drafted, went through subsequent review, and has since been published in the Dec 2008 issue of MAQ

2007 AAA Meetings: annotated notes as follows

  • Leadership- Welcoming Mark Nichter as incoming chair, thanks to Jim Pfeiffer for past service
    Statement – revised to add gender component
  • Virchow Awards – discussion on process and oversight – remains key component of CAGH Group
    SMA Policy Statement – CAGH has been asked to draft a policy statement, possible topics include: Immigration, privitization of primary health care, and a critique of the ABC policy/plan – Executive board (volunteers) will discuss this: James, Sydney, Hanna, Sydney, Sarah, Smith-Nonini, Catherine McCoid, Michael Ennis, Mark (apologies for mispelled names)
  • Brainstorming session to consider: what else can we do. Suggestions included letters to editor, getting involved re: the elections, and emphasized how to keep critical issues in the public eye. Advocacy subcomittee was formed (again volunteers): -Jamee, Maggie K, Sydney, Rebecca Martinez, Azizur Molla, Smith-Nonini
  • 2006 AAA Meetings: Critical Anthropology of Health Caucus meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 16 from 12:15 – 1:30 in San Jose.

global health: academic resources

data sources, databases

  • country-specific health information — World Health Organization
  • Use US Census Bureau data to produce a population pyramid for a country
  • Data Online for Population. Health and Nutrition (DOLPHN) database
    The Data Online for Population, Health and Nutrition (DOLPHN) system is an online statistical data resource containing selected current and historical country-level demographic and health indicator data. The DOLPHN system is designed to provide users with quick and easy access to frequently used statistics and can be helpful as both a reference and analytical tool. DOLPHN’s principal advantage is to bring specifically filtered data from various sources together in one place to facilitate comparative and trend analyses. Other advantages to USAID users include grouping indicators by USAID focus areas and providing country classifications for sorting purposes. This database is of limited usefulness for countries where USAID does not have health programs.
  • Data Sources: international — Global Reproductive Health Forum, Harvard School of Public Health
  • Development Gateway — A directory of over 500,000 activities of major bilateral organizations, multilateral development banks and UN agencies. Over 100,000 are ongoing and planned, residing in the live database
  • GlobalHealthFacts.org, global health data on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and more from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
  • HNPStats
    HNPStats, short for Health, Nutrition, and Population Statistics, is a component of the Knowledge Management System of the World Bank’s Human Development Network. HNPStats offers country data sheets showing summary indicators for health status, health determinants, and health finance.
  • Human Rights Matrix — organized by document/right/country
    The Human Rights Matrix lists the international human rights documents that are important to reproductive and maternal health, family planning, and HIV/AIDS.
  • International Data – Health — from the Carolina Population Center’s Virtual Data Library
  • MEASURE projects
    Collecting and Using Data for Informed Decisions in Population, Health, and Nutrition
    Funded in 1997 by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), MEASURE includes five projects–dedicated to providing accurate and timely information on population, health, and nutrition in developing countries. The projects offer technical services in data collection, analysis, dissemination, and use.
  • ReliefWeb — humanitarian response documents by country and territory, with a complete set of external background links by sector. Organized by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
  • Sigerist Circle Bibliography on Race and Medicine
    The following bibliography was assembled from the thirteen Sigerist Circle bibliographies compiled between 1990 and 1997. It contains entries for books, articles, and dissertations relevant to race and medicine, published from the mid-1980s through early 1997.
  • Tropical Diseases Ring
  • WHO Database on Health and Human Rights Actors
    This database contains information gathered from a survey of organizations concerning their structures and programs. It is searchable by country (where the organization is located) or by specific health issue
  • Worldwide Refugee Survey— U.S Committee for Refugees (USCR)
    The “Country Conditions” and “Statistics” sections on this site are comprised of information from the current World Refugee Survey.

information by region

projects

  • Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Regional Health Task Force
    The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the Asia Pacific Region during 2003 and avian influenza H5N1 in 2004 has showed the impact that health challenges can have across a broad range of sectors, including health, agriculture, trade, tourism, transportation, and business. APEC’s leadership in the region and its wide-ranging economic work programme make it uniquely suited to address the multi-sectoral impact of today’s health threats.
  • The Center for International Health, Boston University School of Public Health
    The Center for International Health (CIH) is a team of clinicians, social scientists, and economists. We strive to improve the health and quality of life of people throughout the developing world by conducting applied research that treats health as a medical, social development, and economic issue. The major activities of the Center fall into three areas: improving child health and survival; managing the social and economic impacts of the AIDS epidemic; and building the capacity of developing country researchers and research institutions.
  • Emerging Infections Network (EIN) — The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
    The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Emerging Infections Network (EIN) is a sentinel network composed of physicians specializing in adult and/or pediatric infectious diseases. The EIN is intended to function primarily as an “early warning system” for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health agencies by providing information about unusual cases encountered in the clinical practices of its members. It may also assist in outbreak investigations, provide information on physician practices, conduct investigations on the cause of certain illnesses, and disseminate knowledge about new microbial threats.
  • George Institute for International Health
    The Institute’s programs involve 29 countries worldwide. A substantial focus of activity is in the middle and low-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • The Information and Knowledge for Optimal Health Project (the INFO Project)
    based at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Communication Programs, receives support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The INFO Project expands on the work of its predecessor, the Population Information Program (PIP). The mission and activities of the INFO Project reflect a new way of understanding how knowledge and information can improve the quality of reproductive health programs, practice, and policies. The INFO Project will work to achieve the following results: 1) Identify, synthesize, and make available information on useful and best approaches and findings; 2) Enhance local capacity to serve local information needs; 3) Strengthen South-South and South-North knowledge communities and networks.
  • International Humanitarian Law Research Initiative
    Developed by the Harvard Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research (HPCR), provides free access to a searchable database of links to current research, reference materials, and regional and international news on International Humanitarian Law.
  • The Third World Academy of Sciences
    Promoting scientific excellence for sustainable development in the south.

organizations

publications

courses

  • Introduction to International Health (143-page PDF document)
    Peter Winch, Johns Hopkins University, 2003-04
    This course provides an overview of current issues in international public health with particular emphasis on low and middle-income countries. The course is designed to be both a first course for students entering the field of international health, as well as an update on current technical and policy issues for students who may have considerable experience. Core areas covered include: structural adjustment and health care reform; organization and management of health systems; community health and primary health care; humanitarian assistance and refugee health; international nutrition; vaccine development and policy; disease prevention and control; and social and behavioral interventions.
  • Certificate Programs, Department of International Health
    Since 1983, Boston University School of Public Health has offered programs for health professionals with current or prospective responsibilities for public health programs in international, resource-constrained environments.  Certificate graduates have come to Boston from more than 150 countries to advance their public health careers. The Department recently created the Summer Institute in International Health to offer month-long certificate programs in a more flexible format. Students may elect to attend just one of the individual course offerings or several certificate programs. Each Spring, the Department still offers its 3-month program on Managing Disasters and Complex Humanitarian Emergencies.

related sites, lists of links