World Health Organization

About: World Health Organization is a government organization based out in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 13330 authors who have published 22232 publications receiving 1322023 citations. The organization is also known as: World Health Organisation & WHO.

Reducing out-of-pocket expenditures to reduce poverty: a disaggregated analysis at rural-urban and state level in India.

Abstract: Based on Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) data from the National Sample Survey (NSS), conducted in 1999–2000, the share of households’ expenditure on health services and drugs was calculated. The number of individuals below the state-specific rural and urban poverty line in 17 major states, with and without netting out OOP expenditure, was determined. This also enabled the calculation of the poverty gap or poverty deepening in each region. Estimates show that OOP expenditure is about 5% of total household expenditure (ranging from about 2% in Assam to almost 7% in Kerala) with a higher proportion being recorded in rural areas and affluent states. Purchase of drugs constitutes 70% of the total OOP expenditure. Approximately 32.5 million persons fell below the poverty line in 1999–2000 through OOP payments, implying that the overall poverty increase after accounting for OOP expenditure is 3.2% (as against a rise of 2.2% shown in earlier literature). Also, the poverty headcount increase and poverty deepening is much higher in poorer states and rural areas compared with affluent states and urban areas, except in the case of Maharashtra. High OOP payment share in total health expenditures did not always imply a high poverty headcount; state-specific economic and social factors played a role. The paper argues for better methods of capturing drugs expenditure in household surveys and recommends that special attention be paid to expenditures on drugs, in particular for the poor. Targeted policies in just five poor states to reduce OOP expenditure could help to prevent almost 60% of the poverty headcount increase through OOP payments.

An International Study of Psychological Problems in Primary Care: Preliminary Report From the World Health Organization Collaborative Project on 'Psychological Problems in General Health Care'

Abstract: This article describes a large longitudinal multicenter collaborative study that investigated the form, frequency, course, and outcome of psychological problems that were seen in primary health care settings in 15 different sites around the world. The research employed a two-stage sampling design in which the 12-item General Health Questionnaire was administered to 26422 persons aged 18 to 65 years who were consulting health care services. Of these persons, 5604 were selected for detailed examinations using standardized instruments and were followed up at 3 months and 1 year to provide information on course and outcome. All assessment instruments have been translated into 13 different languages. The project has produced a database that allows for the exploration of the nature of psychological disorders experienced by patients in general medical care and their association with physical illness, illness behavior, and disability over time.

Global disparities in the epilepsy treatment gap: a systematic review

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To describe the magnitude and variation of the epilepsy treatment gap worldwide. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature published from 1 January 1987 to 1 September 2007 in all languages using PubMed and EMBASE. The purpose was to identify population-based studies of epilepsy prevalence that reported the epilepsy treatment gap, defined as the proportion of people with epilepsy who require but do not receive treatment. Negative binomial regression models were used to assess trends and associations. FINDINGS: The treatment gap was over 75% in low-income countries and over 50% in most lower middle- and upper middle-income countries, while many high-income countries had gaps of less than 10%. However, treatment gaps varied widely both between and within countries. They were significantly higher in rural areas (rate ratio, RR: 2.01; 95% confidence interval, Cl: 1.40-2.89) and countries with lower World Bank income classification (RR: 1.55; 95% Cl: 1.32-1.82). There was no significant trend in treatment gap over time (RR: 0.92; 95% Cl: 0.79-1.07). CONCLUSION: There is dramatic global disparity in the care for epilepsy between high- and low- income countries, and between rural and urban settings. Our understanding of the factors affecting the treatment gap is limited; future investigations should explore other potential explanations of the gap.