•Journal•ISSN: 1654-9880
Global Health Action
Taylor & Francis
About: Global Health Action is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Health care. It has an ISSN identifier of 1654-9880. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1881 publications have been published receiving 47706 citations. The journal is also known as: GHA.
Topics: Population, Health care, Global health, Public health, Medicine
Papers published on a yearly basis
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TL;DR: One result of climate change is a reduced work capacity in heat-exposed jobs and greater difficulty in achieving economic and social development in the countries affected by this somewhat neglected impact ofClimate change.
Abstract: Background: Global climate change is already increasing the average temperature and direct heat exposure in many places around the world. Objectives: To assess the potential impact on occupational health and work capacity for people exposed at work to increasing heat due to climate change. Design: A brief review of basic thermal physiology mechanisms, occupational heat exposure guidelines and heat exposure changes in selected cities. Results: In countries with very hot seasons, workers are already affected by working environments hotter than that with which human physiological mechanisms can cope. To protect workers from excessive heat, a number of heat exposure indices have been developed. One that is commonly used in occupational health is the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). We use WBGT to illustrate assessing the proportion of a working hour during which a worker can sustain work and the proportion of that same working hour that (s)he needs to rest to cool the body down and maintain core body temperature below 38°C. Using this proportion a ‘work capacity’ estimate was calculated for selected heat exposure levels and work intensity levels. The work capacity rapidly reduces as the WBGT exceeds 26-30°C and this can be used to estimate the impact of increasing heat exposure as a result of climate change in tropical countries. Conclusions: One result of climate change is a reduced work capacity in heat-exposed jobs and greater difficulty in achieving economic and social development in the countries affected by this somewhat neglected impact of climate change. Keywords: climate change; work; heat; occupational health; productivity (Published: 11 November 2009) Citation: Global Health Action 2009. DOI: 10.3402/gha.v2i0.2047
566 citations
TL;DR: The World Health Report 2006 - Working together for health contains an expert assessment of the current crisis in the global health workforce and ambitious proposals to tackle it over the next ten years starting immediately as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The World Health Report 2006 - Working together for health contains an expert assessment of the current crisis in the global health workforce and ambitious proposals to tackle it over the next ten years starting immediately The report reveals an estimated shortage of almost 43 million doctors midwives nurses and support workers worldwide The shortage is most severe in the poorest countries especially in sub-Saharan Africa where health workers are most needed Focusing on all stages of the health workers career lifespan from entry to health training to job recruitment through to retirement the report lays out a ten-year action plan in which countries can build their health workforces with the support of global partners
403 citations
TL;DR: The dimensions along which health inequalities are commonly examined are described, including across the global population, between countries or states, and within geographies, by socially relevant groupings such as race/ethnicity, gender, education, caste, income, occupation, and more.
Abstract: Individuals from different backgrounds, social groups, and countries enjoy different levels of health. This article defines and distinguishes between unavoidable health inequalities and unjust and preventable health inequities. We describe the dimensions along which health inequalities are commonly examined, including across the global population, between countries or states, and within geographies, by socially relevant groupings such as race/ethnicity, gender, education, caste, income, occupation, and more. Different theories attempt to explain group-level differences in health, including psychosocial, material deprivation, health behavior, environmental, and selection explanations. Concepts of relative versus absolute; dose–response versus threshold; composition versus context; place versus space; the life course perspective on health; causal pathways to health; conditional health effects; and group-level versus individual differences are vital in understanding health inequalities. We close by reflecting on what conditions make health inequalities unjust, and to consider the merits of policies that prioritize the elimination of health disparities versus those that focus on raising the overall standard of health in a population. Keywords: health disparities; inequality; inequity; theory (Published: 24 June 2015) Citation: Glob Health Action 2015, 8 : 27106 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v8.27106
353 citations
TL;DR: The concept of the VIP, established as a collaboration between politicians and health care providers on the one hand and primary care, functioning as the operating machinery, and the public on the other, forms the basis for effective implementation and endurance over time.
Abstract: Background and objective: In Sweden, mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) increased steadily during the 20th century and in the mid-1980s it was highest in the county of Vasterbotten. Therefore, a community intervention programme was launched - the Vasterbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) - with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality from CVD and diabetes. Design: The VIP was first developed in the small municipality of Norsjo in 1985. Subsequently, it was successively implemented across the county and is now integrated into ordinary primary care routines. A population-based strategy directed towards the public is combined with a strategy to reach all middle-aged persons individually at ages 40, 50 and 60 years, by inviting them to participate in systematic risk factor screening and individual counselling about healthy lifestyle habits. Blood samples for research purposes are stored at the Umea University Medical Biobank. Results: Overall, 113,203 health examinations have been conducted in the VIP and 6,500-7,000 examinations take place each year. Almost 27,000 subjects have participated twice. Participation rates have ranged between 48 and 67%. A dropout rate analysis in 1998 indicated only a small social selection bias. Cross-sectional, nested case-control studies and prospective studies have been based on the VIP data. Linkages between the VIP and local, regional and national databases provide opportunities for interdisciplinary research, as well as national and international collaborations on a wide range of disease outcomes. A large number of publications are based on data that are collected in the VIP, many of which also use results from analysed stored blood samples. More than 20 PhD theses have been based primarily on the VIP data. Conclusions: The concept of the VIP, established as a collaboration between politicians and health care providers on the one hand and primary care, functioning as the operating machinery, and the public on the other, forms the basis for effective implementation and endurance over time. After more than 20 years of the VIP, there is a large comprehensive population-based database, a stable organisation to conduct health surveys and collect data, and a solid structure to enable widespread multidisciplinary and scientific collaborations. Keywords: prevention; community intervention; cardiovascular diseases; primary health care; health promotion; research methodology (Published: 22 March 2010) Citation: Global Health Action 2010, 3: 4643 - DOI: 10.3402/gha.v3i0.4643
311 citations
TL;DR: There is a growing evidence base for the efficacy of mHealth interventions in LMICs, particularly in improving treatment adherence, appointment compliance, data gathering, and developing support networks for health workers, but there remains a need to take small pilot studies to full scale.
Abstract: Background : Low-cost mobile devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, and personal digital assistants, which can access voice and data services, have revolutionised access to information and communication technology worldwide. These devices have a major impact on many aspects of people's lives, from business and education to health. This paper reviews the current evidence on the specific impacts of mobile technologies on tangible health outcomes (mHealth) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), from the perspectives of various stakeholders. Design : Comprehensive literature searches were undertaken using key medical subject heading search terms on PubMed, Google Scholar, and grey literature sources. Analysis of 676 publications retrieved from the search was undertaken based on key inclusion criteria, resulting in a set of 76 papers for detailed review. The impacts of mHealth interventions reported in these papers were categorised into common mHealth applications. Results : There is a growing evidence base for the efficacy of mHealth interventions in LMICs, particularly in improving treatment adherence, appointment compliance, data gathering, and developing support networks for health workers. However, the quantity and quality of the evidence is still limited in many respects. Conclusions : Over all application areas, there remains a need to take small pilot studies to full scale, enabling more rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental studies to be undertaken in order to strengthen the evidence base. Keywords : mHealth; low- and middle-income countries; health systems; interventions; mobile data (Published: 27 October 2014) Citation : Glob Health Action 2014, 7 : 25606 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v7.25606
274 citations