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eBook/Digital Version available from:
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Score: 95 |
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| Evaluating International Public Health Issues: Critical Reflections on Diseases and Disasters, Policies and Practices |
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ISBN: 978-9811397868,
334 pages,
Hard Cover
ISBN-10: 9811397864 |
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| Copyright: |
2020 |
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| Edition: |
1st |
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| Author: |
Mabuza, Mbuso Precious |
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Specialties:
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Health Policy
, Public Health
, Health Policy/Reform |
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| Publisher: |
Springer |
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| List Price: |
$179.99 |
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| Google: |
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At A Glance
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This book makes an original contribution in addressing contemporary critical discussions and reflections on international health policies, strategies, programmes, systems, diseases, disasters, and public health issues. It includes reflections on how levels of governance, development and technical assistance affect countries' disaster readiness and health systems. In addressing inequalities between the rich and the poor, and unpacking how this affects public health services, policies, strategies and their collective implementation, the book aspires to improve standards of public health and quality of life for sustainable development globally. It provides a comprehensive overview of international health policies and aid structures, and pays particularly close attention to policies on HIV/AIDS in the workplace, discussing how HIV/AIDS has overshadowed non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and stroke, which are on the rise. This book will be of great benefit to students and researchers, as well as policymakers in governmental and non-governmental organisations, who have an interest in achieving greater sustainability and improved health for populations in low-, middle- and high-income countries. It will be an indispensable books for students in Public Health programmes, and related courses.
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Reviewer:
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Ellyn Cavanagh,
PhD, MN,BSN
(Tender Care Pediatric Services, Inc.)
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Range
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Question
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Score
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| 1-10 |
Are the author's objectives met? |
10 |
| 1-10 |
Rate the worthiness of those objectives. |
10 |
| 1-5 |
Is this written at an appropriate level? |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) |
4 |
| 1-5 |
Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) |
4 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the authority of the authors. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Are there sufficient illustrations? |
3 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. |
N/A |
| 1-5 |
Rate the print quality of the illustrations. |
N/A |
| 1-5 |
Are there sufficient references? |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the currency of the references. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the pertinence of the references. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
Rate the helpfulness of the index. |
5 |
| 1-5 |
If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book |
N/A |
| 1-10 |
Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? |
10 |
| 1-10 |
If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? |
N/A |
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Reviewer:
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Ellyn Cavanagh,
PhD, MN,BSN
(Tender Care Pediatric Services, Inc.)
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Description
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| This is a comprehensive presentation of health issues and the burden of disease dominating the world population as of 2017. A central tenet in this book is that the healthcare market operates differently than the market for goods and services, which respond to supply and demand. Regulation is necessary, since unregulated systems put consumers at a disadvantage while providers reap benefits. It presents statistics such as the fact that 6.2 percent of the population inhabit eastern and southern Africa, but these areas are home to half of the population living with HIV/AIDS, with new HIV infections and deaths concentrated in a specific region, sub-Saharan Africa. The book addresses noncommunicable diseases (NCD) with the largely preventable death rate of 41 million annually; in 2016, NCDs accounted for 72.3 percent of all deaths. Cancer ranks as a leading cause of death worldwide, with more than 200 different cancer entities identified and all parts of the body affected. Neglected tropical diseases, such as dengue, impact as much as half of the world's population who are at risk of being exposed to an outbreak and contracting the disease. Women are the most severely affected by communicable and noncommunicable diseases between and within countries, raising the issue of equity. The authors address public health, health systems, and leadership styles that influence decision-making. Cuba has one of the best health systems in the world, largely due to political will and sustainable leadership. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on all countries to make commitments to universal healthcare coverage. The book notes the structural changes that are taking place in leadership (such as with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) and building capacity to find more effective ways of increasing knowledge to support health service delivery within countries. This ensures that recommendations are pragmatic and realistic, acknowledging that slow progress is not always bad, there is a strong monitoring and evaluation culture in place, and the people involved learn from the situation at hand. One chapter covers the most prevalent diseases, using case studies to provide insights about interventions leading to strengthening infrastructure, developing regulatory controls, educating the workforce, and building capacity at the local level. |
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Purpose
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| The objectives are to build a global health network based on a paradigm shift from having a health agenda driven by international development agencies to homegrown health solutions, local leadership, governance, and funding. The authors present the colonial history of public health and public health systems, the burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries, the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals, disease control, globalization, climate change, and disasters. The book is needed by international providers, policymakers, and local politicians to support collaboration and reduce unnecessary waste of resources. The shift in thinking empowers community leadership but places the burden on regional governments to fund sustainable health systems. Case examples from different regions provide novel approaches, such as incentivizing employees with cash who stay HIV negative, or more corporate social investing in interventions such as the Heath Train in rural South Africa. |
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Audience
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| Written at graduate school level, this book should be recommended for public health, community health, and political science majors and humanitarian aid workers. The best chapter for all readers is chapter 4 on UN Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. The authors are experts in the field who provide content that is well researched and written, using current statistics, and giving readers critical analysis without bias. |
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Features
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| This book covers the international health situation as it presented with communicable and noncommunicable diseases over the decade 2008-2018. It presents the impact of the disease burden of population centers, with deepening poverty continuing to be the greatest contributor to healthcare inequalities and poor outcomes in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa. Chapter 4 has a critical review of Sustainable Development Goals and a detailed table of each goal. Climate change, natural disasters, and complex humanitarian emergencies are presented together in chapter 7, which can be a standalone read for humanitarian workers responding to a natural disaster and/or humanitarian crisis. Case studies illustrate disaster risk and assessment of crisis situations. The glossary is clear, concise, and useful. The book also references the relationship between global climate change and extreme heat, spread of infectious diseases such as malaria, and drought with subsequent food insecurity. |
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Assessment
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| This high-quality book provides a background of global public health, updated statistics, and interesting case studies. The best aspects are the cases that illustrate how policy guidelines and strategies worked or failed in local communities. |
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