Introduction: Health Inequities in India—The Larger Dimensions

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Purendra Prasad

This chapter provides a narrative that explains the politics of access (distribution, utilization, outcomes) as well as the context in which health inequalities are produced in India. While fields such as medical sociology, medical anthropology, health economics, community health, social medicine, epidemiology, and public health, among others, with their own theories, methods, and approaches are able to contribute distinctive dimensions, it becomes essential to engage across the boundaries in a collective manner to understand the complexity of health care that is increasingly shaped by the global market forces and ideologies. This volume thus opens up the possibility of constructing a new paradigm for understanding health sector as well as signalling a new field ‘health care studies’.

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Choy Flannigan ◽  
Prue Power

IN RECOGNITION OF the importance and the complexity of governance within the Australian health care sector, the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association has established a regular governance section in Australian Health Review. The aim of this new section is to provide relevant and up-to-date information on governance to assist those working at senior leadership and management levels in the industry. We plan to include perspectives on governance of interest to government Ministers and senior executives, chief executives, members of boards and advisory bodies, senior managers and senior clinicians. This section is produced with the assistance of Ebsworth & Ebsworth lawyers, who are pleased to team with the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association in this important area. We expect that further articles in this section will cover topics such as: � Principles of good corporate governance � Corporate governance structures in the public health sector in Australia � Legal responsibilities of public health managers � Governance and occupational health and safety � Financial governance and probity. We would be pleased to hear your suggestions for future governance topics.


Author(s):  
Aradhana Srivastava

This chapter highlights the major issues in the use of broadband technologies in health care in developing countries. The use of Internet technologies in the health sector has immense potential in developing countries, especially in the context of public health programs. Some of the main uses of information and communication technologies (ICT) in health include remote consultations and diagnosis, information dissemination and networking between health providers, user groups, and forums, Internet-based disease surveillance and identification of target groups for health interventions, facilitation of health research and support to health care delivery, and administration. The technology has immense potential, but is also constrained by lack of policy direction, problems with access to technology, and lack of suitable infrastructure in developing nations. However, given its crucial role in public health, comprehensive efforts are required from all concerned stakeholders if universal e-health is to become a reality.


Author(s):  
Hari Walujo Sedjati

The research aimed to know problems policy health on Purbalingga district; province Central Java. Health planners have been more effective largely because of a policy regionalizing responsibility for the public health pure delivery assurance systems. Several kinds of health service provider’s hospital recommended by government for pure society in Purbalingga district. The Government as certain the efficiency and effectiveness of health services in public actors, these goals and options which frame a actor government Purbalingga district, choice in the health sector, are complicated by agreement over the criteria that determinant which patients are getting too much for pure society to health care. The policy Implementation goals to minimize mortalities and Invalid body for pure society in Purbalingga and policy health goals and standards are reached.


Author(s):  
Roberto Castro

This chapter outlines the development of the field of medical sociology in Latin America, showing its links to other fields (the medical field, the scientific-academic field, and the field of power). A controversy has arisen within the discipline regarding its object and includes the political agenda of social sciences in health and the relationship between social sciences, medicine, and public health. On the one hand, a relatively autonomous medical sociology has emerged, one nested in some universities and research centers, and thus remains foreign to the health sector. It is an endeavor that can reach a high level of theoretical, methodological, and critical development but has little impact on health policies. On the other hand, government public health institutions promote the development of a “domesticated” social science for instrumental purposes and without a significant critical potential. The exception to the rule is Brazil, where collective health has gained pre-eminence unparalleled in other countries of the region. The chapter concludes by describing how these “debates” are shaped by the stakeholders’ position in the field.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Di Fonzo ◽  
S Rivolta ◽  
E Mazzolai ◽  
F Turatto ◽  
L Mammana ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Climate change (CC) is a public health (PH) issue of growing concern. Health care systems in every country have a significant impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) causing global warming, but there seems to be a general lack of knowledge about this. As members of the junior study group on CC and PH of the Italian Society of Hygiene (SItI), we launched a project of shared education and literature research about the carbon footprint of healthcare (HCCF). We believe such an effort to be useful in spreading awareness and promoting change both in clinical practice, health care management and at policymaking level. Objectives To answer these questions: What is the estimated national and global HCCF? Which activities contribute to HCCF? What are the possible actions and policies to reduce HCCF while providing universal health care of good quality in all countries? From Dec 2019 to Feb 2020 we used databases and backward citation searching to retrieve references which we split among individuals to process, then we shared summaries of the material with the group. Results HCCF makes about 4.4% of all GHGE, with important variations among countries. We found estimates on emissions for various activities (e.g. operating theatres) and items (e.g. inhalers), as well as proposed solutions for practitioners, managers, manufacturers and policymakers (e.g. low-impact technologies, advocacy, health promotion to reduce healthcare volumes). Conclusions HCCF is complex, attributable to many components and amenable to mitigation through actions at all levels, with additional benefits for efficiency and public health. These conclusions are relevant for all countries as they imply joint international and transversal efforts throughout the world's health care sector. Key messages Current data and analysis, available for several services and in many countries, show healthcare carbon footprint is significant. Emissions from health sector can be reduced while granting universal healthcare globally.


2009 ◽  
pp. 217-237
Author(s):  
Guido Giarelli

- After describing the context in which the ‘quadrilateral'of Ardigň was conceived as an innovative gnoseological tool aimed to characterize the rising Italian Health Sociology in comparison with the much more well established tradition of the Northern American and British Medical Sociology, the essay tries to trace its cultural origins: which are found, at the level of scientific debate, in the ‘great coupure' or epistemological turning point of the Thirties, which Ardigň considers the framework from which to move; and, on the other side, in the micro-macro debate which characterized the sociological discipline during the Seventies and the Eighties with the opposition between the Sociologies of the subjective action versus the Sociologies of the social system, and the attempt to get over it by making a ‘paradigm of exit from the postmodern' which could deal in depth with the intrinsic double face and the ambivalence of the social stuff. In the last part, the developments of the ‘quadrilateral'are traced in the attempts of further elaboration by its critical application to different fields of the Sociology of Health (health care systems, health reforms, quality of health care services, health inequalities) which shape an emerging new paradigm of connectionist type.Keywords: "quadrilateral", Sociology of Health, Medical Sociology, ambivalence, connectionist paradigm, postmodern.Parole chiave: "quadrilatero", sociologia della salute, medical sociology, ambivalenza, paradigma connessionista, postmoderno.


1970 ◽  
Vol 52 (194) ◽  
pp. 811-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ram Krishna Dulal ◽  
Angel Magar ◽  
Shreejana Dulal Karki ◽  
Dipendra Khatiwada ◽  
Pawan Kumar Hamal

Introduction: Primarily, health sector connects two segments - medicine and public health, where medicine deals with individual patients and public health with the population health. Budget enables both the disciplines to function effectively. The Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007 has adapted the inspiration of federalism and declared the provision of basic health care services free of cost as a fundamental right, which needs strengthening under foreseen federalism. Methods: An observational retrospective cohort study, aiming at examining the health sector budget allocation and outcome, was done. Authors gathered health budget figures (2001 to 2013) and facts published from authentic sources. Googling was done for further information. The keywords for search used were: fiscal federalism, health care, public health, health budget, health financing, external development partner, bilateral and multilateral partners and healthcare accessibility. The search was limited to English and Nepali-language report, articles and news published. Results: Budget required to meet the population's need is still limited in Nepal. The health sector budget could not achieve even gainful results due to mismatch in policy and policy implementation despite of political commitment. Conclusions: Since Nepal is transforming towards federalism, an increased complexity under federated system is foreseeable, particularly in the face of changed political scenario and its players. It should have clear goals, financing policy and strict implementation plans for budget execution, task performance and achieving results as per planning. Additionally, collection of revenue, risk pooling and purchasing of services should be better integrated between central government and federated states to horn effectiveness and efficiency.  Keywords: health care; budget; financing; unitary system; federalism.


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