1.  Peer Reviewed Title: Towards a sexual ethics of rights and responsibilities. Author: Dixon-Mueller R; Germain A; Fredrick B; Bourne K Source: Reproductive Health Matters. 2009 May;17(33):111-119. Abstract: Sexual rights as human rights encompass individual freedoms and social entitlements. Both depend for their realisation on equally important social responsibilities on the part of individuals, couples, families, other social institutions, and the State. The principle that all persons must understand their own sexual rights and responsibilities and respect the equal rights of others - particularly those of their sexual partners - informs our interpretation of the ethical basis of sexual behaviours. We propose a conceptual framework for defining a sexual ethics of equal rights and responsibilities pertaining to five dimensions of sexual behaviour: 1) sexual relationships and the right to choose one’s partner; 2) sexual expression and the right to seek pleasure; 3) sexual consequences and the right to cooperation from one’s partner; 4) sexual harm and the right to protection; and 5) sexual health and the right to information, education and health services. We suggest that the ethical principles presented here pertaining to sexual partnerships should be incorporated into sexuality education, sexual and reproductive health services, and social policies aimed at promoting the health and rights of all persons regardless of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and other personal or group identities. Spanish Abstract: Los derechos sexuales como derechos humanos abarcan libertades individuales y derechos sociales. La realización de ambos depende de responsabilidades sociales de igual importancia por parte de particulares, parejas, familias, otras instituciones sociales y el Estado. El principio de que todas las personas deben comprender sus propios derechos y responsabilidades sexuales y respetar la igualdad de derechos de los demás, particularmente de las parejas sexuales, influye en nuestra interpretación de la base ética de los comportamientos sexuales. Proponemos un marco conceptual para definir la ética sexual de la igualdad de derechos y responsabilidades concernientes a cinco dimensiones del comportamiento sexual: 1) relaciones sexuales y el derecho de escoger su pareja; 2) expresión sexual y el derecho de buscar placer; 3) consecuencias sexuales y el derecho a la cooperación de la pareja; 4) daño sexual y el derecho a la protección; y 5) salud sexual y el derecho a la información, educación y servicios de salud. Sugerimos que los principios éticos aquí presentados concernientes a las parejas sexuales se incorporen en la educación sexual, los servicios de salud sexual y reproductiva y las políticas sociales destinadas a promover la salud y los derechos de cada persona independientemente de su sexo, estado civil, orientación sexual, religión, etnia y otras identidades personales o de grupo. French Abstract: Les droits sexuels en tant que droits de l’homme englobent les libertés individuelles et les prestations sociales. La réalisation de ces deux types de droits dépend de responsabilités sociales aussi importantes de la part des individus, des couples, des familles, d’autres institutions sociales et de l’État. Notre interprétation du fondement éthique des comportements sexuels est basée sur le principe selon lequel tous les individus doivent comprendre leurs responsabilités et leurs droits sexuels, et respecter l’égalité des droits de l’autre, en particulier leurs partenaires sexuels. Nous proposons un cadre conceptuel pour définir une éthique sexuelle d’égalité des droits et des responsabilités touchant cinq dimensions du comportement sexuel : 1) les relations sexuelles et le droit de choisir son partenaire ; 2) l’expression sexuelle et le droit de rechercher le plaisir ; 3) les conséquences sexuelles et le droit à la coopération du partenaire ; 4) les atteintes sexuelles et le droit à la protection ; et 5) la santé sexuelle et le droit à des services d’information, d’éducation et de santé. Nous recommandons que les principes éthiques présentés ici sur les partenariats sexuels soient intégrés dans l’éducation sexuelle, les services de santé génésique et les politiques sociales de promotion de la santé et des droits de toutes les personnes, quels que soient leur sexe, leur état civil, leur orientation sexuelle, leur religion, leur origine ethnique et autres identités personnelles ou collectives. Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | SEXUAL PARTNERS | HUMAN RIGHTS | SEX BEHAVIOR | SEXUAL RESPONSIBILITY | ETHICS | SEXUALITY | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | SEX EDUCATION | POLICY DEVELOPMENT | Behavior | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Personality | Psychological Factors | Health | Education | Planning | Organization and Administration Document Number: 342020 |
| 2. Peer Reviewed Title: The language of "sexual minorities" and the politics of identity: a position paper. Author: Petchesky RP Source: Reproductive Health Matters. 2009 May;17(33):105-110. Abstract: In any highly contested political domain, language can be a potent force for change or an obstacle to understanding and coalition building across difference. This is surely the case in the global debates over sexuality and gender, where even those terms themselves have aroused heated conflicts. In this spirit, we want to challenge the uncritical use of the term “sexual minorities”, based on a number of historical and conceptual problems with which that term – like the larger thicket of identities and identity politics it signifies – is encumbered. These include: ignoring history, legitimating dubious normativity, fixing biological categories, and recreating exclusions. With this struggle, we seem caught in a modernist dilemma between two desires: to name and honour difference by signifying identities and to avoid exclusivity and hierarchy by reclaiming universals. The insistence of diverse groups on naming themselves and achieving recognition of their distinctness and variety will go on as long as aspirations for democracy exist, because that is the nature and necessity of emancipatory politics. At the same time, our language needs to reflect the fluidity and complexity of sexuality and gender expressions in everyday life and their intricate interweaving with other conditions such as class, race, ethnicity, time and place. Spanish Abstract: En toda esfera política muy refutada, el idioma puede ser una fuerza potente para lograr cambios o un obstáculo a la comprensión y al desarrollo de coalición para saldar diferencias. Indudablemente, ese es el caso en los debates mundiales sobre la sexualidad y el género, donde incluso esos mismos términos han suscitado conflictos acalorados. En ese espíritu, queremos cuestionar el uso ciego del término “minorías sexuales”, basándonos en varios problemas históricos y conceptuales de los cuales está cargado ese término, como el matorral más amplio de identidades y política de identidades que significa. Algunos ejemplos son: hacer caso omiso de la historia, legitimar normatividad dudosa, arreglar categorías biológicas y recrear exclusiones. Con esta lucha, parecemos estar atrapados en un dilema modernista entre dos deseos: nombrar y honrar diferencias expresando identidades y evitar la exclusividad y jerarquía reclamando universales. La insistencia de diversos grupos en autonombrarse y lograr el reconocimiento de su particularidad y variedad perdurará siempre que existan aspiraciones de democracia, porque esa es la naturaleza y necesidad de la política emancipadora. A la vez, nuestro idioma debe reflejar la fluidez y complejidad de las expresiones de sexualidad y género en la vida cotidiana, así como su intrincado entrelazado con otras condiciones como clase, raza, etnia, tiempo y lugar. French Abstract: Dans tout domaine politique très contesté, le langage peut être une force puissante de changement ou un obstacle à la compréhension et à la création de coalitions dépassant les différences. C'est sûrement le cas dans les débats mondiaux sur la sexualité et le genre, où même ces termes ont suscité des conflits houleux. Dans cet esprit, nous souhaitons remettre en question l'utilisation non critique de l'expression « minorités sexuelles », en nous basant sur les problèmes historiques et conceptuels avec lesquels ce terme, comme l'enchevêtrement d'identités et de politiques identitaires qu'il signifie, est associé. Ignorer l'histoire, légitimer une normativité douteuse, fixer des catégories biologiques et recréer des exclusions figurent au nombre de ces problèmes. Avec cette lutte, nous semblons nous trouver dans un dilemme moderniste pris entre deux désirs : désigner et honorer la différence en signifiant des identités, et éviter l'exclusivité et la hiérarchie en récupérant des normes universelles. L'insistance de divers groupes pour se nommer eux-mêmes et faire reconnaître leur différence se poursuivra aussi longtemps que les aspirations à la démocratie existeront, car telle est la nature et la nécessité des politiques émancipatoires. En même temps, notre langage doit refléter la fluidité et la complexité des expressions de la sexualité et du genre dans la vie quotidienne et leurs liens complexes avec d'autres conditions comme la classe, la race, l'origine ethnique, le temps et le lieu. Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | MINORITY GROUPS | GENDER ISSUES | SEXUALITY | POLITICAL FACTORS | LANGUAGE | ADVOCACY | SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION | SOCIAL CLASS | HUMAN RIGHTS | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Sociocultural Factors | Personality | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Communication | Social Problems | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 342019 |
| 3. Title: Evaluating integrated healthcare for refugees and hosts in an African context. Author: Tuepker A; Chi C Source: Health Economics Policy and Law. 2009;4:159-178. Abstract: This paper argues on ethical and practical grounds for more widespread use of an integrated approach to refugee healthcare, and proposes a basic model of assessment for integrated systems. A defining element of an integrated approach is an equal ability by refugee and host nationals to access the same healthcare resources from the same providers. This differs fundamentally from parallel care, currently the predominant practice in Africa. The authors put forward a general model for evaluation of integrated healthcare with four criteria: (1) improved health outcomes for both hosts and refugees, (2) increased social integration, (3) increased equitable use of healthcare resources, and (4) no undermining of protection. Historical examples of integrated care in Ethiopia and Uganda are examined in light of these criteria to illustrate how this evaluative model would generate evidence currently lacking in debates on the merit of integrated healthcare. Language: English Keywords: AFRICA | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | CASE STUDIES | REFUGEES | HEALTH SERVICES | INTEGRATED PROGRAMS | IMPLEMENTATION | INEQUALITIES | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | PROGRAM EVALUATION | HEALTH POLICY | UNHCR | Developing Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Migrants | Migration | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Programs | Organization and Administration | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | UN | International Agencies | Organizations Document Number: 340217 |
| 4. Peer Reviewed Title: International health policy and stagnating maternal mortality: is there a causal link? Author: Unger JP; Van Dessel P; Sen K; De Paepe P Source: Reproductive Health Matters. 2009 May;17(33):91-104. Abstract: This paper examines why progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5 on maternal health appears to have stagnated in much of the global south. We contend that besides the widely recognised existence of weak health systems, including weak services, low staffing levels, managerial weaknesses, and lack of infrastructure and information, this stagnation relates to the inability of most countries to meet two essential conditions: to develop access to publicly funded, comprehensive health care, and to provide the not-for-profit sector with needed political, technical and financial support. This paper offers a critical perspective on the past 15 years of international health policies as a possible cofactor of high maternal mortality, because of their emphasis on disease control in public health services at the expense of access to comprehensive health care, and failures of contracting out and public–private partnerships in health care. Health care delivery cannot be an issue both of trade and of right. Without policies to make health systems in the global south more publicly-oriented and accountable, the current standards of maternal and child health care are likely to remain poor, and maternal deaths will continue to affect women and their families at an intolerably high level. Spanish Abstract: En este artículo se examinan las razones por las que los avances hacia el Objetivo 5 de Desarrollo del Milenio respecto a la salud materna parecen haberse estancado en gran parte del sur global. Argüimos que además de la existencia, ampliamente conocida de sistemas de salud débiles, con servicios deficientes, número reducido de personal, debilidades administrativas y falta de infraestructura e información, este estancamiento está relacionado con la incapacidad de la mayoría de los países para satisfacer dos condiciones esenciales: crear acceso a servicios de atención integral de la salud financiados por el sector público y brindar al sector sin fines de lucro el apoyo político, técnico y financiero que necesita. Este artículo ofrece un punto de vista crítico sobre los últimos 15 años de políticas internacionales de salud como un posible cofactor de las altas tasas de mortalidad materna, debido a su énfasis en el control de enfermedades en servicios de salud pública a expensas del acceso a la atención integral de la salud, así como a los fracasos de subcontratación y alianzas entre los sectores público y privado de salud. La prestación de atención de salud no puede ser un asunto tanto de comercio como de derecho. Sin políticas para lograr que los sistemas de salud del sur estén más orientados hacia el público y sean más responsables, los niveles actuales de atención materno-infantil probablemente continuarán siendo deficientes, y las muertes maternas continuarán afectando intolerablemente a las mujeres y sus familias. French Abstract: Pourquoi les progrès vers l'OMD 5 relatif à la santé maternelle semblent-ils stagner dans la plupart des pays du Sud ? Les auteurs de l'article avancent qu'en plus des faiblesses largement reconnues des systèmes de santé, notamment les déficiences des services, l'insuffisante dotation en personnel, les lacunes de la gestion, ainsi que le manque d'infrastructure et d'information, cette stagnation est due à l'incapacité de la plupart des pays à rencontrer deux conditions essentielles : élargir l'accès à des soins de santé globaux et financés par l'État, et doter le secteur non lucratif d'un soutien politique, technique et financier cruellement nécessaire. L'article propose une perspective critique sur les politiques sanitaires internationales des 15 dernières années comme corrélat possible de la mortalité maternelle élevée, en raison de l'accent que ces politiques placent sur la lutte contre les maladies dans les services de santé publique, aux dépens de l'accès à des soins de santé globaux, et le manque de recours aux services extérieurs et aux partenariats public-privé dans la santé. Les soins de santé ne peuvent relever à la fois du commerce et du droit à la santé. Sans politiques qui orienteront les systèmes de santé du Sud vers une logique sociale et les rendront plus comptables de leurs activités, les normes actuelles des soins de santé maternelle et infantile risquent de rester médiocres, et les décès maternels continueront de toucher les femmes et leurs familles à un niveau intolérable. Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES | HEALTH POLICY | GOALS | MATERNAL MORTALITY | PUBLIC HEALTH | MATERNAL-CHILD HEALTH SERVICES | DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE | POLITICAL FACTORS | FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES | PRIVATE SECTOR | Organizations | Sociocultural Factors | Policy | Planning | Organization and Administration | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Health | Primary Health Care | Health Services | Economic Factors | Macroeconomic Factors Document Number: 342018 |
5.  Peer Reviewed Title: The medical profession and the defense and promotion of sexual and reproductive rights. Author: Briozzo L; Faúndes A Source: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2008 Mar;100(3):291-294. Abstract: The values of the medical profession and other healthcare providers allow assessment of the relationship between physicians, healthcare teams, patients, and healthcare networks regarding the defense and promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights. This paper questions the traditional model of the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients, based on the classic paternalistic role of the physician. It describes the tools available to the medical profession and healthcare teams for the promotion of sexual and reproductive rights, and proposes specific actions that would lead to improvements for women and communities. (author's) Language: English Keywords: LATIN AMERICA | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PHYSICIANS | PROVIDERS WITH CLIENTS | REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | VALUE ORIENTATION | HUMAN RIGHTS | PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONS | CLIENT-STAFF RELATIONS | STAFF ATTITUDE | Americas | Developing Countries | Health Personnel | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Health Services | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Interpersonal Relations | Attitudes Document Number: 324882 |
| 6. Peer Reviewed Title: What part of HIV prevention conversations don’t we understand? Author: Reis E Source: Culture, Health and Sexuality. 2008 May;10(4):417-422. Abstract: There has been much discussion, particularly in the wake of analyses of the World Health Organization's 3 by 5 programme, about the place of prevention in responses to HIV. While 3 by 5 focussed on improved access to treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS, its successor 'Universal Access' explicitly acknowledged that if we are to make any significant impact on the HIV pandemic then programme scale-up must include prevention and care. HIV prevention is not just about minimising the risk of disease transmission from an infected individual to another. As HIV is transmitted in our communities, we must also consider how we minimise the burden of HIV that weighs upon infected people. Edwin Cameron's recent book, Witness to AIDS, while not directly about prevention, illustrates some of the dimensions that can be overlooked when we do not stop to think and reflect on the dynamics involved in the conversations we have about preventing HIV. (author's) Language: English Keywords: AFRICA | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | HIV PREVENTION | INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | CARE AND SUPPORT | Developing Countries | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Communication | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health Document Number: 326952 |
| 7. Peer Reviewed Title: Science and technology for wealth and health in developing countries. Author: Acharya T Source: Global Public Health. 2007 Jan;2(1):53-63. Abstract: It is now widely accepted that the developing world needs to invest in science and technology or risk falling behind as the technology gap between the North and South widens. However, these investments must be balanced by continued investment in basic population-wide services, such as healthcare and water supply and sanitation. Achieving this balance is a matter of ongoing debate in policy circles, and leaders and policy-makers in developing countries often have to make difficult decisions that pit investment in new technologies and capacity-building in science and technology against basic population-wide services such as healthcare and water supply and sanitation. The tension is underscored by evidence which suggests that rapidly industrializing economies, like in China, India and Brazil, are actually experiencing a rise in economic and health disparities among their populations. The fact that poor people in an industrializing country must fall behind while the rest of the country marches ahead does not have to be an inevitable outcome of industrialization. This article shows that science and technology can make an important and vital contribution to development, using public health as an example. It suggests the need to focus investments in science and technology in such a way that they can have a positive impact on public health. For instance, the use of simple, hand-held molecular diagnostic tools can help unskilled health workers rapidly and accurately diagnose diseases, thus helping to reduce healthcare costs due to delayed or incorrect diagnoses. Recombinant vaccines can mitigate the risk of infection associated with live or attenuated vaccines, while needle-less delivery methods can help contain the spread of blood-borne infections. Critical to making technology investments work for population health are government policies and strategies that align public health goals and technology priorities. Such policies can include cross-sectoral training programs to improve dialogue between the technology and health sectors, setting up technology transfer cells to increase commercialization of health research relevant to local needs, and leveraging the phenomenon of low-margin high-volume marketing for health products. (author's) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | TECHNOLOGY | HEALTH | SCIENCE | CAPACITY BUILDING | APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY | DISEASES | GOALS | LABORATORY EXAMINATIONS AND DIAGNOSES | PUBLIC HEALTH | Economic Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Program Sustainability | Programs | Organization and Administration | Planning | Examinations and Diagnoses | Medical Procedures | Medicine | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care Document Number: 325370 |
| 8. Title: Going home: A feminist anthropologist's reflections on dilemmas of power and positionality in the field. Author: Alcalde MC Source: Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism. 2007;7(2):143-162. Abstract: In this essay, I draw on my fieldwork in Lima, Peru to critically explore the power relationships within my own feminist research and practice and illustrate what feminist research in one's own society might include. I pay special attention to my roles as academic and advocate and reflect on how power asymmetries based on race, educational status, and class were both reproduced and reshaped during my fieldwork, and how my feminist research agenda and partial insider status were directly tied to the creation and continuation of these power asymmetries. As I illuminate potential dilemmas, rewards, and difficulties that may result from feminist research in one's own society, I foreground the potential for effecting social change from within, the researcher's social responsibility and engagement in the field, and the blurring of boundaries between insider and outsider. (author's) Language: English Keywords: PERU | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE | ADVOCACY | RESEARCH METHODOLOGY | ANTHROPOLOGY, CULTURAL | POWER | FEMINISM | South America, Western | South America | Latin America | Americas | Developing Countries | Crime | Social Problems | Sociocultural Factors | Communication | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Science | Political Factors Document Number: 321187 |
| 9. Peer Reviewed Title: Oslo Ministerial Declaration -- global health: a pressing foreign policy issue of our time. Author: Amorim C; Douste-Blazy P; Wirayuda H; Store JG; Gadio CT Source: Lancet. 2007 Apr;369(9570):1373-1378. Abstract: Under their initiative on Global Health and Foreign Policy, launched in September, 2006, in New York, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, France, Indonesia, Norway, Senegal, South Africa, and Thailand issued the following statement in Oslo on March 20, 2007-In today's era of globalisation and interdependence there is an urgent need to broaden the scope of foreign policy. Together, we face a number of pressing challenges that require concerted responses and collaborative efforts. We must encourage new ideas, seek and develop new partnerships and mechanisms, and create new paradigms of cooperation. We believe that health is one of the most important, yet still broadly neglected, long-term foreign policy issues of our time. Life and health are our most precious assets. There is a growing awareness that investment in health is fundamental to economic growth and development. It is generally acknowledged that threats to health may compromise a country's stability and security. We believe that health as a foreign policy issue needs a stronger strategic focus on the international agenda. We have therefore agreed to make impact on health a point of departure and a defining lens that each of our countries will use to examine key elements of foreign policy and development strategies, and to engage in a dialogue on how to deal with policy options from this perspective. As Ministers of Foreign Affairs, we will work to: increase awareness of our common vulnerability in the face of health threats by bringing health issues more strongly into the arenas of foreign policy discussions and decisions, in order to strengthen our commitment to concerted action at the global level; build bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation for global health security by strengthening the case for collaboration and brokering broad agreement, accountability, and action; reinforce health as a key element in strategies for development and for fighting poverty, in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals; ensure that a higher priority is given to health in dealing with trade issues and in conforming to the Doha principles, affirming the right of each country to make full use of TRIPS flexibilities in order to ensure universal access to medicines; strengthen the place of health measures in conflict and crisis management and in reconstruction efforts. For this purpose, we have prepared a first set of actionable steps for raising the priority of health in foreign policy in an Agenda for Action. We pledge to pursue these issues in our respective regional settings and in relevant international bodies. We invite Ministers of Foreign Affairs from all regions to join us in further exploring ways and means to achieve our objectives. (author's) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | GROUP MEETING | HEALTH POLICY | COMMUNICABLE DISEASES | HUMAN RESOURCES | NATURAL DISASTERS | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION | GOALS | Communication | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Infections | Diseases | Economic Factors | Environment | Planning | Organization and Administration Document Number: 315520 |
| 10. Peer Reviewed Title: Contraception: A social revolution. Author: Benagiano G; Bastianelli C; Farris M Source: European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care. 2007 Mar;12(1):3-12. Abstract: Modern contraceptive technology is more than a technical advance: it has brought about a true social revolution, the 'first reproductive revolution' in the history of mankind. This latter was followed in rapid succession by other major changes in human reproductive strategies. In the human species, sexual activity began to lose its exclusive reproductive meaning at an early stage of its evolution. Human beings must have practiced non-conceptive sex from the outset and therefore must have had a need to avoid, rather than to seek conception during intercourse from time immemorial. The search for methods to control fertility went on for millennia, but a valid solution was only found during the twentieth century, when the population explosion had forever changed the shape of humanity: in only one century the total population of the planet had grown from some 1.6 billion to more than 6 billion. That increase will remain unique in the history of Homo sapiens. At the global level, contraception provided a tool to deal with overpopulation and, in only 50 years, went a long way towards its resolution. However, to solve the problem, national and international family planning initiatives were required. For individuals, contraception also meant a revolution. It allowed sexual intercourse without reproduction. Only 25 years later, in vitro fertilisation permitted childbearing without sexual intercourse. Other advances followed and now cloning, that is, reproduction without the two gametes, looms on the horizon. Such a series of rapid, major changes in human reproductive strategies has confused many. For this reason, a constructive dialogue between sociology and biology is mandatory. Contraception is a powerful tool to promote equity between sexes; it improves women's status in the family and in the community. Avoiding pregnancy during the teens increases opportunities for a young woman's education, training and employment. By controlling their fertility, women get a chance to contribute economically to their household, which in turn may give them a greater share in decision-making. There are other specific areas in which contraception has produced beneficial social effects, first and foremost in reducing the need for induced abortion. It has also helped avoiding sexually-transmitted infections and is a very useful tool for educating youngsters to adopt more responsible sexual behaviors. Interventions in the field of family planning are among the most cost-effective health interventions. (author's) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | EVALUATION | WOMEN | SOCIAL CHANGE | CONTRACEPTION | POPULATION CONTROL | FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS | FAMILY PLANNING POLICY | REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES | SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE PREVENTION | COST EFFECTIVENESS | Demographic Factors | Population | Sociocultural Factors | Family Planning | Population Policy | Social Policy | Policy | Political Factors | Reproduction | Sexually Transmitted Diseases | Reproductive Tract Infections | Infections | Diseases | Evaluation Indexes | Quantitative Evaluation Document Number: 313267 |
| 11. Title: AIDS: Public justice and private meaning. Author: Boshoff A Source: Tydskrif vir die Suid-Afrikaanse Reg. 2007;(2):339-345. Abstract: A theoretical discussion of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa is best done against the background of a straight-forward statistical analysis. The facts, simple and stark, speak for themselves: at the moment South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV in the world. A government survey, conducted in October 2005, estimates that 5.5 million South Africans are living with the virus, accounting for more than one-eighth of the estimated cases worldwide. UNAIDS estimates that nearly 19 percent of people aged 15 to 49 in South Africa are HIV positive. Around 1.5 million South Africans have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic. The annual number of new HIV infections is close to half a million (around 800 per day) and is likely to remain that high over the next few years. When one turns to the statistics pertaining to the most vulnerable groups it gets no better: the highest prevalence and incidence of HIV is found amongst pregnant women and women of child-bearing age, with 30.2 percent of antenatal clinic attendees testing HIV positive. Medically, the greatest risk of being infected with HIV is towards the end of pregnancy and a startling 5.3 percent of children between 2 and 4 are HIV positive due to mother-to-child transmission. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | THEORETICAL STUDIES | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | THEORETICAL MODELS | RELIGIOUS ASPECTS | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | PRISONERS | COURT DECISION | ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY | DEATH | PAIN | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Religion | Sociocultural Factors | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Crime | Social Problems | Litigation | Political Factors | HIV | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Signs and Symptoms Document Number: 318188 |
| 12. Title: Exploring disparities between global HIV / AIDS funding and recent tsunami relief efforts: an ethical analysis. Author: Christie T; Asrat GA; Jiwani B; Maddix T; Montaner JS Source: Developing World Bioethics. 2007;7(1):1-7. Abstract: The objective was to contrast relief efforts for the 26 December 2004 tsunami with current global HIV/AIDS relief efforts and analyse possible reasons for the disparity. Methods: Literature review and ethical analysis. Just over 273,000 people died in the tsunami, resulting in relief efforts of more than US$10 bn, which is sufficient to achieve the United Nation's long-term recovery plan for South East Asia. In contrast, 14 times more people died from HIV/AIDS in 2004, with UNAIDS predicting a US$8 bn funding gap for HIV/AIDS in developing nations between now and 2007. This disparity raises two important ethical questions. First, what is it that motivates a more empathic response to the victims of the tsunami than to those affected by HIV/AIDS? Second, is there a morally relevant difference between the two tragedies that justifies the difference in the international response? The principle of justice requires that two cases similarly situated be treated similarly. For the difference in the international response to the tsunami and HIV/AIDS to be justified, the tragedies have to be shown to be dissimilar in some relevant respect. Are the tragedies of the tsunami disaster and the HIV/AIDS pandemic sufficiently different, in relevant respects, to justify the difference in scope of the response by the international community? We detected no morally relevant distinction between the tsunami and the HIV/AIDS pandemic that justifies the disparity. Therefore, we must conclude that the international response to HIV/ AIDS violates the fundamental principles of justice and fairness. (author's) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES | FUNDS | NATURAL DISASTERS | HIV INFECTIONS | PREVENTION AND CONTROL | ETHICS | RESOURCE ALLOCATION | SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION | DISASTER RELIEF | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Environment | Social Problems Document Number: 313041 |
| 13. Peer Reviewed Title: HIV testing: The mutual rights and responsibilities of partners. Author: Dixon-Mueller R; Germain A Source: Lancet. 2007 Dec 1;370(9602):1808-1809. Abstract: Important questions about implementation of the new guidance by WHO and UNAIDS on provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling were raised by Daniel Tarantola and Sofia Gruskin. Their comments and those by other critics centre on individuals' rights to confidentiality, to refuse testing, and to not disclose their status if they fear negative consequences. We are concerned that a singular focus on the individual's rights of refusal overlooks the rights of the individual's sexual partners to protect themselves from HIV. Human rights and public health will be best served by an ethical framework which recognises that both persons in a sexual relationship or exchange have equal rights and responsibilities for their mutual pleasure and protection. Further, these individual rights are meaningless unless each partner respects the rights of the other. Protection of the human rights of both partners needs more commitment from health systems, and from societies, than simply ensuring informed consent and confidentiality. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | PROVIDERS WITH CLIENTS | SEXUAL PARTNERS | UNAIDS | VOLUNTARY COUNSELING AND TESTING | SEXUAL RESPONSIBILITY | ETHICS | NOTIFICATION | PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONS | PARTNER COMMUNICATION | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Sex Behavior | Behavior | UN | International Agencies | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | HIV Testing | Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses | Examinations and Diagnoses | Medical Procedures | Medicine | Interpersonal Relations Document Number: 322948 |
| 14. Title: Antiretroviral therapy for children: challenges and opportunities. Author: Eley B; Nuttall J Source: Annals of Tropical Paediatrics. 2007 Mar;27(1):1-10. Abstract: Currently, < 10% of all HIV-infected children who need anti-retroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa are actually receiving therapy. Many constraints prevent these children from gaining access to appropriate care, including the magnitude of the paediatric epidemic, competing interests of adult care, health system inadequacies, technical challenges and patient-related factors. These issues form the basis of this paper which discusses the practical challenges of extending optimal care to all deserving children. Besides the need for major human, infrastructural, technical and logistic investments to overcome existing constraints, more clinical research is required before treatment guidelines can be refined in resource-constrained settings. In this regard, the paper lists some important research questions that should be addressed. (author's) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | CHILDREN | HIV INFECTIONS | EPIDEMIOLOGY | ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY | CHILD SURVIVAL | HIV TRANSMISSION | DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE | INTERVENTIONS | MALNUTRITION | TUBERCULOSIS | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Public Health | Health | HIV | Survivorship | Length of Life | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Programs | Organization and Administration | Nutrition Disorders | Infections Document Number: 312583 |
| 15. Title: Population aging and international development: addressing competing claims of distributive justice. Author: Engelman M; Johnson S Source: Developing World Bioethics. 2007;7(1):8-18. Abstract: To date, bioethics and health policy scholarship has given little consideration to questions of aging and intergenerational justice in the developing world. Demographic changes are precipitating rapid population aging in developing nations, however, and ethical issues regarding older people's claim to scarce healthcare resources must be addressed. This paper posits that the traditional arguments about generational justice and age-based rationing of healthcare resources, which were developed primarily in more industrialized nations, fail to adequately address the unique challenges facing older persons in developing nations. Existing philosophical approaches to age-based resource allocation underemphasize the importance of older persons for developing countries and fail to adequately consider the rights and interests of older persons in these settings. Ultimately, the paper concludes that the most appropriate framework for thinking about generational justice in developing nations is a rights-based approach that allows for the interests of all age groups, including the oldest, to be considered in the determination of health resource allocation. (author's) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | GENERATIONS | OLDER ADULTS | DEMOGRAPHIC AGING | HUMAN RIGHTS | DEVELOPMENT POLICY | AGE FACTORS | ETHICS | HEALTH SERVICES | RESOURCE ALLOCATION | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Adults | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Population Dynamics | Political Factors | Policy | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Financial Activities | Economic Factors Document Number: 313042 |
| 16. Title: Opinion: some messages can't be massaged. Author: Furedi A Source: Conscience. 2007;27(4):[3] p. Abstract: Communications and "messaging" play a larger part in politics and social policy than at any time in history. In the U.K., as in the U.S., it seems that policymakers spend more time trying to work out how to "sell" initiatives to the public than assessing how effective they would be if they were adopted. "Will it win support?" seems more important than "Is it true?" or "Will it work?" Naturally, this affects and frames the abortion discourse on both sides of the pond. Prochoice advocates know we must move on from the slogans of the past, because today's social concerns are different. The advance of reproductive technologies and fetal medicine has stimulated an interest in the development of life before birth that did not exist 30 years ago. In the 1970s, abortion was seen as an issue affecting a woman ("our bodies, our lives, our right to decide"); now public opinion is increasing concerned with the fetus (does it feel pain? have rights?). In the 1970s, women's equality was an ambition to be fought for; now many believe it has been achieved. The language of the "right to choose," which once seemed central to women's freedom, now makes many people uncomfortable. We must address this discomfort. To do this, we have to engage with contemporary concerns, and we can all agree that research that examines what alienates people from prochoice perspectives is vital to such engagement. However, there is a danger that we may become so concerned with "branding" that we lose sight of what we stand for. We do ourselves no favors -- and much fault -- when, in the hope of framing abortion to make it acceptable to the widest constituency, we forget essential truths. One of these truths is that access to abortion underpins, and is essential to, women's equality. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED KINGDOM | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PRO-CHOICE GROUPS | ABORTION | PREGNANCY, UNPLANNED | REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | DECISION MAKING | ABORTION LAW | ADVOCACY | MESSAGE DEVELOPMENT | PUBLIC HEALTH | Europe, Western | Europe | Developed Countries | Interest Groups | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Human Rights | Behavior | Communication | Health Document Number: 310152 Notification |
| 17. Peer Reviewed Title: History, principles, and practice of health and human rights. Author: Gruskin S; Mills EJ; Tarantola D Source: Lancet. 2007 Aug;370(9585):449-455. Abstract: Individuals and populations suffer violations of their rights that affect health and well-being. Health professionals have a part to play in reduction and prevention of these violations and ensuring that health-related policies and practices promote rights. This needs efforts in terms of advocacy, application of legal standards, and public-health programming. We discuss the changing views of human rights in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and propose further development of the right to health by increased practice, evidence, and action. (author's) Language: English Keywords: CANADA | HISTORICAL REVIEW | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | EVALUATION | POLICYMAKERS | HUMAN RIGHTS | ETHICS | ADVOCACY | HEALTH POLICY | STANDARDS | PUBLIC HEALTH | PROGRAM DESIGN | Developed Countries | North America, Northern | Americas | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Communication | Policy | Research Methodology | Health | Programs Document Number: 319442 |
| 18. Title: Faith matters: communicating sexual and reproductive health values [editorial] Author: Haffner DW Source: Contraception. 2007 jan;75(1):1-3. Abstract: As a minister and as a sexologist, I applaud the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals new Values Project. For too long, those of us in the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) field have articulated our vision only in terms of research and statistics, and have not emphasized a shared moral vision. Our shared moral vision includes tikkum olam, a term translated from Hebrew to mean "heal the world". As a field, we want to end the suffering around unintended pregnancies, coerced and exploitive sexual experiences, attacks on bodily integrity, denial of one's sexual or gender identity, violence against women and sexual minorities and children who are not loved or wanted. Many SRH professionals have been personally turned off by religion due to their own negative experiences in faith communities. The SRH and rights field as a whole suffers from a term I have coined religiophobia, or an irrational fear of religion. Many people in our field have been alienated from faith communities because they view them as erotophobic, and because some religious groups deny sexual and reproductive rights. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | INFLUENTIALS | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | YOUTH | RELIGIOUS ASPECTS | VALUE ORIENTATION | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | SEXUALITY | SEX EDUCATION | North America | Americas | Developed Countries | Knowledge Sources | Communication | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Religion | Sociocultural Factors | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Health | Personality | Education Document Number: 310429 |
| 19. Title: Should abortion be prevented? Author: Kissling F Source: Conscience. 2007;27(4):[3] p. Abstract: If abortion is a morally neutral act and does not endanger women's health, why bother to prevent the need for it? After all, the cost of a first-trimester-abortion is comparable to the cost of a year's supply of birth control pills -- and abortion has fewer complications and less medical risk for women than some of the most effective methods of contraception. This question has plagued advocates of choice since abortion was legalized. It has intensified in the face of antiabortion moralism about sex and responsibility, in the continued stigmatization of women who have abortions and in the increasingly expressed mantra that "there are simply too many abortions in the U.S." Frustration has led some advocates of legal abortion to dig in their heels and insist that any talk about preventing abortions denigrates women as moral decision-makers, misunderstands the reasons women have abortions, retreats from principled support for the right of women to choose abortion without government interference and tacitly lends credence to the contention that abortion is almost always morally wrong. At the evidence level, some worry that the emphasis on prevention as a solution violates a core belief that good facts make good ethics. Demographers and social scientists are more than skeptical of claims by the group Democrats for Life (DFL) that we can reduce abortions by 95 percent in 10 years if we modestly increase economic support for women who face unintended pregnancies. The critics note that the level of increased support suggested by this interest group compares unfavorably with the level of support currently afforded to women in European countries -- and the rate of abortions in those countries, while lower than that in the US, comes nowhere near the 95/10 goal DFL espouses. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | INTEREST GROUPS | ABORTION | PREGNANCY, UNPLANNED | CATHOLICISM | POLITICAL FACTORS | CONTRACEPTION | REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | ADVOCACY | North America | Americas | Developed Countries | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Christianity | Religion | Human Rights | Communication Document Number: 310151 Notification |
| 20. Title: The abortion debate in Mexico: Realities and stalled policy reform. Author: Kulczycki A Source: Bulletin of Latin American Research. 2007 Jan;26(1):50-68. Abstract: Over 500,000 clandestine abortions occur annually in Mexico, many under unfavourable health conditions. An uneasy silence about this situation has long prevailed. Since the 1970s, abortion has appeared periodically in public discourse and on the decision-making agenda, only for action to be repeatedly postponed. Mobilisation around the abortion issue grew slowly, but debate and controversy became nationwide as the country began to experience systemic change in 2000. Despite increasing political pluralism and growing awareness of the existing problems, for now in Mexico, as elsewhere in Latin America, the question of abortion is not judged sufficiently pressing to merit major policy change. However, improved contraceptive use and the institution of new technologies and post-abortion care are helping to make abortions safer and rarer. (author's) Language: English Keywords: MEXICO | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | WOMEN | HEALTH POLICY | ABORTION LAW | ABORTION | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | HUMAN RIGHTS | FEMINISM | CATHOLICISM | RELIGIOUS ASPECTS | POLITICAL FACTORS | North America | Americas | Developing Countries | Demographic Factors | Population | Policy | Sociocultural Factors | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning | Health | Christianity | Religion Document Number: 314444 Notification |
| 21. Title: Cross-race, cross-culture, cross-national, cross-class, but same-gender: Musings on research in South Africa. Author: Lempert LB Source: NWSA Journal. 2007 Summer;19(2):79-103. Abstract: This paper presents reflective reexaminations of, and musings about, a cross-race, cross-culture, cross-national, cross-class, but same-gender research process in the "new South Africa" from the vantage point of hindsight. The paper aims to make the research backstage more transparent by reflecting on ongoing negotiations of self in context with abused women's shelter service providers in South Africa. Discursive attention is focused on social locations and the ways that social privileges affect the research process, as well as on giving-and-taking as a significant set of research interactions. (author's) Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | CRITIQUE | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | RESEARCH METHODOLOGY | FEMINISM | SOCIAL CLASS | SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS | ETHICS | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors Document Number: 313829 |
| 22. Title: Nature, "naturalism," and the immorality of contraception. A critique of Fr. Rhonheimer on condom use and contraceptive intent. Author: Oleson C Source: National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly. 2007 Winter;6(4):719-729. Abstract: In a recent contribution to the National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly, Fr. Martin Rhonheimer argues that the evil of contraception is rooted strictly in the intention to prevent new life. Unlike adultery or homosexuality, its immorality is not intrinsically related to any physical behavior of the human body. Accordingly, Fr. Rhonheimer argues, one cannot evaluate the morality of an act of condomistic sex between spouses until one knows why they choose to use a condom during intercourse. In responding to Fr. Rhonheimer's position, I will refrain from engaging the nuances of his action theory (with which I have only minor quibbles), and focus instead on his claim that the immorality of contraception has nothing to do with what is physically performed at the bodily level. I maintain, on the contrary, that physically frustrating the aptitude of the marital act to be generative, for whatever reason, is contraceptive in nature. I think it is an error and an (unintentional) departure from Catholic teaching to hold that the evil of contraception exists only in the mental intention to prevent new life during conjugal intercourse. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | CRITIQUE | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | CONTRACEPTION | CONDOM USE | CATHOLICISM | ETHICS | RELIGIOUS ASPECTS | SEXUAL INTERCOURSE | SEXUALITY | Family Planning | Risk Reduction Behavior | Behavior | Christianity | Religion | Sociocultural Factors | Reproduction | Personality | Psychological Factors Document Number: 322978 |
| 23. Title: Beyond women workers: Gendering CSR. Author: Pearson R Source: Third World Quarterly. 2007 Jun;28(4):731-749. Abstract: Though there is now a great deal of attention to the question of women workers and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a more far reaching analysis, which is informed by feminist economics approaches, stresses the importance of the gendered nature of the institutional context in which value chains operate, and the importance of acknowledging that labour markets are themselves gendered institutions which reflect socially constructed divisions of labour. This paper explores what a more holistic approach to corporate social responsibility might mean, especially when explored through the lens of gender analysis. I use the concept of social reproduction to examine the kinds of issues a gendered approach to CSR might embrace, with particular attention to the "social", in terms of the reproduction of the labour power used in production. I apply this scrutiny to the emblematic example of the current spate of murders of young women in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, the location of thousands of manufacturing assembly plants producing for export to the United States. The paper concludes with some suggestions of initiatives which might be developed to incorporate a gendered dimension into a more comprehensive notion of CSR. (author's) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | MEXICO | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | WOMEN | WORKERS | COMMERCIAL SECTOR | GENDER ISSUES | ECONOMIC FACTORS | VALUE ORIENTATION | COMMERCE | CRIME | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Developing Countries | Demographic Factors | Population | Labor Force | Human Resources | Macroeconomic Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Social Problems Document Number: 317323 |
| 24. Title: Do the ravages of the HIV / AIDS epidemic ethically justify mandatory HIV testing? [letter] Author: Rennie S Source: Developing World Bioethics. 2007;7(1):48-49. Abstract: In his 'Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Botswana: an Ethical Perspective on Mandatory Testing', Peter Clark controversially defends compulsory testing - and even compulsory treatment - of pregnant mothers in an African country with one of the world's highest HIV prevalence rates. He argues, on consequentialist grounds, that the urgency of the epidemic in Botswana requires a radical change in HIV policy from the traditional autonomy-centered model of voluntary testing and counseling (VCT) to a public health-centered model of non-voluntary HIV testing. Even the latest model of routine HIV testing embraced by the World Health Organization (WHO) - where patients in clinics are told they will be tested unless they refuse - fails to go far enough for Clark, apparently because he fears that some patients may 'opt-out' of the program. Clark's proposal is also more radical than the current initiative in Lesotho, which tests individuals for HIV door-to-door but only after gaining consent. According to Clark, the radical policy of mandatory testing of pregnant women in Botswana may have its costs, but it is a lesser evil than the death and social destruction caused by HIV/AIDS. Dr Clark's proposal is undoubtedly motivated by a genuine distress about the ravages of the AIDS epidemic. I share his distress; but have three main reservations about his proposal. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES | BOTSWANA | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | PREGNANT WOMEN | HIV TESTING | ETHICS | STIGMA | PREVENTION OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION | TREATMENT | HEALTH POLICY | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses | Examinations and Diagnoses | Medical Procedures | Medicine | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Sociocultural Factors | Social Problems | Disease Transmission Control | Prevention and Control | Policy | Political Factors Document Number: 313039 |
| 25. Peer Reviewed Title: The HIV / AIDS tsunami: Perception determines global response. Author: Roberts J Source: Population Review. 2007;46(1):56-58. Abstract: On 26 December 2004, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, generating a widespread tsunami. The resulting waves, some up to 15 meters high, reached the heavily populated shores of Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and the east coast of Africa, leaving a path of death and destruction in their wake. Because many bodies (including entire families) were swept out to sea, the final death toll may never be known. But it is likely that at least 200,000 people lost their lives on that fateful day. Along with lives lost, the tsunami destroyed countless livelihoods and made millions of people homeless. Soon after the event, in an interview with CNN, UN emergency relief co-coordinator Jan Egeland summarized the situation: "This may be the worst natural disaster in recent history because it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas... so many vulnerable communities." (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | INFLUENTIALS | MASS MEDIA | NATURAL DISASTERS | EPIDEMICS | DISASTER RELIEF | FOREIGN AID | PERCEPTION | EXCESS MORTALITY | VALUE ORIENTATION | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Knowledge Sources | Communication | Environment | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population Document Number: 318101 |
| 26. Peer Reviewed Title: Confidentiality versus child protection for young people accessing sexual health services: "To report or not to report, that is the question." Author: Rogstad KE Source: Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care. 2007 Jan;33(1):7-9. Abstract: One of the greatest current concerns of staff providing sexual health services is whether they have to report sexually active young people to child protection services. The young need to be protected from sexual abuse and exploitation, and local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) are responsible for drawing up protocols to ensure child protection and make recommendations on who should be referred. Over the past few years there has been some conflict between services about the need for confidentiality for young people versus the need to report. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some providers have been threatened with withdrawal of funding for services, and individuals threatened with possible dismissal, for failure to comply with local guidelines for compulsory reporting. Essentially both sides want the same thing, that is to protect children, but differences arise in how best to achieve this. What are the arguments? (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED KINGDOM | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | ADOLESCENTS | PROVIDERS WITH CLIENTS | POLICE | ADOLESCENT HEALTH SERVICES | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION | SOCIAL PROTECTION | RECORDS | REFERRAL AND CONSULTATION | SEXUAL ABUSE | SEXUAL EXPLOITATION | Europe, Western | Europe | Developed Countries | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Corrections Officers | Government | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Ethics | Information Processing | Information | Program Activities | Programs | Organization and Administration | Crime | Social Problems | Behavior Document Number: 311577 |
| 27. Peer Reviewed Title: Global health governance and the World Bank. Author: Ruger JP Source: Lancet. 2007 Oct 27;370(9597):1471-1474. Abstract: With the Paul Wolfowitz era behind it and new appointee Robert Zoellick at the helm, it is time for the World Bank to better define its role in an increasingly crowded and complex global health architecture, says Jennifer Prah Ruger, health economist and former World Bank speechwriter. Just 2 years after taking office as president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz resigned amid allegations of favouritism, and is now succeeded by Robert Zoellick. Many shortcomings marked Wolfowitz's presidency, not the least of which were a tumultuous battle over family planning and reproductive health policy, significant reductions in spending and staffing, and poor performance in implementing health, nutrition, and population programmes. Wolfowitz did little to advance the bank's role in the health sector. With the Wolfowitz era behind it and heightened scrutiny in the aftermath, the World Bank needs to better define its role and seize the initiative in health at both the global and country levels. Can the bank have an effect in an increasingly plural and complex global health architecture? What crucial role can the bank play in global health governance in the years ahead? (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | WORLD BANK | HEALTH POLICY | PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT | POLITICAL FACTORS | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | GOVERNMENT | HEALTH SERVICES | EXPENDITURES | International Agencies | Organizations | Sociocultural Factors | Policy | Programs | Organization and Administration | Economic Factors | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Financial Activities Document Number: 321970 |
| 28. Peer Reviewed Title: Rethinking equal access: Agency, quality, and norms. Author: Ruger JP Source: Global Public Health. 2007 Jan;2(1):78-96. Abstract: In 2005 the Global Health Council convened healthcare providers, community organizers, policymakers and researchers at Health Systems: Putting Pieces Together to discuss health from a systems perspective. Its report and others have established healthcare access and quality as two of the most important issues in health policy today. Still, there is little agreement about what equal access and quality mean for health system development. At the philosophical level, few have sought to understand why differences in healthcare quality are morally so troubling. While there has been considerable work in medical ethics on equal access, these efforts have neglected health agency (individuals' ability to work toward health goals they value) and health norms, both of which influence individuals' ability to be healthy. This paper argues for rethinking equal access in terms of an alternative ethical aim: to ensure the social conditions in which all individuals have the capability to be healthy. This perspectiverequires that we examine injustices not just by the level of healthcare resources, but by the: (1) quality of those resources and their capacity to enable effective health functioning; (2) extent to which society supports health agency so that individuals can convert healthcare resources into health functioning; and (3) nature of health norms, which affect individuals' efforts to achieve functioning. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PRIMARY HEALTH CARE | HEALTH | ETHICS | QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE | HEALTH SERVICES | CULTURE | HEALTH POLICY | PUBLIC HEALTH | PROGRAM ACCESSIBILITY | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Delivery of Health Care | Sociocultural Factors | Health Services Evaluation | Program Evaluation | Programs | Organization and Administration | Policy | Political Factors Document Number: 325372 |
| 29. Peer Reviewed Title: Rethinking mandatory HIV testing during pregnancy in areas with high HIV prevalence rates: Ethical and policy issues. Author: Schuklenk U; Kleinsmidt A Source: American Journal of Public Health. 2007 Jul;97(7):1179-1183. Abstract: We analyzed the ethical and policy issues surrounding mandatory HIV testing of pregnant women in areas with high HIV prevalence rates. Through this analysis, we seek to demonstrate that a mandatory approach to testing and treatment has the potential to significantly reduce perinatal transmission of HIV and defend the view that mandatory testing is morally required if a number of conditions can be met. If such programs are to be introduced, continuing medical care, including highly active antiretroviral therapy, must be provided and pregnant women must have reasonable alternatives to compulsory testing and treatment. We propose that a liberal regime entailing abortion rights up to the point of fetal viability would satisfy these requirements. Pilot studies in the high-prevalence region of southern African countries should investigate the feasibility of this approach. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | GLOBAL | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | CRITIQUE | PREGNANT WOMEN | HIV TESTING | PREVENTION OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION | HIV PREVENTION | HEALTH POLICY | ETHICS | HIV INFECTIONS | PREVALENCE | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Laboratory Examinations and Diagnoses | Examinations and Diagnoses | Medical Procedures | Medicine | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Disease Transmission Control | Prevention and Control | Diseases | Viral Diseases | Policy | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Measurement | Research Methodology Document Number: 318301 |
| 30. Title: Ethical considerations in African traditional medicine: a response to Nyika. Author: Van Bogaert DK Source: Developing World Bioethics. 2007;7(1):35-40. Abstract: Like other so-called 'parallel' practices in medicine, traditional medicine (TM) does not avoid criticism or even rejection. Nyika's article 'Ethical and Regulatory Issues Surrounding African Traditional Medicine in the Context of HIV/AIDS' looks at some of the issues from a traditional Western ethical perspective and suggests that it should be rejected. I respond to this article agreeing with Nyika's three major criticisms: lack of informed consent, confidentiality and paternalism. However, as traditional healers are consulted by over 70% of South Africans before any other type of healthcare professional, a blanket negation of TM is not possible, nor is it politically feasible. A pragmatic approach would be to work within the current structures for positive change. I point out that, as all cultural practices do, TM will change over time. Yet, until some regulations and change occur, the problem of harm to patients remains a major concern. (author's) Language: English Keywords: AFRICA | AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | AFRICA, NORTH | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS | CLIENTS | TRADITIONAL HEALERS | TRADITIONAL MEDICINE | ETHICS | CULTURE | INFORMED CONSENT | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION | QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE | Developing Countries | HIV Infections | Viral Diseases | Diseases | Program Activities | Programs | Organization and Administration | Medicine | Health Services | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Sociocultural Factors | Health Services Evaluation | Program Evaluation Document Number: 313044 |
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