The chief of malaria for the World Health Organization has complained that the growing dominance of malaria research by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation risks stifling a diversity of views among scientists and wiping out the world health agency’s policy-making function. In a memorandum, the malaria chief, Dr. Arata Kochi, complained to his boss, Dr. Margaret Chan, the director general of the W.H.O., that the foundation’s money, while crucial, could have “far-reaching, largely unintended consequences.”
Values, Policies and Rights
Gates Foundation’s Influence Criticized
McNeil DG: The New York Times, 16 February 2008
Right to Health through litigation?
Gloppen S, Gargarella R, Maestad O, et al: Chr. Michelsen Institute
Can court enforced health rights improve health policy and priority setting in poor countries? This multidisciplinary project aims to systematically investigate whether litigation can make health policies and -systems in poor countries more equitable by forcing policy-makers and administrators to take seriously their human rights obligations. Most of the world's governments are obliged through international treaties or national constitutions, or both, to respect, protect, promote and fulfill the human right to health. In most cases, this has not been an enforceable legal right. However, cases regarding the right to health care are increasingly brought before the courts. In a number of low- and middle-income countries - first in Latin America, later in Africa and Asia, court decisions have granted access to certain forms of medical treatment. These are decisions with potentially great implications for how health sector resources are prioritised and allocated, but so far there is little systematic knowledge of the actual effect of such cases on health policy formation, implementation and spending. Do they have a significant effect in practice? And, if so, do they contribute to more - or less - justice in health service delivery?
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Indicators - A case study from South Africa
UNGASS draft report, February 2008
A workshop was held in July 2007 hosted by MOSAIC at which the participating South African organisations reviewed goals set by UNGASs on reproductive health rights, discussed identified indicators, refined these and shared research and findings. In South Africa in 2007 Government in collaboration with many stakeholders (civil society, the private sector) launched the HIV and AIDS and STI National Strategic Plan 2007 – 2011. While there is substantive discussion noting key areas of gender and gender based violence, cultural attitudes and practices, sexual concurrency and sex workers, there is no overall conceptual lens unpacking sexual and reproductive health and rights. Currently reproductive health is not on the essential health priority list. This leaves gaps in terms of the continuum of care and there is a lack of integration, for example, HIV positive women’s sexual and reproductive intentions are not provided for, abortion services are not regulated
within HIV care, sexual violence is not part of the STI syndromic approach.
From chloroquine to artemether-lumefantrine: The process of drug policy change in Zambia
Sipilanyambe N, Simon JL, Chanda P, et al: Malaria Journal 7(25), 29 January 2008
Following the recognition that morbidity and mortality due to malaria had dramatically increased in the last three decades, in 2002 the government of Zambia reviewed its efforts to prevent and treat malaria. Convincing evidence of the failing efficacy of chloroquine resulted in the initiation of a process that eventually led to the development and implementation of a new national drug policy based on artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). All published and unpublished documented evidence dealing with the antimalarial drug policy change was reviewed. These data were supplemented by the authors observations of the policy change process. Study results suggest that drug policy changes are not without difficulties and demand a sustained international financing strategy for them to succeed. The Zambian experience demonstrates the need for a harmonized national consensus among many stakeholders and a political commitment to ensure that new policies are translated into practice quickly.
Traditional values of virginity and sexual behaviour in rural Ethiopian youth: results from a cross-sectional study
Molla M, Berhane Y and Lindtjorn B: BMC Public Health 8(9), 9 January 2008
Delaying sexual initiation has been promoted as one of the methods of decreasing risks of HIV among young people. In traditional countries, such as Ethiopia, retaining virginity until marriage is the norm. However, no one has examined the impact of this traditional norm on sexual behaviour and risk of HIV in marriage. This study examined the effect of virginity norm on having sex before marriage and sexual behaviour after marriage among rural Ethiopian youth. Maintaining virginity is still a way of securing marriage for girls, especially in rural areas; the odds of belief and intention to marry a virgin among boys was 3-4 times higher among rural young males. As age increased, the likelihood of remaining a virgin decreased. There was no significant difference between married and unmarried young people in terms of number of partners and visiting commercial sex workers. Married men were twice more likely to have multiple sexual partners than their female counterparts. Although virginity norms help delay age at sexual debut among rural Ethiopian youth, and thus reduces vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections and HIV infection, vulnerability among females may increase after marriage due to unprotected multiple risky sexual behaviours by spouses. The use of preventive services, such as VCT before marriage and condom use in marriage should be part of the HIV prevention and control strategies.
Health and Human Rights: A resource guide
Open Society Institute and Soros Network, June 2007
This Resource Guide brings together two of the Open Society Institute’s largest priorities: public health and numerous law and human rights initiatives.
Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever
Jürgens R and Cohen J: Public Health Program, Open Society Foundation, September 2007
This publication covers ten reasons why human rights should occupy the centre of the global AIDS struggle. This declaration, endorsed by 24 nongovernmental organisations and networks around the world, affirms that, now more than ever, human rights should occupy the center of the global struggle against HIV and AIDS.
Monitoring Child Well-Being: A South African rights-based approach
Dawes A, Bray R, van der Merwe A (eds): HSRC Press, 2007
This volume provides an evidence and rights-based approach to monitoring the well-being of children and adolescents in South Africa. Drawing on international precedents, and extensive peer review processes, experts in various fields have developed this holistic set of indicators to enhance the monitoring of the status of children.
Show us the money: is violence against women on the HIV and AIDS donor agenda?
Fried S: Women Won't Wait, 2007
This research report highlights the lack of priority given to tackling gender-based violence against women by the major international HIV funding organisations. The research found that the funding bodies continue to treat violence against women as a supplementary issue rather than as something integral to all aspects of their work on HIV. Funding for programmes which combat gender-based violence is a separate stream and these initiatives have not benefited from the increase in funding for HIV programmes in the last number of years. It is very difficult to track the exact amount of money the major funding bodies are devoting to these initiatives and difficult to hold them accountable on this issue. The report recommends that these institutions develop a clear policy framework that gives priority to violence against women and girls, and the link with HIV.
Policy on quality health care for South Africa
Department of Health, 2007
This abbreviated version of the Policy on Quality in Health Care for South Africa follows on the original that became national policy in 2001. It comes at a time when the public health care system is in dire need of again refocusing its collective efforts towards improving the quality of care provided in public health facilities and communities. Knowing that quality is never an accident, always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skilfull execution, and that it represents the wise choice of many alternatives, this abbreviated version attempts to provide to all public health officials in a nutshell and in a more reader friendly language, the strategic direction health facilities and officials need to follow to assure quality in health care and continuous improvement in the care that is being provided. Health care personnel are encouraged to use this copy of the Policy to focus their intentions and guide their efforts.