HIA Blog

New $1,000 bursary available for first time IAIA conference delegates

2012-01-20T14:49:00.000+11:00

The International Association for Impact Assessment is pleased to announce one US$1,000 President’s Bursary for IAIA12.

An eligible applicant:

has not attended an IAIA conference before,

is one whose work (academic, government, or industry) is in line with the conference theme, and

has submitted an abstract for IAIA12 by 31 January 2012.

To apply send an email to info@iaia.org addressing how you meet the criteria above, and attach a 300-word document describing the paper to be presented at IAIA12 and its relevance to the conference theme (Energy Future). The application deadline is 31 January 2012. (Conference and abstract submission information is available at http://www.iaia.org/iaia12)

Video: Improving the Health of the United States

2012-01-20T01:15:00.001+11:00

What would sophisticated use of social media actually look like?

2012-01-20T00:44:00.001+11:00

I've been asked to participate in a panel on "sophisticated uses of social media for science" at the upcoming Australian Science Communicators National Conference. I feel like something of a fraud for doing this.

Firstly, I'm not a science communicator. At most I'm an applied scientist with an annoying habit of over-sharing who likes using social media. Secondly, my use of social media probably isn't that sophisticated. I've been blogging on one form or another since 2003 and I've been a Twitter and Facebook user for four or five years. I've set up listservs (they still exist!), sent out e-newsletters, gotten involved in several wiki projects, actively participated in LinkedIn groups and even given Quora a go.

I've tried to use all these things to communicate with health impact assessment practitioners and researchers, but at a bigger-picture level I've been trying to create a community of practice. I've met with mixed results.

All this activity has been successful in broadcasting news about health impact assessment and my research. More people know about my work and me. It's done my work and my career no harm and I think people generally appreciate it. But it's been a lot less successful in bringing together that community of practice that I set out to create.

Why? I'm not entirely sure. There is of course a hierarchy of participation in all social media. For everyone who generates content there's many more who comment, and there's many more than them who share online information in some way (usually by email). The great bulk of people still engage online in (seemingly) passive ways. The number of people I know who use Twitter just to follow people but who never interact astounds me. This blog attracts around 3,000 unique visitors a month but I can't recall the last time we got a comment. There are a few more on our Facebook page, but there's a lower barrier to commenting because of the medium.

A lot of these shortcomings may come back to how I use social media, in perhaps unsophisticated ways. This blog is rarely written in a way that invites comments (needs more outrage!). Infodumps are often quicker and easier. The @hiablog Twitter account is principally for sharing links and retweeting others. It's useful but it's rarely dynamic and I doubt it's sophisticated.

All this prompts me to wonder, what would sophisticated use of social media look like? What should I, as an applied social researcher who's committed to social media, be trying to do?

I'll have a go at answering my own question in the comments. I plan to use any ideas you have shamelessly at the conference panel :)

Ben (you can also contact me at @ben_hr or @hiablog)

AusAID African regional capacity building stipends available for IAIA12 conference

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000+11:00

Applications are being accepted for the IAIA12 AusAID Capacity Building Stipend Program. Applications are due 1 February 2012. Applicants must be

• African nationals employed in Africa,
• working for government, industry, or NGOs/civil society, and
• working with or in the extractive industries sector in the field of impact assessment or related areas.

Additional program details, including the program announcement and application form, are available online at http://www.iaia.org/iaia12.

IAIA wishes to express appreciation to AusAID and the Australian government for providing funding for these stipends.

Health, Not Health Care: Changing the Conversation

2012-01-15T14:02:00.000+11:00

It's a few years after the fact but the 2010 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is quite interesting and focuses on comprehensive primary health care and intersectoral action for health. It makes specific mention of HIA several times - worth a look.

Certificate in Community-Driven Health Impact Assessment

2012-01-14T18:34:00.001+11:00

The Coady International Institute is offering a certificate in community-driven HIA. More info here.

Visual representations of stakeholders mapping and development scenarios

2012-01-12T21:38:00.001+11:00

Mapping Architectural Controversies research project at the Manchester School of Architecture provides an interesting applied example of stakeholder mapping, categorization and analysis in relations to different development scenarios. Their simulation is a dynamic representation as interests and stakeholders shift over time as the project evolves. The project utilizes basic computer modeling techniques to make sense of and display the relationships and priorities of those driving complex projects, as well as those affected by them. Interesting is also the categorization of actors in: individuals, institutional and non human.

Wales Health Impact Assessment Best Practice Sharing Workshop 24th February 2012

2012-01-12T05:27:00.000+11:00

From the WHIASU site:

The Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU) will be holding the third annual All Wales HIA Network Event on February 24th in the vibrant city of Cardiff.

The workshop is open to those interested in or practicing HIA in Wales. It will aim to disseminate positive examples of HIA practice in Wales and provide a forum in which to discuss themes and issues of interest further. This forum will be in the form of 60 minutes allocated for discussion sessions and which will be driven by the participants. This is time for you to discuss any issues that are important to your practice of HIA and enable you to share and learn from one another’s experience. If you have any suggestions for themes that you would like to discuss at the workshop, then please send them to Liz Green by January 30th 2012.

Places are limited so please register early. There will be a nominal fee of £30 – this is refundable on attendance. If you would like further details, to register or express an interest in attending then please contact Julia Lester, Public Health Wales at Julia.lester2@wales.nhs.uk

Programme and further details will be published shortly.

Eliminating Health Inequities: every woman and every child counts

2012-01-11T17:37:00.000+11:00

This International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) report uses a human rights framework to tackle health inequities. It provides key evidence on how health inequities can and should be addressed through a holistic approach.

It argues that health inequities, and the resulting social injustice, are closely linked with poverty, gender inequality and human rights violations which in turn, have an impact on education, transport, health, agriculture, and overall well-being.

Interventions should therefore be multi-sectoral, going beyond health to address social and economic determinants – malnutrition, alcohol abuse, poor housing, indoor air pollution and poverty, among others.

There are some nice case studies from Egypt, Bangladesh, Malawi, Ecuador, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Austria, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Eritrea.

Click here to download the report.

Key recommendations:

Governments: take the lead in prioritizing equity

Ensure universal access
Governments should ensure universal access to evidence-based public health interventions for all and allocate health resources according to need.
Enable informed decision-making
Governments should make accurate health information available to all so that everyone, particularly the most vulnerable, can make informed deci- sions about their health.
Take a holistic approach
Governments should promote equality, solidarity, participation, non-discrim- ination and non-violence in all aspects of society, not just health, because tackling health inequities means tackling inequities in society in general.
Harness the power of a volunteer network
Governments should make the most of Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers, who form part of the world’s largest humanitarian network, to eliminate health inequities. Volunteers are uniquely capable of reaching the most marginalized groups. Some volunteers are themselves members of these and, therefore, are an entry point for reaching those whom the formal health sector fails to reach.

National Societies: scale up efforts

Reach the unreached
Through their extensive volunteer networks, National Societies need to scale up their activities to bring prevention, treatment, care and support to those who are left out of the formal health system – the women and children who have the least access to appropriate health services. National Societies should expand their reach by encouraging health-seeking behaviours, as well as fostering social inclusion and peace.
Encourage prioritization and informed decision-making
National Societies should use their status as auxiliaries to government to engage decision-makers to prioritize health equity and equity in all aspects of society and to hold authorities accountable.
Develop powerful partnerships
In order to eliminate health inequities as quickly and effectively as possible, National Societies should engage in meaningful dialogue with key stakehold- ers and form strategic partnerships to increase the effectiveness of advocacy.

Donors: create an enabling environment

Maintain and increase funding levels
Given the current global economic crisis, any cuts in healthcare funding for mother-and-child programmes will have a devastating effect on the target groups – many will be exposed to even greater health risks and deeper lev- els of poverty. Peer pressure has meant that some donors have maintained their levels of funding, despite difficult economic circumstances in their own countries.
Align commitments with identified gaps
Encourage skilled and adapted human resources for health, the coverage of essential mother, child and youth health interventions, and integration with other Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Donors must ensure a well-balanced, effective and adapted response to bridge the gaps in the health of woman, child and young people.
Remember spending on health makes good economic and social sense
Health spending is an investment that yields returns in individual and population health, education, and economic growth.
Continue to innovate in health financing
In order to increase and improve health services in the world’s poorest countries, innovative funding mechanisms are necessary, which require the participation of a range of actors.
Start with the person, not the project or programme
Investment in a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, integrated health approach is the only way forward. Standalone projects do have an impact, but the impact is limited. If a child is immunized but the mother dies in childbirth because of health service failures, the child’s welfare could hardly be con- sidered to have improved.

National Societies together with civil society: help broker effective support

Become a responsible stakeholder for development
Representatives from civil society organizations, the private sector and academia should play a greater role in helping their governments broker an international commitment that puts health inequity issues high on the development agenda. They should also ensure they commit to supporting countries in implementing effective measures to reduce the health gap, particularly for mothers and children. Civil society has a key role to play in being the voice of the voiceless.
Hold policy-makers to account
Ensure that parliamentarians represent all their constituents, and take the right legislative and budgetary decisions. Ensure they hold themselves, and their executives, to account.

Health and social services expenditures: associations with health outcomes

2012-01-07T17:01:00.000+11:00

Objective:
To examine variations in health service expenditures and social services expenditures across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and assess their association with five population-level health outcomes.

Design:
A pooled, cross-sectional analysis using data from the 2009 release of the OECD Health Data 2009 Statistics and Indicators and OECD Social Expenditure Database.

Setting:
OECD countries (n¼30) from 1995 to 2005. Main outcomes: Life expectancy at birth, infant mortality, low birth weight, maternal mortality and potential years of life lost.

Results:
Health services expenditures adjusted for gross domestic product (GDP) per capita were significantly associated with better health outcomes in only two of five health indicators; social services expenditures adjusted for GDP were significantly associated with better health outcomes in three of five indicators. The ratio of social expenditures to health expenditures was significantly associated with better outcomes in infant mortality, life expectancy and increased potential life years lost, after adjusting for the level of health expenditures and GDP.

Conclusion:
Attention to broader domains of social policy may be helpful in accomplishing improvements in health envisioned by advocates of healthcare reform.

Source:
Behind a paywall
Health and social services expenditures: associations with health outcomes
Elizabeth H Bradley,1 Benjamin R Elkins,1 Jeph Herrin,2 Brian Elbel3
BMJ Qual Saf 2011;20:826e831. doi:10.1136/bmjqs.2010.048363

Health impact of GM plant diets in long-term and multigenerational animal feeding trials

2012-01-03T19:37:00.000+11:00

Abstract

This systematic review collected data concerning the effects of diets containing GM maize, potato, soybean, rice, or triticale on animal health.

They examined 12 long-term studies (of more than 90 days, up to 2 years in duration) and 12 multigenerational studies (from 2 to 5 generations). They referenced the 90-day studies on GM feed for which long-term or multigenerational study data were available. Many aspects were examined in the studies using biochemical analyses, histological examination of specific organs, hematology and the detection of transgenic DNA. The statistical findings and methods were considered from each study.

Results from all the 24 studies do not suggest any health hazards and, in general, there were no statistically significant differences within parameters observed. However, some small differences were observed, though these fell within the normal variation range of the considered parameter and thus had no biological or toxicological significance. If required, a 90-day feeding study performed in rodents, according to the OECD Test Guideline, is generally considered sufficient in order to evaluate the health effects of GM feed. The studies reviewed present evidence to show that GM plants are nutritionally equivalent to their non-GM counterparts and can be safely used in food and feed.

Highlights

No significant differences in analyzed parameters were found in long-term studies.
No significant differences in analyzed parameters were found in multigenerational studies.
The 90-day OECD Test Guideline seems adequate and sufficient for evaluating health effects of GM plant diets.
The benefits of harmonizing experimental protocols in fundamental research to raise the quality of such studies are discussed.

Source

Assessment of the health impact of GM plant diets in long-term and multigenerational animal feeding trials: A literature review

Snell Chelsea, Bernheim Aude, Bergé Jean-Baptiste, Kuntz Marcel, Pascal Gérard, Paris Alain, Agnès E. Ricroch

Food and Chemical Technology, In Press, Uncorrected Proof, doi:10.1016/j.fct.2011.11.048

Full article available behind a paywall.

New article on a Korean HIA

2012-01-02T21:54:00.000+11:00

A new open access article on a Korean HIA has been published:

Kang E, Park HJ, Kim JE (2011) Health Impact Assessment as a Strategy for Intersectoral Collaboration, Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 44(5):201-209

Objectives
This study examined the use of health impact assessment (HIA) as a tool for intersectoral collaboration using the case of an HIA project conducted in Gwang Myeong City, Korea.

Methods
A typical procedure for rapid HIA was used. In the screening step, the Aegi-Neung Waterside Park Plan was chosen as the target of the HIA. In the scoping step, the specific methods and tools to assess potential health impacts were chosen. A participatory workshop was held in the assessment step. Various interest groups, including the Department of Parks and Greenspace, the Department of Culture and Sports, the Department of Environment and Cleansing, civil societies, and residents, discussed previously reviewed literature on the potential health impacts of the Aegi-Neung Waterside Park Plan.

Results
Potential health impacts and inequality issues were elicited from the workshop, and measures to maximize positive health impacts and minimize negative health impacts were recommended. The priorities among the recommendations were decided by voting. A report on the HIA was submitted to the Department of Parks and Greenspace for their consideration.

Conclusions
Although this study examined only one case, it shows the potential usefulness of HIA as a tool for enhancing intersectoral collaboration. Some strategies to formally implement HIA are discussed.

Access the article here

Divided We Stand: why inequality keeps rising

2011-12-28T21:20:00.000+11:00

This is a paid for report from the OECD though there is a free summary as well as free data that the report builds on.

Click here to go to the OECD webpage.

From the summary report - An Overview of Growing Income Inequalities in OECD Countries: Main Findings - the most interesting thing for me was the causal model that the OECD authors developed to understand the changes in economic inequalities on page 27 (see image below).

"The first pathway goes through the impact on labour earnings inequality – from the dark blue to light blue shaded boxes. Earnings inequality in this framework is assessed in terms of both wage dispersion among workers and individual earnings dispersion among the whole working-age population, which takes into account under-employment and inactivity.

The second pathway is the transmission of labour earnings inequalities to household income inequalities – the move from the light blue to the unshaded boxes. This pathway involves several steps, which takes into account the importance of earnings dispersion together with other factors (e.g. changes in household structure and the influence of other income sources).

The third pathway is the one to final household disposable and adjusted disposable income – from the unshaded to the grey shaded boxes. This pathway takes into account the impact of taxes and transfers, both cash and in-kind."

Lancet 2nd Series on Global Mental Health

2011-12-23T21:08:00.000+11:00

Executive summary

The Lancet Series on Global Mental Health 2011 follows up on the pioneering set of papers published by the journal in 2007. It tracks progress over the past four years, and adds information to provide an indispensible resource for health workers and policymakers. The subjects of the papers were chosen after consultation with the Movement for Global Mental Health, an international coalition of professionals and the public that is committed to improving access to mental health care and promoting the human rights of people affected by mental illness worldwide.

The Series comprises six papers addressing interventions to break the vicious cycles of mental health problems and poverty, global child and adolescent mental health, mental health in humanitarian settings, the scale-up of mental health services in low-income and middle-income countries, human resources for mental health care, and human rights violations of people with mental and psychosocial disabilities. Wide-ranging in both its scope and authorship, theLancet Series on Global Mental Health 2011 provides a benchmark of progress, and a renewed call to action.

Series Comments

A renewed agenda for global mental health

Vikram Patel, Niall Boyce, Pamela Y Collins, Shekhar Saxena, Richard Horton

Full Text | PDF

The rights of people with mental disorders: WPA perspective

Mario Maj

Full Text | PDF

A global scope for global health—including mental health

Giuseppe Raviola, Anne E Becker, Paul Farmer

Full Text | PDF

Empowerment and partnership in mental health

Charlene Sunkel

Full Text | PDF

Series Papers

Poverty and mental disorders: breaking the cycle in low-income and middle-income countries

Crick Lund, Mary De Silva, Sophie Plagerson, Sara Cooper, Dan Chisholm, Jishnu Das, Martin Knapp, Vikram Patel

Summary | Full Text | PDF

Child and adolescent mental health worldwide: evidence for action

Christian Kieling, Helen Baker-Henningham, Myron Belfer, Gabriella Conti, Ilgi Ertem, Olayinka Omigbodun, Luis Augusto Rohde, Shoba Srinath, Nurper Ulkuer, Atif Rahman

Summary | Full Text | PDF

Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: linking practice and research

Wietse A Tol, Corrado Barbui, Ananda Galappatti, Derrick Silove, Theresa S Betancourt, Renato Souza, Anne Golaz, Mark van Ommeren

Summary | Full Text | PDF

Scale up of services for mental health in low-income and middle-income countries

Julian Eaton, Layla McCay, Maya Semrau, Sudipto Chatterjee, Florence Baingana, Ricardo Araya, Christina Ntulo, Graham Thornicroft, Shekhar Saxena

Summary | Full Text | PDF

Human resources for mental health care: current situation and strategies for action

Ritsuko Kakuma, Harry Minas, Nadja van Ginneken, Mario R Dal Poz, Keshav Desiraju, Jodi E Morris, Shekhar Saxena, Richard M Scheffler

Summary | Full Text | PDF

Human rights violations of people with mental and psychosocial disabilities: an unresolved global crisis

Natalie Drew, Michelle Funk, Stephen Tang, Jagannath Lamichhane, Elena Chávez, Sylvester Katontoka, Soumitra Pathare, Oliver Lewis, Lawrence Gostin, Benedetto Saraceno

Summary | Full Text | PDF

Click here to go to Lancet Global mental Health 2011 series page

Supercourse: epidemiology, the internet and global health

2011-12-18T23:48:00.000+11:00

Supercourse is a repository of lectures on global health and prevention designed to improve the teaching of prevention. Supercourse has a network of over 56000 scientists in 174 countries who are sharing for free a library of 4875 lectures in 31 languages. The Supercourse has been produced at the WHO Collaborating Center University of Pittsburgh.

Click here to go to the main website http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/

Some key material is linked to below.

Supercourse Courses

External Supercourse Courses

Biblioteca Virtual en Salud (BVS) 113 lectures over included into main Supercourse
Diabetes Supercourse for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region 117 lectures
Latin American Supercoursein Spanish 101 lectures over included into main Supercourse
Russian Supercourse in Russian all lectures included into main Supercourse
Global Pathology Supercourse 9 lectures over included into main Supercourse
Supercourse China in Chinese (137 lectures over included)

New South Wales Healthy Urban Development Online Interactive Checklist

2011-12-15T00:50:00.000+11:00

This is a really great piece of work that builds on a Healthy Urban Development guide produced in 2009 (The front cover is shown above. Click here to download the guide.).

The Checklist has been created for health professionals who can use it to:

Provide a standardised tool to guide and inform feedback and advice to, for instance, local government and developers on urban development policies and plans
Evaluate the health aspects of urban developments
Support engagement between urban planners and developers and health professionals
Inform others (planners, developers, policy makers) about the range of factors that need to be considered in healthy urban developments.

The relationship between health and urban development is multifaceted. The Checklist is not attempting to address every dimension of healthy urban development and every possible opportunity for participation in the planning and development system. As the Checklist is intended primarily for use by health staff, the focus is on those issues that can be influenced at the regional and local levels.

The Checklist can be used in two ways:

As an early or ‘upstream’ participation tool to provide advice or input during the developmental phase of policies, plans or proposals
As a feedback mechanism to assist with providing comment on draft or publicly exhibited policies, plans or proposals.

It is considered that the earlier the Checklist can be applied, the more likely it is to be able to effect change.

Pre-checklist activities
Prior to using the Checklist – review the questions and suggestions presented in ‘Understanding the policy, plan or proposal’ and ‘Understanding the community’.

Also consider your objective for providing a response and to whom.
Is it to be an initial snapshot? (quick version)
Is a particular health characteristic of interest and/or concern? (filter version)
Or is it a comprehensive policy, plan or proposal whereby all characteristics of the Checklist need to be considered? (full version)

Register before you start using the Checklist at Checklist, Start Using It and you will be able to save your progress, add comments to the questions and receive the latest news and information of interest via email.

You can also access the written guide who front cover is shown below.

Breast Cancer and the Environment: a life course approach

2011-12-12T23:03:00.000+11:00

The US Institute of Medicine (IOM) has published a review of the current evidence on breast cancer and the environment.

Overall, the IOM finds that major advances have been made in understanding breast cancer and its risk factors, but more needs to be learned about its causes and how to prevent it. The report urges a life-course approach to studying breast cancer because new information suggests that women and girls might be more susceptible to some risk factors during certain life stages.

The committee defined “environment” broadly, and reviewed evidence on a range of factors women encounter in their daily lives.

Of the environmental factors reviewed, those with the most consistent evidence of a link with increased breast cancer risk included ionizing radiation, combination estrogen-progestin hormone therapy, and greater postmenopausal weight.

More physical activity was linked to reduced risk. But for many other factors, the evidence from human studies is more limited, contradictory, or absent.
The IOM concludes that women may have some opportunities to reduce their risk of breast cancer through personal actions, such as avoiding unnecessary medical radiation throughout life, avoiding use of estrogen –progestin hormone therapy, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, increasing physical activity, and, for postmenopausal breast cancer, minimizing weight gain. In addition to applying a life-course approach to studies of breast cancer, research recommendations include developing improved tools for epidemiologic research and testing of chemicals and other substances, developing effective preventive interventions, developing better approaches to modeling breast cancer risks, and improving communication about breast cancer risks. Questions about the topics addressed in the report are explored in the Questions and Answers booklet.

Click here to go to download the report from the IOM website.

Health and European Union Structural Funds

2011-12-07T11:38:00.000+11:00

From Ben Cave:

We invite you to visit http://www.healthgain.eu/ for a new guide to Health Gains from Structural Funds

We are currently testing this guide and we welcome your comments and thoughts.

The guide explores how health gains can be achieved through the full range of EU Structural Fund investments: it is open for testing from today until 20 December 2011.

The guide is being developed for the European Commission. It has been designed to help Structural Funds programme managers and health stakeholders to better understand the impacts – positive and negative – of Structural Fund programmes on public health. The evidence of the links between health and socio-economic development can be used to strengthen integration of public health issues into Structural Fund programmes. The guide has been tailored to the current Structural Funds and the proposals for Cohesion Policy in 2014-2020.

Your feedback on the guide is extremely valuable, and we will use it to revise and prepare the final version.

There is an evaluation page on http://www.healthgain.eu/content/evaluation
Please pass this message on through your networks

Thank you – we look forward to your comments!

New on the HIA Gateway

2011-12-05T21:20:00.001+11:00

Are We Building Competitive and Liveable Cities?

2011-12-01T23:19:00.000+11:00

A UN report providing guidelines for developing eco-efficient and socially inclusive infrastructure.

The 6 strategic principles to ensure eco-efﬁ cient and inclusive outcomes in the process of planning and developing urban infrastructure are:

Lead the change: put sustainable urban infrastructure on top of your agenda.
Bridge the gap: link short-term goals to long-term vision.
Link sector and actors: integrate across sectors and between institutions.
Recognize the value of sustainable infrastructure: consider all values (monetary and not) of sustainable infrastructure.
Turn “green” into a business opportunity: build the business case for eco-efﬁ cient solutions.
Build the city for people together with the people: sustainable outcomes can be achieved only through broad-based participation.

Click here to download the report.

I liked the diagrams and case studies in this report.

VIS: LA VALUTAZIONE DI IMPATTO SULLA SALUTE

2011-11-27T22:50:00.002+11:00

VIS: LA VALUTAZIONE DI IMPATTO SULLA SALUTE
Mercoledì 30 Novembre 2011 - Dalle 9.30 alle 14.00
Auditorium “A. Ducci” del Comune di Arezzo (Via Cesalpino 53, Arezzo)

Incontro formativo nazionale per amministratori e tecnici della Rete Italiana Città Sane promosso dalla Rete Italiana Città Sane/OMS e dal Comune di Arezzo
in collaborazione con Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), Ministero della Salute, CNR, Federazione Nazionale degli Ordini dei Medici Chirurghi e Odontoiatri (FNOMCeO), Regione Emilia Romagna, Coordinamento Agende 21 Locali, Associazione Medici per l’Ambiente (ISDE Italia), Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, Agenzia Regionale di Sanità (ARS) Toscana.

Programma e la scheda di iscrizione

PROGRAMMA
Ore 9.30 Saluti
Ore 9.40 Introduzione alla Vis: barriere e stereotipi
Ore 10.10 Approfondimento su:
• VIS strumento di sanità pubblica
• VIS strumento di partecipazione e di comunicazione
• VIS strumento di valutazione di prodotto e di processo
• VIS strumento di valutazione integrata ambiente e salute
• VIS strumento di pianificazione territoriale
Ore 11.30 Esperienze in corso
Ore 11.50 Dall’esperienza Moniter prospettive per le Amministrazioni Pubbliche
Ore 12.10 Tavola rotonda
Ore 13.00 Discussione
Ore 14.00 Chiusura dei lavori

ISCRIZIONI
Il Workshop è gratuito ma a numero chiuso fino a un massimo di 100 partecipanti. Per partecipare è necessario iscriversi inviando entro il 25 Novembre 2011 alla Segreteria organizzativa via fax o e-mail l’apposita SCHEDA D’ISCRIZIONE (qui di seguito). La Segreteria invierà conferma di accettazione. Per evitare problemi si consiglia comunque di portare al Convegno copia della scheda inviata.

Priorities for Research on Equity and Health: Towards an Equity-Focused Health Research Agenda

2011-11-27T19:21:00.000+11:00

Really interesting paper and as it's open access I've highlighted the thing bit that caught my eye rather than the summary points (abstract).

Some of it seems really hard to me! The whole paper is worth a read.

Characteristics of Third Wave Health Research Strategies and Methodologies

Go beyond the behavioral and other individual determinants of illness.
Examine the intersections among different social hierarchies, such as class and gender, and their cumulative impacts on health status and health inequities.
Examine the levels, pathways, and power connections across the “upstream” determinants or root causes of health inequities—that were central to the CSDH's conceptual framework—and the more traditionally investigated determinants of health inequities, such as risk factors or access to care.
Treat patterns of health inequity as a social reality in their own terms, requiring social (economic, sociological, political, and cultural) explanation that adds on to the aggregation and interpretation of individual biomedical processes and outcomes.
Consider the dynamic (rather than static) nature of equity in different country contexts, introducing a temporal dimension when investigating social structures, public policies, and impacts over the life course.
Describe the social institutions and processes that influence the generation and allocation of resources related to health and its social determinants.
Focus on how the global context affects choices about resource allocation at national and sub-national levels.
Build on active collaboration among researchers and other knowledge producers from different disciplines.
Recognize that certain kinds of evidence, such as results from randomized controlled trials, cannot be generated with respect to many interventions that address social determinants of health; therefore, a need exists to embrace diverse methodologies—fit for purpose—including a wide range of study designs, generating qualitative and quantitative data, that provide critical insight on the questions being examined.
Involve affected populations, which is often essential to appropriate research designs and their execution.

Source:

Priorities for Research on Equity and Health: Towards an Equity-Focused Health Research Agenda.

Östlin P, Schrecker T, Sadana R, Bonnefoy J, Gilson L, et al. (2011)

PLoS Med 8(11): e1001115. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001115

Click here to go to the full article.

Hat tip: David McDaid, Health Equity Email Network, UK

Epidemiological transition in a rural community of northern India

2011-11-24T18:32:00.000+11:00

A single paper does not prove a theory but I've strongly believed for a while that there are more similarities than differences in the health, wellbeing and disease profile of high, middle and low income countries and communities. This trend particularly so in the latter half of the 20th Century.

The paper below shows that chronic non-communicable diseases are the single biggest category of deaths in a rural community in India.

But, there's at least one counterargument to my theory. Given diarrhoeal diseases have declined, it could certainly be the case that long term communicable disease interventions have significantly reduced the impact of communicable diseases in that part of rural India (e.g. clean water, sanitation, improved rural incomes, access to primary health care, etc.).

From a HIA perspective, it does strengthen the argument that it is important to consider both non-communicable as well as communicable disease outcomes/impacts in low and middle income countries.

Abstract
Background Information on causes of death is vital for planning of health services. However, vital events registration systems are weak in developing countries. Therefore, verbal autopsy (VA) tools were incorporated in a community-based surveillance system to track causes of death.

Method and Findings: Trained fieldworker identified all deaths and interviewed a living relative of those who had died during 1992–2009, using VA, in eight villages of Haryana (11 864 populations). These field reports detailing events preceding death were reviewed by two trained physicians, who independently assigned an International Classification of Disease-10 code to each death. Discrepancies were resolved through reconciliation and, if necessary, adjudication. Non-communicable conditions were the leading causes of death (47.6%) followed by communicable diseases including maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions (34.0%), and injuries (11.4%). Cause of death could not be determined in 6.9% cases. Deaths due to cardiovascular diseases showed a significant rise, whereas deaths due to diarrhoeal diseases have declined (p<0.01). Majority (90.0%) of the deceased had contacted a healthcare provider during illness but only 11.5% were admitted in hospital before death.

Conclusion Rising trend of cardiovascular diseases observed in a rural community of Haryana in India calls for reorientation of rural healthcare delivery system for prevention and control of chronic diseases.

Source:

Epidemiological transition in a rural community of northern India: 18-year mortality surveillance using verbal autopsy . Rajesh Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, J Jagnoor, Arun K Aggarwal, P V M Lakshmi
J Epidemiol Community Health published 2 November 2011, 10.1136/jech-2011-200336

Article behind a paywall, click here to go to the abstract.

Labour Migration: opportunities and challenges for mountain livelihoods

2011-11-21T09:44:00.000+11:00

“While working in Hong Kong I experienced many things – the way people treat a dependent or independent woman. I have gained much experience and my confidence has grown. Now, I have a say in decision-making at home. My husband does not shout at me. I have bought a piece of land and four rickshaws and I am creating a means of livelihood for four other families...”.
Sushila Rai, a Nepalese migrant domestic worker, (Jolly and Reeves 2005, in ICIMOD Summer 2011 periodical)

The latest edition of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Periodical Summer 2011 focuses on:

labour migration in the Himalayas and Nepal a very interesting topic evidencing the positive and negative economic, social and environmental impacts of labour migration in mountain communities;
impact of environmental change on human migration;
internal and international migration in the Peruvian Andes;
feminisation, ageing of agriculture and farmer's changing livlihoods in South Western China; and
the use of remittances in natural or political crises in Pakistan.

My highlights are the many quotes of people that ICIMOD have talked to.

“We are dependent on agriculture, which is totally dependent on good weather conditions. The biggest problem we face is food insecurity. If the weather was good, with timely rain and better food security, we would never opt to migrate. Why would we want to leave our families and travel to another place and work like animals?”
Village Development Committee (VDC) Secretary, Dailekh district, Nepal (ICIMOD, unpublished)

Click here to download the periodical.

Hat tip: Loreley Fortuny via IAIA Connect.

On the Varieties of People's Relationships With Places: Hummon's Typology Revisited

2011-11-18T23:02:00.000+11:00

I found this very interesting, unfortunately the full article is behind a paywall.

On the Varieties of People’s Relationships With Places: Hummon’s Typology Revisited. Maria LewickaEnvironment and Behavior September 2011 vol. 43 no. 5 676-709

Abstract
Numerous studies show that place attachment correlates positively with age, length of residence and strength of local ties and negatively with community size, education, and economic development of the region of residence. Does that mean that along with education, mobility, economic development and urbanization and with the decrease in importance of local ties and territorial belonging, place attachment will wane?

In a large representative survey carried out in Poland (N = 2,556) new measures of relationships with place and of identity (both territorial and nonterritorial) were used.

Cluster analysis revealed five clusters: two types of place attachment (traditional and active attachment) and three types of nonattachment (alienation, place relativity, and placelessness), corresponding to David Hummon’s five types of sense of community. Whereas correlates of traditional attachment replicated the pattern known from other studies (e.g., traditional attachment was strongly positively correlated with age and negatively with education), active attachment was related positively to education and curvilinearly to age, with middle-aged participants the most frequently represented. Traditional place attachment was based solely on local identity, active place attachment was associated with European and nonterritorial identity, along with the local attachment. A number of other measures differentiated the five types: values, measures of social and cultural capital, self- and group-continuity measures, and general life satisfaction. It is concluded that places do preserve their importance in times of intensive urbanization, migration, and economic development, but that the form of place attachment changes: the active- and self-conscious attachment replaces the traditional attachment.

Searching for "David Hummon’s five types of sense of community" I found the following accessible material:

What is Sense of Place? by Jennifer E. Cross, Department of Sociology, Colorado State University

A Place to Call Home: Identification with Dwelling, Community, and Region. Lee Cuba and David M. Hummon. The Sociological Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Spring, 1993), pp. 111-131

Neighborhoods as Common Ground: The Importance of Place Attachment to Community Participation and Planning. Lynne C. Manzo and Douglas D. Perkins. Journal of Planning Literature 2006; 20; 335

What is sense of place, NJ Green Building Manual

Process: a strategy for developing community life and place attachment. Kimberly L. Rennick. MA Thesis. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

HIA Blog

New $1,000 bursary available for first time IAIA conference delegates

The International Association for Impact Assessment is pleased to announce one US$1,000 President’s Bursary for IAIA12.

An eligible applicant:

has not attended an IAIA conference before, is one whose work (academic, government, or industry) is in line with the conference theme, and has submitted an abstract for IAIA12 by 31 January 2012.

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Epidemiological transition in a rural community of northern India

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On the Varieties of People's Relationships With Places: Hummon's Typology Revisited

has not attended an IAIA conference before,

is one whose work (academic, government, or industry) is in line with the conference theme, and

has submitted an abstract for IAIA12 by 31 January 2012.