Synopses & Reviews
This excellent text brings together information that students and professionals working in the wide variety of disciplines concerned with international health will find in no other single source. It synthesizes historical, cultural, environmental, economic and political considerations to provide a comprehensive global overview of the many factors that determine the health of individuals and populations. The major determinants of health status in all regions of the world are discussed, and interventions undertaken at community, national, and international levels are described. For this edition, new chapters on health management information systems and health sector reform have been added. There are new discussions of structural adjustment; the global burden of disease; application of the disability adjusted life year (DALY); poverty, equity and health; disaster and refugee relief programs; aging populations; and development, resource use, and the environment. The entire text has been updated, including the sections on child health, women's and reproductive health, maternal mortality, and emerging infectious diseases. International organizations, their policies and programs are reviewed. Trends in foreign aid, such as sector-wide approaches are highlighted. There is extensive coverage of the basic models of health care systems and their variants with an analysis of changes in the former Soviet Union and reunified Germany.
Review
"The book is a good addition to the literature on international health, and selected chapters in it should be a good choice for the list of reading for a first level course."--The Journal of Health Administration Education
"A striking feature of this book is the author's sensitive treatment of the human dimension of international health....this book....will be a valuable addition to the libraries of those with an interest in international health. The references provide guidlines for those who wish to study particular topics in greater depth."--Canadian Journal of Public Health
Review
"This book does not merely describe international health activities or prescribe technical solutions to particular diseases, but it compels us to better understand the contexts in which health problems emerge and the forces that underlie and propel them. It also discusses the various ways in which governments, organizations, and peoples can work together more effectively to improve health and enable us all to live more fulfilling, productive and, dare I say, happier lives. Herein lies the value of this book. I highly recommend this textbook to students and professionals of international health, as well as to anyone who is interested in the ingredients of human health and well-being in an international context."--From the Foreword by Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Mpilo Tutu
"Eminently readable, even captivating, this book presents everything needed to understand international health---even how to engage in it. Most important, its political-economy perspective is unique and important in the context of the newly-recognized societal influences on health."--Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH, University Distinguished Professor, The Johns Hopkins University
"The Textbook of International Health is essential reading for anyone working in international health. Written in a fluid and accessible narrative (free of academic baroqueness), this text should become a point of reference not only for academics but for professionals and non-professionals working in the growing area of international health."--Vincent Navarro, MD, PhD, Professor of Health Policy, The Johns Hopkins University, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Health Services
"The book provides excellent historic insight into international health. Very powerful observations result from the orientation to infrastructure and economics. The content builds upon traditional issues such as environmental to healthcare systems, implementation, and working in international health....The book is an appropriate consideration for an introductory text on international health."--Doody's
"With its all-encompassing view, clear and rich in humanist thinking and social and human commitment, this book is a stimulating contribution to all health and diplomacy professionals engaged in these new and fascinating domains of International Relations that make us more capable of changing the world into a better place to live."--Paulo M. Buss, Center for Global Health, Fiocruz National School of Public Health, Rio de Janeiro, as reviewed in Journal of Public Health Policy
"I found it to be a clear, comprehensive introduction to public health's major concepts... Students praised the text's comprehensive nature: as many noted, it answered most questions they had about specific concepts, and it was extremely useful as a reference. They valued its readability and noted approvingly that it is "written in a way that doesn't talk down to us." They also appreciated the "key questions" and "learning points" in each chapter, which helped them focus on what was most important within the huge amount of information this book presents." --Medical Anthropology Quarterly
"This is a unique book. There is probably no other written work out there available to students and professionals that focuses on health problems prevalent on a global scale, and discusses available solutions... This book has a wealth of data for decision-making committees." -- Biz India
Synopsis
This classic text, formerly known as the "Basch" textbook, now completely revised in an updated new edition, brings together information that students and professionals working in the wide variety of disciplines concerned with international health will find in no other single source. It synthesizes historical, cultural, environmental, economic and political considerations to provide a comprehensive global overview of the many factors that determine the health of individuals and populations. The major determinants of health status in all regions of the world are discussed, and interventions undertaken at community, national, and international levels are described. The new edition features a renowned new authorship committed to updating and expanding the entire content while retaining the core elements of Basch's excellent text.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: The Historical Origins of Modern International Health
Chapter 3: International Health Agencies, Activities, and Other Actors
Chapter 4: The Political Economy of Health and Development
Chapter 5: What Do We Know, What Do We Need to Know, and Why it Matters-Data on Health
Chapter 6: Epidemiologic Profiles of Global Health and Disease
Chapter 7: Societal Determinants of Health and Social Inequalities in Health
Chapter 8: Health under Crisis
Chapter 9: Globalization, Trade, Work and Health
Chapter 10: Health and the Environment
Chapter 11: Health Economics and the Economics of Health
Chapter 12:Understanding and Organizing Health Care Systems
Chapter 13: Toward Healthy Societies: From Ideas to Action
Chapter 14: Doing International Health