"This is an excellent book, well-writtenand well-documented. The editors havesucceeded to bring together a largenumber of knowledgeable authors tocover comprehensively the vast area ... public health actors dealingwith infectious diseases bothat central and local level, whether inresearch, teaching or practice as well asprofessionals working in diagnostic andtherapeutic health services, notably inmicrobiology and infectious diseasescould greatly benefit from reading thebook. Politicians and lay administratorswith responsibility in the field would bewell advised to do the same." European Journal of Public Health Health systems everywhere face constant change as they seek to respond to evolving patterns of disease. This is especially true with communicable diseases where humanity is engaged in a constant evolutionary struggle with micro-organisms that are able to adapt rapidly to a changing world. This problem can be, for example, exemplified recently by the growth of antibiotic resistant infection. This fascinating book confronts this challenge, looking at two regions where the pace of change is especially rapid, Europe and Latin America - places where health systems, many themselves undergoing rapid organisational transition, must find ways of adapting to an ever changing context. The book begins with an historical overview, recalling how humans and micro-organisms have always competed, at times with profound historical consequences, before examining the current status of this evolutionary struggle. It assesses the extent to which human societies and their governments are prepared for the challenges ahead and reviews the experiences of countries in Europe and Latin America in developing effective responses. Health Systems and the Challenge of Communicable Diseases will be of interest to those engaged in the development of health policy in high and middle income countries, and to those who are studying the creation and implementation of health policy.

"This is an excellent book, well-written and well-documented. The editors have succeeded to bring together a large number of knowledgeable authors to cover comprehensively the vast area ... public health actors dealing with infectious diseases both at central and local level, whether in research, teaching or practice as well as professionals working in diagnostic and therapeutic health services, notably in microbiology and infectious diseases could greatly benefit from reading the book. Politicians and lay administrators with responsibility in the field would be well advised to do the same." European Journal of Public Health Health systems everywhere face constant change as they seek to respond to evolving patterns of disease. This is especially true with communicable diseases where humanity is engaged in a constant evolutionary struggle with micro-organisms that are able to adapt rapidly to a changing world. This problem can be, for example, exemplified recently by the growth of antibiotic resistant infection. This fascinating book confronts this challenge, looking at two regions where the pace of change is especially rapid, Europe and Latin America - places where health systems, many themselves undergoing rapid organisational transition, must find ways of adapting to an ever changing context. The book begins with an historical overview, recalling how humans and micro-organisms have always competed, at times with profound historical consequences, before examining the current status of this evolutionary struggle. It assesses the extent to which human societies and their governments are prepared for the challenges ahead and reviews the experiences of countries in Europe and Latin America in developing effective responses. Health Systems and the Challenge of Communicable Diseases will be of interest to those engaged in the development of health policy in high and middle income countries, and to those who are studying the creation and implementation of health policy.

This fascinating book looks at two regions where rapid economic changes means that many health systems must undergo organisational transition and find ways of adapting to an ever changing context.

Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death globally, particularly among children and young adults. The spread of new pathogens and the threat of antimicrobial resistance pose particular challenges in combating these diseases. Major Infectious Diseases identifies feasible, cost-effective packages of interventions and strategies across delivery platforms to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria, adult febrile illness, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases. The volume emphasizes the need to effectively address emerging antimicrobial resistance, strengthen health systems, and increase access to care. The attainable goals are to reduce incidence, develop innovative approaches, and optimize existing tools in resource-constrained settings.

In October 1999, the Forum on Emerging Infections of the Institute of Medicine convened a two-day workshop titled "International Aspects of Emerging Infections." Key representatives from the international community explored the forces that drive emerging infectious diseases to prominence. Representatives from the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe made formal presentations and engaged in panel discussions. Emerging Infectious Diseases from the Global to the Local Perspective includes summaries of the formal presentations and suggests an agenda for future action. The topics addressed cover a wide range of issues, including trends in the incidence of infectious diseases around the world, descriptions of the wide variety of factors that contribute to the emergence and reemergence of these diseases, efforts to coordinate surveillance activities and responses within and across borders, and the resource, research, and international needs that remain to be addressed.

Economic shocks pose a threat to health and health system performance by increasing people’s need for health care and making access to care more difficult – a situation compounded by cuts in public spending on health and other social services. But these negative effects can be avoided by timely public policy action. While important public policy levers lie outside the health sector, in the hands of those responsible for fiscal policy and social protection, the health system response is critical. This book looks at how health systems in Europe reacted to pressure created by the financial and economic crisis that began in 2008. Drawing on the experience of over 45 countries, the authors:  analyse health system responses to the crisis in three policy areas: public funding for the health system; health coverage; and health service planning, purchasing and delivery assess the impact of these responses on health systems and population health identify policies most likely to sustain the performance of health systems facing financial pressure explore the political economy of implementing reforms in a crisis The book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the choices available to policy-makers - and the implications of failing to protect health and health-system performance - in the face of economic and other forms of shock.

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

International comparison of health system performance has become increasingly popular, made possible by the rapidly expanding availability of health data. It has become one of the most important levers for prompting health system reform. Yet, as the demand for transparency and accountability in healthcare increases, so too does the need to compare data from different health systems both accurately and meaningfully. This timely and authoritative book offers an important summary of the current developments in health system performance comparison. It summarises the current state of efforts to compare systems, and identifies and explores the practical and conceptual challenges that occur. It discusses data and methodological challenges, as well as broader issues such as the interface between evidence and practice. The book draws out the priorities for future work on performance comparison, in the development of data sources and measurement instruments, analytic methodology, and assessment of evidence on performance. It concludes by presenting the key lessons and future priorities, and in doing so offers a rich source of material for policy-makers, their analytic advisors, international agencies, academics and students of health systems.

Health system governance in Europe : the role of European Union law and policy / Elias Mossialos ... [et al.] -- Health care and the EU : the law and policy patchwork / Tamara Hervey and Bart Vanhercke -- EU regulatory agencies and health protection / Govin Permanand and Ellen Vos -- The hard politics of soft law : the case of health / Scott L. Greer and Bart Vanhercke -- Public health policies / Martin McKee, Tamara Hervey and Anna Gilmore -- Fundamental rights and health care / Jean McHale -- EU competition law and public services / Tony Prosser -- EU competition law and health policy / Julia Lear, Elias Mossialos and Beatrix Karl -- Public procurement and state aid in national health care systems / Vassilis Hatzopoulos --Private health insurance and the internal market / Sarah Thomson and Elias Mossialos -- Free movement of services in the EU and health care / Wouter Gekiere, Rita Baeten and Willy Palm -- Enabling patient mobility in the EU : between free movement and coordination / Willy Palm and Irene A. Glinos -- The EU legal network on e-health / Stefaan Callens -- EU law and health professionals / Miek Peeters, Martin McKee and Sherry Merkur -- The EU pharmaceuticals market : parameters and pathways / Leigh Hancher

The book focuses on three key aspects of delivery of child health services: service integration and coordination, public health measures, and enhancing the quality of care for children.