Thursday, April 29, 2010

[EQ] The Grocery Gap: Who Has Access to Healthy Food and Why It Matters

The Grocery Gap: Who Has Access to Healthy Food and Why It Matters

Sarah Treuhaft, PolicyLink

Allison Karpyn, The Food Trust
March 2010

Available online PDF [44P.] at:
http://www.policylink.org/atf/cf/%7B97C6D565-BB43-406D-A6D5-ECA3BBF35AF0%7D/FINALGroceryGap.pdf

 

“…..Inequitable access to healthy food is a major contributor to health disparities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adult obesity rates are 51 percent higher for African Americans than whites, and 21 percent higher for Latinos.. ….”

An apple a day?

“…..For millions of Americans—especially people living in low-income communities of color— finding a fresh apple is not so easy. Full-service grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and other vendors that sell fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods cannot be found in their neighborhoods.

What can be found, often in great abundance, are convenience stores and fast food restaurants that mainly sell cheap, high-fat, high-sugar, processed foods and offer few healthy options.

 

Without access to healthy foods, a nutritious diet and good health are out of reach. And without grocery stores and other fresh food retailers, communities are missing the commercial hubs that make neighborhoods livable, and help local economies thrive.For decades, community activists have organized around the lack of access to healthy foods as an economic, health, and social justice issue. As concerns grow over healthcare and the country’s worsening obesity epidemic, “food deserts” — areas where there is little or no access to healthy and affordable food—have catapulted to the forefront of public policy discussions.

Policymakers at the local, state, and national level have begun recognizing the role that access to healthy food plays in promoting healthy local economies, healthy neighborhoods, and healthy people.

This report, a summary of our current knowledge about food deserts and their impacts on communities, provides evidence to inform this policymaking.

To assess the current evidence base in this dynamic and fast-growing field of research, we compiled the most comprehensive bibliography to date of studies examining food access and its implications conducted in the United States over the past 20 years.

 

This bibliography incorporates a total of 132 studies: Sixty-one published in peer reviewed journals and primarily conducted by university-based researchers and 71 conducted by practitioners or policy researchers, sometimes in collaboration with academic researchers, and self-published (also known as “grey literature”).

The studies include three nationwide analyses of food store availability and neighborhood, city, county, regional, statewide, and multistate analyses covering 22 states across the country….”


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This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMC Area]

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[EQ] Healthy workplaces: a model for action

Healthy workplaces: a model for action

For employers, workers, policy-makers and practitioners

World Health Organization 2010

Available online PDF [32p.] at:  http://bit.ly/cAKrLz

“…..Workers’ health, safety and well-being are vital concerns to hundreds of millions of working people worldwide. But the issue extends even further beyond individuals and their families. It is of paramount importance to the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of enterprises, communities, and to national and regional economies.

Currently, an estimated two million people die each year as a result of occupational accidents and work-related illnesses or injuries (1). Another 268 million non-fatal workplace accidents result in an average of three lost workdays per casualty, as well as 160 million new cases of work-related illness each year (2). Additionally, 8% of the global burden of disease from depression is currently attributed to occupational risks (3).

 

These data, collected by the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization, only reflect the injuries and illnesses that occur in formally registered workplaces. In many countries, most workers are employed informally in factories and businesses where there are no records of work-related injuries or illnesses, let alone any programmes to prevent injuries or illnesses. Addressing this huge burden of disease, economic costs and long-term loss of human resources from unhealthy workplaces is a formidable challenge for national governments, economic sectors, and health policy-makers and practitioners….”


“…The Global Plan of Action sets out five objectives:

1) To devise and implement policy instruments on workers’ health;

2) To protect and promote health at the workplace;

3) To promote the performance of, and access to, occupational health services;

4) To provide and communicate evidence for action and practice;

5) To incorporate workers’ health into other policies….”

 

Contents

Introduction

I. Why develop a healthy workplace initiative?

II. Definition of a healthy workplace

III: Healthy workplace processes and avenues of influence

IV. The content: avenues of influence for a healthy workplace

V. The process: initiating and sustaining a programme

VI. Underlying principles: keys to success

VII. Adapting to local contexts and needs

References





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[EQ] The Health Impact Fund: Making Medicines Accessible for All

The Health Impact Fund: Making Medicines Accessible for All

A Report of Incentives for Global Health


Aidan Hollis and Thomas Pogge – Lead authors

Available online PDF [152p.] at: http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/igh/hif_book.pdf

Corrections and Supplements November 2009 http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/igh/files/HIF_supplementsNov09.pdf

 

‘……The chief problems with the present system governing the development and distribution of medicines are well known: despite relatively low manufacturing costs, patented medicines are often very expensive and are therefore unaffordable for most people; and diseases concentrated among the poor attract little or no pharmaceutical research. As a result of both factors, the disease burden among the poor is, avoidably, very high. Many diseases of the poor are communicable and expose all of humanity to the risk of new and virulent strains. These problems are further aggravated: by patients who, often deterred by high prices, fail to complete a full course of treatment; by lack of access to competent medical staff who would ensure that medicines are taken correctly; and by counterfeiters, often attracted by high prices, who may dilute a medicine’s active ingredients.

In addition, competitive marketing and litigation costs reduce the return from innovation, and make it a less attractive investment. Each of these problems has provoked ideas and initiatives by academics, NGOs, governments, and international agencies. By supporting both innovation and real access, the Health Impact Fund extends the best of these ideas into one comprehensive, unified solution that makes substantial progress toward a rational system of developing and distributing worldwide the pharmaceuticals we all need……”

 

Preface

Contents

Executive Summary

1. The Health Impact Fund: A Summary Overview

2. Reward Mechanism

3. Health Impact Measurement

4. Governance and Administration

5. Financing the Health Impact Fund

6. A Moral Argument for Creating the Health Impact Fund

7. The Last Mile Problem

What Is the Last Mile Problem?

Pharmaceutical Companies, the Health Impact Fund, and the Last Mile Problem

8. An Economic Analysis of Patents and the Health Impact Fund

9. Alternative and Complementary Solutions

Governmental and Non-governmental Direct Purchases

Drug Price Reduction Efforts

Patent pools

Push Mechanisms

Pull Mechanisms

10. The Health Impact Fund: A Cost-effective, Feasible Plan for Improving Human Health Worldwide

The Need for Change

How the Health Impact Fund Works for Patients

How the Health Impact Fund Works for Pharmaceutical Companies

How the Health Impact Fund Works for Taxpayers

Why for Pharmaceuticals? And Why Now?

The Path Forward

Appendix A: Poverty, Global Health, and Essential Medicines

The Disease Burden in Developing Countries

Appendix B: Pharmaceutical Markets and Innovation

Global Pharmaceutical Markets

Insurance and Pricing

Notes on Quotations

References


*      *     *
This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ KMC Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAHO/WHO Website

Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html
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IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended
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confidential information. If you are not the intended
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transmission to the intended recipient, you may not
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any action in reliance on it. If you received this
transmission in error, please notify us immediately by
email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and
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