Wednesday, January 26, 2011

[EQ] Sustainable Development: From Brundtland to Rio 2012

Sustainable Development: From Brundtland to Rio 2012

John Drexhage and Deborah Murphy, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Background Paper prepared for the High Level Panel on Global Sustainability

United Nations Headquarters, New York - September 2010

Available online PDF [26p.] at: http://bit.ly/eQDZIW

“…..The term, sustainable development, was popularized in Our Common Future, a report published by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987. Also known as the Brundtland report, Our Common Future included the “classic” definition of sustainable development: “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Acceptance of the report by the United Nations General Assembly gave the term political salience; and in 1992 leaders set out the principles of sustainable development at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It is generally accepted that sustainable development calls for a convergence between the three pillars of economic development, social equity, and environmental protection. Sustainable development is a visionary development paradigm; and over the past 20 years governments, businesses, and civil society have accepted sustainable development as a guiding principle, made progress on sustainable development metrics, and improved business and NGO participation in the sustainable development process.

 

Yet the concept remains elusive and implementation has proven difficult. Unsustainable trends continue and sustainable development has not found the political entry points to make real progress. As a result, climate change has become the de facto proxy for implementation of the sustainable development agenda; but the framework of the climate change negotiations are not always the appropriate forum for broader strategic discussions of sustainable development.


While sustainable development is intended to encompass three pillars, over the past 20 years it has often been compartmentalized as an environmental issue. Added to this, and potentially more limiting for the sustainable development agenda, is the reigning orientation of development as purely economic growth. This has been the framework used by developed countries in attaining their unprecedented levels of wealth, and major and rapidly developing countries are following the same course.

 

The problem with such an approach is that natural resources are in imminent peril of being exhausted or their quality being compromised to an extent that threatens current biodiversity and natural environments. Addressing this challenge calls for changes at the consumer level in developed countries. Developed countries have the wealth and technical capacity to implement more sustainable policies and measures, yet the required level of political leadership and citizen engagement is still a long way off.

 

The lack of action in developed countries is compounded by economic growth in developing countries that follows the resource-intensive model of developed countries. Without change and real action to address levels of consumerism and resource use in developed countries, one can hardly expect a receptive audience among developing countries when attempts are made to direct attention to their economic development practices. More sustainable development pathways are needed in both developed and developing countries; which require a level of dialogue, cooperation and, most importantly, trust that simply is not reflected in today’s multilateral institutions or regimes.

There is a huge gap between the multilateral processes, with their broad goals and policies; and national action, which reflects domestic political and economic realities. A huge constituency around the world cares deeply and talks about sustainable development, but has not taken serious on-the-ground action. Deep structural changes are needed in the ways that societies manage their economic, social, and environmental affairs; and hard choices are needed to move from talk to action….”

Table of Contents


1. Introduction

2. The Origins of Sustainable Development

3. The 20 Years since Rio

3.1 Acceptance of sustainable development as a guiding principle

3.2 Progress on sustainable development metrics

3.3 Improvements in partnering with stakeholders

3.4 Difficulties in implementing sustainable development

3.5 Sustainable development has found a de facto ‘home’ in climate change

4. 20 Years Later: How does sustainable development

4.1 Some progress on sustainable development

4.2 But unsustainable trends continue

4.3 What underlies the less than expected progress on sustainable development

5. Moving Ahead

References

More information at: http://bit.ly/eYFEhZ


 *      *     *
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]
Washington DC USA

“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
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho






IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended
recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or
confidential information. If you are not the intended
recipient or a person responsible for delivering this
transmission to the intended recipient, you may not
disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take
any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission
in error, please dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.

[EQ] Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA) - papers online

malERA – a research agenda for malaria eradication

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 January  2011
Produced with support from the Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA) initiative, which was funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Available online at: http://bit.ly/hCjCCC

“…..The Malaria Eradication Research Agenda (malERA) initiative complements existing research agendas, which are primarily aimed at reducing the global burden of morbidity and mortality due to malaria by malaria control, with a set of research and development priorities that identify knowledge gaps and tools needed for worldwide eradication of malaria.

 

 Over the course of two years, more than 250 experts from 36 countries participated in 20 malERA meetings around the world, producing a draft research and development agenda that was refined during the malERA "Zenith Week" meeting in Washington D.C., in March, 2010.

 

This sponsored Collection of 12 Reviews comprises three reflective pieces and nine research and development agendas that arose from these consultations….”

Download: Complete Collection (3.8 MB PDF).PDF [101p.] at: http://bit.ly/fvkuJY

 

 

A Research Agenda to Underpin Malaria Eradication

Pedro L. Alonso, Graham Brown, Myriam Arevalo-Herrera, Fred Binka, Chetan Chitnis, Frank Collins, Ogobara K. Doumbo, Brian Greenwood, B. Fenton Hall, Myron M. Levine, Kamini Mendis, Robert D. Newman, Christopher V. Plowe, Mario Henry Rodríguez, Robert Sinden, Laurence Slutsker, Marcel Tanner

PLoS Medicine:Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000406


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Basic Science and Enabling Technologies

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000399


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Drugs

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000402


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Vaccines

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000398


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Vector Control

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000401


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Diagnoses and Diagnostics

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000396


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Health Systems and Operational Research

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000397


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Surveillance

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000400


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Modeling

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000403


A Research Agenda for Malaria Eradication: Cross-Cutting Issues for Eradication

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000404


Some Lessons for the Future from the Global Malaria Eradication Programme (1955–1969)

José A. Nájera, Matiana González-Silva, Pedro L. Alonso

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000412


The Role of Research in Viral Disease Eradication and Elimination Programs: Lessons for Malaria Eradication

Joel G. Breman, Ciro A. de Quadros, Walter R. Dowdle, William H. Foege, Donald A. Henderson, T. Jacob John, Myron M. Levine

PLoS Medicine: Published 25 Jan 2011 | info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000405

 

 

 *      *     *
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]
Washington DC USA

“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
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho






IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended
recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or
confidential information. If you are not the intended
recipient or a person responsible for delivering this
transmission to the intended recipient, you may not
disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take
any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission
in error, please dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.

[EQ] WHO/PLoS Collection: No Health Without Research - A Call for Papers

WHO/PLoS Collection: No Health Without Research -  A Call for Papers


…a call for papers for a joint WHO/PLoS collection on the theme of the 2012 World Health Report on Research for Health.

Tikki Pang1*, Robert F. Terry1, The PLoS Medicine Editors2*

1 World Health Organization, Department of Research Policy and Cooperation, Geneva, Switzerland,
2 PLoS Medicine
PLoS Med 8(1): e1001008. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001008 - January 25, 2011

Available online at: http://bit.ly/glvm4p

 

“…….It seems astonishing that in the 21st century decisions on health care can still be made without a solid grounding in research evidence. This is true even in clinical research, whether for simple or complex interventions [1], where systematic reviews time and time again conclude that the evidence base is inadequate [2]. It is even more true in the areas of health policy and health systems, where quality research is hampered further by a lack of shared definitions, a lack of consensus on guiding principles, poor capacity (especially in low-resource regions), and methodological challenges [3],[4].

The World Health Report (WHR) for 2012 will be on the theme of “No Health without Research”.
This flagship report from WHO will, for the first time in its history, focus on research for better health. The primary target audience of the report will be ministers of health in the WHO member states, and the goal of the report is to provide new ideas, innovative thinking, and pragmatic advice for member states on how to strengthen their own health research systems.

The report will have the three following aims.

- To show that research is important for meeting health needs and improving health outcomes;

- To encourage countries to therefore invest more resources in developing and strengthening their national health research systems;

- To argue that countries should not see research as an expense or as an afterthought, but as an investment for a better, healthier future.

 

The WHR 2012 aims to provide impetus for a change to the problematic state of affairs of health research. Given the stated goals of the report, of particular importance is the documentation and sharing of real experiences from the countries where the research has been done. We therefore wish to invite the submission of articles, especially from low- and middle-income countries, on topics related to the strengthening of key functions and components of national health research systems [5].

We would then aim to publish a WHO/PLoS Collection culminating in 2012 to coincide with the release of the WHR. Thus, we welcome examples of research and/or case studies in the following areas.

 

- Experience with setting and implementing health research priorities;

- Experience with building, strengthening, and retaining research capacity, at both the individual and institutional levels;

- National research and development initiatives and experiences to produce needed medical products, including development of
  national pharmaceutical production capabilities, using TRIPS (trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights) flexibilities for essential medicines, technology transfer, - Examples of appropriate use of evidence in health policy development;

- Models of how to organize research within a country, including the establishment of effective research networks and sustainable governance mechanisms;

- Standards and mechanisms to ensure the responsible conduct of research (e.g., ethics review, access to research results, codes of conduct, etc.);

- Exercises to evaluate the impact of research investments;

- Experiences with external foreign aid for research.

Ideally, studies or reports should not be merely descriptions of activities but should include evaluation of the impact of initiatives after their implementation. Special consideration will also be given to systematic and well-performed multi-country comparative studies on the topics mentioned above, including systematic reviews, in selected topic areas.

In addition to primary research (both quantitative and qualitative) and well-developed case studies, we also invite the submission of review and policy articles on how national health research systems contribute to the broader international research endeavor, especially in the context of the following areas.

 

- Global health research governance;

- Inequitable access to the benefits and products of research;

- Global standards for responsible research conduct;

- Future research trends with implications for the developing world.


All papers should be submitted to PLoS Medicine, noting that they are intended for this collection. An initial decision will be made about their potential suitability for either PLoS Medicine or another PLoS journal. The authors will be informed of this decision and papers will be peer-reviewed according to the specific journal's policies. PLoS will retain all control over editorial decisions. Once a paper is accepted for publication in a PLoS journal it will then be forwarded to the selection panel for the collection.

 

This panel, which will comprise PLoS and WHO staff, will decide on the articles for inclusion in the collection. Further information on this process is available at the collections page http://bit.ly/feLC85 .

 



 *      *     *
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]
Washington DC USA

“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
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho






IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended
recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or
confidential information. If you are not the intended
recipient or a person responsible for delivering this
transmission to the intended recipient, you may not
disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take
any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission
in error, please dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.