Health

Fighting mental health stigmatization in Accra

The issue of mental health stigmatization in Accra is of great concern to individuals, families, civil society groups, and many religious bodies. There is stigmatization about the condition, stigmatization concerning the persons with the condition, and stigma is also attached to the people who work in the area of mental illness. These concerns affect the resources and quality of life of the mentally challenged. In addition, its economic and social impact on the person, the family, and the workers are enormous. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Felix Nyamedor — Mon, 10/07/2013 - 00:00

Bridging boundaries and bisecting binaries: New openings for drug rehab and drug-related mental disorder at the Sultan Bahu Drug Rehab Centre

In South Africa, many factors including disease, poverty, abuse, violence, and changing social structures contribute to the high occurrence of mental health issues (over 16.5 percent of adults). Another contributing factor is also substance abuse, as South Africa is one of the top ten narcotics and alcohol abusers in the world (15 percent of the population has a drug problem). In many ways a legacy of apartheid's disenfranchisement and dislocation, substance abuse in the Western Cape is higher than any other South African province, particularly in Cape Town's non-white urban hinterlands known as the Cape Flats; and has been linked to cognitive deficits, mental health problems, aggression, depression, anxiety, sexual risk behavior, crime and violence. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Tariq Toffa — Mon, 10/07/2013 - 00:00

Backpack-equipped health care workers make a difference in Rio

Last week, the New Cities Foundation's Executive Director, Mathieu Lefevre, wrote an article for Ashoka’s Next Billion on the results of the Foundation's E-health project in Rio de Janeiro. The project was the first major study looking at the impact of integrating e-health technology in low-resource, densely populated, urban settings. The New Cities Foundation is currently looking to dramatically extend the project with the city of Rio to cover most of the city's favelas. Read more.

Submitted by Editor — Thu, 09/26/2013 - 10:17

El diseño de políticas públicas considerando la opinión de la ciudadanía

La participación ciudadana es importante al momento de definir problemas, metas y objetivos, así como durante el diseño y ejecución de un programa o política pública. Lo anterior, debido a que no sólo causa un efecto positivo en la población al sentirse tomada en cuenta, también genera un compromiso total hacia el cumplimiento de las metas y objetivos establecidos. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Fri, 07/26/2013 - 16:46

Una agenda del futuro en materia de salud (2da parte)

El Sistema de Salud presenta diversos problemas en el corto y mediano plazo: los recursos económicos son insuficientes, la pirámide poblacional ha comenzado a invertirse y la transición epidemiológica impone un alto costo a la atención médica. No obstante, dentro de la sociedad mexicana persisten creencias y mitos que impiden las reformas necesarias para encarar los problemas que se avecinan. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Tue, 07/16/2013 - 10:33

El derecho de libertad de decisión en la planificación familiar

De acuerdo a la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura, conocida por sus siglas en inglés como, FAO, la población mundial está creciendo a una tasa alarmante, que de no reducirse, el mundo enfrentará problemas serios. En este sentido, la rápida urbanización y el crecimiento poblacional representan un reto para las políticas públicas que deben hacer frente a las necesidades sociales. Leer más o discutir.

Submitted by Maria Fernanda Carvallo — Mon, 07/08/2013 - 00:00

Removing taboos: Sexual reproductive health in Mumbai's slums

Family planning issues are complicated in India. A child is a sign of fertility and a secure future, but with taboos around contraceptives, poor couples often end up with large families. Multiple births not only adds financial pressures to over-burdened households, but can also endanger the woman and child. Unsafe abortions are often carried out rather than modern spacing methods. According to WHO statistics, an estimated 46 million pregnancies end in induced abortion each year. Nearly 20 million of these are estimated to be unsafe. About 13 percent of pregnancy related deaths have been attributed to complications of unsafe abortions, Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action's (SNEHA) Family Planning Program works with married women in areas such as Dharavi to help reduce unplanned pregnancies and also works to increase the uptake of modern methods of contraception. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 07/08/2013 - 00:00

Menuju Keluarga Sejahtera dengan KB

Permasalahan kependudukan merupakan hal klasik di Indonesia. Sepanjang tahun 1971-1980 laju pertumbuhan penduduk Indonesia mencapai 2,32 persen. Jika tidak ada tindakan apapun, maka dapat dipastikan, Indonesia akan mengalami bahaya ledakan penduduk. Karenanya, sejak tahun 1970, pemerintah telah mencanangkan Program Keluarga Berencana (KB) untuk menahan laju peningkatan pertumbuhan penduduk. Program ini pada dasarnya bertujuan untuk memperbaiki kesehatan dan kesejahteraan ibu, anak dan keluarga dan menekan angka kelahiran. Pada tahun 1970, pemerintah merespon masalah kependudukan dengan mengeluarkan Keputusan Presiden Nomor 8 Tahun 1970 tentang pembentukan Badan untuk mengelola program KB secara nasional, dikenal dengan Badan Koordinasi Keluarga Berencana Nasional (BKKBN). Salah satu fungsi utama BKKBN adalah merumuskan kebijakan nasional di bidang pengendalian penduduk dan penyelenggaraan keluarga berencana. Hingga kini Program KB telah dianggap berhasil menekan angka pertumbuhan penduduk mencapai 1,34 persen antara periode 2000-2005. Baca lebih lanjut atau bergabung dalam diskusi.

Submitted by widya anggraini — Mon, 07/08/2013 - 00:00

Access to contraception in São Paulo

Brazil is an important case study for learning about reproductive health and family planning policies in the developing world. It is especially worth highlighting the efforts of the government in the past two decades, starting with the approval of 1996 Law 9.263 which established family planning as a right for all women, ensuring that reproductive decisions were made with adequate information and direct access to contraceptive methods. In 1998, the government started distributing some forms of contraceptive methods for free. The National Family Planning Policy was created in 2007 to promote the distribution of free condoms, and to strengthen educational campaigns that target vulnerable adolescents in health units and schools. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 07/08/2013 - 00:00

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