The pan American health organization: new challenges, new roles, new responsibilities

Ensuring safe international trade: how are the roles and responsibilities evolving and what will the situation be in ten years' time?

The roles of the international standard-setting bodies that are mandated to facilitate safe trade, such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the International Plant Protection Convention and the World Trade Organization, are well documented, as are the roles of the international organisations responsible for global health issues: the OIE, the Wor...

Non-physician Clinicians – A Gain for Physicians’ Working in Sub-Saharan Africa; Comment on “Non-physician Clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Evolving Role of Physicians”

The changing demands on the health sectors in low- and middle-income countries especially sub-Saharan African countries continue to challenge efforts to address critical shortages of the health workforce. Addressing these challenges have led to the evolution of “non-physician clinicians” (NPCs), that assume some physician roles and thus mitigate the continuing shortage of doctors in these count...

From puppet shows to teleconferencing: communicating health in the Americas.

Widespread and accurate dissemination of health information is a practical necessity for reaching those persons who have limited access to health care. Health workers cannot do this job alone; every citizen must become a conduit for health information. Owing to this realization, health promotion and health communication are being given increasing emphasis, and a variety of imaginative and creat...

Obesity and Poverty: A New Public Health Challenge PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office of the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Fostering the Catalyst Role of Government in Advancing Healthy Food Environments

Effective approaches to non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention require intersectoral action targeting health and engaging government, industry, and society. There is an ongoing vigorous exploration of the most effective and appropriate role of government in intersectoral partnerships. This debate is particularly pronounced with regards to the role of government in controlling unhealthy foods...