Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. The prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. Globally, in 2013 the number of overweight children under the age of five years old, is estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 31 mill...

A progressive erosion of the democratic space appears as one of the emerging challenges in global health today. Such delimitation of the political interplay has a particularly evident impact on the unique public interest function of the World Health Organization (WHO). This paper aims to identify some obstacles for a truly democratic functioning of the UN specialized agency for health. The deve...

The issue of this document does not constitute formai publication. It should not be reviewed, abstracted, quoted or translated without the agreement of the World Health Organization. Authors alone are responsible for views expressed in signed articles. September 1985 Ce document ne constitue .pas une publication. Il ne doit faire l'objet d'aucun compte rendu ou résumé ni d'aucune citation ou tr...

The outgoing Director-General of the World Health Organization, Gro Harlem Brundtland, has successfully returned health issues to the international arena. The new Director-General will have to cope with reduced control over funding, debate over WHO's mandate, and the relationships between WHO and other organisations. Despite the broad role described in WHO's constitution, many groups see WHO's ...

The proposed plan consists of three parts: (1) a programme for the promotion of community water fluoridation and other approved methods for the prevention of dental caries; (2) a plan for coordinated study and research into the etiology and prevention of dental caries and related problems; and (3) a plan for an information gathering and dissemination system which is expected to link the prevent...