In this month's Bulletin
Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2009;87:405-405. doi: 10.2471/BLT.09.000609
In an editorial, Brenda J van den Bergh et al. (406) draw attention to the often neglected human rights and health-care needs of women in prison. In a second editorial, Andrew D Oxman & Iain Chalmers (407) call on readers to assist in answering the question of what constitutes a fair test of a health-care policy. Linked to this, a news feature (412–413) looks at the James Lind library, which collects historical information on fair tests of treatments.
In an interview, Harvey V Fineberg (414–415) tells the Bulletin why his study of the controversial response to the 1976 swine flu outbreak in the United States of America is still relevant today.
United Kingdom: Multilingual resource
Kathryn Senior (412–413) reports on the online library that provides information about fair tests of treatment.
Gaza Strip: Mental health after a crisis
Dale Gavlak and Lama Jamjoum (408–409) report on how mental health experts and other caregivers are helping to rebuild the lives of people living in the Gaza Strip.
Nepal: Measles case–fatality ratio
A study of measles outbreaks by Anand B Joshi et al. (456–465) suggests the need for rapid treatment early in an outbreak.
Senegal: Treating scabies in the community
Fatimata Ly et al. (424–430) compare the effectiveness of oral ivermectin and topical benzyl benzoate.
Indonesia: Home-based births
C Ronsmans et al. (416–423) find that maternal mortality remains high even among women who give birth assisted by a health professional.
South Africa: Adherence to treatment guidelines
Thamizhanban Pillay et al. (466–471) assess prescriber adherence to standard treatment guidelines for anti-hypertensive drugs.
Namibia, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe: Violence affects health choices
David W Brown et al. (447–455) examine how childhood exposure to violence is associated with adverse health behaviours.
Complexities of adolescent pregnancy
Theresa Braine (410–411) reports on why adolescent pregnancy calls for special attention.
Gaps in mental health research
Mark Tomlinson et al. (438–446) investigate the global priorities for research into mental health over the next 10 years.
Productivity warrants eyeglasses
TST Smith et al. (431–437) estimate the potential economic productivity lost from the global burden of uncorrected visual impairments.
Reducing childhood pneumonia deaths
Louis Niessen et al. (472–480) compare the health benefits and cost effectiveness of child pneumonia interventions across 40 countries.
Drug-resistant TB action plan
Ross Upshur et al. (481–483) argue for a stronger agenda to address the challenges of drug-resistant tuberculosis.