University Library The University of Adelaide Australia
You are here: Library Home > Subjects G - Z > Public Health

Text Zoom: S | M | L

Printer Friendly Version Print View

Health Issues in Developing Countries

Last update: 12 July 2007,
by Maureen Bell



OTHER HEALTH TOPICS

Aboriginal and Other Indigenous People's Health

Adolescent Health

Aged Health

Bioethics

Cancer

Cardiovascular Disease

Complementary Medicine

Consumer Health Information

Databases Available to University of Adelaide Staff and Students

Diabetes

Dictionaries

Environmental Health

Epidemiology

Ethnic and Minority Groups

Evidence-Based Medicine

Exercise and Fitness

General Health Sites

Health Issues in Developing Countries

Health Promotion

Immunisation

Infectious Diseases

Legislation

Nutrition

Obesity

Occupational Health and Safety

Qualitative Research

Rural Health

Smoking and Health

Women's Health

Developing countries, while sharing some of the health problems typical of developed countries, also have to confront a range of additional health issues. The links below are intended as an introduction to some of the resources available on the web. The page is divided into a number of sections:

general health issues

parasitic diseases

non-communicable diseases

water supply and quality

nutrition, malnutrition and deficiency disorders

reproductive health

You will find material on infectious diseases here.

General Health Issues

Action Against Infection - A newsletter for WHO and its partners
This newsletter contains much information of relevance for developing countries.

AFRO-NETS
The electronic conference for the 'African Networks for Health Research & Development' (AFRO-NETS) was established in 1997 to facilitate exchange of information among different networks active in Health Research for Development in Anglophone Africa, and to facilitate collaboration in the fields of capacity building, planning, and research.

bmj.com Collected Resources : Medicine in Developing Countries

eCMAJ -- Collected Resources : Medicine in Developing Countries

The Epidemiological Transition: Policy and Planning Implications for Developing Countries
Workshop proceedings. James N. Gribble and Samual H. Preston, Editors. Committee on Population, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 1993.

Evidence & Health Information - Health Situation
From WHO/SEARO. Includes information on the health situation in the South-East Asian region, and a number of country health profiles.

FATAL INDIFFERENCE The G8, Africa, and Global Health: International Development Research Centre
Ronald Labonte, Ted Schrecker, David Sanders, and Wilma Meeus. University of Cape Town Press/IDRC, 2004.

GIS for Health and the Environment
Edited by Don de Savigny and Pandu Wijeyaratne. Published by the International Development Research Centre (IRDC) in Ottawa, Canada, 1995. The research presented in this book demonstrates how GIS (geographic information systems) data is being used to show cause effect relationships between environmental conditions and health.

An International Assessment of Health Care Financing: Lessons for Developing Countries
Edited by David W. Dunlop and Jo M. Martins, this is a report of the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank. (EDI Seminar Series 15153, November 1995)

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)--2020 Vision Publications and Resources Catalog
The full text of most of the publications listed is available online.

Pan American Health Organization. Public Health Topics
Information on many diseases and health issues.

PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health)
PATH's mission is to improve health, especially the health of women and children. An emphasis is placed on improving the quality of reproductive health services and on preventing and reducing the impact of widespread communicable diseases, bridging gaps that prevent efficient and effective delivery of health services and fostering partnerships that lead to improved health in the developing world.

Preventing Chronic Diseases: A Vital Investment
Geneva, World Health Organization, 2005.

Reproductive Health in Developing Countries: Expanding Dimensions, Building Solutions.
Amy O. Tsui, Judith N. Wasserheit, and John G. Haaga, Editors. Panel on Reproductive Health, Committee on Population, Commission on Behavioral Sciences and Education, National Research Council. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 1997.

TDR Publications and Reports.
The UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases produces a wide range of reports and brochures. The full text is available from this site. Publications are listed by date.

Third World Network (TWN) Health
The Third World Network is an independent non-profit international network of organizations and individuals involved in issues relating to development, the Third World and North-South issues.

What do we know about capacity building? An overview of existing knowledge and good practice.
Anneli Milen, Advisor, Department of Health Service Provision. Geneva, World health Organization, June 2000

World Bank - Documents & Reports
The World Bank has produced many documents and reports, the full text of which is available on their web site. Documents can be browsed by country/area, by topic, by language, or by document type.

World Health Organization: Information Office - Facts Sheets
Fact sheets on a wide variety of health topics from arsenic in drinking water to child mortality.

World Health Organization. Regional Office for Africa. Health Topics
Information on a variety of topics from the Regional Office for Africa.

World Health Organization. South East Asia Regional Office. Health Topics
An alphabetical list of links to information on health and disease.

Water Supply and Quality

Search PubMed for arsenic in drinking water in developing countries
Search PubMed for water supply in developing countries

Arsenic in drinking water
A collection of resources from the World Health Organization.

Interventions and strategies to improve the use of antimicrobials in developing countries. Drug Management Program
A document (WHO/CDS/CSR/DRS/2001.9) produced by the World Health Organization, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response (CSR), 2001.

InterWATER Organizations
Contains information about water supply and sanitation in developing countries.

Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East: Current Practices and Future Trends
Edited by David B. Brooks, Eglal Rached, and Maurice Saade. Published by the International Development Research Centre (IRDC) in Ottawa, Canada, 1997.

Safe Drinking Water: The Need, the Problem, Solutions and an Action Plan
A report of the Third World Academy of Sciences, 2002

Solar Water Disinfection_Links
SANDEC, the Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries at the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG), is providing information, technical support and advice to local institutions in developing countries.

United Nations Environment Programme GEMS/WATER
This is the web site for the United Nations Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS) Freshwater Monitoring Programme. It contains statistical data and report literature.

Water
Resources from the World Health Organization.

Water and Primary Health Care for Tibetan Villagers
Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Canberra May, 2002. Quality Assurance Series No. 29 February 2002

Water Disinfection by Solar Radiation: Assessment and Application
A report by A. Acra, M. Jurdi, H. Mu'allem, Y. Karahagopian, and Z. Raffoul, originally published by International Development Research Centre (IDRC -Canada), 1990.

Water for life: Making it happen
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation.

Water: Local-level Management
By David B. Brooks. Published by the International Development Research Centre (IRDC) in Ottawa, Canada, 2002. Further information and additional links are available from their web site Water: Local-Level Management

Water Quality - Guidelines, Standards and Health: Assessment of Risk and Risk Management for Water-Related Infectious Disease
Edited by Lorna Fewtrell and Jamie Bartram. Published on behalf of the World Health Organization by IWA Publishing, London, 2001.

Parasitic Diseases

The links below are arranged alphabetically by the name of the disease. Most of the links are from either the World Health Organization (WHO) central office, or its regional offices - the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) or its South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO/SEARO).

General Resources

ATLAS OF MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY
Produced by the Carlo Denegri Foundation, the Infectious Diseases Clinic, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Torino, and the Amedeo di Savoia Hospital, Unit A of Infecttious Diseases, Torino, Italy.

DPDx - CDC Parasitology Diagnostic Web Site
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.

Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. Section 13, Chapter 161, Parasitic Infections
For descriptions and treatments of a range of infections.

Parasitic Disease Information. Alphabetical Listing
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.

Parasitic Diseases
A collection of links from the Krolinska Institute Library in Stockholm.

Specific Parasitic Diseases

C

Search PubMed for chagas disease in developing countries
Chagas disease. The UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

Chagas Disease (WHO)

D

Search PubMed for dracunculiasis in developing countries
Dracunculiasis(WHO)

E

Search PubMed for filarial elephantiasis in developing countries
Elephantiasis, Filarial (WHO)

F

Search PubMed for filariasis in developing countries
Filariasis (WHO)

Lymphatic filariasis. The UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

I

Search PubMed for intestinal parasitic diseases
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic (WHO)

L

Search PubMed for leishmaniasis in developing countries
Leishmaniasis. The UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

Leishmaniasis (WHO)

M

Search PubMed for malaria in developing countries
Hardin MD : Malaria
Links to web directories which list resources on malaria.

Malaria (PAHO)

Malaria. The UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

Malaria (WHO)

Malaria Surveillance (PAHO)

MEDLINEplus: Malaria
From the National Library of Medicine in the United States, resources on malaria.

Net Gain: A New Method for Preventing Malaria Deaths
Edited by Christian Lengeler, Jacqueline Cattani, and Don de Savigny. Published by the International Development Research Centre (IRDC) in Ottawa, Canada, 1996.

WHO/TDR Malaria Database
This is an information resource for scientists working in Malaria research. Funded by the UNDP/World Bank/WHO/TDR Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases. This site is maintained by the Department of Microbiology, Monash University, and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne.

O

Search PubMed for onchocerciasis in developing countries
Onchocerciasis. The UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

Onchocerciasis (WHO)

S

Search PubMed for schistosomiasis in developing countries
Schistosomiasis. The UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

Schistosomiasis (WHO)

Sleeping Sickness
See Trypanosomiasis

T

Search PubMed for trypanosomiasis in developing countries
African Trypanosomiasis (CSR)
World Health Organization, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response. A collection of resources on this topic.

African trypanosomiasis. The UNDP-World Bank-WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

Trypanosomiasis, African (WHO)

WHO Programme to Eliminate Sleeping Sickness
This document, (WHO/CDS/CSR/EPH/2002.13), was produced by the World Health Organization, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response, 2002.

Nutrition, Malnutrition, and Deficiency Disorders

Search PubMed for nutritional disorders in developing countries

Health and Nutrition: Emerging and Reemerging Issues in Developing Countries (IFPRI 2020 Vision Focus 5)
Edited by Rafael Flores, and Stuart Gillespie. This is a publication of the International Food Policy Research Institute, February, 2001.

Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. Section. 1, Nutritional Disorders
This section of the Merck Manual covers nutrition, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, dependency, and toxicity, mineral deficiency and toxicity, and obesity.

Nutrition (WHO)

Nutrition and Food Protection (PAHO)

Nutrition Disorders (WHO)

Zoonotic Diseases: Animal and Food-related Health Risks (CSR)
World Health Organization, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response. A collection of resources on this topic.

Non-Communicable Diseases

You will find additional material on my pages for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes, but there the links are to resources which do not deal specifically with developing countries.

Control of Cardiovascular Diseases in Developing Countries: Research, Development, and Institutional Strengthening
Christopher P. Howson, K. Srinath Reddy, Thomas J. Ryan, and Judith, R. Bale, Editors. Committe on Research, Development, and Institutional Strengthening for Control of Cardiovascular Disease in Developing Countries. Board on International Health, Institute of Medicine. Washington D.C., National Academy Press, 1998.

Neurological, Psychiatric, and Developmental Disorders: Meeting the Challenge in the Developing World
Committee on Nervous System Disorders in Developing Countries, Board on Global Health, Institute of Medicine. Washington D.C., National Acadeny Press, 2001.

Reproductive Health

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
From the WHO Sexual and Reproductive Health site.

RHO (Reproductive Health Outlook)
A reproductive health website produced by Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), RHO is especially designed for reproductive health program managers and decision-makers working in developing countries and low-resource settings.