Global health security: the wider lessons from the west African Ebola virus disease epidemic.

The Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa was unprecedented in both its scale and impact. Out of this human calamity has come renewed attention to global health security--its definition, meaning, and the practical implications for programmes and policy. For example, how does a government begin to strengthen its core public health capacities, as demanded by the International Health Regulations? What counts as a global health security concern? In the context of the governance of global health, including WHO reform, it will be important to distil lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak. The Lancet invited a group of respected global health practitioners to reflect on these lessons, to explore the idea of global health security, and to offer suggestions for next steps. Their contributions describe some of the major threats to individual and collective human health, as well as the values and recommendations that should be considered to counteract such threats in the future. Many different perspectives are proposed. Their common goal is a more sustainable and resilient society for human health and wellbeing.

Attitudes toward the elderly among students of health care related studies at the University of Salamanca, Spain.

INTRODUCTION: This study uses a cross-sectional approach in terms of evaluating attitudes toward the elderly among health sciences students. The aim of this study was to measure attitudes among final year pregraduate students of seven health care careers. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted with final year students of medicine (M), occupational therapy (OT), physiotherapy (P), nursing (N), psychology (Ps), social work (Sw), and dentistry (D). The data was collected using the validated Spanish version of the questionnaire that uses the Aged Semantic Differential (ASD), a scale developed by Rosencrantz and colleagues. Additional information about sociodemographic characteristics of students was collected. RESULTS: A total of 472 valid questionnaires were collected; 54% of the students showed positive attitudes toward the elderly. Female students had more positive attitudes than male ones. The Ps and P students showed a high interest in choosing geriatrics as their speciality (36%), while only 16% of the medical students considered it among their career options. DISCUSSION: Pregraduate health care students' attitudes tend to be less positive concerning older people's capacity for self-determination. Therefore, it would be advisable to enhance continuous interaction among healthy aged people and students of the named specialities during their specific training. The fact that the N students had less positive attitudes toward the elderly, while they were also more likely to take action, and the fact that the Ps and Sw students had more positive attitudes might suggest a need to enhance and combine the approach to the care of the older people in nursing with the psychological and life course approaches.

[Results of the INTRA-WHO survey in Chile]. / Resultados generales del Proyecto INTRA-OMS en Chile.

BACKGROUND: The aging speed in developing countries has been faster than predicted. Thus, health care systems must adapt to face this new scenario efficiently. The WHO designed the INTRA study to assess health promotion and protection actions in primary care, for people over 50 years of age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Questionnaires designed by WHO were applied to 1,167 subjects (aged 50-94 years, 68% female) and 117 health care professionals attending and working respectively, at 33 health care centers of the Viña-Quillota Health Service. RESULTS: Twenty percent of subjects were illiterate and 25% had less than 6 years of instruction. Forty three percent could reach the health centre by public transportation and 92% did not need to be accompanied, 39% spent more than one hour to be attended and 71% considered that the service in the centre was good. Sixty seven percent attended regular appointments, 63% did not perform any physical activity and only half of them were advised to start such activity. Weight loss was recommended to 55% but only one third has achieved such goal. Only one third of patients admitted being interrogated about their drinking habits. Among subjects in whom blood pressure was measured, one fourth had abnormal values. CONCLUSIONS: Primary health care in Chile, although having health care programs for the elderly, is loosing opportunities to improve health status and quality of life of this age group.

Resultados generales del Proyecto INTRA-OMS en Chile / Results of the INTRA-WHO survey in Chile

Background: The aging speed in developing countries has been faster than predicted. Thus, health care systems must adapt to face this new scenario efficiently. The WHO designed the INTRA study to assess health promotion and protection actions in primary care, for people over 50 years of age. Material and methods: Questionnaries designed by WHO were applied to 1,167 subjects (aged 50-94 years, 68percent female) and 117 health care professionals attending and working respectively, at 33 health care centers of the Viña-Quillota Health Service. Results: Twenty percent of subjects were illiterate and 25percent had less than 6 years of instruction. Forty three percent could reache the health centre by public transportation and 92percent did not need to be accompanied, 39percent spended more than one hour to be attended and 71percent considered that the service in the centre was good. Sixty seven percent attended regular appointments, 63percent did not perform any physical activity and only half of them were advised to start such activity. Weight loss was recommended to 55percent but only one third has achieved such goal. Only one third of patients admitted being interrogated about their drinking habits. Among subjects in whom blood pressure was measured, one fourth had abnormal values. Conclusions: Primary health care in Chile, although having health care programs for the elderly, is loosing opportunities to improve health status and quality of life of this age group.