Tele-leprology: a literature review of applications of telemedicine and tele-education to leprosy.

Global efforts to eliminate leprosy have brought about a steep decline in prevalence; however, new cases are continually detected. Without early diagnosis and appropriate management, these individuals are at risk of disability, disfigurement, and social stigma. Telemedicine and tele-education are increasingly utilised strategies to maintain access to expert healthcare for leprosy patients scattered in low-accessibility areas. However, an overview of tele-leprology, the application of these strategies specifically to leprosy, is currently unavailable. This review provides such an overview and discusses future directions for research and implementation.

Community energy balance: a framework for contextualizing cultural influences on high risk of obesity in ethnic minority populations.

INTRODUCTION: Increases in the availability, affordability, and promotion of high-calorie foods and beverages and decreased obligations for routine physical activity have fostered trends of increased obesity worldwide. In high-income, plural societies, above average obesity prevalence is often observed in ethnic minority communities, suggesting that obesity-promoting influences are more prevalent or potent in these communities. METHODS: An interdisciplinary group of scholars engaged in multiple rounds of focused discussion and literature review to develop a Community Energy Balance Framework (CEB). The objective was to explore the nature of the excess obesity risk in African descent and other ethnic minority populations and identify related implications for planning and evaluating interventions to prevent obesity. RESULTS: A key principle that emerged is that researchers and programmers working with ethnic minority communities should contextualize the food- and physical activity-related sociocultural perspectives of these communities, taking into account relevant historical, political, and structural contexts. This perspective underscores the fallacy of approaches that place the entire burden of change on the individual, particularly in circumstances of social disadvantage and rapid cultural shifts. CONCLUSION: The CEB framework is proposed for use and further development to aid in understanding potential health-adverse effects of cultural-contextual stresses and accommodations to these stresses.

Bridging domains in efforts to reduce disparities in health and health care.

The concept of health disparities is a familiar one, but we must continually challenge our thinking on how disparities issues are framed. The 1985 Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health established a disease-oriented focus on "excess deaths" as the primary targets of disparities initiatives. However, progress in reducing disparities has been limited. The disease focus, which emphasizes the individual-level and health care services, may be too narrow. A "population health" perspective can foster a more comprehensive and integrated approach. Both disease-oriented and population health perspectives have advantages and disadvantages, for both policy and practical purposes. The challenge is to effectively leverage both approaches to improve the health of ethnic minority and other disadvantaged populations. We need bridge builders who can articulate and hear diverse perspectives, work with systems, and maintain a long-term vision for affecting the social dynamics of society.

Endgame for polio eradication? Options for overcoming social and political factors in the progress to eradicating polio.

In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched with the goal of eradicating polio by the year 2000. After 25 years, several dynamics still challenge this large public health campaign with new cases of polio being reported annually. We examine the roots of this initiative to eradicate polio, its scope, the successes and setbacks during the last 25 years and reflect on the current state of affairs. We examine the social and political factors that are barriers to polio eradication. Options are discussed for solving the current impasse of polio eradication: using force, respecting individual freedoms and gaining support from those vulnerable to fundamentalist 'propaganda'. The travails of the GPEI indicate the need for expanding the Convention on the Rights of the Child to address situations of war and civic strife. Such a cultural and structural reference will provide the basis for global stakeholders to engage belligerent local actors whose local political conflicts are barriers to the eradication of polio. Disregard for these actors will result in stagnation of polio eradication policy, delaying eradication beyond 2018.