Gill Walt – författare

Poverty, Inequality and Health: An International Perspective raises new and critical issues about health inequalities. It is unique in that it provides the first truly international perspective on this problem, with contributions from the developed and developing world. The outcome of a Public Health Forum organised by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, this book brings together material from internationally recognised contributors from a wide range of disciplines and countries. The chapters reflect this diversity, ranging from the micro- to the macro-level, from aetiology to intervention. Topics covered include: the over-arching concepts linking economic and social forces and health status the extent to which ethical concerns lie at the heart of the issue of inequalities in health and attempts to ameliorate them; macro-level features of inequalities in health within and between countries; an overview of the main body of work on inequalities in health in developed countries and those in transition within Europe; specific pathways and mechanisms at the individual level that link poverty and inequality to health status; the interaction of social and biological influences on health status throughout life; specific disease-specific links; and issues of policy and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in health. The book brings together people from very varied disciplines to discuss an area of clear international interest and global importance. As such it will be of value to the broad public health audience as well as research epidemiologists, international policy analysts and policy makers and those concerned with economic development and health.

This policy-relevant study grew out of an evaluation conducted by its authors - all scholars at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam - of the World Health Organization's Action Programme on Essential Drugs. Their review, involving 13 country studies and WHO's five regional offices, looks at how the idea of a rational drug policy in developing countries came about, evaluates the achievements in specific countries, and discusses some of the issues that remain to be resolved -  particularly issues around AIDs, contraception and cost recovery.It should prove useful to policy makers and academics, teachers and students, managers and professionals, as well as international agencies in the health field.