Following is a letter from Perspectives editor Zarrin Caldwell, introducing the latest edition of the magazine, online today at: http://us.oneworld.net/section/us/perspectives/9/globalhealth

Dear reader,

I must confess that I wasn’t initially all that excited about working on an e-zine on the topic of global health. All of us have our strengths, and weaknesses. For my part, I cringe at the sight of blood and have never been drawn to the medical profession overall—although I remain grateful to the many people who devote themselves to serving others in this way!

Having said this, I became increasingly interested in global health as I learned more about it. What surprised me was what the mainstream media does—and doesn’t—pay attention to on this topic. Of course, the “topic de jour” in the media world today is potential outbreaks of communicable diseases like bird flu. Don’t get me wrong. If we have a mass pandemic, that’s extremely serious and the way the world community is working together on these threats is an inspiring story in itself.

But, the #1 killers in the world today are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), causing around 17.5 million deaths a year. As one of the stories in this issue
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points out, CVDs actually account for three times as many deaths in developing countries as AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Our diet and lifestyle choices—in the developed world included—have a lot to do with these phenomenal death tolls. And, coming in at a close second are the nearly 11 million children that die annually from largely preventable diseases—diseases that could be cured with fairly low-cost and simple solutions. Alas, these statistics rarely seem reported in the mainstream press because—as one reporter told me—it is old news.

Old or not, are resources really going to where they would do the most good? That’s the primary question this e-zine examines. One of the main problems in global healthcare today is the lack of money devoted to it. Billionaire Warren Buffett’s surprising donation to the Gates Foundation in late June is a very welcome development. But the facts remain: pharmaceutical companies are looking to make profits, many governments don’t make healthcare a priority, those in poorer countries can rarely afford expensive treatment options, and international private and public institutions still struggle to fill in the gaps. Under this reality, what interventions can save the most lives?

Special thanks to our expert reviewer for this issue, Dr. Anthony R. Measham, a consultant on international health, nutrition, and population programs who has done work for the World Bank and National Institutes of Health.
We’ve tried to offer examples in this issue of health solutions—largely preventive in nature—that have made a difference when financial resources are limited. And, some of the most inspiring examples come from communities that mobilize themselves to get the services they need. But, regardless of the success stories that we share in this issue, the links between poverty and health cannot be overlooked. Poverty is a root cause of many of the diseases prevalent in low-income countries. The environment fits in that equation too because a healthy environment leads to healthier people. Maybe innovations that take a more holistic approach to all three will be the “best buys for global health” in the future.

Zarrin T. Caldwell
Editor, OneWorld Perspectives

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