Legislation for Ukraine's public health: the current situation and paths to further development

The paper contains the findings of an analytical study of the current national health care legislation of Ukraine and identification of priority areas in its further development. One of the key objectives of the above study was to identify the compliance of the national healthcare legal framework with the approaches to health policy formation, which are set out in the documents of global and European regional international organizations, and to assess whether the national legislation includes that spectrum of functions that are to be covered by the health care legislation. The analysis showed that Ukraine's national healthcare legislation is rather strong and well developed. Though the national healthcare legislation is mostly in line with international approaches to the state health care policy formulation, the issue of enforcing already adopted laws and by-laws and ensuring their compliance by all legally established bodies, including state authorities and self-governments, citizens, NGOs, etc, is problematic.     

Tsunami disaster victim identification in Sri Lanka: legal aspects

Natural hazards amounting to disasters have almost become an endemic phenomenon during past decades throughout the globe, particularly affecting less resourced countries. The capabilities of the affected nations are stretched to the maximum in most of the disasters, thereby exposing deficiencies at various levels of the disaster mitigation mechanisms. A key factor identified through the human experience of all previous disaster scenarios is the requisite of effective and integrated local, national and regional disaster management mechanisms. The national and regional legal framework in this context can supplement disaster management enormously by drafting and implementing practical legislation which can be activated in disaster situations to co-ordinate the relief missions and minimize the damage. Thus, the existing legal systems and legislation at national and regional levels should be modified accordingly to yield proper disaster management policies. However, many less resourced countries are still lacking functional disaster management mechanisms in local legislation and are consequently highly vulnerable to heavy casualties in disasters. Sri Lanka is a typical example of a state which had an ineffective disaster management mechanism, not strengthened by legislation, when the Asian tsunami struck the country in December 2004, despite having frequently been affected by natural and man-made hazards during the past three decades. The net effect was total disarray in disaster victim identification, leading to drastic and irreparable consequences.     

生物安全的问题及思考

生物安全是公共安全的重要内容,属于国家安全的重要组成部分.本文探讨了合成生物学、现代生物技术预防和治疗产品、转基因农作物、外来生物入侵等所带来的生物安全问题,强调在重视“无意”生物安全问题时应警惕人为“有意”生物安全威胁,并应大力加强检测监测系统、危害分析评估系统和预防治疗产品的研究.     

Opportunities for scientists to influence policy: When does radiation metrology matter in development of national policy?

Accurate measurements of radiation and radioactivity rarely rise to the level of national policy. The things that matter most to ordinary citizens do not normally include questions of science and technology. Citizens are more often concerned with issues close to home relating to commerce, health, safety, security and the environment. When questions of confidence in measurements arise, they are first directed to the ministry that has responsibilities in that area. When the required uncertainty in field measurements challenges the capability of the regulatory authorities, the National Metrology Institute may be asked to develop transfer standards to enhance the capabilities of the ministry with the mission lead. In this paper, we will consider eight instances over the past nine decades in which questions in radiation and radionuclide metrology in the US did rise to the level that they influenced decisions on national policy. These eight examples share some common threads. Radioactivity and ionizing radiation are useful tools in many disciplines, but can often represent potential or perceived threats to health and public safety. When unforeseen applications of radiation arise, or when environmental radioactivity from natural and man-made sources presents a possible health hazard, the radiation metrologists may be called upon to provide the technical underpinning for policy development.     

The path to the national level in sports in Sweden

Many Swedes are very successful in sport during their early teens. Some also reach the national level later in life. How can their success be explained? A group of national team members in 7 sports was compared with a group of youngsters who were very successful up to about 15 years of age. The national team athletes had been able to develop motor, mental and social skills and to integrate the dominant value systems of competitive sport with their own lifestyle in an optimal way. The behaviour of coaches proved more important for a child's favourable athletic development than did demands for skill. With the exception of swimming, future athletic success was favoured by a varied and multi-sport involvement.     

AIDS: a right to be informed.

Individuals have to assume some responsibility for their own health. Governments do, however, have a duty to ensure that their citizens are armed with the necessary information and education. At present there appears to be a serious degree of ignorance about sexually transmitted disease in general and AIDS in particular. The importance of disseminating information on this topic is discussed.     

Use of freeze-dried products in weightlessness

The paper describes the manufacture of food products that can be eaten in weightlessness with the aid of regular table-ware. The consistence of products was altered as a result of an addition of water or modified starch. The resultant products were tested during short-term weightlessness aboard the aircraft-laboratory TU-104A. It was demonstrated that in weightlessness products having sufficient viscosity can be eaten with the help of regular table-ware. An addition of thickening agents, e. g. modified starch, helped to obtain products with necessary properties.     

Biotechnology entrepreneurship and ethics: principles, paradigms, and products

Biotechnology, whether in the context of new drugs derived from DNA and genetic technology, genetically modified food, or biologics making use of living cells, raises ethical concerns at a variety of different levels. At the research level, there is concern that the very nature of research is being subverted, rather than enhanced, by entrepreneurship. This area of ethical concern has intensified in the United States as a result of the conflicts of interests resulting from the growing alliance between University academia and private industry in the research enterprise. As we travel down the research path into development of a drug or technology, ethical questions arise with respect to protecting human subjects and society from danger and exploitation by researchers. As development gives way to marketing and dissemination of a new product, government regulators are pressed to get drugs and biologics through the regulatory pipeline into the market faster, walking an ethical tightrope between speed and safety. As new biotechnology products enter the market place, doctors and patients traverse yet another tightrope, that between unknown risk and the promise of benefit. And finally, patent protection is increasingly viewed as a unethical culprit in keeping prices high and depriving the global poor from lifesaving drugs and biologics. Bioethics has, to date, been largely a creation of Western research and medicine. As such it is wholly inadequate to respond to the cascade of ethical issues that flow from a vibrant biotechnology industry. And if biotechnology is in its infancy, as most believe, it is crucial that scientists, entrepreneurs and governments engage in dialogue about the ethical and societal questions raised on the road of scientific progress.     

Swimming Safety Hitting Home With Pool Owners

Most swimming pool-related deaths and injuries occur in residential pools, yet pool owners are often unaware of the hazards that may be found in their own backyard. Accident prevention depends on educating owners about proper supervision and security.     

部队高原驻训的饮食饮水卫生安全保障能力调查

目的：了解部队高原驻训的饮食饮水卫生安全需求,探索提升部队卫生保障能力的途径。方法随机抽取7家单位,通过实地查看和现场检测相结合的方法,调查某地域宿舍内外环境变化以及部队的饮食、饮水卫生安全状况。利用内标和外标校准方法对仪器测量的稳定性进行测试。结果该地域宿舍内外环境的昼夜温差以及湿度变化大。2家野战部队单位的食品原料均为统一采购,采购点固定,但5家卫勤保障单位则是独立采购,并且7家单位均缺少食品储运的保藏设施设备。在抽检的53份食品样品中,1份样品的农药残留不合格。3份水样的浑浊度、氨氮、硝酸盐氮3项指标符合卫生要求,未检测出游离余氯和总氯。高原环境下对分光光度计测量无显著影响,但对酶联免疫检测仪有显著影响。结论部队高原作训存在饮食饮水卫生安全隐患,应完善管理流程以及强化装备适应性以提升野外卫生保障效能。     

Dutch alcohol policy developments: the last decades and present state of affairs

The article addresses the Dutch alcohol policy over the last decades and the present state of the art. In Dutch society an ambivalent attitude towards alcohol consumption prevails. Developments in legislation and regulations, in prevention and care are described. Several key problems are identified. Among others it is concluded that too little attention is paid to alcohol compared to other drugs. Both in prevention and care evidence-based work has to be stimulated. Legislation and regulations are insufficiently used and evaluated. The government needs to constantly evaluate its policy and develop its options within the area of legislation and regulations, which should also include a critical comparison with the situation in other countries.     

Late abortion and the European convention for human rights

National abortion laws usually do not allow abortion when a foetus is independently viable, i.e. from a gestational age of about 24 weeks. Fetal anomalies, which may be a reason to seek abortion, are sometimes detected only in an advanced stage of pregnancy. National legislatures who want to allow 'late' abortion need to account for the protection the fetus may derive from the European Convention for the protection of human rights. As yet it remains unclear to what extent the fetus can in fact derive protection from the Convention, although several national abortion laws have been tested against it by the European Commission. The significance of the reports of the Commission on the question whether national legislation allowing abortion of a viable fetus is in conflict with the Convention, is explored. It is concluded that there is no European legal standard in terms of duration of pregnancy to which national legislatures are committed.     

Legal aspects related to marketing and use of medicinal products in Greece

Drugs and all medicinal products are in a special category. The manufacturing, marketing authorization and the distribution of them within the market, require fulfillment of particular conditions compared with other consumer goods. Additionally, the safety of drug use is an important issue for the public health, involving State and insurance authorities, physicians, pharmacists and drug companies. In today's health care environment, any authority involved in therapeutic interchange issues should be knowledgeable about the legal and medical issues associated with this practice. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of Greek pharmacy legislation and an insight into the infrastructure of the Greek system that is responsible for the safety of the use of medicinal products from the Public Health Standpoint.     

新疆草业发展对策研究

实施国家草地生态安全战略和促进现代化畜牧业发展．必须要有一个强大的草产业予以支撑。新疆发展草产业具有其他省区不可比拟与得天独厚的优势。为实现全疆人工草地面积达到200万ha的目标,应把草产业列为政府宏观调控的重大发展课题,对新疆草业发展的布局、结构以及产业化发展的各个运作层面进行总体规划和决策研究。     

Foreign health sector capacity building and the U.S. military

The U.S. joint military medical community has an increasing role in collaborative health sector engagement internationally as part of a whole of government approach to successful operations. The military must master the ability to catalyze health sector gains that can be developed by hosts, U.S. Government, and international agencies in both permissive environments and conflict zones. Capacity building is helping a partner develop their own capabilities, standards, and resources to the point of self-sufficiency. Optimal effects will come through understanding the military and civilian health sectors of nations and regions, grasping the importance of health to stability and security, and integrating efforts with global health initiatives. The goal is to cultivate military and civilian relationships that assist host nation-led sustainable health sector effects that result in enduring positive U.S. national security outcomes.     

Effect of security threats on primary care access in Logar province, Afghanistan

Security threats are a major concern for access to health care in many war-torn communities; however, there is little quantified data on actual access to care in rural communities during war. Kinderberg International e.V. provided primary care in rural Logar province, Afghanistan, for these three years in eight districts until they were integrated into the new health care structure led by the Ministry of Health in early 2005. We examined the number of patients visiting our clinic before and during the security threats related to the parliamentary election and subsequent national assembly in 2004. The number of patients declined in remote clinics while the number increased in central locations. This finding has an important practical implication: the monitoring of access to care should include remote clinics, otherwise it may potentially underestimate compromised access to health care due to security threats.     

Competitive co‐operation

Abstract

The security and foreign policy communities have increasingly addressed global health problems as threats to national security. Global health is a humanitarian endeavour that seeks to improve the world's health including the most vulnerable peoples, while national security works to protect the interests of people within a given state. The major statements of security policy by the United States and United Kingdom link the self-protective interests of national security with the humanitarian objectives of global health. While there is potential to expand global health activities through partnership with the security and foreign policy communities, treating global health issues as national security threats may focus attention disproportionately on countries or diseases which pose security threats to wealthy nations, rather than on the greatest threats to global health. The global health community should carefully scrutinise areas where global health and national security interests overlap.     

Global health and national security: the need for critical engagement

The security and foreign policy communities have increasingly addressed global health problems as threats to national security. Global health is a humanitarian endeavour that seeks to improve the world's health including the most vulnerable peoples, while national security works to protect the interests of people within a given state. The major statements of security policy by the United States and United Kingdom link the self-protective interests of national security with the humanitarian objectives of global health. While there is potential to expand global health activities through partnership with the security and foreign policy communities, treating global health issues as national security threats may focus attention disproportionately on countries or diseases which pose security threats to wealthy nations, rather than on the greatest threats to global health. The global health community should carefully scrutinise areas where global health and national security interests overlap.     

The role of enemas in the small intestine in the study of ileal subocclusion

In mechanical subocclusions, when there isn't immediate urgency, is it possible and necessary to probe radiologic examination, for a better surgical evaluation. The authors describe their own experience, achieved in about 3 years, on small bowel double contrast enema. They examined 143 patients; 16 of them were suboccluded. The security and the diagnostic reliability of used method are stressed by the authors to define lesions' morphology and localization.