Global health is ... c/o King & Koski (2020)

Use of the word 'global' in health care is common: from global assessment; global as in a pandemic, as per Covid which for a time closed down most human activity across the world; the global health workforce; and global health crises, that must include the climate crisis and pollution. Universal health coverage, allied with universal healthcare access, refers to (national and aspirational ...) global access to quality health services. 

Above, 'global health' has itself already occurred several times. I've posted about global health on a great many occasions on behalf of other parties.

Defining global health in the context of public health, King and Koski (2020) write:

'We propose the following definition:
global health is public health somewhere else.'

More specifically, they add: 

'Global health as a field is not distinguished by its aspirations, methods of research and practice, intervention strategies or even geographical area per se, but rather by a particular relationship between its practitioners and its recipients: a person engages in global health when they practise public health somewhere—a community, a political entity, a geographical space—that they do not call home.'

To apply Hodges' model to global health, there must be another definition.

King NB, Koski A. Defining global health as public health somewhere else. BMJ Global Health
2020;5:e002172. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002172

Amazing open access Townsend Archive - Poverty in the UK materials

The Townsend archive provides open access to a range of original documents underlying the 1967/68 Poverty in the UK survey led by Peter Townsend. This survey pioneered the application of relative deprivation in measuring poverty.

The archive includes over 2500 digitised questionnaires from the survey. On these questionnaires you will find hand-written notes made, at the time of the interview, by the survey field workers. They provide telling details of the living standards and attitudes of that time. They are searchable by region, interviewer and survey booklet number.

The archive also covers a range of other papers associated with the administration and conception of the survey and notes and drafts of Townsend’s book. You can also download Townsend’s ‘Poverty in the United Kingdom’ book.

You will also find video interviews with researchers, fieldworkers and colleagues involved in, or associated with, the Poverty in the UK survey. David Donnison, Hilary Land, Adrian Sinfield, John Veit-Wilson and others reflect back on this landmark project. These interviews provide unparalleled insights into survey and research methods then and now, the relationship between social policy research and policy making across the last 45 years, and the impact, or otherwise, of research on tackling poverty.

To take a look at this fascinating resource visit: http://poverty.ac.uk/townsend-archive

Original source includes SOCIAL-POLICY AT JISCMAIL.AC.UK

Plush HQ foyer, shame about the mannequins!

If h2cm is about anything (or any-think) it is about locating and crossing boundaries. For health and social care organisations, their informatics staff and academic partners travel is essential. This assumes though that the organisation:

a) wants to cross boundaries
b) recognise the need to cross
c) have the ability to cross

Working through a-c THEN

1) If a) is a 'yes' - can you find your way? That's why partnerships matter!
2) Is this quest important enough to be recognised? Without executive buy-in - no tickets!
3) Given 1-2 as the team don their boots they will find a way using some new tools and learning new skills.

Visiting a health care organisation HQ the reception area often features the latest report, plus a statistical or public (mental) health display that explains what the organisation about, what projects are ongoing and what are its future plans and aspirations (to use a word of the moment). ...

One way to check where you are is to take a look at your fellow travellers and what is happening in the 'shop' windows? The mannequins reflect many aspects of local lifestyles.

I have this image in my mind of cardboard cut-outs or mannequins showing the 'average' local members of the public and the 'average' users of local services.

Suitably attired - dressed with information these statuesque models, although mute, can speak volumes and tell us at least two things...

1. Who may need to call in to 'buy' our services; and
2. Who are the existing customers.

This really is about crossing boundaries. If you haven't anything to dress your mannequins in - well that's a bit embarrassing isn't it? That is not all though...

Medically, we know a lot about what makes people tick [sciences-political]:

What about the tock [social-intrapersonal]?

When people engage with health and social care services - do they have heads?

Original mannequin image source Planet Visual with thanks.