Contributors from both Africa and the United States include medical geographers, medical doctors, Africanists, demographers, anthropologists, sociologists, and economists.

Contemporary Healthcare Issues in Sub-Saharan Africa: Social, Economic, and Cultural Perspectives discusses contemporary healthcare issues in Sub-Saharan Africa to identify deficiencies in the system and provide workable recommendations for strengthening healthcare delivery on the continent. Contributors address topical issues such as drug quality, malaria control, health insurance, geriatric care, and the environment-health nexus. The contributors also study intimate partner violence and maternal-child health, food safety, prevalence of childhood tuberculosis, and cardiovascular diseases. This book provides in-depth analyses of current issues in Sub-Saharan Africa that blend theory and practice. The diverse group of contributors includes experts in clinical medicine, pharmacy, economics, anthropology, public health, and the social sciences.

In the 1970s and 1980s Indiana University Press published a series of books edited by Gwendolen Carter and others on economic and political conditions in Southern Africa during the apartheid era. The Uncertain Promise of Southern Africa is a return to that successful format in the post-apartheid era. Leading scholars analyze the economic, political, social, and cultural conditions in Southern Africa and the prospects for the region. The first part of the book examines the current political and development situation in six countries--South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Mozambique. The second part focuses on issues of enduring importance in the region--education, health, gender, the law, intra- and inter-regional power relations, international commerce, and popular culture.

2008 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title "The Encyclopedia of Cancer & Society provides a broad picture of cancer as a part of contemporary life in all regions of the world. This public-health perspective with an emphasis on prevention is unique and distinguishes the encyclopedia from other reference works, such as The Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer: A Guide to Cancer and Its Treatments (2d ed., 2005). An excellent addition to academic, health-sciences, and large public libraries." —Booklist, Starred Review "Since age is the dominant factor that drives cancer risk, the total number of cancer cases diagnosed is expected to double by mid-century. The 750 entries in thei set, written by experts from a variety of disciplines, explore key themes such as known carcinogens, cancer around the world, cancers by type, treatments and therapies, alternative treatments, and the impact of cancer on society. Colditz′s (medicine, Washington Univ.) research on breast cancer and hormone treatments is widely cited." —Library Journal "Each volume contains a listing of articles, a roster with professional affiliations, and a color ′Atlas of Cancer′ with well-labeled illustrations. This set also includes a resource guide listing books, journals, and Internet sources that deal with various aspects of cancer. The appendix provides a good statistical overview of cancer rates by race and state, and a glossary is adapted from the National Cancer Institute′s online glossary. Although other reference works are available on a wide range of cancer treatments and research topics, this work goes beyond the provisions of information on medical conditions to help readers better understand the impact of behavioral change on cancer prevention. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels." —CHOICE We live in a time when the cancer burden is rising globally yet advances in understanding the potential for prevention and the impact of our social structures on the underlying risk of disease rapidly inform strategies to reduce the burden. There is overwhelming evidence that lifestyle factors impact cancer risk and that positive, population-wide changes can significantly reduce the occurrence of cancer. The Encyclopedia of Cancer and Society is the first multivolume resource to define the issues that surround cancer and its effects on society. With more than 750 entries, these three volumes help students, practitioners, and researchers navigate through the terminology and concepts to better understand how cancer affects us way beyond the medical conditions that are regrettably more than obvious. The scope of the Encyclopedia encompasses the relative individual and societal aspects of cancer, from the latest research from the National Cancer Institute to studies on alternative diet and nutrition treatments. Key Features Serves as a general and nontechnical resource for those in the fields of biology, sociology, health studies, and other social science Illustrates how behavior change is possible and offers great potential for cancer prevention Covers descriptions of all cancers and treatments, as well as possible causes Includes profiles of major cancer researchers, doctors, and all cancer associations Explores the status of cancer in major countries around the world Examines the relation between race and ethnicity and cancer risk Discusses controversies in cancer treatment and research Key Themes Alternative Treatments and Therapies Associations by Cancer Type Associations Others Biographies Business of Cancer Cancer Around the World Cancer in Society Known or Suspected Carcinogens/Causes of Cancer Major Cancer Associations Major Hospitals and Treatment Centers Prevention Treatments and Therapies Types of Cancer The Encyclopedia of Cancer and Society helps map out the lessons from past victories and strategies that can be applied to understand the problem and minimize the burden as we move forward. It is an outstanding reference for academic and public libraries, medical and nursing schools, biotechnology companies, and research institutions.

Gender plays a hugely significant and too often under-considered role in predicting how accessible resources such as education, wage-based employment, physical and mental health care, adequate nutrition and housing will be to an individual or community. According to a 2001 World Bank report titled Engendering Development—Through Gender Equality in Rights, Resources, and Voice, enormous disparities exist between men and women in terms of basic rights and the power to determine the future, both in Africa and around the globe. A better understanding of the links between gender, public policy and development outcomes would allow for more effective policy formulation and implementation at many levels. This book, through its discussion of the challenges, achievements and lessons learned in efforts to attain gender equality, sheds light on these important issues. The book contains chapters from an interdisciplinary group of scholars, including sociologists, economists, political scientists, scholars of law, anthropologists, historians and others. The work includes analysis of strategic gender initiatives, case studies, research, and policies as well as conceptual and theoretical pieces. With its format of ideas, resources and recorded experiences as well as theoretical models and best practices, the book is an important contribution to academic and political discourse on the intricate links between gender, power, and social change in Africa and around the world.

International health security (IHS) is a broad and highly heterogeneous area. Within this general context, IHS encompasses subdomains that potentially influence (and more specifically endanger) the well-being and wellness of humans. The general umbrella of IHS includes, but is not limited to, natural disasters, emerging infectious diseases (EID) and pandemics, rapid urbanization, social determinants of health, population growth, systemic racism and discrimination, environmental matters, civilian violence and warfare, various forms of terrorism, misuse of antibiotics, and the misuse of social media. The need for this expanded definition of health security stems from the realization that topics such as EID; food, water, and pharmaceutical supply chain safety; medical and health information cybersecurity; and bioterrorism, although important within the overall realm of health security, are not only able to actively modulate the wellness and health of human populations, but also tend to do so in a synergistic fashion. This inaugural tome of a multi-volume collection, Contemporary Developments and Perspectives in International Health Security, introduces many of the topics directly relevant to modern IHS theory and practice. This first volume provides a solid foundation for future installments of this important and relevant book series.

Medical geography is a fascinating area of rapidly evolving study that aims to analyse and improve worldwide health issues based on the geographical factors which have an impact on them. Perspectives in Medical Geography will appeal to both novice and seasoned researchers looking to be informed on the latest theories and applications in the field. Chapters represent a wide range of industries, ranging from private/public universities to private companies to non-profit foundations. Contributors describe ways in which map and geography librarians can engage in public health research – creating data standards, archiving map collections and providing mapping/GIS services. In addition to compiling current theories and practices related to medical geography, this volume also features commentaries from two pre-eminent geography librarians, sharing their perspectives on this emerging field and how map and geographic information librarians can engage in health-related research through their profession. This book was originally published as two special issues of the Journal of Map & Geography Libraries.

Contemporary Topics in Women’s Mental Health: Global Perspectives in a Changing Society considers both the mental health and psychiatric disorders of women in relation to global social change. The book addresses the current themes in psychiatric disorders among women: reproduction and mental health, service delivery and ethics, impact of violence, disasters and migration, women’s mental health promotion and social policy, and concludes each section with a commentary discussing important themes emerging from each chapter. Psychiatrists, sociologists and students of women’s studies will all benefit from this textbook. With a Foreword by Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London; Chair, Commission on Social Determinants of Health