Browsing by Author "Daar, Abdallah S."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Declaration on mental health in Africa : moving to implementation
    (Co-Action Publishing, 2014-06-16) Daar, Abdallah S.; Jacobs, Marian; Wall, Stig; Groenewald, Johann; Eaton, Julian; Patel, Vikram; Dos Santos, Palmira; Kagee, Ashraf; Gevers, Anik; Sunkel, Charlene; Andrews, Gail; Daniels, Ingrid; Ndetei, David
    Urgent action is needed to address mental health issues globally. In Africa, where mental health disorders account for a huge burden of disease and disability, and where in general less than 1% of the already small health budgets are spent on these disorders, the need for action is acute and urgent. Members of the World Health Organization, including African countries, have adopted a Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan. Africa now has an historic opportunity to improve the mental health and wellbeing of its citizens, beginning with provision of basic mental health services and development of national mental health strategic plans (roadmaps). There is need to integrate mental health into primary health care and address stigma and violations of human rights. We advocate for inclusion of mental health into the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, and for the convening of a special UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on Mental Health within three years.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Developmental origins of health and disease in Africa - influencing early life
    (Elsevier, 2018) Davies, Justine Ina; Macnab, Andrew John; Byass, Peter; Norris, Shane A.; Nyirenda, Moffat; Singhal, Atul; Sobngwi, Eugene; Daar, Abdallah S.
    It is well established that Africa is undergoing rapid transitions resulting in a triple burden of malnutrition, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).1,2 That health systems are unlikely to be able to cope with this burden is also widely noted.1,2 What is less often discussed outside academic circles is the degree to which infectious diseases and malnutrition in Africa are exacerbating the burden of NCDs, and the implications of this exacerbation for individuals and populations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Progress in human embryonic stem cell research in the United States between 2001 and 2010
    (Public Library of Science, 2015) Vakili, Keyvan; McGahan, Anita M.; Rezaie, Rahim; Mitchell, Will; Daar, Abdallah S.
    On August 9th, 2001, the federal government of the United States announced a policy restricting federal funds available for research on human embryonic stem cell (hESCs) out of concern for the “vast ethical mine fields” associated with the creation of embryos for research purposes. Until the policy was repealed on March 9th, 2009, no U.S. federal funds were available for research on hESCs extracted after August 9, 2001, and only limited federal funds were available for research on a subset of hESC lines that had previously been extracted. This paper analyzes how the 2001 U.S. federal funding restrictions influenced the quantity and geography of peer-reviewed journal publications on hESC. The primary finding is that the 2001 policy did not have a significant aggregate effect on hESC research in the U.S. After a brief lag in early 2000s, U.S. hESC research maintained pace with other areas of stem cell and genetic research. The policy had several other consequences. First, it was tied to increased hESC research funding within the U.S. at the state level, leading to concentration of related activities in a relatively small number of states. Second, it stimulated increased collaborative research between US-based scientists and those in countries with flexible policies toward hESC research (including Canada, the U.K., Israel, China, Spain, and South Korea). Third, it encouraged independent hESC research in countries without restrictions.