This literature review and analysis of issues related to economics, HIV/AIDS, and governance, follows a similar review conducted in 2000. In the review it was noted that many gaps existed in the literature, and that there was a generally poor understanding of crucial issues that inform impact, policy and response. It is certainly a positive sign that in the development of an updated bibliography (available as a separate document), the number of texts available has almost doubled in the space of two years. While the authors of this review continue to highlight gaps, particularly in research on South Africa, it is a positive sign that social scientists are developing a closer interest in HIV/AIDS, and that funding and support for research in the area is clearly growing.

The HIV/AIDS context in South Africa is rapidly changing. In the previous review, close attention was paid to economic impacts and responses, with an emphasis on impacts. In the present review, authors have oriented their chapters much more closely to issues of economic and social development and response in relation to an epidemic that has become a firmly entrenched development issue. On the one hand, there are explorations of cost issues, direct and indirect. On the other, there is a general stock-taking of response. Both aspects are critical to understanding the way forward and, indeed, there remain critical gaps. However, it is also important to note the notion that little progress has been made and that nothing has been done. This is largely a product of difficulties in recognising tangible indicators of response. For example, a recent survey showed 75% of business have HIV/AIDS policy in place, and this is significant. The next steps are unpacking the nature of these responses and identifying the implications for planning and resource allocation.

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To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies undertook an examination of how child health indicators vary by sociodemographic characteristics. Comparisons are made for the health indicators including low birthweight, health status, unmet dental care needs, ADHD/ADD diagnosis, lifetime asthma diagnosis, learning disability diagnosis, and activity limitation. The findings for Hispanic children and white children are provided in this brief.

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This study, commissioned by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and carried out by leading researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, provides important insight into how much of a financial burden racial disparities are putting on our health care system and society at large. The researchers examined the direct costs associated with the provision of care to a sicker and more disadvantaged population, as well as the indirect costs of health inequities such as lost productivity, lost wages, absenteeism, family leave, and premature death.

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The Director of the Joint Center’s Health Policy Institute, Dr. Brian D. Smedley, discusses the health implications of an Obama administration and the challenges to health care reform in trying economic times.

In a national “Call to Action” released in 2003, the Surgeon General of the United States challenged public and private institutions to ensure that all Americans achieve optimal oral health. As the report states, “oral health is essential to general health and well-being and can be achieved.” The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, through its Health Policy Institute, is taking up the challenge with this special report on strategies to improve the oral health status of African American men — one of the most neglected groups.

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Historically, the focal point of the discourse on the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents has been teen pregnancy, and the population of interest has been adolescent females ages 10-14 and ages 15-19. Issues related to the sexual and reproductive health of young males were seldom considered, as reflected in the type of data collected—or not collected—for male and female teens. In the late 1980s, this began to change with an increased emphasis on issues related to male teens, in part due to the spread of infections such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and chlamydia. Our knowledge about the sexual and reproductive health outcomes and behaviors of young men of color (Hispanic or Latino, black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander) is shaped by the methods used to gather and analyze the relevant data. These methods and the resulting data, however, do not always accurately reflect trends for this group. This report traces our knowledge about the sexual and reproductive health of young men of color from outcomes to behaviors, and then discusses some of the complexities associated with studying this population.

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This issue brief identifies, analyzes and compares provisions which explicitly address the health and health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities within the two leading Congressional health care reform proposals: The Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3962) passed in the House of Representatives on November 7, 2009; and The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009 (H.R. 3590) introduced in the Senate on November 18, 2009, as a merged version of the Senate Finance Committee’s America’s Health Future Act (S.1796) and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’ (HELP) Affordable Health Choices Act (S. 1697). Additionally, this issue brief explores the potential implications of broad health care reforms for racial and ethnic minorities. Also discussed is how each bill could decrease disparities and improve minority health, where each falls short in advancing these goals, as well as the transitional challenges and questions for the future should health care reform legislation be enacted.

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With $10 billion in Medicaid spending reductions under consideration by Congress, the issue of Medicaid has returned to the forefront of the nation’s public policy debate. One recurring proposal to limit federal Medicaid spending would place firm caps on either Medicaid enrollment or federal Medicaid spending.

To better understand the issues and to inform its deliberation in formulating recommendations for policy, research, and practice, the Infant Mortality Commission asked experts in various fields related to maternal and child health and infant mortality to prepare background papers on specific issues. This background paper seeks to expand our understanding of the causes and effects of infant mortality within a broader global context. It offers comparisons between infant mortality in the U.S. and in other nations across the globe, providing a compassionate examination of the impact of social and economic inequalities on population health and infant mortality. The author concludes with policy recommendations to help mitigate or eliminate the inequalities that contribute to infant mortality. This analysis complements and reinforces the recommendations of other Courage to Love: Infant Mortality Commission background and framing papers on infant mortality and maternal nutrition; infant mortality and resilience; the role of breastfeeding in maternal and infant health; the historical framework of policies and practices to reduce infant mortality; and the authentic voices of those affected by infant mortality.

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Men of color face many challenges in achieving and maintaining good health. Their social circumstances and cultural norms, as well as the larger society’s discriminatory treatment of them, often engender in these men unhealthful responses. When social circumstances include poverty, limited education, and scarce employment opportunities, the impact on health can be especially harmful. This brief provides an overview of factors that influence the health and longevity of men of color in the United States, and makes policy recommendations for improving their health status.

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