FutureGenerations

A new book by the World Health Organization, Social Determinants Approaches to Public Health: from concept to practice presents a collection of 13 case studies on the social determinants of health. Chapter 11 features a case study by Dr. Laura Altobelli, Future Generations Peru Country Director. Dr. Altobelli shares the experience and data of Peru's national community-oriented health system, known as CLAS--Local Health Administration Committees.

This eight page report summarizes the strategy and impact of the Nexos Project, a four-year program in rural Cusco that linked 28 rural primary care health facilities with 258 communities and 17 municipal governments to improve maternal and child health. This project was funded from 2005-2009 by the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) Child Survival and Health Grants Program.

Evaluation data from 2005 and 2009 shows significant impacts:

In a community-based initiatives 2010 newsletter, World Health Organization published an article on a "case demonstration in the central highlands of Afghanistan." Through such activities as training and empowering community health workers and organizing mothers into women's action groups, child mortality decreased by almost 50%.  Future Generations Afghanistan, a local nongovernmental organization, provided technical support for this project.

Future Generations Autumn 2009 newsletter features articles on:

• Reducing child mortality in Afghanistan
• Kitchen gardens raising women's empowerment in Northeast India
• New Pendeba Society in Tibet, China
• Connecting students through DimDim
• Alumni News: Women's Photovoice
• Kresge Planning Grant for Green Campus