Where's the best place to be born?

A series of large city rankings developed from federal agency reports were reviewed to increase appreciation of the factors that impact the general health of newborns. Efforts to provide the "right start" for the beginning of life may decrease the incidence of children with developmental disabilities.

Air pollution: a new respiratory risk for cities in low-income countries

Since the major accidents that occurred in the 1960s, air pollution has commonly been considered as a respiratory risk factor whose effects are most often studied in industrialised countries. Our aim is to show that it is now the turn of low- and middle-income countries to take this risk factor into account. After a discussion of the characteristics of air pollution, how it is diffused and the main known health effects (short- and long-term effects), we describe the specific differences between the cities in the North and the South. As a result of late industrialisation, cities in the South are now faced with pollution from industrial sources and urban traffic with polluting vehicles. The case of Algeria and Morocco illustrates this situation and its potential health risks. In order to prevent the health risks of air pollution in the cities of the South, systems for measuring pollution levels and epidemiological surveillance need to be put in place rapidly. This strategy can only work if it is supported by a strong partnership from industrialised countries.

Pharmacists' perceptions of Healthy People goals in economically stressed cities

The objectives of the study were: (a) to determine pharmacists' perceptions of the importance of Healthy People (HP) 2000 objectives for their patients and community; and (b) to analyze pharmacists' perceived perceptions about recent trends in the characteristics of patients. Three hundred one useful questionnaire were collected from pharmacists who either own or manage a pharmacy located in New Jersey's 67 cities eligible for financial assistance. Pharmacists consider health objectives which are directly linked to health care such as preventing, detecting, and controlling hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and disabling conditions, to be very important. Pharmacists agree to some extent that their patients are now more willing to accept pharmacy counseling services with their prescriptions than before. In conclusion, pharmacists considered objectives related to preventive services to be the most important for HP 2000 objectives, and health promotion and health protection to be less important. The findings of this study will enhance the understanding of pharmacists' perceptions of community health issues and will be beneficial to attain the objectives of HP 2010.

Pioneers in the Victorian provinces: veterinarians, public health and the urban animal economy

From the 1850s in Britain, concerns were growing about the role of animals in transmitting disease to man, whether through the food chain or through infection. While London is often seen as providing a model for public health reform, it was the great provincial cities that initiated veterinary involvement in public health in the closing years of the century. The emergence of this new strand of public health activity is the subject of this paper.