Springer Health Assets in a Global Context: Theory, Methods, Action

This book exposes the prevailing deficit model of assessing health needs, which puts disadvantaged communities on the defensive and ignores their potential strengths. The book offers rationales and methodologies, with solid examples of asset-based initiatives. Review From the reviews: “This book explains the assets-based approach to improving the health of communities and reducing inequalities through research and practice. … It is intended to challenge researchers’, policymakers’, and practitioners’ thinking about improving health and reducing health inequalities of populations.” (Jared Lane K. Maeda, Doody’s Review Service, October, 2010) “The basic idea behind this edited volume is to encourage researchers to quantify and value (and policy makers to protect) the full range of institutional and psychological assets globally possessed by individuals, communities, and populations, thus promoting the World Health Organization Assets for Health and Development Program. … provide a useful summary of the salutogenic approach, focusing on resilience and empowerment.” (Thomas A. Faunce, Journal of the American Medical Association, March, 2011) From the Back Cover Health Assets in a Global Context: Theory, Methods, Action Edited by Antony Morgan, Maggie Davies, and Erio Ziglio As global health inequities continue to widen, policymakers are redoubling their efforts to address them. Yet the effectiveness and quality of these programs vary considerably, sometimes resulting in the reverse of expected outcomes. While local political issues or cultural conflicts may play a part in these situations, an important new book points to a universal factor: the prevailing deficit model of assessing health needs, which puts disadvantaged communities on the defensive while ignoring their potential strengths. The asset model proposed in Health Assets in a Global Context offers a necessary complement to the problem-focused framework by assessing multiple levels of health-promoting aspects in populations, and promoting joint solutions between communities and outside agencies. The book provides not only rationales and methodologies (e.g., measuring resilience and similar elusive qualities) but also concrete examples of asset-based initiatives in use across the world on the individual and community levels, including: • Strengthening the assets of disadvantaged women (Germany). • Sustainable community-based development programs (India). • Using parental assets to control child malaria (West Africa). • Asset/evidence-based health promotion in the schools (Romania). • Evaluating asset-based programs (Latin America). • Using social capital to promote health equity (Australia). Health Assets in a Global Context offers a new, positive lens for viewing the world’s most resistant public health crises, making it fundamental reading for researchers and graduate students in public health, especially those involved in health promotion, health disparities, social determinants of health, and global health. About the Author Maggie Davies Maggie Davies is the Principal Advisor on International Health Improvement at the Department of Health, England. She is on secondment from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) where she is Associate Director of Development. Maggie is also the lead tutor on the Distance Learning MSc in Health Promotion for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Maggie is President of the Pan-European network Eurohealthnet, which deals with equity and health issues, and is Global Vice President for Conferences for the International Union of Health Promotion and Education. Previously a lecturer in semiotics, Maggie has over 20 years experience of work in the field of public health which has ranged from managing local services to large-scale international projects. This includes work for organisations such as World Health Organization (WHO) and the World