Suchergebnisse

Poverty in Antwerp, Belgium, is discussed from a historical perspective, noting that the worst misery began to disappear in the latter 19th century, & indigence virtually disappeared after the establishment of social care agencies after WWI. After WWII, the ongoing need for relief agencies was quickly recognized; the Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn ([OCMW] Public Center for Social Welfare), established in 1976, is currently one of the main social relief agencies in Flanders. Here, quantitative data concerning its clients are provided, noting that, since 1994/95, relative & absolute records for the number of people in need of financial & medical aid have been broken. This crisis is related to the increasing number of single-parent families, political refugees, drug addicts, & elderly in the inner city. The need for preventive policies is addressed, asserting that only integrated development projects can improve matters for all risk groups. 6 Tables. Adapted from the source document.

Objectives: In The Netherlands, school health care policy is decentralized to the municipalities and their Municipal Health Services (MHS) in 1990. Since then, an increasing diversity in school health care policy developed, which is is ill-understood, concerning the development of evidence-based public health. Methods: Case-study design in 4 MHS-regions. Documents and half-structured interviews are used as data sources. The analysis of the data is both qualitative and quantitative. Results: Many actors try to influence the policy process: MHS-internal actors like management and professionals as well as external actors like local health care providers, other municipal services, the municipalities and schools. Evidence is found of the use of scientific knowledge: 'body of knowledge' information as well as evidence from new research, of both local and (inter)national origin, mainly medical, but also social science research. Mainly School Health management and -professionals use scientific knowledge as a resource to influence the policy process. Other actors try to influence the policy process by using other resources like formal power, money or 'initiative'. The use of scientific knowledge is related to a combined (medical) scientific en political frame of reference. Conclusions: Policy formation in local public health takes place in a network of actors with mutual power-dependency-relations, using different resoures to influence the process. 'Evidence based public health' can be promoted by regarding evidence from scientific research as a resource in attempts to influence the policy formation process and the implementation of the outcomes of this process.