Although a substantial literature examines the relationship between culture and health in myriad individual contexts, a lack of comparative data across settings has resulted in disparate and imprecise conceptualizations of the concept for scholars and practitioners alike. This article examines scholars and practitioners' understandings of culture in relation to health interventions. Drawing on ...

An epidemic of human African trypanosomiasis, also called sleeping sickness, was identified in Tambura County, Southern Sudan in 1997. Implementation of a sleeping sickness control program by international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Tambura County resulted in a three-fold decrease in the incidence of sleeping sickness between 1997-1999. The sustainability of these interventions onc...

The HIV–AIDS epidemic is one of the most challenging and signifi cant health crises facing the world today. In order to cope with its complexities, the United Nations and World Health Organization have increasingly relied upon the resources offered by networks of HIV–AIDS nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The research reported here uses evolutionary theory to predict the patterns of allianc...

PROBLEM Many women who experience gender-based violence may never seek any formal help because they do not feel safe or confident that they will receive help if they try. APPROACH A public-private-academic partnership in Gujarat, India, established a toll-free telephone helpline - called 181 Abhayam - for women experiencing gender-based violence. The partnership used existing emergency respon...

Like many other non governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide assistance to vulnerable populations living in difficult and resource-limited settings, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is confronted with situations for which proven, effective interventions are often lacking and/or where there is need for strong advocacy for improving medical care. As a result, MSF has become an important contr...

In promoting a "New Policy Agenda," bilateral and multilateral donor agencies are keen to finance nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and grassroots organizations (GROs) on the grounds of their economic efficiency and contribution to "good governance." This paper reviews the impact of this trend on NGO/GRO programming, performance, legitimacy and accountability. It finds that much of the case ...

Advancing the health of the poor requires aligning a wide array of interests, all of which influence how health care is delivered. Global health professionals often face difficult decisions that can affect their working relationships with government officials, local colleagues, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector interests. This article proposes a "compass-based" framework ...

Several international conservation organizations (ICOs) created in the developed world to promote conservation in the tropics are now extremely outspoken and powerful, due in large measure to their access to capital. We acknowledge that ICOs have been critical stakeholders in shaping international environmental policies. We also recognize that there have been successful collaborations between I...