Background: Many low- and middle-income countries are not on track to reach the public health targets set out in the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). We evaluated whether differential progress towards health MDGs was associated with economic development, public health funding (both overall...

It is examined whether differential progress towards health MDGs was associated with economic development, public health funding (both overall and as percentage of available domestic funds), or health system infrastructure. Also, the impact of joint epidemics of HIV/AIDS and noncommunicable...

Background: Whether non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are diseases of poverty or affluence in low-and-middle income countries has been vigorously debated. Most analyses of NCDs have used self-reported data, which is biased by differential access to healthcare services between groups of different...

Background: Reducing salt intake has been proposed to prevent cardiovascular disease in India. We sought to determine whether salt reductions would be beneficial or feasible, given the worry that unrealistically large reductions would be required, worsening iodine deficiency and benefiting only...

Background The use of self-reported measures of chronic disease may substantially underestimate prevalence in low-income and middle-income country settings, especially in groups with lower socioeconomic status (SES). We sought to determine whether socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of...

When we invoked the example of the US National Basketball Association's (NBA's) scheme for redistribution of new talent as a model offering lessons for a possible future global social support system we hoped that we would stimulate debate. Consequently, we are very grateful to Goldblatt and...

Background: Global food prices have risen sharply since 2007. The impact of food price spikes on the risk of malnutrition in children is not well understood.Objective: We investigated the associations between food price spikes and childhood malnutrition in Andhra Pradesh, one of India's largest...

BackgroundTaxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been proposed in high-income countries to reduce obesity and type 2 diabetes. We sought to estimate the potential health effects of such a fiscal strategy in the middle-income country of India, where there is heterogeneity in SSB consumption,...

Objective: To examine the potential effect of a tax on palm oil on hyperlipidemia and on mortality due to cardiovascular disease in India.Design Economic-epidemiologic model. Modeling methods: A microsimulation model of mortality due to myocardial infarction and stroke among Indian populations...