A brief history of CBOs/NGOs in health and public health

Abstract

In this age of instant information, we are a society obsessed with problems and tragedies. Health threats, both to the individual and to the society at large, occupy a large part of our thoughts. We wring our hands at the mention of avian influenza (bird flu) and flesh-eating bacteria. The mention of yet another drug-resistant strain of a disease that we thought we had under control (e.g., methicillin-resistant Stapholoccocus aureus, or MRSA) adds to our collection of worries and fears. Illnesses and conditions associated with lifestyle factors have us stymied, as obesity and Type II diabetes continue to gain percentage points in the US population as well as in other countries. In such an environment, it goes without saying that finances for health care also eat up a huge amount of political and private attention, concern, and resources. So busy are we with worrying that we rarely, if ever, reflect on the enormous gains that have been made in health and public health. Let us consider a few examples. We have, for the most part, eliminated polio and are on the verge of claiming eradication. This will mean that no more poliomyelitis virus will exist on the face of the earth, save for some specimens in deep, dark freezers in research laboratories. © 2010 Springer-Verlag New York.