Attention and Responsibility in Global Health: The Currency of Neglect

Description

Attention and Responsibility in Global Health shows the construction of health through what is neglected and how the label of neglect is used to make the case that a shift in attitudes towards tropical diseases is based on changing policy practices of health and disease. Tropical diseases have moved from being of high importance for European empires to being neglected and unknown, and then returning to the spotlight once again. During this process, the understanding, framing, and overall character of the disease grouping has changed through a rediscovery of a health issue once rendered neglectable. The book depicts this change in relevance of tropical diseases from colonial history to the present day diseases across political, cultural, and socio- economic contexts. It shows the transformation of tropical diseases as a grouping that uncovers the changing strategies, tactics, and unintended consequences of advocacy campaigning by scientists, NGOs, and policymakers to drive disease issues up the policy agenda. Drawing on the emergent fi eld of ignorance studies, the book explores ideas about the uses and deployment of both strategic and unintentional "not knowing". It is aimed at academics and students in science and technology studies, the sociology of health and medicine, environmental sociology, public policy, and the history of science. Cover Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Illustrations Acknowledgements Abbreviations Part I Becoming Neglected Chapter 1 Introduction: Caring About Neglected Narratives Uncovering the Neglected What Are Neglected Tropical Diseases? Charting a Policy History Has NTD Research Been Neglected? Notes References Chapter 2 Theoretical Approaches to Attention and Neglect Policy Problems Problematisation Evidence for Policy Advocacy Through Social Movements Innovation Conceptualisation for Solutions Disciplinary Influences Global Health Actors and Landscape Conclusion: Neglect as a Policy Characterisation Notes References Chapter 3 The Politics of Disease Categories A History of NTDs as a Policy Issue Early Initiatives: ‘Bringing Science Into Tropical Disease Research’ Timeline of Key Events From the Berlin Meeting to the London Declaration The First Paper The London Declaration and Disease Lists Different Ways to Cut a Pie Listing Diseases and the Politics of Categorisation Categories of Inclusion Or Exclusion Global Campaigns and the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ Political Influence The Gates Foundation and Technological Solutionism From Drug Donation to R&D Other Sites of Neglect Conclusion: Beyond the SDGs Notes References Part II Becoming Un-Neglected Chapter 4 The Transition of Tropical Diseases Tropical and Neglected Categories What Is ‘Tropical’? Tropical Re-Relevance Current Geography Challenging Geographic Classification: Chronically Tropical Yellow Fever Dengue Blue Marble Health What Is ‘Neglected’? Definitions of Neglect Measuring for Attention: From the 10/90 Gap to DALYs Neglect in Measurement Finding Neglect in Solutions: ‘50 Cents Per Person’ Drug Dominance Conclusion: Otherness of Neglect Notes References Chapter 5 Advocacy for Neglect A New Disease Brand Careers in an Unmodern Or Modern Science Borrowing From the Past: ‘Great Neglected Diseases’ – the Proto Brand Attracting Scientific Talent and the Promise of Biotechnology United States: Media-Friendliness and Scientific Diplomacy United Kingdom: Change On the Ground Advocacy Roles Scientist Advocates in China and Brazil Collectivist Science in China Nationalist Sentiments in Brazil A Global Policy Movement Notes References Chapter 6 Conclusion: Neglect in Policy Policy Rationales A Typology of Neglect Information Emotion Action Thought Who Is Responsible? NTDs Today: Taking Out the ‘Neglect’ Notes References Index