USA Africa Dialogue Series - Global Cancer Facts and Figures 2012

Persons with lower socioeconomic status (SES) have disproportionately higher cancer death rates than those with higher SES, regardless of demographic factors such as race/ethnicity. For example, cancer mortality rates among both African American and non-Hispanic white men with 12 or fewer years of education are almost 3 times higher than those of college graduates for all cancers combined, and 4-5 times higher for lung cancer. Furthermore, progress in reducing cancer death rates has been slower in persons with lower SES. These disparities occur largely because persons with lower SES are at higher risk for cancer and have less favorable outcomes after diagnosis.

In addition to poverty and social discrimination, cancer occurrence in a population may also be influenced by cultural and/or inherited factors that decrease or increase risk. For example, Hispanic women have a lower risk of breast cancer probably in part because they tend to begin having children at a younger age, which decreases breast cancer risk. Individuals who maintain a primarily plant-based diet or do not use tobacco because of cultural or religious beliefs have a lower risk of many cancers. Higher rates of cancers related to infectious agents (e.g., stomach, liver, uterine cervix) in populations that include a large number of recent immigrants, such as Hispanics and Asians, may reflect a higher prevalence of infection in the country of origin. Genetic factors may also explain some differences in cancer incidence.

http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-031941.pdf  

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USA Africa Dialogue Series - Standards for change? ISO 26000 and sustainable development

This report looks at what has happened so far and what the potential could be. The paper argues that unlike some of the best-known ISO standards on other subjects, ISO 26000 does not address how to manage sustainable development issues in a systematic way. And it does not provide for independent certification of its application. This limits its appeal to many companies and makes it difficult to measure accurately its rate of adoption and impact. However, the worldwide reach of ISO and its members – the 162 National Standards Bodies – together with the commitment of key governments, including the Chinese, is likely to ensure that the standard is actively promoted.

While it is too early to measure its specific impacts, one key contribution of ISO 26000 has been to legitimise a broader definition of organisational responsibility - particularly for companies. The standard broadens the concept of organisational governance to include sustainable development and the interests of stakeholders, not just shareholders. This is important, because stakeholder empowerment is a central component of social sustainability and social justice. ISO 26000 is a standard that will have worldwide significance, and its impact should be carefully monitored.

http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/16513IIED.pdf  

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USA Africa Dialogue Series - Great Recession and Developing Countries : Economic Impact and Growth Prospects

While globalization has been a powerful engine of economic growth over the past three decades, it has also posed new problems and challenges, especially for international economic policy coordination. In the past decade, the large and rapid increases in trade, remittances, and international financial flows across borders have been a strong incentive for economic growth, not only in East and South Asia but also in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. And rapid and sustained economic growth in several low- and middle-income economies has been steadily altering the economic weights of different regions in the world economy. 

The ten case studies in this volume illustrate the wide range of effects of, and responses to, the global crisis in low-and middle-income economies. While the case studies do not constitute a statistically representative sample of the globe, they illustrate a broad range of experiences in the wake of the crisis and give insights into both the benefits and challenges of globalization. The use of a common methodology in preparing the cases unquestionably facilitates cross-country comparisons and helps identify areas where more study is needed to increase the understanding of the current problems of, and prospects for, developing countries.

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/2539/584390PUB0ID181ession09780821385135.pdf?sequence=1  

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