With rapid urbanization has come a wide range of new health problems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and in low-income communities within the world's advanced economies. For policymakers, the challenge calls not just for more resources but for an entirely new approach to urban development.
CAMBRIDGE – In 1945, in the rural South African village of Polela, a community-based approach to improving health was implemented. In what became known as the Polela model, the prevailing health-care strategy was adapted to account for social, economic, and environmental data from community members. For example, monitoring of household crop failures and malnutrition in preschoolers allowed health authorities to anticipate vulnerabilities to health and well-being and intervene early to prevent ill-health.
CAMBRIDGE – In 1945, in the rural South African village of Polela, a community-based approach to improving health was implemented. In what became known as the Polela model, the prevailing health-care strategy was adapted to account for social, economic, and environmental data from community members. For example, monitoring of household crop failures and malnutrition in preschoolers allowed health authorities to anticipate vulnerabilities to health and well-being and intervene early to prevent ill-health.