PAHO book receives British Medical Association award

The British Medical Association (BMA) presented a special award to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for its publication, Building Better Health: A Handbook of Behavioral Change.

The new PAHO handbook blends tried-and-true disease prevention practices and behavioral science principles into a hands-on manual for community health promoters, nurses and family physicians. The book has been strongly welcomed by schools of public health and health workers around the world. Social workers and teachers can also promote health and prevent disease using this book, which offers step-by-step instruction in behavioral change techniques for use at community, family, and individual levels.

"The Pan American Health Organization takes seriously its remit to produce and disseminate scientific and technical information that will improve the health of people throughout the world, and this award serves as recognition-among peers in the international biomedical publishing community-of the quality of PAHO's work" said Dr. Judith Navarro, PAHO Publications Manager.

James Johnson, Chairman of the BMA Council, presented the prize awards at the recent BMA Medical Book Competition, which aims to reward excellence in medical publishing, and is considered the most prestigious award in biomedical publishing. PAHO received the Highly Commended Certificate in the Public Health Category for its book, which is notable for recommending simple, hands-on preventive health interventions.

The book's five sections detail theoretical and practical aspects of health promotion, and give an overview of disease prevention and community health intervention strategies, including practical examples and step-by-step planning. The book also includes an in-depth examination of the causes of morbidity, disability, and premature mortality that most seriously burden broad age groups across the life cycle and a review of the protective and risk factors for each of the leading forms of disability and death.

PAHO, established in 1902, works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and the quality of life of people of the Americas. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization.