Where There is No Dentist by Murray Dickson
This book is written in similar style to Where There is No Doctor. It is about what people can do for themselves and each other to care for their gums and teeth. It shows how to diagnose and treat dental problems and suggests new ways to work for better dental health in the community. It is aimed mainly at community health workers, but is also of use to teachers, dentists and dental technicians. The book is divided into two parts; the first is concerned with learning and teaching about teeth and gums, the second part is about how to treat dental problems. The book is available from TALC:
TALC, PO Box 49, St Albans, Herts, AL1 5TX, UK.
E-mail: talcuk@btinternet.com Fax: +44 1727 846852
Where There is No Vet by Bill Forse
This is another new book written in similar style to Where There is No Doctor. This is much more than just a book on first aid for animals. It aims to help people keep their animals healthy, and covers a wider range of topics that affect the health of livestock, from diarrhoea to rinderpest, from helpful traditional remedies to uses of modern medicines and vaccines. It includes advice on the care, feeding and handling of animals. Special emphasis is placed on preventing and controlling diseases and problems. It is clearly written, with easy to use indexing and has over 400 illustrations. It will prove an essential guide for farmers, teachers, NGO workers, extension agents and paravets.
The book is jointly published by Macmillan, Oxfam and CTA and is available from TALC – address above.
Health libraries
TALC operate a very useful scheme to provide health libraries aimed at Africa and Asia. The libraries provide excellent value and contain a well selected range of useful and practical books. They include:
Health Centre Library with 17 books and 5 items of health equipment
District Hospital Library with 20 books including surgery manuals
Women’s Health Library with 7 books
Please contact TALC for details – address above.
Training for development workers
Le pont in Togo provide regular training courses aimed at development workers, NGO members, village committees and counsellors. The training includes planning, gender issues, microenterprise, effective communication, feasibility studies for income-generation and financial management.
The fees are heavily subsidised by charities but each application must be from someone working with a specific development project – not from individuals. For further information contact:
Le pont, BP 2273, Lomé, Togo. Fax: +228 21 19 60 E-mail: lepont@bibway.com
Bobokoli Bibenga Nyama Ya Libumu Isili
Several new titles have been produced by this group in DRC. They produce cartoon strip books written in Lingala with a French translation underneath. There are now 13 titles available, covering subjects such as health, our environment, livestock husbandry and vegetable production. The booklets aim to help change people’s way of thinking so they can take responsibility for themselves. The new titles include Herbal Remedies for Stomach Infections and Breeding Pigeons.
Sister Rosario Zambello, Filles de Saint Paul, BP 335, Limete – Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tearfund Case Studies
Tearfund publish a number of case studies on subjects relating to good development practice. These are available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese and are free of charge to groups in Third World countries. Two studies relate to community healthcare:
Community Health Development by Tine Jaeger and Kate Bristow
This pack is designed for community development and healthcare workers who want to reflect and learn through the study of three programmes that demonstrate current good practice in community health development.
Transforming the Slums by Relationships: Action for Securing Health for All (ASHA) by Simon Batchelor
This case study considers the challenges faced by ASHA programmes in the slums of Delhi and discusses the approaches taken by them to rise to the task, emphasising the value of relationships.
Write to: TRT, Tearfund, 100 Church Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 8QE, UK
The Ageing and Development Report: Poverty, Independence and the World’s Older People by HelpAge International and Earthscan
This report has been published to mark the 1999 UN International Year focusing on older people and brings together a wide range of themes relating to older people in developing countries. It is estimated that their numbers will double over the next 25 years to reach 850 million (12% of the population). However, their role and rights are often ignored. Older people are the poorest group in society and new policies are needed which recognise and support them. The book can be ordered from Earthscan Write for details to:
Earthscan, 120 Pentonville Rd, London, N1 9BR, UK.
E-mail: orders@lbsltd.co.uk
Practical Pharmacy
This newsletter aims to ensure the safe and rational use of medicines world-wide by increasing knowledge and understanding of medicine management and supply and improving work practices. It is targeted at health workers and clinical officers. Each issue looks at a different concern. Recent ones have included financing medicine supplies and medicine calculations. It is available free of charge from:
G Stock, 66 Chiltern Rd, Baldock, Herts, SG7 6LS, UK.
E-mail: gstock@compuserve.com
Running Water
This is a second volume of Technical Briefs from the magazine Waterlines (the first was called The Worth of Water). It contains a range of very practical and well illustrated information about subjects such as water pumps, smallscale irrigation, small dams, water supplies, sanitation and household water supplies. It is from:
ITDG Bookshop, 103–105 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 4HH, UK. Fax: +44 171 436 2013
E-mail: orders@itpubs.org.uk
Leprosy information CD-ROM
A number of readers took advantage of the excellent CD-ROM produced by the Humanity Development Library that we were able to offer to readers last year and many have written with their appreciation for this resource. However for those who are now using this CD-ROM, Dr Parslow of the INF Tuberculosis Leprosy Project in Nepal points out that the information included on leprosy is from a book published in 1976 and its recommended treatment is so out of date that it could prove dangerous. He encourages readers to look elsewhere for recommended treatments for leprosy such as WHO or ILEP, and to check the dates of publications included on the CD-ROM. New editions of this CD-ROM will contain updated information.