Contents -- Message from the RD -- Foreword - Chairperson of the African Union Commission -- Executive summary -- Chapter 1: Health and development in Africa -- Chapter 2: Maternal, newborn and child health -- Chapter 3: Infectious diseases in Africa -- Chapter 4: Noncommunicable diseases in Africa -- Chapter 5: Health and the environment in Africa -- Chapter 6: National health systems -Africa's big public health challenge -- Introduction -- Introduction -- The health of the people -- The challenges confronting Africa -- African Region of the World Health Organization -- Chapter 1: Health and development in Africa -- Key messages and Solutions -- The cycle of poverty and ill-health -- Putting health in the development context -- Efforts to promote development in Africa -- The Abuja Declaration -- NEPAD -- The United Kingdom's Commission for Africa -- UN Millennium Development Goals -- G8 Summit 2005 -- Conclusion: Making it happen -- Bibliography -- Chapter 2: Maternal, newborn and child health -- Key messages and Solutions -- Africa's "silent epidemic" -- Mothers: the causes and numbersof deaths -- Newborns: the causes and numbersof deaths -- Under-fives: the causes and numbers of deaths -- Preventing millions of deaths -- The obstacles -- Conflict and emergencies -- HIV/AIDS -- Inadequate resource allocation -- Weak health systems -- Efforts to tackle the problem -- Safe motherhood -- Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV -- Repositioning family planning -- Managing childhood illnesses -- Increasing skilled attendance at birth -- Immunizing more women and children -- Conclusion: scaling up success -- Bibliography -- Chapter 3: Infectious diseases in Africa -- Key messages and Solutions -- Major obstacle to development -- HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria -- Challenges for diseasecontrol.

Diseases for which control has been successful -- Leprosy -- River blindness -- Poliomyelitis (polio) -- Diseases of major public concern -- HIV/AIDS -- Tuberculosis -- Malaria -- Diseases that are prone to cause epidemics -- Neglected diseases -- Conclusion: Learning from past success -- Bibliography -- Chapter 4: Noncommunicable diseases in Africa -- Key messages and Solutions -- An emerging threat -- Africa's double burden -- Africa's lesser known toll of ill-health -- Cardiovascular diseases -- Obesity and undernutrition: an African paradox -- Cancer -- Injuries, violence and disabilities -- Blindness -- Mental health problems -- Genetic diseases -- Oral diseases -- Efforts to tackle the problems -- Legislation and marketing -- Mental health legislation -- Promoting healthy diets and lifestyles -- Low-cost management programmes -- Closer collaboration -- Traditional health practitioners -- The challenges -- Scarcity of resources -- Inadequate awareness and commitment -- Limited data -- Conclusion: Africa can learn from others' experience -- Bibliography -- Chapter 5: Health and the environment in Africa -- Key messages and Solutions -- Environmental health risks in Africa -- Challenges in the environment -- Water and sanitation -- Pollution and industrial waste -- Urbanization -- Food safety -- Emergency situations -- Tackling poverty and environmental risks -- Poverty reduction -- Conflict prevention and management -- Sustainable, low-cost solutions: water and sanitation -- Making food safer: a shared responsibility -- Conclusion: Tracking progress -- Bibliography -- Chapter 6: National health systems -Africa's big public health challenge -- Key messages and Solutions -- Africa's big public health challenge -- Building and reinforcing health systems -- Public and private health-careprovision -- Scaling up health systems -- Vertical programmes.

Sector-wide approach -- Health information systems -- Vital registration -- Getting the numbers right -- Essential medicines -- Improving access -- Blood safety -- Human resources: a continent in crisis -- Approaches to filling the gap -- Health financing -- Donor funding -- User fees -- Evidence for resource allocation -- Conclusion: Health systems - the key to better health -- Bibliography -- Statistical annex -- Annex - African Region of the World Health Organization -- Annex - Introduction -- Demographic and socioeconomic statistics -- Health status: mortality -- Health status: morbidity -- Inequities in health -- Risk factors -- Health service coverage -- Health workers -- Health expenditure ratios, 1999-2003 -- Per capita expenditure on health, 1999-2003 -- Explanatory notes -- Glossary -- Index -- Fig 1.1 -- Fig 1.2 -- Fig 1.3 -- Fig 2.1 -- Fig 2.2 -- Fig 2.3 -- Fig 2.4 -- Fig 2.5 -- Fig 2.6 -- Fig 2.7 -- Box 1.1 -- Box 1.2 -- Box 2.1 -- Box 2.2 -- Box 2.3 -- Box 2.4 -- Box 2.5 -- Box 2.6 -- Table 1.1.