Paperback

Published: 15/01/2010

Extent: 240 pages

Illustrations: 29 line artworks

 

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Summary:
Richer countries import many health workers from poorer countries, whilst at the same time exporting their ideas and ideologies about health. It is an unfair exchange. What would it be like, Nigel Crisp asks, if it were the other way round – and poorer countries imported health workers from richer ones and exported their ideas and experience about health?

Turning the World Upside Down explores what richer countries can learn from poorer ones and suggests that, instead of talking of international development – where the richer help the poorer – we should think in terms of co-development, each learning from the other. By bringing together insights from all parts of the world, the book sets out a new vision for global health, based on our interdependence, our desire for independence and on our rights and accountabilities as citizens of the world.

The text is richly illustrated with examples from the author’s own extensive experience which ranges from running England’s National Health Service, the largest health organisation in the world, to working in some of the poorest countries of the world. It will be of interest to the general reader who wants to understand better what is happening in health as well as to health professionals and students.

• Authored by Nigel Crisp, former Chief Executive of the NHS and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, and has led major reforms in the English health system

• Received very highly regarded reviews from individuals such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu; The Honourable Mary Robinson, Former Presidence of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Julia Neuberger, Baroness Rabbi Neuberger DB

• An important and timely book that sends a powerful message: richer countries can learn from poor ones
  

Table of Contents:
Preface
List of Abbreviations Used
1. Introduction
2. Health and poverty
3. Health and wealth
4. Unfair trade (1) – exporting health workers
5. Unfair trade (2) – importing ideas and ideology
6. Learning from low- and middle-income countries
7. Practical knowledge for the twenty-first century
(1) – people and patients
8. Practical knowledge for the twenty-first century
(2) – science and systems
9. The paradigm shift to global health
10. Action
Index

About the Author(s):
Lord Nigel Crisp has unique experience of health in both rich and poor countries. He
ran the UK’s National Health Service for more than 5 years and was, exceptionally, head
of the Department of Health at the same time. The NHS is the world’s biggest health
system and the 4th biggest organisation in the world with 1.3 million staff and £90 billion
annual turnover.

He has subsequently worked extensively in poor countries as an advisor to Tony Blair
and consultant to the World Health Organisation and the Gates Foundation. He is currently supporting Sarah Brown with the Maternal Mortality Campaign and has founded
the Zambia UK Health Workforce Alliance to promote mutual learning and development.

He has published two very influential reports - Global Health Partnerships in 2007 and
Scaling up, Saving Lives in 2008 as well as several chapters and articles in journals such
as The BMJ and The Lancet and is in demand globally as a thinker and speaker on global
health.

Nigel Crisp is an independent Peer in the House of Lords, Chair of Sightsavers International, a Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Cambridge, Massachusetts and an Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge and of the Royal College of Physicians.

More information is available at http://www.nigelcrisp.com

Reviews:

From the Author:
I describe the work of many people I admire in this book as examples of the way ideas and actions around healthcare are developing fast all over the world. I tried to contact them all in advance of publication to ask for their permission. I tried in the same way as for everyone else to contact Dr Mauvareen Beverley, but failed to get through and only spoke with her after publication. She tells me that she does not like my interpretation of her work and does not want to be associated with the book in any way. I have apologised to her for the discourtesy and for any hurt it may have caused. The references are on pages 94 and 131.

Correction:
John Snow made his groundbreaking demonstration in Soho, not Clapham as stated in the text.