THE IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING DOMESTIC PUBLIC HEALTH LAW AND LEGAL SYSTEMS SUPPORTING GLOBAL HEALTH GOVERNANCE: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK TO ASSESS THE DOMESTIC PUBLIC HEALTH LAW SITUATION IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC REGION COUNTRIES.

The aims of this study are to present an argument that emphasizes the usefulness of an analysis framework for analyzing public health law and legal systems; identifying methods for improving the application of this framework, including its academic value for public health law; and enhancing the future use of the framework for supporting global health governance. To help formulate the initial analysis framework and tool, we have, along with expert consultations, conducted a literature review on global health governance and public health law. Meetings were also held with World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) technical staff members on the applicability and benefits of the framework and tool.

Developing a tool for assessing public health law in countries.

At present, the World Health Organization (WHO) is in the process of developing a tool designed to assess the status of public health legislation in a given country. An Expert Consultation on Public Health Law was convened in Manila, Philippines, in May 2011. The participants agreed that the tool could serve as a guide for a regional approach to assist Member States in assessing the scope, completeness, and adequacy of their public health law.

Biomedical ethics policy in Korea: characteristics and historical development.

Ethical consideration is an inseparable part of policy-making in modern society. Biomedical ethics is an interdisciplinary study of ethical issues that result from advances in medical practices and research. Because these issues often arise at the bedside, society must provide solutions or judgments that are effective and applicable.

A Korean perspective on developing a global policy for advance directives.

Despite the wide and daunting array of cross-cultural obstacles that the formulation of a global policy on advance directives will clearly pose, the need is equally evident. Specifically, the expansion of medical services driven by medical tourism, just to name one important example, makes this issue urgently relevant. While ensuring consistency across national borders, a global policy will have the additional and perhaps even more important effect of increasing the use of advance directives in clinical settings and enhancing their effectiveness within each country, regardless of where that country's state of the law currently stands.

The relationship between anatomic variations of paranasal sinuses and chronic sinusitis in children.

Conclusions: Anatomical variations in the nose and paranasal sinuses are common in children. Due to the absence of a definitive relationship between anatomical variations and sinus disease, local, systemic or environmental factors appear to be more significant in pediatric sinusitis than the anatomic variations.

Objective: Chronic sinusitis is increasing in the pediatric population.