Before Christmas I participated in an educational event for obstetricians and perinatologists from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It was arranged by GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) as part of their project […]
Guest writers
Mervyn Dean on adjusting to work in Tanzania
It used to be, and may still be, that in the tourist shops here one could buy a T-shirt bearing the words, “No hurry in Africa.” I now understand what […]
Martin Dawes: Health research: what’s in a name?
Every year my family tease me about going to NAPCRG, the North American Primary Care Research Group. This is pronounced “nap crag” and it does not take a huge leap […]
Chris Cox on “criminalising” health care practice
A team of medical ethicists is calling for a new criminal offence of wilful neglect in the UK. The call, in the Journal of Medical Ethics, follows scandals over care such […]
Alison Donnelly on the aftermath of the floods in Pakistan
Whenever I drive through the province of Sindh in southern Pakistan, I’m struck by the vast expanse of once-thriving farmland that now lies barren. Standing water from last year’s catastrophic […]
Rachel Wake: A glimpse into “Choleraville,” Haiti
There is a Haitian proverb which goes “deye mon, gen mon” – beyond the mountains there are mountains. Consider Haiti’s history for a moment – tainted by slavery, witchcraft, civil […]
Abhay Bang on saving children’s lives
In 1945 my father had just been released from prison after taking part in India’s freedom movement and wanted to travel to the US to study economics. One week before he […]
David Nicholl: It’s the BMJ wot won it, and the NHS should think like Tesco
In November, I had decided to challenge the impasse over the availability of an effective, but unlicensed, medication for Lambert Eaton Myasthenic syndrome by writing an FP10 for the cheaper […]
Seye Abimbola: Reflections on the non-existent health system
Imagine a country without a health system; imagine the chaos, and inefficiency. In such a setting, the only form of health systems research necessary would be to generate evidence towards […]
Tony Falconer on leading healthier lives
The coalition government seems keen to engage with individuals and organisations, to help them help themselves lead healthier lives. This, we are told, will be done through encouragement and collaboration […]