In 2013, the National Health Service (NHS) celebrated 65 years of providing comprehensive healthcare, free at the point of delivery to UK citizens. There are a number of factors contributing […]
South Asia
Manica Balasegaram: Drugs for the poor, drugs for the rich—why the current research and development model doesn’t deliver
The past month has seen the reputation of “Big Pharma” dented more than usual. The CEO of German pharmaceutical company Bayer, Marijn Dekkers, was reported as saying that the company […]
Anita Jain: Training science communicators in India
“Acupuncture boosts libido,” blared the headline of a leading Indian daily. “Acupuncture effective treatment for breast cancer,” proclaimed another. These are in effect reporting a study which examined if acupuncture […]
Vijayaprasad Gopichandran: The doctor-patient relationship—from blind faith to strategic trust
The relationship between a physician and their patient is a sacred covenant which is fundamental to successful clinical outcomes. From Hippocratic times when there was a strong tinge of altruism associated […]
Pragati B Hebbar and Vishal Rao: Tobacco or a job?
The department of personnel in Rajasthan, a state in India, has taken a bold step by making it mandatory for candidates who want a government job to commit to not […]
Richard Lehman’s journal review—28 January 2014
NEJM 23 Jan 2014 Vol 370 301 It’s hard to think of two places less alike than the icy expanses of Alaska and the hot claustrophobic depths of a South […]
Pranab Chatterjee: Discussing ethics in HIV/AIDS research in India
On 23 and 24 December 2013, the Department of AIDS Control (DAC), India, in collaboration with the CDC and FHI360 organised a capacity building workshop on ethics in HIV/AIDS research […]
Simon Chapman: When will the tobacco industry apologise for its galactic harms?
Last week, four US tobacco companies finally reached agreement with the US Department of Justice to fund large scale corrective advertising about five areas of tobacco control. Each advertisement will […]
Richard Lehman’s journal review—20 January 2014
NEJM 16 Jan 2014 Vol 370 201 Developing and marketing a new drug is a tricky business, but it can be a very lucrative one. AiCuris is a company I […]
Anita Jain: Ensuring no woman dies during childbirth in India
In conversation with my grandmother recently, I travelled nearly 60 years back in time to a village in Rajasthan as she recounted her near death experience during childbirth. Though lately […]