When speaking with American and Bolivian doctors, global health students, and public health advocates alike about the persistence of Chagas disease in Bolivia, I frequently hear statements like, “there’s just not enough education on the disease” and “people don’t know how to protect themselves from it.” But, how do we know what people know, […]
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Polio beyond a medical problem
Polio—a disease that was once believed to be close to eradication worldwide—has reemerged in Pakistan compared with previous years, according to World Health Organization. The country reported 70 cases of poliomyelitis due to wild poliovirus 1 in 2024. This emerging situation impacts decades of global and national progress. Vaccination drives are under obstruction, with […]
Building Bridges: How Community Leaders Foster Mental Health in Crisis Situations
Introduction In the northeastern part of Myanmar, a place where the ongoing violence and conflict are still present, an extraordinary group of volunteers emerged as a beacon of hope. Despite the communication, transportation and challenges such as own trauma, these volunteer leaders have taken the role of providing the Mental Health Psychosocial Support […]
Ten Low-Cost Interventions to Provide Mental Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Mental health challenges are a growing concern in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with over 75% of those needing mental health treatment receiving no treatment at all. Limited resources, stigma, and a lack of trained professionals make addressing these issues difficult. Many LMICs face multiple, overlapping crises, such as war, economic decline, and pandemics […]
To succeed, Kenya should learn from other social health insurance reforms.
Kenya has recently taken a major step towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by introducing the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). SHIF replaces the National Hospital Insurance Fund and is intended to provide more comprehensive access and coverage. While social health insurance can help countries attain UHC, international experience suggests that implementing such reforms is […]
From Texts to Triage: The WhatsApp Clinic Experience
In a bustling paediatric clinic in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, the day begins not only with appointments but also with a steady stream of WhatsApp messages from anxious parents. The screen flickers as a mother text for advice, the urgency in her tone unmistakable: her 4-year-old son has a high-grade fever and refuses to […]
Faustine E. Ndugulile: Positioning Tanzania as a Model for African Public Health
The landscape of public health leadership in Africa has been indelibly marked by individuals whose efforts and vision extend beyond their immediate environments, crafting frameworks for transformations, sustainable health interventions, and policy reforms. Among these eminent figures was Dr. Faustine E. Ndugulile, a multi-skilled public health leader with nearly three decades of experience leveraging […]
Health is the new Global Plastics Treaty Battleground
In November, international delegates to INC-5, the international negotiating committee for a Global Plastics Treaty (GPT) held in Busan, South Korea, failed to agree on a legally binding United Nations treaty on plastic pollution. The main fault lines lie between countries supporting an ambitious treaty, including a cap on plastic production, and a minority […]
Summit of the Future: Critical Reflections From Young People
The Summit of the Future, held from 22nd to 23rd September, 2024 in New York, vouched to commit to “bold new solutions,” responded to the current challenges, and renewed action towards fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. The Summit brought forth a Pact for the Future, along with two other key documents—the Declaration on Future […]
Strengthening civil society actions to combat transnational corporations
On April 21, 2024, the Chief Minister of Kerala, received a letter from the CEO of Coca Cola informing the company’s intent to bequeath it’s 35-acre land that contain the now shut bottling plant established in 2000 in Plachimada village of Palakkad district. While this may read positive for the uninitiated as few are […]