Children in conflict-affected contexts have been left behind: Insights from the WUENIC vaccine coverage estimates and polio cases in 2024

  In mid-July 2024, Fatima gave birth to her first child in a town in South Kordofan. Just a day later, paramilitary forces attacked her town, forcing her to flee to a remote village without healthcare. In August 2024, famine was declared in the same region she fled. Fatima’s child is now nearly one year […]

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Impacts of food delivery on the environment: Can the industry overcome plastic waste, carbon emissions and health challenges to build a sustainable future?

  Advances in technology have transformed access to foods, with online food delivery services (OFDS) growing rapidly. Platforms such as UberEats, Menulog, and DoorDash in Australia, and Meituan and Ele.me in China, make ordering food simple and fast. Usage surged during COVID-19 and remains high. China is the largest global market, valued at $37.7 billion […]

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We Needed Pharmacists in Primary Care: But Did We Get It Right? Lessons from the UK, Opportunities for Albania

  Primary care systems across Europe are under pressure and pharmacists could be part of the solution. In the UK, a shortage of general practitioners (GPs) prompted efforts to expand multidisciplinary teams, including the integration of pharmacists into general practice. A decade later, the results are mixed: pharmacists brought clear benefits, but lack of integration […]

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Eliminating Uncorrected Refractive Error by 2030: LMICs Need Policies and a Roadmap, Not Just Intentions

Eye health intersects with several key UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), making it a critical issue globally. An estimated 2.2 billion people suffer from impaired vision, and uncorrected refractive error (URE) is among the primary, preventable causes of vision loss. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), approximately two-thirds of those who need spectacles lack access […]

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From Aid to Autonomy: How Africa Can Build Resilient Health Systems

  Despite over $1 trillion in aid allocation over the past 50 years, many African countries remain trapped in cycles of donor dependency that undermine long-term growth and development. This model, though well-intentioned, has encouraged foreign dependence, weakened local ownership, suppressed innovation, and resulted in significant resource allocation inefficiency. In today’s era of reduced funding, […]

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Deafness is not an infectious disease but a global health priority

  Introduction The UK Government’s 2025 Spending Review has struck another blow to global health research. Beyond the reduction of the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income, it has introduced a new prioritisation in what is funded: activities related to global health security and ODA contributions to multilateral institutions. This […]

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Lost in the shadows: the hidden mental health crisis among tribal women in India

  There is a common belief—especially among urban populations—that those living close to nature enjoy better mental health. But our experience in the tribal communities of Dangs district in Gujarat, India, tells a different story. Despite its scenic beauty, Dangs—a small tribal district with around 2.8 lakh people—faces deep socio-economic challenges such as poverty, low […]

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Oral Health Is a Public Health Crisis — So Why Is It Missing From Refugee Care?

  Despite growing attention to universal health coverage and migrant health equity, oral health remains systematically excluded from global refugee health strategies. This blog explores the implications of this gap, drawing on my clinical experience in India, health systems research in Tajikistan, and policy analysis in the United States. I argue that oral health is not a […]

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Is it wise to have an integrated ayurveda-modern medicine course?

  Ayurveda, India’s traditional medicine, has historically been open-minded and inclusive. In the ancient and medieval times, it collaborated actively with the traditions of alchemy and Unani to incorporate into its knowledge-base whatever appeared true and useful. The Charaka-Samhita, a 2000-year old classic on which Ayurveda is based, expressly upheld humility and openness in the […]

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