The English language cannot lay claim to the origins of surgical practice. Billroth and Langenbeck described their work in German; Dupuytren and Larrey in French; and Sushrutha in Sanskrit. During the twentieth century, English became the lingua franca of science (1). Its current status in academic communication creates both advantages and liabilities for academic global […]
Latest articles
‘Sin tax’: making clear who commits the sin
As countries introduce policy measures to respond to the growing epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), one policy intervention that is becoming increasingly popular is excise tax imposed on harmful products such as tobacco and alcohol – popularly known as ‘sin tax’1. This form of tax serves a dual purpose: reducing consumption of unhealthy products and […]
Ensuring LMIC participation in global health conferences
In spite of increasing digitalisation of the society, in-person conferences continue to remain as a critical forum for share knowledge and building networks. Major conferences are usually held in high-income counties .Participation from researchers in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) continue to remain a challenge. A major factor associated with low participation is high cost. […]
Human experiments and ethics – Global Health matters.
Global Health can serve as an incubator to facilitate understanding of trans-disciplinary best practice approaches. The WHO is demonstrating its new approach to global health with swift action for basic research standards. Responding to the international scandal on targeted genetic intervention in humans,the WHO Director General talks about gene having unintended consequences and that the […]
“Youth in Principle, Not on Paper or in Policy” – Primary Health Care & Universal Health Coverage
Just over a month ago, one of the most critical health events of the year took place in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Global Conference on Primary Health Care (AA40) marked the 40th anniversary of the Declaration of Alma Ata (1978), a visionary document that articulated a path forward towards health equity grounded in primary health care […]
An open letter to the WLGH18 Steering Committee: The need to adopt an intersectional lens to the gender equity agenda in global health
The second Women Leaders in Global Health (WLGH) Conference is being held on 8-9 November 2018. The conference is committed to “celebrating and supporting women in global and public health” and “will highlight emerging and established women leaders in global health”, with a strong focus on mentoring. (1) While we appreciate and support the initiative, we […]
Beyond profit and convenience: towards humanitarian dedication and conceptual coherence in Global Health
The growing presence of China as a forceful proponent in Global Health is beginning to receive proper attention. There can be no doubt that the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) of China has begun to define the range of realistic future scenarios for individual and concerted action. These scenarios should simultaneously account for both universalizing and […]
Weaponising the ‘Fog of War’: The challenge of fake news for humanitarian actors in conflict zones
“In war, truth is the first casualty.” – Aeschylus (Ancient Greek playwright & soldier) A recently released report on the Yemen conflict utilises a range of data sources to illustrate the Saudi coalition’s targeting of civilian, agricultural and fishing infrastructure, actions presumably intended to worsen the country’s existing humanitarian crisis. At the time of writing, […]
The WHO Astana Declaration: Where lies the future of primary health care?
Last week, governments of UN member states, academics and the international health community were hosted by WHO and the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan in Astana to reaffirm their commitment to universal primary health care. This pledge was first pronounced 40 years ago in Almaty on a Declaration that moulded the way primary healthcare works […]
Health literacy in four decades: from clinical challenge to a global social movement
The health literacy field is developing exponentially. Four decades ago it was alluded in an educational policy statement and later considered a challenge for filling in medicial forms and a barrier for communication and clinical practice. It was an issue discussed by few. Today, the collective health literacy actions characterise a global social movement on […]