As of May 01, 2020, The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq has confirmed 381 COVID-19 cases and five deaths. The low number in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is not dissimilar to trends in The Middle East and North Africa (MENA). However, there are concerns that the numbers might be higher than official […]
Category: Health System
COVID-19 response in Uganda: notes and reflections
This blog is a part of #COVID19Africa Series Uganda typically experiences recurring disease outbreaks throughout the year is in a state of continuous alerts (1). The country has invested in the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system which has helped to mitigate numerous outbreaks. Despite our fairly advanced surveillance system, the threat of an […]
“Using my Voice” to Decolonize Global Health
Last week I watched the Decolonize Global Health online conference at the University of Edinburgh , where Madhukar Pai, Director of Global Health at McGill University, said that the bright spot he sees in all this is the youth can see through the BS. And by BS, he means the “colonialism” in global health […]
Elder Care during COVID-19 : Reflections from Shanghai
On January 23, 2020, Wuhan, a Chinese city with over 10 million people, was locked down due to COVID-19. Subsequently, all cities in China instituted the highest level emergency response. The response mandated home isolation, reduced unessential hospital visits, restricted social activities, and the use of personal protection equipment (e.g., face masks) outdoors. We […]
Towards a more inclusive model of health technology assessment
The buzz-word of evidence informed decision making is all pervasive in the health policy and systems space. However, it is easier said than done. To facilitate evidence informed decision making, the Government of India established a formal institutional structure known as Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn) under Department of Health Research (DHR) in […]
Protecting China’s healthcare workers during COVID-19
With over a hundred thousand COVID-19 cases across 100 countries , the World Health Organization (WHO), has declared the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (1). COVID-19 originated from Wuhan in the Hubei Province in China, the epicenter of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak since December 2019. COVID-19 is highly contagious and […]
COVID-19 and the Global Health Workforce
Following the second meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, the novel Corona virus or COVID-19 outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This has negatively impacted the global economy and global travel, with growing concerns for preparedness of health systems worldwide and its […]
Learning through partnerships to build stronger health systems for Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
Increasingly aid is moving towards a bilateral partnership model of institutional health partnerships to complement multi-lateral efforts through bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO).1 The UK government, in its recent aid strategy2, set out a move towards partnership approaches such as the Better Health Programme (BHP); a co-developed programme of technical collaboration […]
A National Digital Health Blueprint for India: The Road Ahead
The WHO resolution on Digital Health1 that was adopted by the member states during the 71st World Health Assembly in May 2018 had India as a lead sponsor. The Indian delegation led by Honorable Health Minister participated in a ministerial side meeting on leveraging digital health for Universal Health Coverage . India shared its grand […]
Why We Need to Address Surgery in Low-Resource Countries ?
Surgery remains grossly neglected in global health. This particularly affects low-resource settings with weak surgical health systems. ‘Global surgery’ is the term now adopted to describe the rapidly developing field seeking to address this, although recognition of this emerging multidisciplinary area is still evolving. To help define this interface between surgery, anaesthesia, and public health, […]