Amongst the news and social media noise relating to COVID-19 there is a persistent, heart-breaking narrative, of patients who have died alone and families unable to say goodbye. This runs contrary to our cultural beliefs and values, yet in recent months it has become the norm. In this blog I (HC) write from my […]
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Essais et erreurs dans la bataille contre COVID-19 à Lubumbashi, République Démocratique du Congo
This blog is a part of # COVID19Africa Series. Click for English version. La première ligne des soins de santé primaires constitue le niveau de premier recours de soins, mais aussi de coordination et de synthèse des informations. Son rôle semble avoir volé en éclats devant le tâtonnement des réponses mal coordonnées et peu intégrées du […]
Trial and error in the battle against COVID-19 in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
This blog is a part of # COVID19Africa Series. Click for French version. The first line of health care is not only the primary level of care, it also ensures coordination of care and of patient information. However, in the DRC, its role seems to be in tatters due to the Congolese government’s ill-coordinated and ineffectively […]
Disruption as an opportunity: giving rise to a global ethos for planetary health
Life as we know it has, for millions of people around the globe, been put on-hold because of the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. Positive consequences so far recorded include unpolluted skies, cleaner waterways and thriving wildlife.1 Meanwhile, some richer nations have begun to question their socio-economic priorities. This is an opportunity to think carefully how we […]
COVID-19: Opportunities for cities to advance planetary health
COVID-19 is a stark reminder of the deep interconnections between natural systems and human health. For decades, scientists have raised concerns about urban sprawl changing natural ecosystems and increasing contact between animal species and humans: the perfect scenario for a zoonosis. Add to the mix characteristics associated with cities, such as air pollution, high […]
COVID-19 en Guinée : mobilisation de la première ligne de soins au Sud et au Nord!
This blog is a part of # COVID19Africa Series. Click for English version. Malgré la rhétorique en vigueur et l’expérience acquise dans la gestion de l’épidémie de la maladie à virus Ebola, la mise en pratique dans le système de santé guinéen des (dures) leçons apprises laisse encore à désirer. Bien que toutes les structures […]
COVID-19 in Guinea: The first line of health care in South and North get ready for action!
This blog is a part of # COVID19Africa Series. Click for French version. Despite the rhetoric and the experience gained during the Ebola epidemic, the implementation of these (hard) lessons learned in the Guinean health system still leaves a lot to be desired. Although all Ebola treatment centres are still in place, the number of […]
COVID-19 en Mauritanie: la bataille est-elle déjà gagnée ?
This blog is a part of # COVID19Africa Series. Click for English version Le covid-19, semblerait-t-il être un cauchemar ? La pandémie a entrainé un nombre important de décès dans le monde entier, avec des mesures de confinement drastiques qui impactent profondément la vie quotidienne des millions de citoyens. Dans notre région, elle touche nos voisins […]
COVID-19 in Mauritania: Has the battle already been won?
This blog is a part of # COVID19Africa Series. Click for French version. Does COVID-19 seem like a bad dream in which a significant number of people worldwide are killed, and drastic lockdown measures have a profound impact on the daily lives of millions of citizens? In our region, the virus is also affecting some […]
Not everything that counts can be counted: mixed methods impact evaluations in global health
Not everything that counts can be counted. And not everything that can be counted counts –William Bruce Cameron Do vaccination campaigns increase immunization rates in young children? Do home-visiting programs for new mothers increase exclusive breastfeeding? Studies designed to answer these questions are known as health impact evaluations and are key for global health […]