Recently, on the occasion of the ambitious Franco-German Make Our Planet Great Again program, I was able to set up an international research team to try to understand the relationship between climate change, population mobilities and health systems. Our project will take place in two of the countries most affected by population mobility induced […]
Latest articles
Biomarker research – an untapped avenue for tackling AMR?
Since the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming nearly a century ago, antibiotics have transformed healthcare. Recollections are waning that seemingly innocuous diseases, such as strep throat, were once fatal. But antibiotics are falling victim to their own success. Today’s widespread use of these wonder drugs – not just in human health but also in […]
Why we need to talk about NCDs in children ?
Recent years have seen a notable shift in the field of Global Health. Whereas attention used to focus on the prevention, management and control of the ‘big three’ infectious diseases – HIV, tuberculosis and malaria – the Sustainable Development Goals and WHO’s Global Action Plan mark the beginning of a new era. This puts welcome […]
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, […]
The Acronyms that Divide Us
TLAs that every HCW Should Know to Better Understand the UNGA HLM on UHC and SDGs writes Alexander W. Peters . The Chair of Medicine (CoM) at a leading hospital cut me off mid-sentence, and I briefly lost my train of thought. “What are NCDs?” he asked. We had been discussing, in broad terms, how […]
Do we really need more skilled health workers?
Do we really need more skilled health workers in a world of Artificial Intelligence and digital health ? Discusses Kenneth Yakubu As at 2013, the world was in need of 7.2 million health workers and this shortage is projected to increase to 12.9 million by 2035. This number captures only the need for skilled health […]
Our experience with rapid evidence synthesis: mid-level health providers (MLHPs) for Primary Health Care
What does conducting rapid evidence synthesis for decision making look like? Sandeep Moola shares his experience for developing one on MLHPs for LMICs Historically, mid-level health providers (MLHPs) have been providing diagnostic and clinical services, in high-income countries (HICs) as well as resourced constrained settings in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). They are variously […]
The public health imperative for advancing emergency care research in LMICs
Strong emergency care systems based on robust evidence are critical to advancing global health. Every minute counts when a patient is afflicted with a potentially life-threatening symptom or condition, and therefore it might seem daunting to consider conducting research in such acute conditions. But investment in emergency care research will be critical to achieving national […]
Bridging the access gap for treatment of diarrhea
This week, the global public health community welcomed the World Health Organization’s decision to include co-packaged oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc on its Model List of Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc). This new global normative guidance is an important and enabling step toward improving access to first line treatments for children with diarrhea. This […]