About two weeks into February, the Nursing Council in Nigeria announced a new policy to curb the migration of the nursing workforce. This policy, which will come into effect in March, will require that entry-level nurses work for a minimum of two years before applying for verification of their nursing licence for overseas work. […]
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Large scale AI based diabetic tele-retinopathy screening project in Saudi Arabia
Diabetes is a significant public health concern in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and globally. Diabetes damages blood vessels all over the human body. When diabetes damages the blood vessels in the retina of the eyes, it can cause a condition called diabetic retinopathy that can cause blindness. Globally, the prevalence of diabetes […]
Addressing barriers to cervical cancer prevention in the Philippines
‘’Prevention is better than cure” – this adage has been around for centuries, and remains to be a fundamental principle of modern medicine. As we celebrate world cancer prevention awareness month this February, we focus on cervical cancer, which has become one of the most preventable malignancies, thanks to effective primary and secondary prevention strategies. […]
Many efforts yet few achievements: Where should healthcare quality improvement policies focus in LMICs?
Challenges related to availability and access to good quality healthcare services contribute to about 15% of deaths in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the attention to quality healthcare in many countries has not been adequate, albeit rising over the years. Several studies highlight challenges in healthcare quality, including the availability of health services, […]
Exploring art therapy as a means of stress reduction in Myanmar’s turbulent environment
Introduction In the midst of tough times in Myanmar, especially since the military took over in February 2021, stress has been on the rise. Life has become harder for many people. But there is something surprising and powerful comes in—art. Yes, drawing, painting, and being creative have become like a helping hand, a way […]
Improving COVID-19 vaccine accessibility in urban settings: a case study from Bihar, India
Health systems across the globe experienced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a year, many vaccine candidates received emergency approval; however, from discovery to herd immunity, it poses challenges, primarily in its development, affordability, accessibility, and acceptability. Developed countries faced challenges mostly in its acceptability, while developing countries faced challenges in its rollout, […]
Reducing adolescent inequity through strategic investment: a global perspective
Adolescent inequity stands as a compelling and widespread global challenge that extends beyond national boundaries, exerting a profound impact on marginalised communities across the world. This blog post undertakes an in-depth exploration of the multifaceted nature of adolescent inequity on a global scale, underscoring the critical importance of strategic investments in adolescents as a […]
Learning from the past: A systems approach to facility financing reforms
There is a growing consensus among health financing specialists that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) should ensure that government-owned health facilities receive some public funding directly and have the flexibility to spend it. The term direct facility financing (DFF) has come to be associated with such reforms that have drawn support from the Lancet […]
‘Pity the region’* – Gaza and the politics of health in the Middle East
A region of protracted conflict: the perennial template of suffering The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a catastrophe. Sixteen years of blockade has left Gaza in a fragile humanitarian state. However, the current conflict is one of many humanitarian disasters that has afflicted the region since the Arab Awakening in 2011; protracted conflicts in […]
The silent mental health crisis among men in Uganda
As we did our summer field work in a mental health clinic in Kabale, Uganda, both of us— medical doctors and public health researchers—couldn’t help but notice a striking discrepancy: the absence of men at the mental health clinic contrasted with a significant number of male adults battling mental health disorders and alcoholism in […]