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, […]
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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 […]
Elevating Australia’s global health leadership: a path to equity and security
In an increasingly interconnected world, global health investment and partnership stand as a cornerstone for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing the pressing health challenges that transcend borders. As nations strive to meet the global commitment of leaving no one behind, Australia’s role in global health becomes vital. However, Australia’s engagement in […]
Breaking barriers: overcoming challenges in telepsychiatry in a tribal population
According to the National Mental Health Survey 2016, 10.6% of India’s adult population suffers from mental disorders with 83% of them being inadequately treated or not treated at all (treatment gap). The treatment gap is expected to be higher in rural and tribal areas. The journey from developing a mental illness to seeking care […]
Public health tragedy of the triple train accident
June 2, 2023, was a sad day, globally. Three trains crashed into each other in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. As of June, the triple train accident has led to 288 deaths and 1,100 injured people, making it the most significant such casualty of the decade. The aftermath has been further tragic. There […]
Challenging the marginalisation of ethical narratives in research with women survivors of violence in Afghanistan
This co-written blog post has emerged from a series of conversations between the authors and grows out of reflections on the research experiences of Dr Ahmad in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has systematically written and implemented policies to envelop women in silence. Silences and camouflage now define and govern how women conduct their lives. […]
Community-based-rehabilitation: empowering rural Sub-Saharan African communities to tackle NTD-related disabilities.
Neglected tropical diseases and their related disabilities in rural Sub-Saharan Africa Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a category of twenty tropical infections that affect more than 1 billion people worldwide who reside in poor and low-resource communities. According to the World Health Organisation estimates, Africa accounts for 40% of the worldwide NTDs burden, disproportionately […]