In high-income countries, 5% of adults suffer from diagnostic error each year in the outpatient setting. Of these, over half of these errors have “the potential for severe harm.” This is thought to be an underestimate in high-income countries, and the rate of diagnostic errors in low income countries may be much higher.[1] In the […]
Category: Global Health
Making a difference by changing health behaviors
As an alternative to a traditional cigarette, an electronic nicotine delivery system, or vaping, is becoming more popular around the globe. Over half of the world’s population live in the 62 countries that have available mechanisms for vaping.[1] In the case report, “Beliefs and reality of e-cigarette smoking,” Menakuru et al report that an overwhelming […]
Student Elective Competition 2018/19: A call for entries
We are now launching the 2018/19 competition for students and interns. Write up your experiences as a global health case report and you could be the winner of a position as a Global Health Associate Editor for BMJ Case Reports. All authors must be students or interns at the time of submission. Your entry will […]
Making a difference in gender disparities
Across the globe, women are made vulnerable by modifiable determinants in their homes, communities and cultures. In “Barriers to healthcare for female patients in Papua New Guinea,” Klaver and Coe address some of this risk. The authors present the case of a 25 year old woman who had complaints of abdominal distension, exertional dyspnea and […]
Making a difference providing equitable renal care globally
In their report, Treatment of end-stage renal disease with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in rural Guatemala, Moore et al describe a 42-year old indigenous Maya man who loses his job after being diagnosed with complicated diabetes. He later develops renal failure of unknown etiology. The patient originally presents to a non-profit clinic, then goes to […]
Making a difference – providing healthcare to undocumented immigrants
Washington and Oberdorfer published a case report entitled, “A 5-year old boy with miliary and osteoarticular tuberculosis,” in BMJ Case Reports. The case was can important reminder of a clinical lesson, and a good outcome. “Seven months after discharge, the patient had persistent limited ROM, but was otherwise asymptomatic…. [F]amily agreement to surgery was still […]
Making a Difference by Addressing Social Determinants of Health
“Social Determinants of Health (SDH) are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the waiter set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, Social norms, social policies and political systems.”1 SDH have a profound impact […]
Making a Difference in Low-Resource Settings
By Nathan Douthit In February, 1999, the World Health Organization partnered with more than 20 non-governmental organizations involved in eye care to launch VISION2020: The Right to Sight. The goal of this initiative is to eliminate the main preventable and treatable causes of blindness by the year 2020. The threefold strategy involves disease control, human […]
Making a Difference with Individual Patients-Health Equity, Power, and Dignity
By Nathan Douthit At another session of CUGH’s Annual Meeting, Richard Horton, Editor in Chief of the Lancet, debated Cheryl Heaton, director of New York University’s Global Institute of Public Health, on the subject: Equity is the defining objective of global health in the 21st century. Heaton argued in favour of the motion, saying […]
Making a Difference Through Advocacy
By Nathan Douthit At the annual meeting for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health this year, the theme was Health Disparities: A Time for Action. The keynote address was delivered by Stephen Lewis, former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, humanitarian and broadcaster. He spoke about, “The drama of disparities,” […]