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Young (and occasionally less young) researchers, mostly from LMICs, present their views on global health issues.
As is well known, the target set by the MDGs to reduce global maternal mortality by 75% has fallen short – only a 45% reduction was observed between 1990 and 2015. As a reminder: 50% of global maternal deaths occurred in 5 developing countries (India, Nigeria, DRC, Ethiopia, and Pakistan) in 2015; 66 % of all deaths took place in Sub-Saharan Afr...
Last weekend I read with interest the article ‘If not now, when’ – Time for the European Union to define a global health strategy’ in the Lancet Global Health. Some people (like Ilona Kickbusch) already commented on the viewpoint via Twitter – I suspect some people sleep next to their Twitter feed – and no doubt the piece will spark more...
Alexander von Humboldt once described Ecuadorians as strange and unique beings who sleep peacefully surrounded by roaring volcanoes, live poor among incomparable riches and become happy listening to sad music. I would agree with this assessment, but would add that we Ecuadorians also suffer from a short-term memory crisis. We forget our past qui...
People are on the move more than ever before: while some migrate in search of greener pastures, many others are forcibly displaced, fleeing conflicts or escaping persecution. This has significant implications for the health sector in countries of origin, transit and destination. Existing health systems struggle to adapt, especially in the contex...
It hasn’t been the best week for the Global Fund so far, to say the least. But perhaps this was to be expected in the new “Trumpean era”. With hindsight, the last replenishment round in Montréal, in September 2016, might have been the swansong of the old “MDG-style” Global Fund. At least financing in the SDG era and the relationship...
“If one tells of a place where the rain met him, he is given a place to warm up by the fire” Nigerian Ibo Proverb Between 21st and 23rd February 2017, the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) hosted the first International Symposium on Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Kampala, Uganda. This symposium brought together over ...
Granted, the Liverpool HSR symposium in 2018 still feels far away, especially in a world in turmoil and full of “alternative facts” (not to mention the toddler fun one can have with #jesuisIKEA tweets or ‘tiny Trump’ pictures on social media 🙂 ). But the deadline for sharing ideas for a theme for the 5th Global HSR Symposium ( 28t...
“Am I audible? Am I visible?” Abheena Aher (National Programme Manager, Global Action for Trans Equality, India) asked the audience at the recent Prince Mahidol Award Conference in Bangkok, equating the invisibility of those excluded from society to transparent glasses through which people see without acknowledging the individual or hu...
About six months ago, the government introduced a Bill in the Indian Parliament that seeks to make changes to the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961. The law requires employers to provide women employees with maternity leave of up to 12 weeks, with full wages. The proposed Bill raises this period of maternity leave to 26 weeks. The Bill is scheduled...