Blog

Women in the Frontlines: A Decisive Accelerator of Global Health and other SDGs

Gender is a social construct that often intersects with, but differs greatly from, biological sex. It refers to the socially constructed norms, roles, behaviours, attributes and relations that a given society considers appropriate for women and men. These invariably affect the social and economic responsibilities assigned, activities undertaken, access to and control over resources, as well as decision-making opportunities. Gender equality is a human right that is crucial to the achievement of a global society Read more…

By Eleleta Surafel Abay, ago

Las Kellys: occupational health self-organized fight

Occupation being one key determinant of health, insufficiently compensated employees impose challenges both for the industry and for the whole society. The burden they hold seems to be multifaceted as it falls disproportionately on workers who are further disadvantaged in society. Las Kellys is a group of hotel room cleaners that have organized themselves to fight for better working conditions in Spain. Through their successes, they have been a mirror of an access to health problem in the country, as well as an example on how approaching an issue with an intersectional approach can work under a self-organized movement.

By Neus Rosell, ago
Health Footprint

The Omicron Variant

A new variant on the scene The world has yet again faced another variant of COVID-19. The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa and Botswana in November 2021 and, according to many scientific researches and public health projections scientists, it will soon enough become the dominant variant to wreak havoc on our health systems. Even with mass vaccinations, and boosters at play, it seems that the race to herd immunity against COVID-19 is Read more…

By Michelle Nhat Ly T. Reyes, ago
Comprehensive Cleft Care in Low and Middle Income Countries

Comprehensive Cleft Care: The Key to Holistic Cleft Treatment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

In recent years, refinements in surgery, along with a better understanding of psychological, dental, nutritional and vocal needs of children born with cleft lip and/or palate, have greatly improved their quality of life. Comprehensive Cleft Care (CCC) is the integration of essential treatments beyond surgical care in cleft management, inclusive of nutritional counseling, orthodontic and general dental/oral care, speech therapy and psychosocial support. The fundamentals of cleft care are primarily dictated by the needs of patients and their families, as well as the capacity of healthcare facilities. Community based practitioners and primary care units make up the backbone of healthcare systems in LMICs. Therefore, early outreach activities remain the core of treatment goals in such settings.

By Eleleta Surafel Abay, ago
africa concept map

Religious perspective on health: why western practitioners miss the mark in African public health

Effective public health interventions must be dynamic, extending beyond a clinical purview to address health inequities between the global north and south. Global health “involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences” and, therefore, should be able to account for and meet the needs of local populations by stepping out of the western biomedical perspective. However, when dominant institutions and NGOs are rooted in western culture, intervention design often fails to account for the Read more…

By Kat Morgan, ago
HIV Stigma

HIV: The Paradigm of Inequality- Renewed Pride, Same Stigma

June is the Pride Month to celebrate the LGBT community and today, June 28th, cultures across the world celebrate the Pride Day, commemorating the Stonewall riots which occurred 52 years ago in New York City. The fight for LGBT rights has seen several victories since then, but it is far from over. It still needs to be renewed and continue to face injustice. Last month, I came across some news that made me reflect upon Read more…

By Almudena Sanz Gutierrez, ago
Refugees Day

Honouring Refugees – Together, We Heal, Learn & Shine!

“Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us—except that a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.” Khaled Hosseini Standing in Solidarity with Refugees Around the world, 82 million people have been forced to flee their homes, food crises have worsened, with protracted conflict, extreme weather and the pandemic exacerbating shortages, as many as 115 million people have been Read more…

By Leah Sarah Peer, ago
Health Footprint

Climate Footprints of Healthcare

Climate change is a global health threat—contributing to heat waves, storms, floods, droughts and fires, altered infectious disease patterns, food shortages, and air pollution.  It adds an increased burden on  healthcare systems across the world. But less is known about the reverse: the environmental footprints of the healthcare sector have not been traced enough.  Healthcare’s Climate Footprint The Healthcare sector is responsible for a substantial share of the world’s emission of greenhouse gases and air Read more…

By Preeti Shakya, ago
Destigmatizing menstruation

Destigmatizing menstruation in Nepal

Dr. Preeti Shakya is a medical doctor from Nepal who founded Project “In Her Hands” in 2017 with an aim to destigmatize menstruation and normalize conversations around it. In this interview, she tells us about what led to starting this initiative and how it’s like working with the local community.  1.  What are the main goals of the project to destigmatize menstruation ‘In Her Hands’? Menstruation is still a taboo subject in many developing countries Read more…

By Preeti Shakya, ago
Trachoma

LET’S TALK ABOUT NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES: TRACHOMA

Two weeks ago, on 20th April, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that  Gambia had eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Although this is great news for the global health community, to fully understand the relevance of it, it is crucial to talk about trachoma as a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) and about NTDs themselves still posing one of the greatest challenges for health equity. Neglected Tropical Diseases: What Are They and Why Are Read more…

By Almudena Sanz Gutierrez, ago