Archive for October, 2011
The Only Animal Disease to be Eradicated: A Critical Exploration of Rinderpest and Our Future with Diseases
Disease eradication used to be a somewhat far-fetched idea even after the 1980 eradication of smallpox. It seemed like a one-time nonreplicable incident, simply a historic medical feat. The complicated politics surrounding disease eradication—enforcing water hygiene, reducing stigmatization, establishing a viable healthcare infrastructure system—continue to seem too overwhelming to resolve. Yet, recent events in the [...]
Where is Mental Health?
This first segment of a two-part series focuses on the absence of mental health as a significant priority on the global health stage. Unlike the more visible problems of HIV, malnutrition, or maternal and child health, mental health has not attained a heightened sense of urgency on the global health stage. The World Health Organization [...]
Bullying the Boss? Compulsory Licensing for Antiretroviral Drugs in Brazil and Thailand
By Shaira Bhanji Global Health Finance Columnist Underdeveloped, HIV-burdened regions of the world have the potential to make strides toward better survival outcomes, but they lack key resources. Simple antiretroviral drugs such as Efavirenz and Kaletra have been shown to lower deaths from HIV/AIDS by as much as 84 percent, yet the prices of these [...]
Lessons from Sweden: Establishing a Strong Framework for Health Development
By Carlos Schmidt Aid & Development Columnist Over the last two decades, China has increased its foreign aid contributions and quickly become the biggest donor to Africa. However, Chinese foreign aid comes with no strings attached and, as the British government warned, “the unconditional aid and cheap loans to African governments risks driving back into [...]
Emerging Multi-Drug Resistant Salmonella
The threat of salmonella infections has existed for more than a century as they are some of the most widely spread food-borne diseases. For several countries Salmonella has been a significant health burden—infecting millions and killing thousands worldwide. One of the most prevalent strains is Salmonella enterica, which is the cause of major foodborne illness [...]
Transgenic Mosquitoes: A New Approach to Preventing Malaria?
Malaria is preventable and curable, yet, due to gaps in systematized prevention efforts, the disease accounts for 20% of childhood deaths in Africa. As a result, groups such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have targeted malaria through vertical vector control programs. WHO identifies these efforts as “the only intervention that can reduce malaria transmission from very high levels to close to zero”. However, the success of top-down vector control efforts is limited because by nature they are often focused on one specific issue…
Midwives a Potential Fulfillment of Ghana’s CARMMA?
By Beth Kinsella Maternal & Child Health Columnist The launching of the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortaility in Africa (CARMMA) in the Eastern Region of Ghana by First Lady Ernestina Naadu Mills on September 30, 2011 marks a decisive step toward improving maternal health in the country. The lifetime risk of maternal mortality in [...]
Balancing Panic and Threat: What ‘Contagion’ Tells Us about Pandemics Today
By Andrew Lea Infectious Disease Columnist Just two months ago, the film Contagion landed itself a top spot at the box office and has since grossed 80 million dollars.[1] The apocalyptic thriller chronicles the progression of a deadly transmissible virus alongside the international community’s race to address mounting health concerns—both unfolding as global social order [...]
Antimicrobial Resistance: A Multi-National Collaborative Response
By Megan Parsons Infectious Disease Columnist Life’s minor cuts, scrapes, and sores often have us reaching for the triple antibiotic ointment and a band-aid to prevent infection. Recently, however, experts say a new Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain has emerged because of use of these over-the-counter ointments.[1] In addition, scientists made an alarming discovery that commonly [...]
India’s Janai Suraksha Yojana: A Conditional Cash Transfer Program for Maternal and Child Health
By Cameron Johnstone Maternal & Child Health Columnist Should governments provide cash incentives to low-income populations for using available public health services? In 2005, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare introduced a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program called Janai Suraksha Yojana (JSY) that does exactly this. Eligible pregnant women who deliver their babies [...]
