Good news in the health world is a funny thing. For those of us working in the field, it makes us nervous. After nearly a decade working in HIV, I can uncomfortably say that I’m invested in the bad news: when the New York Times says the AIDS war is falling apart, I hope that people will mobilize. When […]
Some fascinating things that I’ve read in the last week, related to the social determinants of health and policies to improve public health. Greg Lindsay at Fast Company charts the linkages between public health and urban sprawl, an association that was once deemed radical. He writes about Dr. Richard Jackson, former CDC Chief,’s realization that America’s urban […]
I wanted to quickly point out an excellent article in the Economist from a few weeks back, highlighting Kaiser Permanente’s approach to integrated approach to healthcare. While I find it interesting in the context of the American health insurance debate, I’m most intrigued by the element of aligning incentives. The Economist writes: Kaiser also aligns […]
I am currently reading the Millennium Villages 2008 Annual Report. Here’s some food for thought: The MVP (Millennium Villages Project) is highlighting the value and feasibility of integrated community-based investments, rather than the one-by-one investment strategies too often deployed in rural areas. Because of budgetary limitations, donors and NGOs too often search for a single […]
Continuing our journey through the health systems lingo, consider these images, courtesy of World Mapper, which map the world based on the numbers. We commonly use these images at the organization where I work to underscore the disparity of human resources for health in the regions of the world where the disease burden is greatest. Total […]
Today marks the opening session of the WHO’s World Health Assembly, the 63rd of its kind. As the decision-making body of the WHO, the assembly meets annually to convene the health ministers of the 193 member states, approve the budget and appoint the Director General. Top of the agenda this year is H1N1, which has been […]
A few items of note that I read over the course of last week: Last Sunday, the New York Times published an article, “At Front Lines, AIDS War is Falling Apart”, causing a spate of emails and exchanges across the HIV/AIDS world. The article cited the funding cuts that I discussed in the round-up two weeks back, […]
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has released the results from their latest round of funding for innovative projects. This round consists of 78 awards, of $100,000 each, and were chosen from nearly 3,000 submissions. Reading the list was a wonder. Winners include ideas for carnivorous plants and insecticide-treated scarves to prevent malaria, a circumcision tool […]
According to the WHO, a “well-functioning health system ensures equitable access to essential medical products, vaccines and technologies of assured quality, safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness, and their scientifically sound and cost-effective use”. In 2007, the pharmaceutical industry racked up revenues of $643 billion, with almost half of that generated in the United States. Not so for long: emerging markets are […]
Here are some of my favourite reads from the week, focusing on maternal health in honour of Mother’s Day: State of the World’s Mothers was released on Tuesday by Save the Children. The report ranks 160 countries in terms of where it is best and worst to be a mom. Norway is at the top […]
I’m currently attending a conference about sustainability in the HIV/AIDS sector, hosted by a prominent NGO that provides technical assistance to US Government funded organizations. The opening session was quite interesting, addressing the topic of “What is the future for HIV/AIDS programmes in South Africa?” It was a good crowd-attention getter, since everyone in the room […]
Soap operas could save the world. Who knew? Soul City, one of the longest-running, most popular soaps in South Africa, is funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and carries the messages of HIV prevention regularly (watch a clip here). And an article in Sunday’s Boston Globe makes the case that soaps are also changing the ways […]
Health Service Delivery: a commonly-used term without common definition. Despite searching high and low for a definition that would satisfy me – the WHO, my source of choice, even failed me here – I have been forced to try my hand at crafting one. But let me start with a story from my adopted country, […]
Last week, President Koroma of Sierra Leone launched an initiative which promised free health care for pregnant and lactating women in the country. This week, the numbers of women presenting at hospitals have increased ten-fold, stretching the capacity of the health system to provide care. With infant mortality rates that rank the worst in the […]
Here are a few articles that have caught my attention this week, focusing on some emerging analysis about the implications for President Obama’s re-vamp of PEPFAR and reduced commitments to the Global Fund: · A Boston Globe story from early April, which highlighted fears from HIV/AIDS treatment advocates that funding under Obama’s recent re-authorization and […]