Archive for category: Health

Information and stories on health topics.

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Healthcare in Chad: Important Details to Know

healthcare in Chad
Chad is in the top ten countries for oil production in Africa. However, very little of the revenue of oil sales goes into improving the living conditions and healthcare in Chad. In Chad, it is reported that 66% of the population is living in poverty. The World Bank reported in 2018 that 88% of the Chadian population does not have access to electricity. Additionally, it is estimated that 44% of the population does not have access to clean drinking water. These factors create obstacles for the healthcare system. Here is what you need to know about healthcare in Chad.  

Access to Health Services 

Chad has a very low number of healthcare professionals. The World Health Organization reported that there are 3.7 doctors per 100,000 people. This number is well below the global average of 141 doctors per 100,000 people. The number of healthcare professionals remains low in Chad due to the many insecurities the Chadian population faces. Due to ongoing violence, 122,312 people have been internally displaced in Chad. This factor causes an obstacle that inhibits the population from seeking education and training. 

Chad spends approximately $30 per capita on healthcare. Spending on healthcare in Chad fell by $14 per capita from 2014 to 2017. The decrease in funding has caused many healthcare facilities to be poorly equipped and unable to pay healthcare workers, leaving the Chadian population with minimal access to medical services. 

Maternal Health 

Maternal health is considered to be a major indicator of the strength of a healthcare system in a country. Currently, in Chad, 80% of births are not attended by a skilled professional, whereas in the United States, only 1% of births are not attended by a skilled professional. This lack of access to maternal health professionals causes Chad to have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. In 2017, the World Health Organization reported the mortality rate in Chad to be 1,140 deaths per 100,000 live births. This number is far higher than neighboring countries such as Sudan and Libya, who have mortality rates of 295 and 72 deaths per 100,000 live births, respectively.

The lack of access to maternal healthcare in Chad is made more severe by many young teenage girls becoming pregnant in Chad. UNICEF reported that 68% of girls below the age of 18 are married and under five percent of these girls have access to contraception. The World Health Organization cites that maternal complications are the leading cause of death in girls aged 15 to 19 years old. Mothers under 18 years old are also more likely to experience systemic infections and neonatal complications. These complications can become fatal to young mothers in Chad due to the lack of access to maternal health services.  

Malnutrition

Chad experiences some of the highest levels of malnutrition in the world. In the central Chadian town of Borko, almost half of all child deaths are due to malnutrition. Also, 40% of Chadian children experience growth stunting due to a lack of access to food. Chad goes through periods of severe drought causing food insecurity and lack of income for many families. The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) has set up a hospital in Chad. ALIMA reported that the malnutrition ward is overrun and the organization had to expand malnutrition treatment services to cope with the demand. 

The Burden of Diarrheal Disease

Diarrheal disease is among the leading causes of disease burden in developing countries. In 2017, diarrheal disease caused 1.6 million deaths globally and 528,000 of these deaths occurred in children under the age of five. In Chad, mortality due to diarrheal disease is 300 per 100,000 people. Chad’s diarrheal mortality rate is higher than the mortality rate observed in developed countries, which is reported to be 1 per 100,000 people. Diarrheal diseases are perceived to be treatable; however, they are highly fatal in Chad due to the lack of healthcare services.

Healthcare Improvements

Due to the instability in Chad, external organizations are working to improve the living conditions and access to healthcare in Chad. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has partnered with the United Nations to provide immunizations and sanitary facilities to Chadian children. The initiative aims to decrease the mortality rates of diarrheal disease and other communicable diseases such as measles and pneumonia. 

Doctors Without Borders is another organization working to improve the conditions in Chad. The organization is currently running projects in six different areas around Chad. In 2018, these programs conducted 142,400 health consultations. Doctors Without Borders focuses healthcare efforts towards treating and preventing malaria, HIV/AIDS and malnutrition.  

The World Food Programme has established the School Meals Program to help decrease childhood malnutrition. The program ensures that all children at elementary school receive a hot meal throughout the school day. The program also encourages families to send their daughters to school by giving girls in grades five and six a ration of oil to take home. The School Meals Program aims to feed 265,000 elementary-aged children.

Healthcare in Chad faces many challenges regarding the high burden of disease, political instability and low availability of healthcare training. With a heavy reliance on outside organizations, the Chadian healthcare system needs to improve to be able to effectively tackle these challenges. Healthcare in Chad requires foreign aid funding to be able to increase access to healthcare and properly train medical professionals. The United States currently spends less that one-percent of its annual budget on foreign aid. With increased funding, the United States government has the power to increase healthcare for the Chadian population.

– Laura Embry

Photo: Flickr

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7 Facts About Hunger in Côte d’Ivoire

Hunger in Côte d'IvoireThe West African nation of Côte d’Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, is located on the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by five other countries: Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. It is a country of almost 30 million people. Following the conclusion of a civil war in 2011, Côte d’Ivoire experienced economic growth rates averaging almost 7% per year—6.5% in 2023. Despite this growth, however, the country still struggles with endemic poverty and hunger. It ranks 166 out of 193 countries in the U.N.’s Human Development Index which ranks achievement of a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living. This HDI rank of 166 is “Low,” but Côte d’Ivoire has been steadily, if slowly, improving over the past three decades. 

Under President Alassane Ouattara, Côte d’Ivoire has focused on the economy and the middle class, launching its ambitious first National Development Plan (2016-2020) in December 2015 in order to transform the country into a middle-income economy by 2020. The 2021-2025 plan aims to achieve upper middle-income status, with attention to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, regional and international development priorities and the African Union’s 2063 vision. As with other countries, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and COVID-19 slowed progress.

7 Facts About Hunger in Côte d’Ivoire

  1. Côte d’Ivoire’s Global Hunger Index is “Serious.” Côte d’Ivoire ranks 86 out of the 125 countries with sufficient data for the GHI’s peer-reviewed assessment, based on population undernourishment, child (under age 5) stunting, child wasting and child mortality. This is a 42.8% improvement in its ranking over the past 15 years, moving it out of the “Alarming” classification to “Serious.” The most serious indicator is child stunting at over 20%, but that has declined from almost 40% during the same time period. All the other indicators are currently under 10%. 
  2. GRFC sees acute food insecurity. For the first time in its history, the 2024 Global Report on Food Crises classified Côte d’Ivoire as a major food crisis because of food access being hindered by the high cost of living. While a high level of food insecurity was not projected, it was estimated that more than a million people would be so classified, although good harvests were expected to improve the situation. 
  3. Hunger in Côte d’Ivoire is significantly impacted by the fact that 37.5% of people in Côte d’Ivoire live below the National Poverty Line; almost 10% are below the International Poverty Line of $2.15/day (2021). Extreme poverty, reflected by the International Poverty Line was expected to have risen to 11% in 2023 but to stabilize in 2024 at 10.2%, continuing to fall to 9.6% by 2026. Economic growth and increased employment are countered by inflation in affecting the extent of poverty.
  4. The Sahel region crises have impacted Côte d’Ivoire. Armed violence, human rights violations, and climate change have led to significant displacements in the region that includes Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The crisis escalated in early 2023, with over 61,000 asylum seekers estimated to have migrated to northern Côte d’Ivoire. Over half are children and over half are women. Needless to say, this has had a significant impact on communities that were already vulnerable. 
  5. The World Food Programme (WFP) has worked with the Ivoirian government and partners since 1968. WFP has concentrated its support in Côte d’Ivoire’s north, west and northeast rural areas identified as having more food insecure and vulnerable people. WFP activities include attention to malnutrition, school feeding and food system improvements. 
  6. Action Against Hunger has worked in Côte d’Ivoire since 2002. Action Against Hunger estimates that there are over three million people facing hunger in Côte d’Ivoire and that they helped 325,778 last year. Food scarcity, especially during the “lean season,” is impacted by conflict disruptions, trade embargoes, crop deficits and widespread poverty. Action Against Hunger’s approach is to prevent, detect and treat hunger, which they have done by partnering with local community members to provide and strengthen health services and the health system. The organization’s work with young people includes a mobile application to facilitate access to information and care in sexual and reproductive health, as well as mental health support. 
  7. Climate resilience can lead to agricultural improvements. Côte d’Ivoire is the largest producer of cocoa in the world, and a successful harvest is vital for Ivoirians to feed their families. Since 2022, the U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization, financed by the Green Climate Fund, has worked with Côte d’Ivoire to implement project PROMIRE, Promoting Deforestation-Free Cocoa Production to Reduce Emissions. PROMIRE has restored forest areas and converted conventional cocoa plots to agroecosystems or agroforestry. The European Union, which imports half of the country’s cocoa, will put deforestation regulations in place at the end of the year, so these improvements are critical to the country’s economy. 

– Staff Reports
Photo: Flickr
Updated: September 23, 2024

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USAID Saves Thousands of Babies

USAID Saves Thousands of BabiesRoughly 2.76 million newborns die each year, with preventable infections causing at least 15% of those deaths. For instance, a baby’s cut umbilical cord could allow bacteria to enter their body, leading to life-threatening newborn sepsis. To avoid neonatal deaths like this, cord stump care at birth is critical, particularly in settings with poor hygiene. Thankfully, with national assistance, USAID saves thousands of babies in Nepal and other countries around the world.

There is a low-cost, easily manufactured and easily distributed life-saving solution that the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized in 1998 as a suitable antiseptic for cord care. Commonly found in mouth wash and hand sanitizers, chlorhexidine is an antiseptic gel that USAID helped produce for nations with the greatest need since 2002. Nepal was the first nation to adopt chlorhexidine on a large scale. USAID’s efforts, as well as cooperation with the Government of Nepal and its private sector, are responsible for lowering the infant mortality rate significantly. USAID saves thousands of babies around the world.

Chlorhexidine “Navi” Care Program

USAID’s Chlorhexidine “Navi” Care Program, implemented by John Snow Inc. (JSI), provides technical assistance to the Government of Nepal to scale up the use of chlorhexidine through resources and education. The six-year, $3.9 million program had two phases. The first phase occurred from October 2011 to September 2014 in 49 out of 75 of Nepal’s districts. Phase two started in October 2014 and brought chlorhexidine to all districts. The program found funding as a part of USAID’s “Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development.”

The Nepali government strongly advocated for this scale-up. The administration incorporated single-use chlorhexidine tubes into its maternal and child health packages. In addition, it also trained health care workers for use of the antiseptic. Nurses began to use chlorhexidine at birthing centers across the country. They apply the antiseptic to the umbilical stump immediately after the cut. Its use in Nepal decreased newborn infections by 68% and decreased newborn deaths by 24%. Chlorhexidine for cord care thus became an integral part of maternal and infant health programs. Through the implementation of its new programs like this, USAID saves thousands of babies.

According to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dalberg Global Development Advisors and the Boston Consulting Group, it usually takes more than a decade for global health innovations to develop in low and middle-income nations. In Nepal, it took around five years.

The success of USAID’s Navi Care Program is attributed to its partnering with the Government of Nepal and various organizations. USAID’s partners include MoHP, Save the Children, Plan International, Health For Life (USAID), UNICEF, One Heart Worldwide and PSI. Future initiatives should replicate USAID’s coordinated effort due to this program’s monumental success.

Nepal’s Success Serves as a Model for Others

Other nations have taken notice of Nepal’s health improvements and how USAID saves thousands of babies. Many nations sent their leaders and officials to speak with those who worked on the program to expand the use of chlorhexidine in their own countries. Following Nepal as a model, these nations have planned trials with the antiseptic gel. All program-related materials are public, supporting the global trend. As a result, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo have begun the process of scaling up chlorhexidine to reduce newborn death rates. In particular, Nigeria has made substantial progress.

USAID’s efforts to lower infant mortality rates yielded fruitful results from a single and simple solution. As a result, it inspired efficient innovation elsewhere. This program was a tremendous global success, as USAID saves thousands of babies and makes the world a healthier place. USAID’s programs will hopefully continue to work with the governments and organizations in low- and middle-income nations to achieve the optimal adoption of healthcare initiatives.

– Mia McKnight
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

 

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Women’s SHGs Combating COVID-19 in India

Combating COVID-19 in India
Women’s self-help groups have empowered women across rural villages in India to become self-reliant by building their skills and providing access to financial assistance, enabling them to increase their income. However, due to the COVID-19 crisis, there is a predicament of bleak income opportunities due to a lack of transport and marketing facilities to sell their produce and non-availability of credit. It has forced millions of migrants to move back to their villages from big cities due to the lack of income opportunities. With the movement of people to rural areas, there is a need to ensure proper health care, spread awareness about COVID-19 and maintain a supply of essential commodities for the people. Women’s self-help groups (SHGs) in rural areas are combating COVID-19 in India.

SHGs are informal groups of people that come together to address problems by mutually supporting and helping each other. They have been able to uplift and empower individuals by facilitating health care, education, rehabilitation, credit and campaigning. In India, there are 67 million women members of six million SHGs. The SHGs fall under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, a policy that the World Bank has aided. Here are five ways women’s self-help groups are combating COVID-19 in India.

5 Ways Women’s Self-Help Groups Are Combating COVID-19 in India

  1. Making PPE Kits and Face Masks: The women’s self-help groups in Mahabubnagar district, Telangana, were facing a slowdown in work due to the 40-day lockdown in India in March and April 2020. To revive their earning capabilities, they received the responsibility of stitching facemasks and personal protective equipment (PPE). To date, they have stitched over 550,000 masks. Similarly, many other SHGs across the country have engaged themselves in stitching PPE kits to meet the shortfall. Female members in Odisha who previously stitched school uniforms are using their skills to produce face masks. Meanwhile, in Assam, women received training to stitch facemasks using a traditional Assamese cotton towel.
  2. Producing Sanitizers and Disinfectants: In Jorhat, Assam, Rural Women Technology Park under CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology collaborated with female members of SHGs to produce hand sanitizers and liquid disinfectants for their families and poor people in nearby villages to control the spread of the infection. At a time of scarce job opportunities, women’s self-help groups across districts in India are training women to produce sanitizers and disinfectants using raw materials such as Dettol, ethanol, glycerin and essential oils.
  3. Delivering Essential Commodities: Women’s self-help groups have taken various initiatives to ensure the delivery of essential commodities to abide by the mandated social distancing norms. Their service includes doorstep delivery of food kits, fresh vegetables, dry rations and cooking oil as well as personal hygiene products like washing soaps and sanitary napkins. Many states have used the concept of ‘floating supermarkets’ and ‘vegetables of wheels,’ and provided women with electric vehicles. Members also support children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Women’s self-help groups are also supporting frontline health workers in the delivery of essential child, adolescent and maternal health and nutrition-related entitlements.
  4. Feeding Poverty-Stricken People Through Community Kitchens: In Kerala, the SHGs in collaboration with the local government prepared food for the poverty-stricken families in community kitchens. The beneficiaries of these small packages of food were the migrant workers, daily wage workers and people under home quarantine. Meanwhile, in Tripura, SHGs that engaged in the catering business earlier received contracts to support the community kitchens. Additionally, women’s self-help groups in Arunachal Pradesh provided food throughout the day to the police personnel. Women’s SHGs across the country have taken various initiatives to feed those in need with the support of their local government.
  5. Spreading Information About COVID-19: Along with the spread of COVID-19, there was also a spread of misinformation concerning it across rural areas. SHGs prepared posters to create awareness about COVID-19 and the precautionary measures that people should take during the pandemic.

Women’s self-help groups have taken up various responsibilities such as spreading awareness about COVID-19, preparing sanitizers and stitching facemasks, running community kitchens as well as delivering essential food supplies. At the time of the COVID-19 crisis, women in the rural areas of India have participated meaningfully to ameliorate the predicament.

– Anandita Bardia
Photo: Flickr

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6 Facts About Healthcare in Iraq

Healthcare in IraqThe Republic of Iraq is a country that previously possessed one of the most comprehensive healthcare systems in the Middle East. However, decades of war, economic crises and terror groups such as the Islamic State have stripped this once prosperous network. Although several recent initiatives have focused on rebuilding medical infrastructure, many new challenges lie ahead for the Iraqi people. Here are six relevant facts concerning the state of healthcare in Iraq.

6 Facts About Healthcare in Iraq

  1. Iraq’s healthcare system was once one of the most advanced in the region. Due to a mid-20th century oil boom, Iraq enjoyed a period of relative stability and increased development. By the 1970s, the Iraqi healthcare system was one of the most strongest and centralized institutions in the region. Many hospitals and primary care clinics offered free services to Iraqi citizens while medical professionals of the country trained at elite institutions abroad. However, the Iran-Iraq War, which consumed the region for the majority of the 1980s, prompted a steady decline in availability and quality of healthcare in Iraq. Due to mounting military casualties, damage to infrastructure and increasing debt, civilian access to quality medical care began to decrease.

  2. Healthcare personnel have been in increasingly high demand in Iraq. In recent decades, violence caused by invasions and terrorism has taken a great toll on the number of practicing medical professionals in the country. Due to the political chaos after the fall of Saddam Hussein, an estimated 15,000 Iraqi doctors left the country for richer and more stable countries. The Iraqi government now offers returning doctors easy access to employment and higher salaries. In spite of this, returners are few and far between. Hope for the Iraqi healthcare system primarily lies in the younger generation of student doctors. However, student doctors primarily seek training abroad rather than permanent employment.

  3. Many of the hospitals in Iraq are understaffed and in various states of disrepair. In the 1990s, a 90% budget cut led to the rapid degradation of equipment, buildings and the training of medical professionals. While no further budget cuts followed, the decades of war that followed did little to help. Many of the buildings were further looted. By the mid-2000s, around 33% of primary care clinics and 12% of hospitals were severely damaged. Around half of the primary care facilities in the country are currently not staffed by doctors. The majority of these buildings have no access to running water, worn-out machines and shortages of medicine along with other basic medical supplies. The doctors present are often overspecialized and in need of more thorough training.

  4. Rebuilding portions of the Iraqi healthcare system has proven to be a daunting prospect. Many factors played into the decrease in Iraqi healthcare quality. However, the 2003 U.S.-led invasion arguably had the greatest impact on current reconstruction efforts. The widespread looting, destruction of facilities and flight of numerous medical professionals negatively impacted healthcare in Iraq on a great scale. By comparison, the autonomous Kurdistan region, which has been relatively stable from 2003, has had far fewer issues in the development of medical facilities. In Iraqi Kurdistan, there was a 4.3 primary care center per 100,000 population increase from the 2012 national average of 7.4. By comparison, the rest of the country averaged around a 1.4 primary care center increase. Rebuilding the healthcare system should be a significant priority of the Iraqi government due to the lack of foreign investment.

  5. Iraq’s healthcare system has failed to control the COVID-19 outbreak due to a variety of factors. Iraq’s healthcare infrastructure has been in a difficult situation for the last several decades. To make matters worse, the COVID-19 outbreak has pressed it to its limit. There has been premature opening and easing of lockdown restrictions. As a result, cases of COVID-19 have skyrocketed in the country over recent weeks while top Iraqi medical professionals have urgently advised the opposite course of action. With 94,693 cases as of July 21, the situation in the country grows increasingly dire by the day.

  6. The nongovernmental organization Doctors Without Borders is concentrating efforts on improving the quality of healthcare in Iraq. The group has promoted initiatives with around 1,500 staff as of 2018. Support has shifted to the establishment of field hospitals providing medical support for conflict-related injuries. Additionally, the aforementioned hospitals provide support for younger children, assisting with up to 1,000 deliveries a month. Future initiatives include the provision of tuberculosis medication and programs aiding with mental healthcare.

Conclusively, there are many challenges lying ahead for Iraqis in the domain of medical care. Reconstruction efforts are far from nonexistent. However, decades of conflict and instability have introduced new factors potentially interrupting the progress of rebuilding.

 

– Samuel Levine

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The Impact of the COVID-19 Response in Developing Countries on Essential Health Services 

The COVID-19 response in developing countries has become the primary focus for health workers all over the developing world. The volume of COVID-19 patients is placing a strain on hospitals and health systems globally. This trend is especially notable in developing countries that already have limited health resources, medical supplies and medical staff.

Other major global health focuses such as other infectious diseases, diarrheal diseases, cholera, Ebola and so many more are not getting the same level of attention. Basic health services such as maternal care, family planning and vaccination programs are being impacted. Health workers are being reassigned to COVID-19 patients and resources are redistributed to prioritize the pandemic. While lessons can be drawn from previous health crises such as the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, COVID-19 has spread on a global scale and will have a large impact on essential health services.

Immunization Programs

According to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, vaccine shortages due to border closures and limited air travel have been reported in at least 21 low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, 14 vaccination campaigns supported by GAVI have been delayed. These programs would have vaccinated 13.5 million people for diseases including polio, measles, cholera, HPV, yellow fever and meningitis. GAVI expects these numbers to increase as more programs are delayed. Outreach vaccination programs, where health workers travel to various communities with vaccines, and routine immunization programs are also negatively affected. Lockdowns and distancing efforts, as well as hygiene guidelines, are contributing to program delays. GAVI is planning to support large immunization programs as soon as the COVID-19 safety measures are no longer in place in order to address these disparities.

PATH Solutions

PATH proposes three steps to ensure the continuation of essential health services during the pandemic. The first action item is to appoint an “Essential Health Services Coordinator” per COVID-19 task force. This coordinator would make sure that COVID-19 distancing guidelines are not preventing individuals from accessing basic services. They would also identify any health service interruption from health management data and collaborate with directors and social groups to act based on community concerns. Second, PATH proposes that COVID-19 public updates should include information about essential health services. This is crucial so that people are aware of what services are available and do not stop requesting medical help for non-COVID-19 related issues. Finally, international agencies such as WHO, UNICEF and Africa CDC should supply developing countries with strategies for the most pressing issues such as protecting health workers, how to provide medical care for the most vulnerable in the population and how to maintain basic health services during the pandemic.

WHO Guidelines for Maintaining Essential Health Services

The World Health Organization has outlined important ways of maintaining essential health services during COVID-19 in developing countries. These guidelines include access to emergency health care 24/7, removing financial barriers that limit access to patients, identifying which services are essential and which can be delayed and taking advantage of telemedicine and digital methods of providing health care. Additionally, the WHO highlights the importance of identifying which individuals are most vulnerable in society, such as marginalized groups and ensuring these individuals have access to health care. The WHO has also outlined several essential health categories to specifically address during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include ethics, health financing, mental health, non-communicable diseases, nutrition and food safety, older people, tuberculosis and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The COVID-19 response in developing countries must ensure the continuation of essential health services.

– Maia Cullen
Photo: PATH

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4 Cornerstone Technologies of Indian Healthcare

India is the second-largest country in the world and covers an area of over 1.269 million square miles of land. With agriculture being the main occupation in India, 66% of the country’s population inhabit the rural landscape, and only 34% of the population lives in the urban regions. There are very few doctors and healthcare providers who volunteer to relocate to villages to provide healthcare. While 67% of the doctors live in cities, only 33% of the doctors serve the rural population. Therefore, healthcare is not equally accessible to the entire country. People from various remote places still have to travel several miles before reaching a healthcare provider. The WHO recommends the doctor to patient ratio to be 1 doctor for every 1000 people, while a government doctor in India, on an average, attends to 11,082 patients. To make healthcare available evenly to the entire population and to prevent overburdening of the doctors, technologies have become indispensable. Major cornerstone technologies of Indian healthcare have been used to improve equity in healthcare access.

4 Cornerstone Technologies of Indian Healthcare

  1. Mobile AI radiology inferences: One-fourth of the world’s tuberculosis patients live in India and are more concentrated in the villages. NCR, a renowned hospital in Delhi, along with the government of Haryana, developed a mobile van that conducts digital chest x-rays as it travels through several villages. These x-rays are later processed using Artificial Intelligence (AI). This initiative was successful in identifying 244 tuberculosis patients in the first three months. This technology played a vital role in providing a timely diagnosis to people with inaccessible and unaffordable healthcare beyond geographical barriers.
  2. Smart clinics: Biocon, an Indian pharmaceutical company, has developed smart clinics named ‘eLAJ’ in rural areas of Karnataka and Rajasthan. When a timely diagnosis of diseases occurs at the primary healthcare centers, the burden on the secondary and tertiary healthcare centers will reduce significantly, and ailments in several patients can be proactively diagnosed before they become severe. Hence, these smart clinics specialize in primary healthcare by digitizing medical records (Electronic Medical Records) of the patients and making them available on distinctive, real-time dashboards. These EMRs help monitor the outbreak of diseases over various regions so that a clinic or relief camp can be set up where it is most needed. The records are also connected to the Aadhar cards (government-issued unique identification number) of the patients so that their health history over long durations are centrally available to any physician at any given place or time.
  3. iBreastExam: iBreastExam is an FDA-cleared tool that has been in operation since 2015. It consists of a small wireless sensor, marginally bigger than a barcode scanner, with 16 sensors to detect tissue stiffness in women’s breasts. The results are relayed in real-time to a mobile app. The test costs only four dollars and isn’t painful or time-consuming. The effectiveness of this tool was established in a study involving 900 women in Bangalore.
  4. e-Aushadi: e-Aushadi is a drug procurement, storage and distribution company. The company keeps real-time, electronic data about the quality and quantity of drugs stored in several warehouses of various districts. These records ensure that no medicine is in deficit and that they are continually restocked, so quality medicines reach the customers on time.

The Indian government has realized the potential and indispensability of technology in healthcare. It has proposed to increase the healthcare expenditure from 1.3% of the GDP to 2.5% of the GDP by 2025. The Rajiv Arogyasri program in Andhra Pradesh requires all hospitals to have computers with an internet connection to maintain electronic medical records. This program provides interest-free loans to make sure that all the hospitals are equipped with the necessary technology. Nearly 5000 startups are involved in developing healthcare technologies in India and raised a total of $504 million from 2014 to 2018. Despite being a developing country, India is advancing in healthcare technologies and has room for more innovative ideas to evolve. These four cornerstone technologies of Indian healthcare are just a start.

– Nirkkuna Nagaraj
Photo: Unsplash

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Solar-Powered Water Pumps Help Farmers in Sudan

Solar-Powered Water PumpsAs much as one-third of territory in the Northern State of Sudan can support agriculture, a key industry for Sudanese living in poverty. However, unequal access to reliable electricity and water leads many farmers to rely on diesel pumps to irrigate crops. The introduction of solar energy, specifically solar-powered irrigation, reduces farmers’ reliance on fossil fuels. This technological advancement reduces the expenses of farmers while dramatically increasing agricultural productivity.

Risks of Diesel-Powered Irrigation

Solar-powered water pumps help farmers eliminate their dependence on fossil fuel and overcome energy scarcity. An estimated 20 million people live without access to electricity in Sudan, approximately 65% of the country’s population. In the rural regions of Sudan, that percentage is even higher. For instance, up to 80% of rural Sudanese farmers lack reliable access to electricity.

Due to this scarce access to electricity, many farmers rely on diesel-powered water pumps to irrigate their fields. Diesel pumps not only produce harmful greenhouse gases but also can reduce agricultural efficiency. Specifically, the expensive and fluctuating prices of diesel fuel limit growing seasons and prevents farmers from planting consistently. Furthermore, the pumps contribute to smaller-scale environmental hazards by contaminating the surrounding water and plants.

Benefits of Solar-Powered Water Pumps

Solar-powered water pumps overcome the issue of energy scarcity by powering irrigation without tapping into fossil fuels. This mechanism helps farmers by providing a fuel source for irrigation that is both stable and effectively cost-free aside from initial installation and regular maintenance charges.

Solar-powered water pumps also help farmers increase land cultivation. Confidence in the availability of energy to irrigate crops enables farmers to increase cultivation. One pilot program for the introduction of solar pumps in the Northern State, operated by the United Nations Development Programme, found that the introduction of solar-powered water pumps increased the amount of land cultivated by farmers by 47%.

For example, the dry summer months were previously not economically viable due to the need for increased water-pumping and therefore costly diesel fuel. Following the introduction of solar-powered water pumps, land cultivation grew by 87% during the summer. Overall, farmers reported dramatic changes regarding both savings and reductions in overhead costs for farm management.

Additionally, solar-powered water pumps allow farmers to enrich agricultural production with high-value crops. Although agriculture accounts for around 80% of employment and roughly one-third of GDP in Sudan, individual farmers are particularly susceptible to poverty and food insecurity. However, with extended growing seasons and cuts in the cost of irrigation, Sudanese farmers can produce higher-value crops such as lemons, mangoes and cotton.

The Future of Solar Irrigation in Sudan

The Global Environmental Facility granted 4.89 million U.S. dollars to install 1,440 solar-powered water pumps throughout the Northern State between 2016-2021. The statistics make it clear that the farmers involved in pilot programs experienced notable benefits by utilizing solar pumps.

In addition to these individual benefits, Solar-powered irrigation could have much wider implications globally. The Sudanese initiative alone is projected to ultimately eliminate 860,100 tons of CO2 emissions and save 268,800 metric tons of diesel. Applied on a global scale, this technology could serve to drastically reduce emissions from the agricultural industry as a whole.

– Alexandra Black
Photo: U.N.

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What to Know About Tuberculosis in Somalia

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by bacteria that spreads through the air. While it can also be spread through the consumption of unpasteurized milk contaminated with the bacteria, the most prevalent form of the TB infection is pulmonary TB. In rare cases, TB can also affect the lymphatic system, central nervous system, urogenital region, joints and bones.

In Somalia, one of the world’s most poverty-stricken nations, less than half of estimated cases of TB are detected. Not all tuberculosis strains are equal, making diagnosis and treatment more difficult. While antibiotics typically treat TB, studies have shown that the prevalence of drug-resistant TB has increased. Somalia has a recent history of a tumultuous political climate, exacerbating obstacles that might prevent the delivery of efficient healthcare, like fund allocation and accessibility.

Diagnosis

In a cultural profile of Somalia conducted in 2006, many believed the disease was spread through airborne particles resulting from coughing or sneezing. These same people often believed that the contraction of TB also comes from a variety of things including it being inherited or the result of a loss of faith, creating stigmas around the disease.

Many people distinguished TB from other ailments with respiratory symptoms through weight loss and the presence of blood in the mucus. Until these symptoms are found in addition to an existing cough, it is assumed to be a chest infection. In cases when a fever is apparent, some confuse TB with malaria.

While the primary symptoms (cough, weight loss and bloody mucus) follow the same way the west symptomatically views TB, Somalians understand the progression of symptoms and the disease a little differently. For example, they separate coughing as a symptom into different phases based on the nature of the cough. They focus on whether or not chest pains accompany a cough, or how it sounds. Based on what phase the symptom is in, it might dictate different treatment plans.

Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

As of 2011, 5% of first-time infected tuberculosis patients had a drug-resistant strain of TB. In comparison, 41% of previously infected patients had this more robust form of TB. These strains are resistant to several drugs used in the treatment of TB. This resulted in the highest recorded instances of multidrug-resistant TB in Africa at the time.

World Vision

World Vision is a global poverty mitigating initiative with boots-on-the-ground efforts. The organization provides healthcare resources, clean water and education to impoverished communities around the world.

Partnering with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the organization has created 33 tuberculosis grants valued at a total of $160.6 million. World Vision has been the primary recipient of tuberculosis grants in Somalia.

In Somalia, World Vision works to fight the frequency of tuberculosis and its drug resistance. With the help of the Global Fund, the organization has treated more than 115,000 people. Additionally, it has trained 132 health professionals in DOTS, the directly observed treatment, short course, as recommended by the WHO. The organization has also helped 30 laboratories with TB microscopy, which resulted in the national health authority documenting 6,505 cases. World Vision continues to strive to strengthen resources within Somalia so that the government and community have a better capacity in which to deal with TB.

– Catherine Lin 
Photo: Flickr

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Healthcare in Guyana

Healthcare in GuyanaThe catalyst for improvement of Guyana’s healthcare system was the HIV/AIDs crisis, which was difficult to manage as a result of the country’s insufficient healthcare system. Since then, however, healthcare in Guyana has improved substantially. Some of the most notable improvements to Guyana’s healthcare system include an increase in life expectancy, increased immunization coverage, increased education and awareness surrounding health issues and decreased infant mortality rates.

“Health Vision 2020”

Healthcare in Guyana is comprised of both a public and a private sector. The Ministry of Public Health leads the public healthcare sector, which functions as a universal healthcare system for all citizens and residents of Guyana. In 2013, the World Health Organization, in combination with Guyanese government agencies and other key stakeholders, created “Health Vision 2020,” a national health strategy enacted to improve the standard of living in Guyana.

Since the strategy’s enactment in 2013, Guyana has seen an impressive decline in the number of reported malaria cases, which once presented an overwhelming threat to the wellbeing of the population. In 2013, there were 31,479 reported cases of malaria. Just two years later in 2015, Guyana minimized the threat of malaria, reporting only 9,984 cases.

Over a slightly longer period of time, Guyana also saw an increase in life expectancy, progressing from 59 years for males in 1992 to 63 years in 2011. In 1992, females were expected to live for 66 years, while in 2011 female life expectancy reached 69 years. Also notable is the improvement made in the number of children receiving an immunization to measles. The percentage of children who received the measles vaccine amounted to 99% in 2012, up from 73% in 1992.

Although the improvements made to Guyana’s healthcare system are commendable, particularly under “Health Vision 2020,” there are still many issues that Guyana’s healthcare system overlooks.

Equitable Healthcare for Hinterland Communities

Though universal healthcare does exist in Guyana, free healthcare facilities and resources are generally catered to reach the majority of the population. Almost 90% of Guyana’s population lives in coastal areas, whereas only about 10% of the population lives in the rural hinterlands. As a result, there is a far greater concentration of healthcare facilities and resources in the coastal areas. Access to healthcare for those living in the hinterlands of Guyana is limited, given that there are few healthcare clinics located outside of coastal areas. Healthcare clinics located in remote areas offer services inferior in quality.

Non-Communicable Diseases

Guyana’s healthcare system has also been unable to curb the effects of non-communicable diseases. In 2012, non-communicable diseases made up the top five leading causes of death in Guyana. Still today, some of the leading causes of deaths in Guyana include ischaemic heart disease and diabetes. In 2015 alone, diabetes was responsible for 9% of the total deaths in Guyana.

Although non-communicable diseases are non-transmissible, it is possible to reduce the number of those with these diseases, particularly through education and awareness. Many non-communicable diseases are caused by high intake levels of alcohol, tobacco, salt, sugar and a lack of physical inactivity. Heightened public awareness of the causes of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases in Guyana would likely reduce the number of those infected.

Healthcare Workforce

While Guyana has managed to recruit more than 500 trained doctors and physicians over the last five years, shortages in the workforce “exist in areas such as registered nurses and nurse midwives, radiographers, medical technologists and social workers.” Part of the problem stems from a lack of incentives for healthcare workers to stay in the public sector and as practitioners in the country. There is also a lack of foreign expertise in the Guyanese healthcare system. Foreign doctors often offer valuable knowledge, especially when dealing with diseases and viruses that might be less common in Guyana.

What Is Being Done?

The Organization for Social and Health Advancement for Guyana and The Caribbean (OSHAG) is a nonprofit organization based in Queens, New York, that demonstrates the possibility for effective solutions to these pressing issues. The organization strives to raise awareness about the need for improved medical services and treatment in Guyana, specifically for cancer patients. OSHAG raises awareness through health education and gatherings of medical professionals with valuable skills to offer to patients in Guyana.

In 2014, OSHAG’s team of medical professionals provided training to nurses within four of the 1o regions that make up Guyana. The team worked to improve the chemotherapy and oncology department at the Guyana Georgetown Public Hospital. Though the organization specifically aims to improve treatment, services and facilities for cancer patients, OSHAG’s impressive leadership and methodology demonstrate what is possible for healthcare in Guyana. With increased awareness, education and foreign interest and investment, healthcare in Guyana can undoubtedly reach new heights.

Though Guyana has made impressive improvements to its healthcare system, there is still room for improvement. Unequal access to healthcare services and facilities, non-communicable diseases and an understaffed healthcare workforce present some of the most pressing problems. However, each of these problems can be addressed through heightened public awareness and education, and increased financial investment and foreign relations.

– Stacy Moses
Photo: Flickr