Archive for category: Health

Information and stories on health topics.

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Top 10 Global Health Blogs

Top 10 Global Health Blogs

Interested in global health? Check out this list of global health blogs!

1. https://blogs.plos.org/globalhealth/

PLOS Blogs covers a wide range of science and health topics but has a particular blog devoted to global health. Their Translational Global Health blog gathers knowledge and blogs from emerging knowledge leaders around the world. Most recently they highlighted the TEDMED 2013 conference. This blog is full of interesting information and is updated regularly which is why it took a spot on the top 10 list.

2. https://www.cgdev.org//globalhealth

The Center for Global Development has a blog specifically dedicated to Global Health Policy.  Writers post on issues related to global health policy and changes going on within that arena. The articles are relevant and contain solid, evidence-based research and topics.

3. https://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/

This is the media center for the World Health Organization. While not exactly a blog in the truest sense of the word, the media center offers news, events, features, stories, and resources on world health. It is comprehensive and contains a wealth of knowledge on global health which is why it made the list.

4. https://blogs.cdc.gov/global/

The official CDC blog contains all things related to global health.  The blog has a nice list of categories on the side and provides interesting and relevant information for the public relating to global health.  The CDC blog is a well-rounded source of global health information and resources.

5. https://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is another excellent resource for world health.  They work through advocacy and policy to help change global health.  Within their health news section, they have a blog with short posts on news and events in both national and global health.

6. https://ghcorps.org/fellows/blog/

The Global Health Corps works with activists and leaders under the common vision that health is a human right. Fellows in the program work all over the world in various global health fields and blog about their experiences. The blog provides both information and a personal component highlighting the experience of the fellows as they work in global healthcare.

7. https://www.publichealthnewswire.org/

The American Public Health Association blog was chosen for its focus on advocacy and change. While the focus on global health is small, the organization has some great tips on advocating for change and activities one can do to get involved in advocacy and policy change.

8. https://www.unfoundation.org/blog/

The United Nations Foundation plays a significant role in global health. From eradicating polio to providing mosquito nets, the UN works hard in the arena of global health.  The blog is not especially focused on global health but covers an array of UN topics.  It can be narrowed down to global health topics and is a great resource for global development in general.

9. https://globalhealtheducation.org/SitePages/Home.aspx

The Global Health Education Consortium made the list because of the extensive list of resources available to educators.  The resources tab under the home pages has units, PowerPoint presentations, and handouts on global health geared towards the classroom.  It is a great place to get students started in advocacy and awareness of global health issues and ways to get involved in global action.

10. https://www.ghi.gov/

Closing out the Top 10 list is the U.S. Global Health Initiative blog.  The GHI works to engage in global health through strategic engagement with foreign countries. Sustainability is key in the programs the GHI funds as well as the overall impact on global health. The blog provides updates on key programs and initiatives as well as news relating to global health.

– Amanda Kloeppel
Photo: Twitter

Surgery in a Bubble Could Save Lives

Surgery in a Bubble Could Save Lives
Horrific injuries caused by tank shelling, aerial bombardment and shrapnel are taking the lives of hundreds of Syrians every day. As cities are destroyed, hospitals and the valuable, lifesaving equipment they house are dwindling. In December 2012, Paul Jawor, a civil engineer working with Engineers Without Borders in Spain, presented a simple, safe, sanitary option for surgery on the battlefield of Syria. If plastic altitude chambers, or “plastic bubbles”, are utilized on the field and in bombed cities, surgeons could save multiple lives by simply having a safe place to operate.

Plastic altitude chambers are used to help athletes train by introducing specially formulated oxygen into the chamber. By using the same concept, the bubbles are filled with specifically filtered air to give doctors and surgeons the sterile environments that are essential for performing surgery. The bubbles are just big enough for a gurney, lights and a few doctors. Two bubbles can be connected to create a chamber to scrub in and a chamber to operate in to ensure optimal sanitation.

However, with its great benefits, surgery in a bubble has its drawbacks. As the walls of the bubble are fragile, the risk of destruction in a war zone is high. The bubble is also an easy target and at times cannot be camouflaged well. These simple drawbacks have prevented the use of the bubble in areas and war zones in the past. Engineers Without Borders must ensure that the bubble will work before they use it in Syria.

The alternative use of the plastic altitude chamber is not the only innovation that has as much use for saving lives as setbacks. Another innovation, the Rigid Inflatable Boat Ambulance, would be used in areas such as Cambodia and The Democratic Republic of Congo where river access is easier than road access. The ambulance would be used to transport injured people to hospitals. Due to the high speeds that the RIB travels at, the nature of the contents of the boat must be considered and whether or not carrying something like an oxygen tank is worth the risk. If the tank were to fall off the boat and land near a fire it would result in an explosion.

As technology continues to move forward, Engineers Without Borders will continue to create safe, life-saving equipment. “You often have to adapt new equipment to fit a new situation,” says Jawor in hopes that the bubble and the RIB Ambulance will soon ensure safe medical alternatives in any war-torn country.

– Kira Maixner
Source: The Engineer
Photo:  Redr UK

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What is Childhood Stunting?

childhood stunting
Childhood stunting effects a massive percentage of the world’s youth. UNICEF estimates that some 39% of children in the developing world are stunted. 40% of children in sub-Saharan Africa are stunted and in East and South Asia, estimates climb as high as 50% of children. The numbers tally in at 209 million stunted children in the developing world.

Childhood stunting is a condition that is defined as height for age below the fifth percentile on a reference growth curve. If, within a given population, substantially more than 5% of an identified child population have heights that are lower than the curve, then it is likely that said population would have a higher-than-expected prevalence of stunting. It measures the nutritional status of children. It is an important indicator of the prevalence of malnutrition or other nutrition-related disorders among an identified population in a given region or area.

Aside from inadequate nutrition, there are several other causes of childhood stunting. These include: chronic or recurrent infections, intestinal parasites, low birth weight, and in rare cases, extreme psychosocial stress without nutritional deficiencies. Several of these factors are influenced by each other. Low birth weight is correlated with nutritional deficiencies, and inadequate nutrition is correlated to chronic or recurrent infections.

One of the serious consequences of stunting is particularly impaired cognitive development.  When a child has inadequate access to food, their body conserves energy by first limiting social activity and cognitive development in the form of apathetic and incurious children. These children may not develop the capacity to adequately learn or play. Then the child’s body will limit the energy available for growth.

Fortunately, studies have found that improvement in diet after age two can restore a child to near-normal mental development. Conversely, malnutrition after age two can be just as damaging as it is before age two. However, it is important to note that once stunting is established, it typically becomes permanent.

The reasons stated above serve as important reminders of why foreign aid and programs aimed at eliminating extreme malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies are so vital. The impact of new legislation focusing on increasing USAID and other foreign aid is substantial. Stunting can be seriously limited through the introduction of increased access to food security in the developing world. Knowledge of the facts surrounding stunting is also an important step in working to combat and eliminate childhood stunting worldwide.

– Caitlin Zusy

Sources: UNICEF, Future of Children

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New Public Health Policy of Aflatoxin Prevention in Ghana

Poison Corn_opt
Of the many climatic, soil, and logistical challenges the Ghanaian agricultural industry has had to overcome in order to encourage economic growth and production capacity, none have posed a greater threat to crop efficacy than that of aflatoxin exposure. Aflatoxin – a cancer caused by product of the fungi Aspergillus – found in yam chips, groundnuts, cassava, and maize has been a chronic public health concern faced by much of the local farmers and agribusinesses of the sub-Saharan country. In an effort to ameliorate the carcinogenic side effects of the compound, health officials are working to implement a policy of aflatoxin prevention in Ghana.

Thanks in part to the increased coordination between the Food Research Institute (FRI), Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), and support funding from the Southern African Trust, a newly invigorated policy of aflatoxin prevention in Ghana will be launched. What exactly does the new prevention program entail? FRI officials are asking for mechanical driers – needed to quickly dry the grains – along with requisite storage facilities in order to prevent contamination during the rainy season. Once implemented, this robust policy of quick drying and storage is expected to mitigate the public health effects of the aflatoxin compound.

In regards to aflatoxin prevention in Ghana, FRI official George Anyebuno noted that, “These toxins are also potent causes of cancer and suppress the immune system, causing humans and animals to be more susceptible to diseases… But they are not often visible on the corn when purchased; once the maize is infected, nothing can be done to remove the toxins as they are very stable compounds even at high temperatures making the maize unwholesome.”

Thanks to a newly energized policy of aflatoxin prevention in Ghana, the chronic health and agricultural problems caused by the hazardous compound will now be addressed. Furthermore, through the deployment of a policy that includes public health awareness, prevention, and interdepartmental cooperation, the resulting health problems caused by aflatoxin contamination will finally be eliminated.

– Brian Turner

Source Ghana Business News
Photo Tree Hugger

Eclampsia a Threat to Women During Childbirth

Eclampsia_Global_Poverty_Nigeria
During an orientation on women’s maternal health, The Target States High Impact Project (TSHIP), a non-government organization funded by USAID, released its findings that Eclampsia is the cause of 80% of deaths that occur during childbirth in Nigeria.

Eclampsia is a condition when the infected woman experiences extreme bleeding while giving birth. Pregnant women suffering from Eclampia will experience chest pains, convulsions, seizures, and hallucinations. The disease then attacks all of her multiorgans like the brain, lungs, livier, and chest.

The good news is that Eclampsia can be cured if the infected woman is treated in time. Testing urine samples and changes in blood pressuring during pregnancy can identify the disease before the woman goes into labor. Once Eclampsia is detected, it can be treated with Magnesium Sulphate, an injection that brings the woman back to consciousness while she is in labor. The best way to ensure a safe birth is by going to a doctor once labor begins.

Dr. Habib Sadauki, TSHIP Deputy Chief of Party Maternal, warned women of the dangers of giving birth at home. When having a home birth and severe bleeding occurs, the woman is at high risk of dying during labor. If pregnant women would “seek adequate antenatal services” when they are in labor, maternal deaths could be reduced by 70%.

At the conference, Dr. Sadauki explained how malaria and anemia are the other two main causes of deaths during pregnancies. Once again, he urges women to seek medical attention and also to sleep in insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Childbirth can a very dangerous time for the mother and child and Dr. Sadauki hopes that pregnant women will seek medical attention to prevent possible disease and death.

– Mary Penn

Source: Vanguard
Photo: School Work Helper

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Conference Focuses on Improving Newborn Health

Conference Focuses on Improving Newborn Health
In the first newborn health conference, international healthcare organizations are pleased with advancements to improve the health of newborns in developing countries. These organizations include the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the US Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Although newborn deaths, malnutrition, and stunted development are beginning to decrease, representatives of aid organizations say that more support is needed.

Attendees of the conference are planning to release a “global action plan” in the upcoming year to present a strategy for even further reducing these newborn deaths. With this new call to action, we can hope to see the current statistics for newborn deaths and illnesses continue to decrease.

Unfortunately, newborn deaths are all too common in the developing world. In 2011, approximately 20,000 newborn babies died and, in 2009, there were over 22,600 stillbirths in South Africa. The global statistics are even more shocking. 60.9 million children died in 2011 and, of these, 43 percent of deaths occurred during the first four weeks of life, three million died within a week, and two million babies died the day they were born.

Graca Machel, the wife of Nelson Mandela, spoke urgently on the subject. She pronounced the issue of newborn health to be a top priority for UNICEF. “Too many of our newborn children here in Africa are dying too early. We are not reaching the targets we have set ourselves in the (UN) Millennium Development Goals. The issue of newborn health has long been a hidden challenge,” she said.

All organizations involved remain committed to working together to reduce newborn death rates through research and by working with the agriculture department to address malnutrition, the cause of stunted growth. The groups also plan to implement programs on training midwives and newborn healthcare education. Together, UNICEF, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hope to change the lives of millions of new babies.

– Mary Penn

Source: BDLive

Increased Immunizations in Zambia

Increased Immunizations in Zambia
The World Health Organization has reported that increased immunizations in Zambia from GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations) funding are having an incredibly beneficial impact. GAVI funding has exposed Zambia to new technologies and vaccines for a gamut of preventable diseases. These diseases range from Hepatitis B+, influenza, and measles among others. Increased funding for vaccinations allows Zambia to protect a greater percentage of their population, and it allows them to make important strides towards improved health conditions, something they have struggled with in the past.

The country is also looking forward to increasing their Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) vaccinations in the near future. The main goal of the increased funding for vaccinations is that they will have the ability to help more children. Children are substantially more exposed to hunger, malnutrition and diseases, and this is a step in the eradication of such problems.

Zambia has been the beneficiary of funding totaling the U.S. $3,208,160 for vaccines and immunizations. Representatives from The World Health Organization note that Zambia is striving to greatly improve their child’s health conditions, as well as to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Immunizations have been a great part of this success. Zambia’s government has shown a strong commitment to improvement. The WHO admits that while Zambia has various shortfalls and economic limitations, there are improvements being made. The government is working hard to help and care for its citizens.

This is good news. Increased vaccinations help lower child mortality rates, and increase the overall quality of life in developing regions. They also work to limit overpopulation. Immunizations and health improvements are vital to poverty reduction. International commitment to countries and governments such as Zambia is exactly what we need.

– Caitlin Zusy
Source: Times of Zambia
Photo: The International

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UNICEF Focuses on Stunted Children

UNICEF Focuses on Stunted Children
One of the many harmful consequences of malnutrition in children is permanent “stunting” of the mind or body. The United Nations Children’s Fund is addressing this issue that affects more than 25 percent of children less than five years old. The organization is particularly concerned because “stunted” kids are put in a severe disadvantage for the rest of their lives.

According to Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, there are several ways to help prevent birth of stunted children. Some of these methods include advocating for breastfeeding, proper vitamin intake, and consuming clean water. Lake explains a child with access to these important elements is likely to have his or her brain and body develop normally. Children who do not receive the necessary nutrient are also put at risk for numerous other illnesses or even premature death.

The first two years of life are the most significant to a child’s health. Even in the womb, children are at risk if the mother is not dedicated to a balanced diet, drinking clean water, and consuming enough Vitamin A, iron, or folic acid. If a child does experience stunted growth or “stunting,” there is no way to reverse the damage after the age of two.

Anthony Lake describes “stunting” as “the least understood, least recognized and least acted upon crisis.” Unlike being underweight, stunted children can never be fully cured. Thus, the child must carry out his or her life with an underdeveloped brain and possible nerve and cell damage. Not only is this catastrophic for the child’s learning capacity and future career, but it is also detrimental to society as well.

Most stunted children live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In India, 48 percent of children under five years old suffer from “stunting.” All of these children will never have the chance to live up to their full potential. When new generations are unable to contribute intellectually and financially to society, the country’s entire economic system suffers. UNICEF is tackling the issue of one child at a time.

– Mary Penn

Source: News OK
Photo: CNN

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160 Toilets for the Kavango Region of Namibia

160 Toilets for the Kavango Region of Namibia
The Kavango Regional Council (KRC) has placed aside N$5.4 million to build 160 toilets for rural residents. Overseeing the northeastern region of Namibia, the Council has made a commitment to help sustain and improve the region by better utilizing the resources located within it. As well, the Council works to improve the conditions of residents so that they can optimally contribute to the region.

By constructing 160 toilets and improving sanitation in most of the constituencies in the region, the Kavango Regional Council hopes to improve health conditions and combat disease. As of now, more than half of the residents located in the densely populated Kavango region do not have proper access to toilet facilities. Constructing communal toilets, at a cost of approximately N$33,800 each, will provide the necessary access and adequate sanitation. The toilets will also have positive effects on the environment, allowing for more use of land.

Another positive of the decision to build 160 toilets is the job opportunities that it provides. The toilets have to be built and put in place and the KRC is committed to ensuring that a great number of individuals have the opportunity to work and make some income from their investment. The job of constructing the toilets has been given to 40 contractors, 5 for each constituency. Chief Regional Officer of the KRC Sebastian Kantema said that “Although this is little, we really commend the government for availing these funds so that we can alleviate the suffering of our people.”

The government will be monitoring the progress of all the contractors to ensure that the money is spent wisely and that the jobs are completed in an orderly fashion. This is just one of many steps that the Kavango Regional Council is taking to improve the lives of its people in Namibia. It is also taking steps to construct more health facilities closer to villages located in very rural areas, as well as improving water provisions to ensure everyone has access to clean, drinkable water.

– Angela Hooks
Source: AllAfrica
Photo:Forbes

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Bhutan: First Country with Completely Organic Farming

Bhutan: First Country with Completely Organic Farming
Bhutan is set to become the world’s first entirely organic country in terms of farming and agricultural practices, as all synthetic fertilizers and pesticides have been banned by the government. Farmers will have to rely on all-natural forms of fertilizers, mainly animal waste and other farm waste by-products.

The government of Bhutan hopes that instead of limiting the country’s agriculture, the ban on pesticides will increase farming and enable more food to be produced, including specialty foods with demand from neighboring countries such as China and India.

Bhutan’s minister of agriculture and forests, Pema Gyamtsho, asserted that the topography of the country played a large role in the decision, citing terrain issues with using synthetic pesticides, including uncontrollable run-off that has a negative effect on plants and animals in the vicinity.

Although Bhutan has only recently seen a boom in development and current technologies reaching citizens, the government is confident that going organic will not only protect the country from future climate change implications but also from an economic standpoint in hopes that the amount of food they will have to import will remain minimal.

Some farmers in Bhutan have expressed their doubts about the plan, citing recent low crop yields due to nontraditional high temperatures and an increase in invasive pests, creating a need for more synthetic fertilizers.

Although the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers are mostly widespread currently, Bhutan as a whole is an extremely sustainable nation: over 95% of the country “has clean water and electricity, 80% of the country is forested and, to the envy of many countries, it is carbon neutral and food secure.”

– Christina Kindlon

Source: Guardian