As we commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the 2004 global recommendation of oral rehydration salts and zinc sulphate (ORSZ) as the standard treatment for diarrhoea, sub-Saharan Africa continues to face persistently low coverage rates (19%). Diarrhoea remains a leading cause of child mortality, responsible for approximately 9% of all deaths among children under age […]
Latest articles
AI, AMR and Behavioral Economics: Transforming antibiotic prescribing practices to curb AMR
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing public health issues today, with the potential to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050, according to the World Health Organization. One of the key drivers of AMR is the inappropriate use of antibiotics, especially within primary care settings. While healthcare professionals are aware of […]
Addressing the Silent Epidemic: Collective Memory and the Path to Global Health Equity
Our collective memory: how we remember – or choose to forget – the history of global health is playing a silent yet powerful role in shaping which issues receive attention and funding. This distorted memory acts as a long-standing epidemic that undermines the effectiveness of today’s health systems. According to a 2024 UN report, […]
Liberia’s Breakthrough in Dual Syphilis and HIV Screening
Syphilis is inexpensive to detect and treat, making it a possible “easy win” when it comes to cost, feasibility and speed of scale-up, according to the WHO. However, mother-to-child transmission of syphilis, a devastating and preventable silent threat that causes more child deaths globally than HIV, often goes overlooked. Many countries are experiencing rising […]
Monsoon child brides: The hidden cost of climate crisis in Pakistan
In Pakistan, the term “monsoon child brides” represents a socio-cultural crisis where traditions and growing economic desperation force young girls into early marriage, dramatically perpetuated by climate change. Since the last monsoon, reports indicate that nearly 45 underage girls have been married, from Dadu, Sindh Province of Pakistan in exchange for money (approximately 250,000 […]
Strengthening supportive supervision of primary healthcare: An experience of integrating ASHA workers
India’s National Health Policy 2017 advocated for comprehensive primary healthcare (CPHC). Subsequently, Ayushman Bharat Program 2018 led to the upgradation of existing Sub-Health Centres and Primary-Health Centres into Health & Wellness centres (HWCs) to operationalize CPHC. However, to improve the performance of these HWCs, close supportive supervision is required. Supportive supervision in its traditional […]
Countering Big Tobacco’s Influence in Kenya to Protect Young Africans
Since introducing oral nicotine pouches to the Kenyan market in 2019, British American Tobacco (BAT) has lobbied and exploited governmental loopholes to further the spread of its harmful products in the country. BAT obtained initial approval to sell nicotine pouches through Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board. Although the license restricted the sale of nicotine […]
Socio-economic experiences of female community health volunteers matter: insights from Nepal
“I have not been able to put paddy seeds for plantation while others [in the village] have already done this. Women in the village don’t even have time to go for check-ups, but they want me to stay with them from the morning to the evening during their labour. What should I do? I […]
On not studying (and stating) the obvious
An 18-authored paper funded by the WHO was recently published; a Cochrane review concluded that undernutrition is a risk factor for Tuberculosis (TB). Excluding the fourth author, an Argentinian, the rest were Europe-based, including WHO staff. India and China have the largest burdens of TB. There is a wealth of evidence explicating the links […]
Scaling up community-led public health response: The perspective from and for Gaza
In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, continuous violence in Gaza has resulted in a significant loss of life in a short timeframe, multiple forced displacement, an alarming rate of reported infectious disease cases, concerning estimates of mental health issues, and an impending famine. The destruction of infrastructure, shortages of water, lack of shelter, […]