Mama Afya: Student Blog
Cervical Cancer: A Disease of Inequality
Every year, approximately 500,000 women are affected by cervical cancer, and in 2012 alone, there were approximately 266,000 deaths globally. But, cervical cancer is a disease of inequality. An overwhelming majority of these women- 84% of which- live in developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Furthermore, cervical cancer continues to remain the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in low income countries. However, unlike many cancers, cervical cancer can be prevented and treated. The issue lies in the lack of access to affordable medical care in the developing world. It is essential to look at the social inequalities, such... More
Global health research and evidence-based intervention
Every single day, we have conversations, interact with our friends, classmates, and professors. In addition, we read the news, scroll through our Facebook feeds, watch Sports Center. Each of these situations is undoubtedly filled with claims of all sorts: claims about roommates, about a particular concept you are learning about in class, claims about things going on around the world, claims about a sports team or an athlete. How often do we question these claims? How often do we scrutinize them? And how often are these claims based on hard, real evidence? As Julia Bunting suggests in this article, it... More
Energy Poverty in East Africa: From the Society of Women Engineers National Conference presentation “Rocket Ships and Tanzania Trips”
My friend elbowed me while looking through the conference program, and said “you have to go to this one - it’s about Tanzania!” She was referring to the presentation entitled Rocket Ships and Tanzania trips. After having spent the summer in Zanzibar, Tanzania the title of the talk piqued my interest, so naturally, I had to go hear it - this is what I learned. Oregon Institute of Technology seniors partnered with the organization Solar HOPE to install solar panels in Tanzania. Installing energy gathering technology like this can greatly improve the function of many institutions, such as medical clinics and... More
Plague in Madagascar: Is Our Approach to Outbreaks Fundamentally Flawed?
One hundred people reported dead, countless others infected. Madagascar is in the midst of its most deadly plague outbreak in recent memory. Schools, universities and public buildings have closed. The government has forbidden public gatherings. The WHO has already shipped 1.5 million doses of antibiotics, as well as designated US $1.5 million from its emergency funds to contain the disease. However, the real tragedy of this outbreak, and many others like it, is that it is almost inevitable to occur yet again. Yersinia pestis is the bacteria that is responsible for causing the plague. It most commonly manifests itself in fleas, More
Global health labor workforce faces challenges as strikes continue
Today, the health workforce lacks at least 7.2 million workers. The World Health Organization identifies several causes for this shortage of staff. First, the current workforce is too old, and too few of the younger generations are entering it as the current staff retires or leaves for better paying jobs. Second, the migration of health workers to other, more developed countries causes a regional imbalance. Recommendations for this crisis include an increase in political leadership to support long-term human resource development efforts, better health databases, more accessible health services, a more equal distribution of health workers geographically, and better rights... More