Mama Afya: Student Blog
Unsafe abortions in low-income countries
The British medical journal The Lancet just reported that out of the 56 million abortions performed worldwide last year, about 25 million of them posed some threat to the health or the life of the mother. An overwhelming majority of these abortions-97% of them-come from developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and typically, the 54% of abortions performed in these countries are defined as “least safe” by the World Health Organization. In contrast, approximately 1% of abortions performed in developed countries are deemed as such. The WHO has three categories regarding abortions: safe, less safe, and least safe. Safe... More
Life and Death Inequality
Global health trends have been steadily improving for some time. Breakthroughs in medicine and surgical techniques have improved the quality of healthcare but not everyone reaps the benefits. Contrary to popular belief, the United States, which is a beacon for advanced health care, suffers from serious health care inequality. A recent MIT study has exposed the magnitude of this inequality. The research showed that the wealthiest 1% in America has enjoyed an improved life expectancy by 15 years in comparison to the poorest 1%. For a country that welcomes millions of people every year for medical reasons, to have such a... More
Hurricane Maria’s Growing Impact on Those with Chronic Diseases
Hurricane Maria has resulted in the death of 16 Puerto Rico residents and mass ruins. However, the aftermath of the Hurricane is expected to result in devastation far beyond this. Currently, 20 out of 69 hospitals are closed and many roads are blocked, limiting residence’s accessibility to the open hospitals. The most pressing issue is lack of power—the power grid for the island was knocked down and not expected to be fixed for months. Additionally, fuel is limited and running out. Efforts have been made to deliver emergency supplies of food, water and gas, but the damage across the island... More
Respiratory disease in Zanzibar
We live in a time when many infectious diseases have known treatments, and as such, some public health units are starting to focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). One group of NCDs which are prevalent in developing nations are respiratory diseases. The CDC says that 11% of deaths in Tanzania are caused by lower respiratory infections and another 5% from cancer (which includes lung cancer). WHO also states that lower respiratory infections, lung cancer, COPD, and asthma are 4 are some of the leading burdens of disease on the nation. While in Zanzibar, our team got a chance to speak with... More
From the Field: On the Frontlines of Malaria in Bagamoyo, Tanzania (Part I)
Lancet pricks the finger and blood streams out. A tiny glass pipette sucks a drop – 5 microliters to be exact. Blood is dropped in the sample well and two drops of solution in the buffer well. Now begins the twenty minute wait. This is the Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (mRDT). The lab technicians at Bagamoyo District Hospital do approximately 15-20 of these tests each day, all seven days a week. Not one day goes by without a positive malaria diagnosis, and sometimes, the number is as high as half a dozen. The Bagamoyo District Council estimates that 15,080 malaria... More