It’s a practice we have gotten used to for so many years. In first world countries whenever an item isn’t of use, it is given away. People give used clothes, shoes, or even technology. There are always good intentions behind these actions, but do we ever stop to think about what aid we’re truly providing? […]
On September 10, 2011, an overcrowded ferry named MV Spice Islander sank off the coast between Unguja and Pemba resulting in more than 187 casualties. A flood of crisis took over the Island as lack of equipment impeded rescue operations, and people on tour boats and makeshift mattress canoes scurried to save their loved ones. […]
In our recent visit to Zanzibar, Tanzania from July 10th to August 20th, 2016, we spoke with many experts regarding improvement in maternal care in Zanzibar. One person whom we spoke to was Poppy Farrow, the Zanzibar Program Coordinator for the mHealth for Safer Deliveries Program of D-tree International. Farrow was responsible for assisting to […]
UNICEF, in coordination with the government of Malawi, recently launched a pilot program testing the use of unmanned aerial vehicle flights (UAVs) to transport blood samples between health centers and laboratories in hopes of reducing waiting times for HIV testing in infants, especially in remote areas. The first successful flight was initiated in early March, […]
As our program moves forward in developing a point-of-care, rapid diagnostic test for detecting liver enzymes, AST and ALT, in indicating abnormal liver function, one important objective of our device is that it should rely on small amounts of blood. Due to limited specialized staff and venipuncture equipment, tests that use fingerprick blood would be […]
In recent years, mathematical modelling and predictive analytics have become invaluable in informing public health interventions when large scale controlled trials are not logistically feasible. Successful models of systems accurately predict the outcome of changing one or more variables in a system. This allows mathematical models to be a powerful, quantitative tool in understanding where […]
As an island off the coast of mainland Tanzania, Zanzibar faces many challenges with sustainability of its environment and vital resources like water. Especially in rural parts of the island, clean and safe drinking water remains inaccessible and difficult to obtain. This scarcity of clean water disproportionately affects women and children, who walk miles to […]
Malaria detection and treatment methodologies vary over the landscape of affected populations. The current gold standard for confirmation of malaria is microscopic examination. In this technique, a blood smear is stained and examined for the presence of a malaria parasite. A thick smear is examined for the presence of malaria parasites and a thin smear […]
This past week was very exciting as the public health sub-group had its first meeting. In our reading of, “ Too far to walk: maternal mortality in context, ” we learned about the “Three Delays of Maternal Mortality:” The delay to seek care The delay to reach proper medical services The delay in accessing quality […]
A recent BBC article described a large decrease in Ethiopia’s fertility rate, stating a drop from 7 to 4.6 since the 1990’s[1]. A UNFPA official in Ethiopia, one of the world’s fastest growing economies, attributes the drop to a variety of factors including improved standard of living in the country and women staying in school […]