Collaboration – A Simple Lesson From the mHealth Summit
The integration of mHealth technology into the delivery of global public health programs has grown rapidly since the early 2000s. Projects ranging from SMS tutorials on family planning, to immunization records capture, to Ebola triage applications have been successfully implemented around the world. The most innovative and creative technologies have risen to the top of […]
Closing the gap: Targeted HIV prevention and control response for polygamous serodiscordant couples in Southwestern Uganda.
Polygamous serodiscordant relations are at the center of social complexities related to serostatus disclosure, seeking care and adherence to treatment. The uninfected partner(s) however, face a high risk of acquiring HIV. The strengthening TB & HIV/AIDS response in southwestern Uganda (STAR-SW), USAID funded and EGPAF-led project that supports 234 primary health care facilities in 13 […]
Rebirth of Atticus Finch in the new public health
In my first three months as a Global Health Fellow at the Boston Public Health Commission, I have slowly begun to gather concrete actions needed to eliminate health inequity in Boston. These actions – whether taken through education, policy change, or community collaboration, are not magical solutions, yet are practices of the world’s most thriving […]
The right to women’s health: Travel anecdotes (Part 1) – El derecho a la salud de las mujeres: Anécdotas de viaje (parte 1)
Two months ago I was traveling in Northern Peru, wandering the windy roads where sometimes we human rights lawyers end up. My mission was quite specific: the American Bar Association (ABA) had sent me as a due process observer to a criminal trial against more than 30 members of indigenous communities. I spent several days […]
My GHC story – Need and Information without Confirmation & a Decision
I automatically applied when I first heard about Global Health Corps (GHC) opening applications – of course it was interesting because you got to travel to the U.S., but more importantly, it was an organization that was calling on young people and I have always wished to work in an environment with young people. I […]
The Road to Change: Tugire Nawe Nuze
Change doesn’t always happen in grandiose gestures; it is a process. And in that process, there will be moments when we question if we are strong enough for the task before us. We may question whether the very talents that gave us the confidence to recognize a need will be the talents that carry us […]
A Life of Service: Insight into the life of a community health worker
The health sector in Zambia faces major human resources challenges, with a shortage of health care workers at practically every service delivery level. For example, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended establishment, Zambia faces a shortage of 9,271 nurses (a vacancy rate of 55%), 2,538 clinical officers (a vacancy rate of 63%), and […]
Finding The Balance
Before coming to Uganda, I had a very clear vision of what my life would be like living in a rural community. This included becoming close friends with all of my neighbors and holding lengthy conversations in Luganda (the local language) while learning to cook Matooke and groundnut sauce (the region’s staple dish). I would […]
Akros Conducts Pilot Using Android Tablets To Combat Malaria
Using technology to improve health systems is a large part of the Akros ethos. Since the inception of the Malaria Active Infection Detection (AID) program in 2011 in the Zambian district of Lusaka, several successes have been scored in the fight against the disease. Much of this involved the development of a system to locate […]
Of Predictable Surprises and Haitian Nightmares
Insanity is often defined as doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting different results. It is disputable where the saying originated. Albert Einstein, Mark Twain and Rita Mae Brown have all, at some point, been associated with this quote. Whichever mouthpiece you prefer, there is no denying the universal wisdom this line […]