The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is still common in 28 African countries. The way of performing the practice, the
age at which the practice takes place and the reasons to perform the practice differ widely. Similarities are often seen within certain
ethnic groups rather than within countries. Last year Andrea Solnes Miltenburg spent three months in the Edna Adan Maternity
and Teaching Hospital (EAMTH) in Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland. There, she investigated the decision making process of
women to continue the practice of FGM.
International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have been active in primary health care for years. With many national governments not being able to supply sufficient health care, NGOives are considered to the best institution for reaching the poor and providing health care in an efficient and effect way. However, there is a growing opinion that NGOs do not live up the expectations and might even make things worse. Are NGOs indeed a burden to the health care systems in developing countries?
This Global Medicine’s Neglected Disease is human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness. HAT is a vectorborne parasitic disease that exists exclusively in Africa.
Although the current economic crisis has shown that one can have too much debt, the resulting “credit crunch” has demonstrated the negative effects that a lack of available capital has on growth. Credit is no less important to the poor than the rich; it allows people to lump together sums of money that would otherwise take a long time to save...
The financial crisis has left the world economy in dire straits. Governments grow worried as decreasing demand causes cutbacks in production, massive layoffs and ever increasing budget shortages. In this line of events health care is an exception, i.e. in health care it is the ever increasing demand for health services that causes politicians headaches. How to keep health care systems affordable in societies that grow old? What to include in insurance benefit packages? Which health care programmes to implement? What constitutes a fair system of financing health care?
Thinking of neglected diseases, what comes to mind are mostly tropical conditions: dengue,leishmaniasis, rabies, schistosomiasis,leprosy and so on. What escapes the attention of most is mental health. One might wonder why: is it not tropical or new enough? Does it really deserve to be given a lower priority than other, high mortality diseases?
In collaboration with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Global Medicine pays special attention to the development of an HIV/AIDS vaccine. In this second of three episodes, IAVI explains the scientific challenges in the development of an AIDS vaccine.
Frank was my teacher at the Ghanaian national dance academy.He taught me how to dance the Patjah and explained to me the traditional meaning of this dance from the Ga-area of Ghana.
Mexican flu update: everything under control? / Pigs disturb Cameroon's eradication of cysticercosis / World Bank does not reach its objectives on health / UNAIDS advises African countries to produce their own drugs / Media attention for forced abortion practices in China
Besides the well known medical professions as physician, medical specialist or researcher, there are a lot more interesting career possibilities in (global) health care. With these short interviews we want to introduce different, interesting, sometimes unknown, professions to you. Jaap Koot lives in the Netherlands and is a medical doctor specialized in international public health. He is currently working as a public health consultant for the company Public Health Consultants in Action. He is specialized in health care management and works in the field of evidence based health care and quality assurance.
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