Category Archives: Uncategorized

What Will Drive Telemedicine in Developing Countries?

I recently read an article in the New York Times about the prospects of telemedicine in the US…the future looks great now that reimbursement is picking up. Clearly the motivation behind using technology here is to see more patients and … Continue reading

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Incorporating a Global Health Track in a GME Program

I’m hoping to start a Global Health Track (GHT) in our internal medicine residency program. While many of our residents are currently doing international rotations -these are arranged by individuals and don’t incorporate any formal global health teaching. That said, … Continue reading

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Handheld diagnostics that would be helpful in the developing world

Given that HIV, Malaria and TB are the three  infectious diseases we need to tackle most, here are a couple of interesting finds: Daktari is a company that makes an interesting gadget that would provide better access to CD4 counts … Continue reading

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Partnerships in Medical Education Bring Hope to Eritrea

For a small country, Eritrea has recently been getting a lot of attention in the news – issues surrounding the quality of life of it’s citizens, UN sanctions and the disappearance of it’s national soccer team in Kenya.  On a … Continue reading

Posted in Africa, East Africa, Medical Education, Neglected Tropical Diseases, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Breast Cancer in Developing Countries Needs a Customized Approach

There are new guidelines published by the USPSTF to start screening women (at average risk) for breast cancer at the age of 50 (not 40 as is currently done). If we were to establish a set of screening guidelines for … Continue reading

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How Medical Professionals Contribute to the Global Mental Health Crisis and How We Can Fix It

A recent article in the Lancet claimed that global mental health needs attention.  It’s not hard to imagine -  if 40% of the world lives in extreme poverty on less than $2 per day, with limited access to basic health … Continue reading

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Embracing Traditional Healers To Improve Health Outcomes

The Lancet recently reported that South Africa has established the Traditional Health Practitioners Act which provides registration and training of traditional practitioners and serves to protect the interest of those who use the services.  While traditional medicine is still unregulated, … Continue reading

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Alarming preterm birth rates implicate Africa and the US

Back after a bout of an upper respiratory infection, I was surprised by the statistics of  preterm births. More than one million infants die each year because they are born too early, according to the just released White Paper, The … Continue reading

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Forgotten diseases and their impact on education, economics and the MDGs

I am currently preparing a lecture to give a group of internal medicine residents on the basics of global health.  As I am reviewing the literature, it occurs to me that of the many health issues addressed in common global … Continue reading

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Ehealth solutions to address challenges of using Community Health Workers

After a short break with the family, I am back trying to catch up on global health news. Of interest, the Lancet Global Health Network has a new International Health Journal with the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. … Continue reading

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