Using tech to fight the good fight

  Prior to arriving in New York for a new job (with my big dreams, oversized suitcase, and a friend’s couch to sleep on), I had a conversation with a woman I was connected to

BOOK REVIEW: The Lives of Community Health Workers

  History is replete with stories of warnings from eyewitnesses that went unheeded, and of the consequences that followed – sometimes good, often bad. All accounts are partial, but experiencing something with the naked eye

What does progress look like in global health? 

  Major reforms, new issues, and significant policy pivots were on the agenda for the 71stWorld Health Assembly and the many side events occurring in Geneva last week. Sadly, at the same time, Ebola has reappeared in the

Universal? Expanding the concept of health systems

  By Nicole Minckas, MSc and Dr Geordan Shannon The WHO recently published their draft thirteenth general program of work that aims to ensure access to health services for 1 billion additional people by 2023.

Gender and NCDs: Benign neglect in the face of a gaping window of opportunity

  NCDs are finally having their moment. Diabetes is very much in the public eye from Dhaka to Dakar, the global ‘epidemic’ of obesity is currently the subject of numerous television shows, the row over

Striking Back: Snakebites Gain Global Attention

  By Benjamin Waldmann Selvarasu, a coconut farmer in Erode, India, met his fate with a bite from a Russell’s viper. With his life hanging in the balance, it wasn’t until he reached a third

Deceptive marketing sweet talks parents

  ‘99% fruit and veg’. It has to be healthy, doesn’t it? Not necessarily.   More and more processed products are coming on to supermarket shelves developed specifically for children. Most are designed and marketed

Innovative thinking is key to realizing UHC

In 2015, the world spent $7.3 trillion on health. Yes, that’s 10% of global GDP. At the WHO Global Dialogue on Partnerships for Sustainable Financing of NCDs last week, Dr. Rifat Atun, Professor of Global

A Note on Taxing Sugary Drinks in the UAE

0000-0002-8715-2896 Sugary carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and other similar products are fueling the obesity and diabetes epidemic. With the World Health Organization estimating that more than 1.9 billion adults (39%) are overweight, and 650 million

Implementing Healthcare Interventions: Context is Key

0000-0002-8715-2896 “One of the most important parts of our job is to listen to partners, adjust the strategies based on what they hear, and give implementers the leeway to use their expertise and their local