Posts by Lillian Gu
This Week’s Highlights – Senator Kennedy, Swine Flu and Organ Harvesting in China
Published August 30, 2009 @ 03:50AM PT
Basics
This week, your Global Health Guide Alanna Shaikh has a great post on AIDS Advocacy- How to Do It, and How Not To. It includes great writing and videos as well as not-so-great and disturbing print advertisements about HIV.
Did you know that Inequity and Inequality Are Bad for the Health of the Rich Too? Guest blogger Michael Keizer explains that lessening inequalities within countries improves the average health status of the entire population, and posits that this may be true on an international level, too.
Where do you get your global health news? Guest blogger Mara Gordon wonders if Global Health Will Be a Casualty of Mainstream Media's Decline and asks former Washington Post editor Maralee Schwartz for her thoughts.
At this point, swine flu may seem like old news, but Alanna explains why parents with little kids should pay special attention to the swine flu, and take the proper precautions. On the other hand, "doing something" is not always necessary for the body to health. Read about how Alanna experienced a culture gap while trying to dissuade a Tajik mother from giving her child antibiotic shots for a sore throat.
News & Analysis
Senator Ted Kennedy passed away on Tuesday, and many people have spoken of his contribution to US healthcare, but Alanna explains why he was also a great hero in global health. Senator Kennedy was a champion for the Alma-Ata Declaration, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and the right to health in general.
On Wednesday, China admitted to the link between executed prisoners and organ donations, and Alanna is stunned. She wonders what they're not saying.
While the drug for medical abortions, mifepristone, was expected to bring about widespread abortion access in the US, a recent report says that this isn't true. Alanna speculates this is because the barrier to abortion access was never medical capacity, but the willingness of healthcare providers to provide abortions.
Career Advice
Where are the US Based Global Health Jobs? Alanna's answer: Washington, DC or Seattle, but runner-ups are Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia.
Kudos
Our comment of the week is from Catee Lalonde, who disagrees with Michael Keizer's take on global health equity in the Why We Can't Have It All post and earns a charity gift on Change.org! Check out Catee's comment here.
This Week's Highlights - Crowdsourcing, Polio, Super Mosquitoes and More
Published August 23, 2009 @ 04:36AM PT
(image credit: brain_malfunction)
Basics
This week is packed with great articles on global health. To start off, check out this post by your Global Health Guide Alanna Shaikh: Four Reasons Everyone Should Care About Global Health. On World Humanitarian Day, Alanna gives us a call to action and a list of 5 ideas for how to make a difference in the world.
Also, guest blogger Michael Keizer examines whether or not the US health system is "inequitable" based on Dahlgren and Whitehead's definition of inequity. Technical definition aside, many people in the US believe that healthcare reform is overdue, and Alanna predicts that health care reform will result in Less Research and Development from Drug Companies - which will be a good thing.
News & Analysis
This week brings some disheartening global health news. One study in Atlanta, Georgia found that "mosquitoes living in contaminated streams lay more eggs, and those eggs grow into bigger mosquitoes that fly faster and reproduce more than those in clean water." Another study in Brazil found that an intervention promoting solar water disinfection had no impact on diarrhea incidence whatsoever.
At least the water disinfection intervention did not have a negative health effect like the live, oral polio vaccine; it's reported that 124 Nigerian children have been paralyzed by the polio vaccine this year because of mutations in the live, attenuated virus. Not surprisingly, living in slums is also detrimental to your health. A recent NEJM study shows that people living in megacity slums are less healthy than people in rural areas. Also harmful are deceiving Homeopathic Treatments (i.e. water in fancy packaging) that prevent people from seeking real treatment for HIV, malaria, TB, influenza and infant diarrhea.
In light of the H1N1 flu outbreak, guest blogger Carol Dunn has been addressing the issue of pandemic flu preparedness. In this final post, she outlines both behavior and policy changes for people to avoid the worst effects of pandemic flu.
Career Advice
Looking for an internship? Alanna gives some useful tips on how to identify good internships from the job description, as well as in the interview.
Kudos
Our comment of the week is from Scot Frank on the What Can Crowdsourcing Do for Global Health? post. Scot tells us about Citizen Water who is already using crowdsourcing to magnify their impact. Remember to share your thoughts with us in the comments, so you can be the next winner, and earn a charity gift on Change.org.
This Week's Highlights
Published August 16, 2009 @ 11:00AM PT
Basics
MDR and XDR, NRL and SNRL: do you have your tuberculosis acronyms down? Your global health guide Alanna compiled a useful list of Tuberculosis Acronyms You Need to Know.
Guest blogger Michael Keizer makes a compelling case for Why We Can't Have It All as he explores three reasons why we can't allocate all available resources to resolving health inequities.
To better understand the current field of global health, check out Alanna's post on Global Health Futures: Smaller, More Local Aid Efforts. She explains the evolution of global health efforts in terms of stages, and predicts that we're on the verge entering a stage where "global health isn't about wealthy countries anymore."
Crowdsourcing is an increasingly popular problem-solving method. You pose a question online, and have the "crowd" help out. But What Can Crowdsourcing Do for Global Health? Alanna sees some potential uses in testing educational materials, translation, and answering health questions.
News & Analysis
Mumbai closed all of their schools, universities and movie theaters last week in response to an increase in swine flu cases in Maharashtra state. Commenter Patrick Mayne tells us that, four hours from Mumbai, the city of Pune is in full-scale panic mode after they went from 0 deaths to 10 deaths in the matter of two weeks.
In better swine flu news, some new evidence suggests that not only is there no "deadlier form" of swine flu on its way, there may not be a second wave of swine flu at all.
Career Advice
Should I get a job or go to grad school? Answer: Get a job. Alanna points out that working will help you decide on what kind of degree to pursue, increase your chances of getting in to graduate school, and help you mature and develop self-discipline.
Kudos
Our comment of the week is from William Tarpai, on the Peace Corps Is What You Make of It post. As a former Peace Corps Volunteer, William shares his hopes and expectations for the future of Peace Corps and the recently confirmed Director, Aaron Williams. Remember to share your thoughts with us in the comments, so you can be the next winner, and earn a charity gift on Change.org.
Weekly Highlights, August 2 – August 8 2009
Published August 09, 2009 @ 07:27PM PT
(Mosquito larvae. Photo credit: Alvaro Rodriguez)
Basics
This week, global health guide Alanna Shaikh gives us Malaria Prevention in a Nutshell, and explains the four main ways to reduce transmission: bednets, indoor residual spraying, habitat reduction, and preventative treatment.
Last week, guest blogger Michael Keizer defined an inequality as inequitable if it is "avoidable, unnecessary, and unfair." This week, he responds to commenter Catee Lalonde's critiques on this definition in his post, Is being a couch potato inequitable? Or hard questions about inequities.
News & Analysis
There has been some Good News and Bad News this week. The good news is that tuberculosis incidence could be reduced by half by 2050, but the bad news is that a new strain of HIV has been discovered. (Also check out this post for interesting tidbits on chimpanzees and orangutans.)
USAID Needs a Leader! The current acting administrator, Alonzo Fulgham, is doing three jobs, and we need a permanent USAID leader. Sign Alanna's letter to President Obama asking him to appoint an administrator ASAP.
A guest post from Andre Blackman asks the question, Are We Developing the Right Vaccines? As scientists develop the H1N1 vaccine, they are also stockpiling vaccines against smallpox, a great potential biological weapon. However, Andre points out that certain efforts are leaving out roughly 80 million Americans who are immunosuppressed.
In this week's Friday Futures, Alanna predicts that the world won't run out of food anytime soon, but loss of variety in our diet will put us at a greater risk of losing food sources to diseases.
Guest blogger Carol Dunn outlines six reasons why Horrible Outcomes Don't Change Behavior, and why pandemic risk communicators need to stop using ‘the horrible outcome' as an emotional lever for funding and action.
Career Advice
Last week, Alanna wrote about the Pros and Cons of the Peace Corps. Former Peace Corps volunteer Molly Mattessich thinks Peace Corps is What You Make of It. Her own experience in Mali had a ripple effect on her family and friends, "making the world seem a little bit smaller."
One reader asks, How Do You Stay a Generalist? Alanna did so by being proactive in seeking out opportunities in her work and becoming known as a writer and a manager, rather than a public health specialist. Another reader asks, How Do You Sell Your Writing skills? Alanna suggests putting it in resume summary section as well as selling it in the cover letter.
Kudos
This week's Comment of the Week was by Theo Smart. Theo offers a new perspective on global funding for maternal health. Remember to share your thoughts with us in the comments, so you can be the next winner, and earn a charity gift on Change.org.
Weekly Highlights, July 26 – August 1 2009
Published August 02, 2009 @ 04:05AM PT
Basics
Living in Central Asia, Alanna has first-hand experience with the pesky little sandflies that transmit the tropical disease leishmaniasis. Read her post Five Things to Know About Leishmaniasis to learn all about it. Also, learn about the five medical conditions that account for 80% of maternal deaths: severe bleeding, infections, hypertensive disorders, obstructed labor, and unsafe abortions.
As a first post in the series, "Things That Work," Alanna talks about Health Visitors: nurses, doctors or trained volunteers that conduct home visits and give people basic health education and care. Health visitors are one way to increase health care access, but What Does Access to Medical Care Really Mean? Alanna explains three main forms of access: geographic, financial, and cultural. And guest blogger Michael Keizer teases apart the differences between inequities and inequalities in his post The Health Equation.
News & Analysis
News broke out on Tuesday that the Cambodian government has been relocating people living with AIDS into a de facto "AIDS colony," one without clean water or sanitary facilities.
This week's Friday Futures explores Obesity. Alanna warns that, with increased meat consumption and urbanization, the developing world that is at risk for a rise in obesity. But urbanization is not just a risk factor for obesity. Given the higher population density and lack of healthcare in slums, Alanna thinks that Swine Flu is Going to Hit Megacities Hard.
Alanna has written about the Guttmacher Institute study that found withdrawal may be an effective method of birth control. In response to a New York Times article about this study, guest blogger Mara Gordon explores the tricky question, "What is a publication's responsibility when it comes to controversial health news?"
Career Advice
Alanna gives the pros and cons to Joining the Peace Corps as part of your global health career. One key point to remember is that the Peace Corps is not an international development organization, but a US public diplomacy agency. Also, you may be interested in a Very Interesting Vacancy at Center for Global Development (CGD). Alanna thinks the CGD is "the clearest, sanest voices out there on global development and health."
Weekly Highlights, July 19 – 25
Published July 26, 2009 @ 12:39AM PT
Remember learning about African Trypanosomiasis, last week? This week, Alanna tells us Five Things to Know About Chagas Disease, which is American Trypanosomiasis. The two diseases are caused by related, but different parasites.
"Money makes the world go round," the saying goes. And it certainly shapes health care delivery. Alanna breaks down health care financing for us by asking two big questions, "Who Pays for Health Care?" (Single-payer or multi-payer?) and "How Does the Money Move?" (On what basis are health care providers paid?)
Alanna explains that she's Against a Global Fund for Maternal Health because "programs with a single-issue focus don't strengthen health systems." This leads to the question of What Are Health Systems and How Do We Strengthen Them? Alanna's post answers this systematically.
Guest blogger Carol Dunn continues her series on Fear, Sex, and Pandemic, arguing that pandemic preparedness advocates made swine flu feel like a real threat, but didn't do a good job conveying the actions needed. (This was Part Five; also check out Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four).
This week's Friday Futures explores Medical Exploitation. From organ cells to gestational surrogates to clinical trials, various disparities make the poor vulnerable to exploitation.
Career Advice
How do you balance Marriage, Family, and Your Global Health Career? Alanna shares wisdom she's gained from her own experiences. Also, be sure to check out her interview with a Health Policy Analyst to learn the pros and cons about the think tank environment.
Kudos
Member of the Month is a new feature on the Global Health blog, where we learn more about a member who has contributed with insightful and engaging discussion. Meet July's Member of the Month - Patrick Mayne, and feel free to nominate someone by contacting Mariam Mostamandy. Lastly, this week's Comment of the Week was submitted by Robert Marten on the Against a Global Fund for Maternal Health post. Don't forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments, so you can be the next winner, and earn a charity gift on Change.org.
Weekly Highlights, July 12 –18
Published July 18, 2009 @ 07:43PM PT
Add to your medical knowledge this week! Read up on Obstetric Fistulas, holes between the vagina and the bladder and/or the rectum due to difficult childbirth, Trypanosomiasis, a parasitic disease carried by the Tsetse fly, and Rabies, a viral disease that is usually transmitted by an animal bite. And why hasn't polio been eradicated yet? Alanna pins it to failures in health systems.
Guest blogger Carol Dunn continues exploring the connections between Fear, Sex, and Pandemic, concluding that pandemic flu preparedness advocates didn't do such a good job in understanding these connections. (This was Part Four; be sure to check out Part One, Part Two and Part Three).
Guest blogger Michael Keizer argues for gendered health, "a thoughtful recognition of differences in gender whenever we consider a (global) health issue" in his post, Women's Health is a Red Herring (And So is Men's).
In this week's Friday Futures, Alanna discusses the cat and mouse chase between Counterfeit Medicine and the technology that detects it, such as RFID tags and low-cost mass spectrometry.
Alanna's Recommended Reading has interesting articles on swine flu, mobile phones and health, and circumcision and HIV. Also check out her recommendations for Bridge Blogs, blogs which help outsiders understand a culture. And if you are inspired to start your own blog, take a look at What Not to Blog for tips for new global health bloggers.
Lastly, this week's Comment of the Week was submitted by Nneoma N on the Trypanosomiasis post. Don't forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments, so you can be the next winner, and earn a charity gift on Change.org!
