Tag: Global Health

Counterintuitive, but Affordable

Since my previous post in which I brought to light Robert Bach and Peter Kocher’s proposal of eliminating tuition costs for med school students, I have had various interesting conversations with people about potential pros and cons of this plan. On the most part, people agreed with me that such a change to our medical …

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Is Sex a Human Right?

Sexual Entitlement among Men with Disabilities Over the past several years a hot topic within the disability community has been the unawareness of the sexual needs and rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs).  PWDs are often infantilized, or seen as dependent and socially maladjusted individuals, a perception which essentially strips them of their adult sexuality. …

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Unlock the Forgotten

A few months ago, CNN journalists David McKenzie and David Formanek covered the horrific conditions that mental patients in an asylum in Mathari, Kenya face in their documentary “Locked Up and Forgotten.” At Mathari Hospital, patients are injected by tranquilizers, raped by other patients, and locked inside the hospital. They consider themselves to be inmates …

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Gift of Life

People indisputably have contrasting views on life and how to use it. Some use life to build a loving family, whereas others use it to travel the world and savor its beauties. Some use it to amass great personal wealth, fame, and material possessions, and others dedicate their lives to serving others. I am not …

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Iraq Aid – The Water Crisis

One of the most pressing issues the Iraqi people face today is a shortage of potable water. In 2010, the International Community of the Red Cross estimated that one in every four Iraqis did not have access to drinkable water. Iraq is known as the land of the two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, …

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Spotlight On charity: water

Charity: water is an nonprofit organization that brings clean water to developing areas by building wells and water sanitation projects. In just four years, charity: water hasraised over $20 million, which is clearly an enormous accomplishment. One of the most impressive things about the organization, and one of the major factors in its success thus far, is …

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A Vicious Cycle

Poverty, Disability, and Exclusion from Development Strategies A World Bank estimate suggests that 25% of the 1.3 billion most impoverished people in the world experience some form of disability, and according to the UN Development Program, 80% of persons with disabilities (PWDs) live in developing countries. These numbers are steadily increasing due to a number …

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Female Genital Mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also know as female circumcision or genital cutting, is a procedure performed for non-medical reasons that is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in four different types: Type I – Partial or complete removal of the clitoris and the clitoral hood. Type II – Partial or complete removal of the …

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Let’s Talk About Malaria

We’ve all heard the phrase: Every 45 seconds, a child dies from malaria.  Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites transmitted by mosquitos. Statistics also show that the number of deaths resulting from this disease has been reduced over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, these statistics serve to remind us that people are still dying from …

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Antibiotic Resistance

An Analysis into the Latest Threat Humanity Faces One of the leading causes for the rise of average life expectancy in the 20th century was the development of effective antibiotics. Antibiotics are defined as any compound that either kills or severely impedes the growth of bacteria. Penicillin and other antibiotics were termed ‘wonder drugs’ and …

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