Mama Afya: Student Blog
From the field – Summer 2018: How resilience helps in capacity building
Zanzibar. More often than not, I lack the capacity to put into words all that I feel for this place. It is famous for its clear water and white sand beaches and picturesque views that leave you speechless. However, I believe that the people of Zanzibar are not talked about enough. There is so much I have learnt within the short period of time that I have lived here that I am simply amazed. The people of Zanzibar are the true treasure of the island. The ability to adjust, adapt and never complain is something I yearn to learn. Be it... More
From the field – Summer 2018: Water and sanitation challenges in Zanzibar
There is no way to know where a project will go when it gets to Zanzibar. The water quality project started this summer focusing on collecting data about lead to create a device to test for it in wells. However, our research into lead contamination in water pivoted, providing us with the opportunity to explore and conduct a needs assessment on the biological contamination of water sources, a more pressing public health need in Zanzibar. What we’ve found so far is a complicated water system with problems that overlap and feed off each other. The infrastructure itself is so insufficient... More
The challenges of surgical intervention in low-income countries
A June 2015 study published in The Lancet reported that five billion people across the world do not have access to surgery. One would assume that being able to access surgical procedures in Africa, a continent where hundreds of thousands are denied this privilege, would help you live a longer, healthier life. But despite being younger and having fewer underlying health risks than patients in higher-income countries, African patients face almost twice the risk of dying. A new study published in January 2018 followed 11,422 patients post operation in 25 African nations. The report found that 1 in 5 patients... More
Is Societal Trust in Vaccines Eroding?
The development of vaccines has undoubtedly been one of the greatest achievements of the medical profession. Vaccines have collectively saved millions of lives and allowed a much-needed escape from many of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. However, vaccines have been so effective in eliminating diseases that some now doubt their utility, believing that they now offer more risks than benefits. In part, false claims of their linkage to diseases such as autism have been the cause of this irrational fear. In addition, individuals seem to be more afraid of the rare side effects that vaccines pose rather than the deadly... More
How Bangladesh Drastically Cut its Newborn Death Rate
In a new report released by UNICEF this past week, the organization exposed the strikingly high newborn death rates worldwide; however, one country demonstrated remarkable progress over the past 28 years- and that country is Bangladesh. From 1990 till today, Bangladesh managed to slash its newborn death rate by two-thirds, from 64.2 per 1000 live births to 20.1 per 1000. To compare, Bangladesh has managed to lower its newborn death rate to 1 for every 50 births, while neighboring country Pakistan has a newborn death rate of 1 for every 22 births. Therefore, the question arises as to how Bangladesh managed... More