Monitoring food security data through mobile technology
In rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa’s second largest country with vast fertile lands and thousands of lakes, rivers and streams,...
Global Reach
The Global Reach category highlights health issues, systems and innovations from around the world. It brings international perspectives on public health, equity, policy and practice, showcasing how different regions confront shared challenges and opportunities in health and care.
Beware of bilharzia
Thinking of travelling to Africa for work or pleasure this summer? Better read up schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia or snail fever, a disease caused by a...
From mouthwash to medicine: innovation can come from unexpected places
As a physician who started out in geriatrics, I did not expect to end up researching and developing medicine for mothers and newborns. But as...
Food Security in South Africa
64 per cent of children under 5 in South Africa go to bed hungry every night. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2015...
An emotional neurosurgeon anyone?
A few years ago, as I was attending a medical dinner in London with 500 or more senior medical colleagues, I was disturbed that the guest...
Now is the moment to step up the fight against malaria
Growing up in Kenya, I was one of the lucky ones. Despite falling prey to malaria about once a year – feeling sick as a...
The crisis in Cambodia
In 2012, when we founded Hospitals Beyond Boundaries (HBB), a tiny non-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Malaysia, only few youths were interested in the idea...
Okinawa – the secrets of longevity
Residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa have long enjoyed one of the longest life expectancies in the world. As well as having the highest...
Can a rural hand pump tell you it’s not well?
Predictive health monitoring is widely used in engineering applications to detect damage to infrastructure as early as possible. Forecasting failure rather than merely detecting failure...
Life as a midwife in the UK and in Tanzania
From day one of training as a midwife, we are taught the importance of the principle contained in the Hippocratic oath of “do no harm”....
