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Post by mollybrazil on Feb 13, 2022 16:26:54 GMT
As was touched upon in our readings and meeting, infectious diseases such as TB, HIV, polio, malaria, etc have historically been the focus of global health efforts due in part to their high mortality and morbidity. In the setting of conflict and extreme poverty, even meeting basic health needs, like clean water, is often a daunting task in itself. To address the need for improved access to surgical and obstetric services, countries and organizations have to commit to lengthy projects that address education gaps and lack of personnel and infrastructure, which ultimately means very expensive endeavors. In countries that already have significant debt and high poverty burden, the thought of spending millions of dollars on something that will not have immediate change, is a hard sell.
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Post by Camille Robinson on Feb 16, 2022 20:30:27 GMT
Very well put. I think in many ways the low and middle income countries are also dependent on outside help and money, and the infectious disease projects are likely faster and cheaper and also have results for the higher income countries to show.
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Post by Camille Robinson on Feb 16, 2022 20:39:06 GMT
I think one thing to consider in the realm of maternal health is the impact that education has on health. In many countries where women's health is lacking there is a higher maternal mortality. Women in many parts of the world are not well educated and in some cases forbidden to go to school. The more educated a woman is, the more likely they will use birth control, have access to pre- and post-natal care, and use protection during sexual encounters. Many of the places with the highest maternal mortality rates also depend the most on external aid which is not a consistent or self sufficient form of aid. Countries that are able to prioritize women's health more will have better outcomes.
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Post by Audrey on Feb 25, 2022 19:52:09 GMT
Addressing global maternal health and surgical disparities also requires addressing the global shortage of obstetricians, maternal health providers, surgeons, and ancillary providers. We learned about several complex root causes- social disparities in women's health, lack of infrastructure, and lack of human resources- which make the problem complicated to "sell" or pitch to investors and stakeholders. Short term surgical mission trips can help reduce disparities but are not viable solutions long term; developing training programs locally in areas of need and reducing the "brain drain" is required for there to be sustainable improvements in infant mortality and surgical disparities. We expect to see a sustained, long-term return on investment by investing in human capital, which may be challenging for NGOs that need to demonstrate progress on a short term time scale.
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Post by Audrey on Feb 25, 2022 19:53:01 GMT
I think one thing to consider in the realm of maternal health is the impact that education has on health. In many countries where women's health is lacking there is a higher maternal mortality. Women in many parts of the world are not well educated and in some cases forbidden to go to school. The more educated a woman is, the more likely they will use birth control, have access to pre- and post-natal care, and use protection during sexual encounters. Many of the places with the highest maternal mortality rates also depend the most on external aid which is not a consistent or self sufficient form of aid. Countries that are able to prioritize women's health more will have better outcomes. I agree with Camille and Molly that there may be less publicity and recognition of global maternal health needs because infant mortality is thought to be driven by complex social needs such as maternal education rather than an isolated biological process. Crowdfunding efforts often focus on disease epidemics like Ebola and natural disasters, whereas infant mortality is a longstanding endemic problem throughout the world. This can lead to relatively lower public awareness regarding global maternal health needs. |
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Post by strainsk on Feb 26, 2022 21:17:47 GMT
Addressing global maternal health and surgical disparities also requires addressing the global shortage of obstetricians, maternal health providers, surgeons, and ancillary providers. We learned about several complex root causes- social disparities in women's health, lack of infrastructure, and lack of human resources- which make the problem complicated to "sell" or pitch to investors and stakeholders. Short term surgical mission trips can help reduce disparities but are not viable solutions long term; developing training programs locally in areas of need and reducing the "brain drain" is required for there to be sustainable improvements in infant mortality and surgical disparities. We expect to see a sustained, long-term return on investment by investing in human capital, which may be challenging for NGOs that need to demonstrate progress on a short term time scale. The point you bring up regarding the availability of providers is important to consider. Even if one were to physically/geographically be able to access a hospital, are the personel trained and available to provide such services. Is the hospital equipped to carry out the basic necessities for pre, peri, and post-op care? Accessibility unfortunately does not equal availbility. The solutions of to such issues are complex and might involve a combination of local, national, and international buy-in for long-term sustainable practices. |
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Post by mollybrazil on Mar 12, 2022 16:41:45 GMT
Barriers to women's education is such an important consideration. As Camille pointed out, higher education is associated with improved maternal outcomes. Unfortunately, there is still much of the world with significant cultural barriers to female independence (in regards to financial independence, education and even working outside of the home). How to address the cultural aspect is something I cannot pretend to have an answer for
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Post by alyssaseibold on May 1, 2022 17:30:54 GMT
There is obviously a need for obstetrics and surgical care around the world. As many have pointed out, infectious diseases such as TB, polio, HIV, malaria are easier to manage as they are cheaper and easier to address from a logistic stand point as many either require medications for treatment or vaccine for prevention. I think the need for obstetrics and surgical care is real however, it is much more complex in that there needs to be trained providers that can be available for this care, it’s much more expensive and time consuming and would require many resources. Again as many have pointed out, education may be a good starting point, although it may be challenging due to cultural barriers.
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