In March 2008, I stood as one of more than a thousand people in a crowded conference hall north of Kampala, Uganda attending the first global forum for human resources for health. I was surrounded by nurses, community health workers, public health practitioners, doctors and pharmacists from all over the continent. On a distant stage… [ More ]
As part of a visit to the Millennium Village of Sauri, Kenya to assess the status of the local health system, our group’s first stop was the Marenyo Health Centre where we were greeted by the clinic director, staff members from the Kenyan Ministry of Health, and Community Health Workers (CHWs). At this particular clinic,… [ More ]
Jan 28: ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: At the opening of the African Union’s 20th session Sunday, the new African Union Chairperson, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn announced his strong support for the new One Million Community Health Workers Campaign that was launched by Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Professor Jeffrey Sachs and Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez at the World… [ More ]
President Paul Kagame, Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez and Professor Jeffrey Sachs announce new healthcare initiative targeting rural Africa Jan 24: DAVOS, Switzerland. Across sub-Saharan Africa, community health workers using mobile phones and broadband access to sophisticated medical resources are delivering health care to where it is most needed, among the rural poor. A new campaign… [ More ]
Critics of sustainable development projects initiated by Westerners in Africa often raise a question: what happens when those Westerners pull out? The answer lies in an important concept: community ownership. When someone is lifted out of the poverty trap, given the opportunity to access health care and education, encouraged to develop an income-generating business, why… [ More ]
