Abstract

Abstract

Objectives: The global world of the 21 ^st century has created communities and cultures that are interconnected, thanks to the development both in the field of transportation and technology. In this global intercultural community, future physicians, and even more so future general practitioners (GPs)/family physicians (FPs), need to be clinically competent and culturally sensitive and flexible in order to adapt to different social settings while delivering holistic care in multiethnic teams and environments with professionalism. As such, exchange programs are exceptional opportunities for international collaboration and the development of personal and professional competencies of these health care professionals.

Materials and Methods: This article presents a review of the literature on the value of exchanges as well as the results of exchange programs with educational content that are aimed at junior GPs/FPs.

Results: Exchange programs have been growing in popularity, especially among junior GPs/FPs. Since its launch in 2013, The “Family Medicine 360° (FM360°) program has been receiving up to 163 inquires till date, promoting global cooperation among the World Organization of family Doctors (WONCA)’s Young Doctors’ Movementd (YDMs).

Conclusions: By participating in an exchange program, future GPs/FPs are given the chance to experience intercultural communication and peer collaboration. They also develop personal and professional skills and thus, actively contribute to the growth and development of primary care all over the world. ….more

In general practice, qualitative research contributes as significantly as quantitative research, in particular regarding psycho‑social aspects of patient‑care, health services provision, policy setting, and health administrations. In contrast to quantitative research, qualitative research as a whole has been constantly critiqued, if not disparaged, by the lack of consensus for assessing its quality and robustness. This article illustrates with five published studies how qualitative research can impact and reshape the discipline of primary care, spiraling out from clinic‑based health screening to community‑based disease monitoring, evaluation of out‑of‑hours triage services to provincial psychiatric care pathways model and finally, national legislation of core measures for children’s healthcare insurance. Fundamental concepts of validity, reliability, and generalizability as applicable to qualitative research are then addressed with an update on the current views and controversies. ….more

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who won office pledging to fight the country’s outrageous graft habit, claims to have no foreign accounts or oil concessions and only $151 000 in his local bank account. The 72-year-old military man enjoys “a spartan lifestyle”, owning five houses, a few farms and a variety of livestock, and “a number of cars”, his spokesman said in a statement listing his assets late on Thursday. His deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, appears substantially more well-heeled, according to the statement….more

Thousands of women are left to care for and support their husbands who have been left jobless and sick after contracting silicosis in the gold mines. Silicosis is a preventable lung disease that affects thousands of gold miners in South Africa. When miners are sent home, sick and unable to work, it is left to women to provide support and care in the most adverse conditions. This is their story. In October 2015, the Johannesburg High Court will decide if a group of miners and widows can file a class action lawsuit against the gold mining industry….see video

There’s a quiet revolution in one of the poorest districts in the land, where health workers have moved out of health facilities into communities to prevent rather than cure health problems. When Thandi’s* teacher noticed that the seven-year-old wet herself continually, she reported this to nurses who had started to visit schools in Umzinyathi district…..more

Tshwane has become the latest district to roll out a new programme that will let patients pick up chronic medication at community pharmacies. Tshwane recently became the latest district to pilot the National Department of Health’s Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution Programme. As part of this programme, three companies will be distributing chronic medications to pick up points outside of local clinics. These pick up points will include private pharmacies that may be closer to patients or stay open later…..more

USAID’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) along with World Health Organization is excited to introduce our latest evidence brief, WHO Recommendations on Interventions to Improve Preterm Birth Outcomes.

This evidence brief provides highlights and key messages from World Health Organization’s 2015 recommendations on interventions to improve preterm birth outcomes. The brief summarizes the recommended practices to improve the quality of care related to preterm birth and the outcomes for preterm infants. Additionally, justifications and policy implications associated with the recommendations are outlined. This brief is intended for policy-makers, programme managers, educators and health care providers.

Find the brief here – http://bit.ly/1Vu9GhU

Full WHO Recommendations here – http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/maternal_perinatal_health/preterm-birth-guidelines/en/

Help us spread the word to others by sharing this email with your networks and sending out a message on social media. Here are a few sample messages that you and your organizations can use:

See brief from @MCSPglobal highlighting key msgs from @WHO’s recs on interventions to improve PTB outcomes http://bit.ly/1Vu9GhU

#pretermbirth is single largest cause of perinatal & neonatal mortality & morbidity. See brief of @WHO’s recs on PTB http://bit.ly/1Vu9GhU

Please contact me if you have any additional questions. Apologies for any cross-posting.

Sincerely,

Jillian Rossman

Administrative Coordinator, Maternal and Child Survival Program

USAID Grantee, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036

tel: 202.835.3112, skype: jillrossman, www.mcsprogram.org

Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr From the American People

Editorials

Monitoring inequality: an emerging priority for health post-2015

Ahmad Reza Hosseinpoor, Nicole Bergen, Veronica Magar

Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2015;93:591-591A

Published online: September 2015

The Millennium Development Goals focused on poverty and development and reducing inequalities between countries.1 Progress was monitored through national averages without adequate attention to within-country inequality. The post-2015 sustainable development goals (SDG) stress “leaving no one behind” – with goal 10 specifically calling for the reduction of inequality, within and among countries.

Monitoring of inequalities within countries focuses on indicators and dimensions of inequality that are particularly relevant to each country. Drawing upon the outputs of within-country inequality monitoring, policies can be tailored to be maximally effective in reducing inequalities.3 At the same time, having comparable disaggregated data across countries is important to track within-country inequality at a regional or global level. One of the SDG targets specifically addresses the importance of disaggregated data, calling on countries to increase “…the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts”.

Such disaggregated data are vital to identify where and why inequalities exist and ensure that policies, programmes and practices are successful in reaching the most vulnerable. Many countries have made major progress in monitoring health inequalities through household surveys such as Demographic and Health Surveys…

Keep reading / Siga leyendo: click here.

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/93/9/15-162081/en/

Keywords / Palabras clave:

Inequalities; Equity in Health; Millennium Development Goals

Gas less Laparoscopic surgeries has many advantages for the rural surgeons. It is possible under spinal anesthesia. The familiar open surgical instruments could be used. The equipment is low cost and sturdy and has all the advantages of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries without the disadvantages like the physiological changes and complications of regular laparoscopic surgery.

The MD Current India an online Journal has kindly consented to host the course free of cost. Only those who require certification from Karunya University need to pay a nominal amount for the certificate after the contact program. For online lessons and watching live and recorded videos through LapGuru it is totally free. Those who are interested can visit the following web site register with MD Current India and enroll for the course

http://mdcurrent.in/courses/lift-laparoscopy/

Lot of doctors from Nigeria have already registered. You need not be from India to register and enroll for the online course. Another course called Minimally invasive surgery for rural surgeons would be available soon.

With warm regards

J. Gnanaraj

J. Gnanaraj MS, MCh (Urology), FARSI, FICS, FIAGES

The August map of the month depicts data from the 2013 Quality of Life (QoL) III Survey question: ‘What is the biggest problem facing your community?’. Visualising the biggest problem per ward depicts a more nuanced understanding of the developmental challenges identified by respondents in Gauteng.

This month’s map of the month depicts data collected from the 2013 Quality of Life (QoL) III survey question: ‘What is the biggest problem facing your community?’. The map is derived by calculating and plotting the most commonly identified response per ward. On the map we see that the biggest problem identified by respondents was unemployment (with 210 wards saying this was their biggest problem) and crime (with 151 wards saying this was their biggest problem). The map also depicts a more nuanced understanding of the developmental challenges evident in the GCR. For example in 55 wards,housing and a lack of basic services was the most common answer, while in 20 wards, a lack of maintenance was the most common answer. Respondents in only one ward (located in Westonaria) identified drought, flood or natural disasters as the biggest problem facing their community…..more

Tuberculosis (TB) researchers in KwaZulu-Natal have expressed concern that many people are still not tested for the disease. TB is the leading cause of death in South Africa. It’s estimated that 9 000 people around the globe miss out on being tested for TB daily…..more

SA is working towards reducing the high cost of private healthcare and ensuring public healthcare is of quality. But it won’t happen overnight…..more

WONCA E-Update

Friday 4th September 2015

WONCA News – September 2015

The latest WONCA News, containing the usual mix of WONCA news, views and events, is available via the WONCA website. 

From the President – the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

“2015 is a landmark year in global health as we come to the end of the Millennium Development Goals. In September 2015, the United Nations will be asked to adopt the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals. There is only one health specific goal, number 3: [“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”] but each of the 17 goals has an impact on global health and the health of individuals and communities.”

Professor Michael Kidd uses part of this month’s column to discuss the new SDGs.  He has been working especially hard on WONCA’s behalf in liaising with various UN agencies to ensure the voice of family medicine is heard in the implementation and monitoring of these goals, and will no doubt report on progress in future columns.   

WONCA Conference photographs

2015 has been a big year for WONCA conferences – and with WONCA Europe in Istanbul still to come.  Karen Flegg has compiled albums of the various conferences so far – click on the link and scroll through the various albums and relive the memories.

World Mind Matters Day

Today (4th September) our colleagues in the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) are launching World Mind Matters Day.   This is part of a global campaign that aims to achieve a FAIR DEAL in mental healthcare across the world and focuses on the following priorities:

• Fairness and equity in funding, resources, outcomes and research
• Accessibility to effective services
• Integrating physical and mental health
• Reducing discrimination and stigma
• Dignity and equality for all
• Education of public and stakeholders
• Alliances and advocacy with patients and carers
• Links with organisations and across specialties

Also being launched is the report of the Presidential Taskforce on migrant and refugee mental health, which is of special interest to the WONCA Working Party on Mental Health and the WONCA SIG on Migrant Care, International Heath and Travel Medicine.

WONCA Direct Membership

A reminder to everyone that significant discounts on delegate registration are available at all WONCA conferences to WONCA Direct Members.  Brazil is offering particularly generous discounts to WONCA Direct Members so now would be an excellent time to consider taking out this individual membership. 

Direct Membership is normally available for three years, for $140, but with a discount for anyone from less developed countries.  Even better value is:

Life Direct Membership which is to support the work of WONCA through a one-off donation, currently $750.  For this Life Direct Members, as well as supporting the work of WONCA, also get a special certificate, a unique lapel pin and their name is entered onto the Roll of Honour on the WONCA website.  

Further details about Direct Membership and Life Direct Membership can be found here, Or contact Arisa, our Membership Officer, on admin@wonca.net

Soon, soon’ – the complexity of radically transforming the health system underlies the snail’s pace of the National Health Insurance (NHI) White Paper’s development, but a lot is happening to improve the quality of public health in preparation for one universal health system. Kerry Cullinan reports for Health-e News.

MEC for Health Magome Masike recently hosted a farewell function for the prospective medical students in Orkney. He and previous graduates of the free Nelson Mandela / Fidel Castro Medical Training Programme made their expectations of the youth clear. Masike told the students that the ability to adapt would be important to their success in Cuba. He urged students to stay strong and focused…..more

Traditional health practioners should be regulated say some Northern Cape traditional healers as the Department of Health looks to integrate healers into HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and chronic illnesses programmes….more

The Department of Health’s controversial plans to limit medical schemes’ responsibilities for paying prescribed minimum benefits (PMBs) were never intended to leave patients footing part of their bills, a senior official claimed on Wednesday. Draft amendments to regulation 8 of the Medical Schemes Act, published for comment two weeks ago, propose limiting medical schemes’ financial liability for PMBs, a move critics say leaves patients exposed to potentially massive bills if a doctor or hospital charges more than a scheme is willing to pay….more