Global health: a lasting partnership in paediatric surgery

Background: To emphasise the value of on-going commitment in Global Health Partnerships. Materials and Methods: A hospital link; by invitation; was set up between United Kingdom and Tanzania since 2002. The project involved annual visits with activities ranging from exchange of skill to training health professionals. Furthermore; the programme attracted teaching and research activities. For continuity; there was electronic communication between visits. Results: Six paediatric surgeons are now fully trained with three further in training in Africa. Paediatric surgery services are now separate from adult services. Seven trainee exchanges have taken place with four awarded fellowships/scholarships. Twenty-three clinical projects have been presented internationally resulting in eight international publications. The programme has attracted other health professionals; especially nursing and engineering. The Tropical Health and Education Trust prize was recently achieved for nursing and radiography. National Health Service has benefited from volunteering staff bringing new cost-effective ideas. A fully funded medical student elective programme has been achieved since 2008. Conclusion: Global Health Partnerships are an excellent initiative in establishing specialist services in countries with limited resources. In the future; this will translate into improved patient care as long as it is sustained and valued by long term commitment

The Internationalisation of South African Medical Research; 1975-2005

South Africa's record in the production of scientific knowledge in medicine is remarkable; but attempts have yet to be made to examine its distinctive characteristics. This is critical to the understanding of its nature; trends and the directions which it is taking today. Using the publication records extracted from the Science Citation Index (SCI) of the ISI Web of Science for a 3-decade period from 1975 to 2005; with 5-year windows; I have examined the salient characteristics of medical research in South Africa in terms of; (1) the number of publications; (2) type of publications (sole/co-authored); (3) collaboration (domestic/international); (4) affiliation sector of authors and collaborators; (5) regional origin of collaborators; (6) publication outlets and (7) citations; in comparison with `all subjects' covered in the database concerned. This analysis shows that the contribution of medical publications to the total output of South African scholars is shrinking (25in 1980 to 8in 2000). Papers produced in collaboration are growing in number (increased by 17during 1975-2005). While domestic collaboration declined by 24; international collaboration grew from 4of total papers in 1975 to 48in 2005. South African medical researchers now publish more in foreign-originated journals (from 20in 1975 to 75in 2005) than in local journals and work mostly in universities; hospitals and research institutes; they collaborate with overseas partners from as many as 56 countries. Significantly; collaboration with Western European partners has increased 45-fold from 1975-2005. This study showed that a marked degree of internationalisation (measured in terms of international collaboration; publications in foreign journals and the number of citations) of South African medical research is taking place and that this trend is likely to continue in the future

Challenges in International Collaboration in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

International collaboration in child and adolescent psychiatry has historically been weak and fragmented. The field has also lagged in developing remedies for improving collaboration. This article identifies barriers to successful collaboration and examines problems in the areas of finance; professional development; knowledge dissemination; professional organisations; public policy and the political environment; priority setting; nomenclature; as well as ethical challenges. The article then identifies some promising initiatives and proposes solutions to improve international collaboration in child and adolescent mental health

Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) in the African Region

The International Health Regulations (IRH; 2005) are a legally binding international instrument for preventing and controlling the spread of diseases internationally while avoiding unnecessary interference with international travel and trade. Under the IHRs that were adopted on 23 May 2005 and entered into force on 15 June 2007; Member States have agreed to comply with the rules therein in order to contribute to regional and international public health security. Obligations also include the establishment of IHR National Focal Points (NFP) defined as a national centre designated by each Member State; and accessible at all times for communication with WHO IHR Contact Points. Furthermore; Member States were requested to designate experts for the IHR roster; enact appropriate legal and administrative instruments and mobilize resources through collaboration and partnership building. The Fifty-sixth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa called for the implementation of the IHR in the context of the regional Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy considering the commonalities and synergies between IHR (2005) and the IDSR. They both aim at preventing and responding to public health threats and/or events of national and international concern. This document discusses the issues and challenges and proposes actions that Member States should take to ensure the required IHR core capacities are acquired in the WHO African Region

L'experience camerounaise en chirurgie cardiaque: a propos de 83 cas operes de 1985 a 1990

La chirurgie cardiaque a ete introduite au Cameroun en 1985 au CHU de Yaounde; sous l'egide du Ministere de la Sante Publique et grace a l'impulsion de quelques pionniers camerounais; avec la collaboration des equipes chirugicales francaises de Lyon et de Marseille. Nous nous sommes proposes d'evaluer cette experience initiale dans notre pays et d'essayer d'etablir la courbe de survie des patients operes cardiaques. Au total; 83 sujets ont ete operes. leur age varie de 9 a 60 ans avec une moyenne de 29 ans. Parmi ces malades 53 pour cent des sujets etaient au stade fonctionnel III et IV de la NYHA en preoperatoire et 95;3 pour cent presentaient une insuffisance refractaire au traitement medical. [abstract terminated]

Gestion du medicament

La gestion du medicament consiste entre autres a assurer aux populations un approvisionnement continu en medicaments de bonne qualite aux populations a des prix qu'elles peuvent assumer. Elle necessite plusieurs activites qui vont de la selection des medicaments a l'utilisation du medicament par le malade. Le present document s'efforcera de mettre en evidence certains aspects importants de la gestion du medicament; notamment ceux qui ont trait a la selection; a la quantification; a l'achat; a la production locale; au controle de la qualite; a la distribution; a la formation; a la recherche; a l'information relative au medicament; a la cooperation avec les organisations gouvernementales et non gouvernementales; ainsi qu'au financement d'un systeme d'approvisionnement en medicament

Analyse de 315 biopsies malignes dans un hopital rural au Benin

L'Hopital Evangelique de Bembereke (HEB) est un hopital rural de 75 lits au nord du Benin. L'HEB offre aux malades un service de chirurgie generale. Depuis 1975; deux hopitaux en Europe (au Royaume-Uni et Suisse) fournissent un support histopathologique pour les biopsies chirurgicales. Pour cette recherche; les auteurs ont etudie les resultats de toutes les biopsies des tumeurs malignes depuis le commencement de ce service d'anatomo-pathologie

The special health fund for Africa

The Special Health Fund for Africa is a direct reaction to some realities that had come to light during attempts at tackling rampant health problems in the rapidly deteriorating socio-economic situation in Africa. The Fund was launched at the closing ceremony of the Council of Ministers of the OAU on 7 July; 1990 in Addis Ababa

The cardiovascular diseases situation in the Seychelles

The Seychelles cardiovascular diseases survey in 1989 was initially designed as a collaborative project of the Ministry of Health of the Seychelles and the department of cooperation of the Jura Canton (Switzerland) in order to investigate the prevalence and distribution of cardiovascular diseases risk; namely hypertension according to the WHO criteria; cigarette-smoking; obesity; secondary life style and dysplidemias; in the population of the Seychelles

Health aspects of the repatriation of displaced civilian population in war and drought-affected areas of Ethiopia

Medical experience in handling displaced people in Ethiopia is far-reaching. A solution to the lack in the flow; however; should be found particularly when displaced people are called to be moved from their normal ecological areas to newer ones. Since its inception in 1974; the Relief and Rehabilation Commission (RRC) has catered to several hundred thousand displaced civilians in conjunction with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the donors' community. In fact; its actions have covered all administrative regions at one time or another in its 18 years of existence. Repatriation of displaced civilians has and still is one of the major tasks and responsibilities of the RRC in collaboration with other authorities and collaborating agencies concerned. Donors help health manpower capability building by sponsoring research undertakings including those studies of research related to repatriation

WHO donates K15;000 to Puli PHC activitiesby Editor

Professor G. Monekosso; regional director for Africa of the United Nations World Health Organization pledged MKW 15;000 to help finance PHC activities in Puli area in the Blantyre district. The donation was made to assist constuction of a build for growth monitoring; improving activities of Traditional Birth Attendants [TBAs]; and construction of a well