Have you ever thought of suicide? I am not talking about committing suicide, I am talking about suicide as a mental health problem. Now, when someone commits suicide, the public judgment is to blame the victim. They could be called weak, coward, crazy or mental. Guess what, the world we live in creates at least... Continue Reading →
There are many adages that urge change from within. Probably, the most memorable one is by Gandhi, "you must be the change you wish to see in the world." Although very attractive, I find problematic for a number of reasons. First, it promotes individualism. These adages carry a notion that puts individuals at the center of the... Continue Reading →
When I defended my PhD thesis, of course successfully, less or more, I felt more relieved of the burden than elated by the accomplishment. On the one hand, there were all these congratulatory messages from family and friends, on the other hand, I had a sense of emptiness. Though I had a job offer as... Continue Reading →
When I explain social determinants of health to people, the first reaction I get is 'Okay, that is very intuitive.' It makes sense if you are in poverty, your chances are that you will get sick more often than those who are not. So, what to do about. When I try to offer a solution... Continue Reading →
In early 2016, I wrote a composite story of a boy who broke the cycle of poverty in rural Afghanistan. The story's goal was to show how someone could break out of poverty, how long would it take, and how much effort was required. To give you a broader picture of the extent of poverty in Afghanistan,... Continue Reading →
Sustainability of health programs requires stakeholder at all levels to share the different meanings of sustainability and the responsibility for it, a paper recently published on Sustainability of Community Health Workers Program in Afghanistan. To understand the various perspectives on sustainability, I interviewed 63 key informants and conducted 11 focus groups at policy, management and administration,... Continue Reading →
By Laura Kennedy, Pablo Navarro & MED6288 Policy & Decision-Making Class 2016 Canada’s health care system seems to be in a perpetual state of review and restructuring, posturing and promising, hoping for change that is glacial in pace if it happens at all. For the past twenty years, the country has wrestled with how to... Continue Reading →
On 19 October 2016, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA) held a forum to discuss the need for a review of health facilities and services in the province. Stakeholders were invited to a day of presentations and roundtable discussions to decide whether there was a need for a review, and if yes, how should the... Continue Reading →
One day before Canadian health ministers' meeting, the Federal Health Minister Jane Philphott has said again that it takes more than just money to fix Canada's middle-of-the-pack health system. Studies have found again and again that Canada ranks in the middle-of-the-pack in terms of health outcome compared to its peer countries. A report recently published by... Continue Reading →
