Obalamu

It is time for healthcare improvement in Africa and beyond, fostered by Africans as main actors. We can't wait any longer. #HealthinAfrica #obalamu

Chanceline is 26 years old and resides in a rural area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She walks 54 kilometers to undergo a pregnancy check (Story and picture from Cordaid RDC). Millions of individuals living in similarly fragile African areas encounter comparable challenges in accessing basic and essential healthcare services. The recent handover of 15 mobile clinics by the President of Burkina Faso to the health structures in Ouagadougou 3 weeks ago represents a commendable effort to address these challenges. To effectively meet the urgent need to provide essential healthcare services to remote and isolated areas, it is imperative for civil society also to be involved. In this regard, we want to express our encouragement and admiration for the outstanding work being done by Rural Doctors to bridge the gap in health equity in rural communities. At Obalamu, we advocate for accessible healthcare for everyone in Africa. #HealthinAfrica #goodhealth #healthcare #publichealth #investinhealth #africanhealthnow #healthcannotwait #qualityhealthcare #accesstohealthcare #maternalhealthcare

The shortage of healthcare workers in Africa is severe. This scarcity is worsened by the migration of some of them to greener pastures outside the continent. The situation is so concerning that one of the candidates for the post of WHO Regional Director for Africa was asked yesterday (during the candidates' forum) about his plans to address this challenge. At Obalamu, we believe that, among other incentives, intentionally inspiring the younger generation is crucial for the "long" term. Sparking a dream, introducing various healthcare-related professions, organising outreach events right from high (or primary?) schools, and similar activities will help in raising the heroes who will contribute to improving healthcare in our continent. #Obalamu #HealthinAfrica PS. An interesting study on this shortage was conducted by Dr Adam et al. The link is in the comments section.

We cannot emphasise this enough. Research is a critical cornerstone of health improvement on the continent. That will enable us to tackle the known and unknown (present and future) health threats targeting our populations. Unfortunately, according to the 2022 UNESCO UIS data: 👉🏾 ~95 per 1 million people is the ratio of researchers in Africa (Global average: +1350) 👉🏾 0.33 is the percentage of gross domestic product on research and development (Global average: 1.93) Reflecting on the future of public health in Africa, Prof Wafaie Fawzi, Dr Justine Bukenya et al. carried out an interesting assessment of the capabilities of public health training in Africa and concluded with a set of insightful recommendations, the implementation of which would benefit the continent. (It was published on The Lancet Public Health 3 months ago. The link is in the comments section.) Among others, they highlighted the pressing need to: 📍Strengthen links between academic, practice, and research partners 📍 Increase financing for capacity building 📍Promote interprofessional education Together, those recommendations reinforce our cry to see medical centres, higher education institutions, public and private sector institutions and the civil society (to name a few) working together, INTENTIONALLY taking collective actions to drive the change that MUST happen if we wish to alleviate the burden of disease in Africa and beyond. #HealthinAfrica #Africanexcellence #obalamu

"Our countries must allocate significant budgets to research." That's what Prof Rose Leke from Cameroon said during an interview with SBBC at the occasion of her award with the 2024 L'Oréal-UNESCO International Prize for Women in Science for Africa and the Arab States. Reflecting on that statement, it joins what Dr. Jean Kaseya considers to be a cornerstone for a second independence of Africa. We believe that the continent should own the health system of its own population. Research is a key pillar of it. It helps to resolve the issues of yesterday and today and anticipate those that will rise tomorrow. That is necessary to reduce the burden of disease on our own populations and beyond. #HealthinAfrica #Obalamu

The gap in health-related research on the continent is HUGE. Such simple actions spark curiosity and interest, challenge, give new ideas, inspire and influence in a way we wouldn't have imagined. The outcome will be the emergence of a generational workforce of heroes who will take on the challenges we face in Africa. We would love to witness more incentives like this from Research centres and Healthcare facilities. Thumbs up @cam_crid (Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases). #obalamu #HealthinAfrica #crid

Congratulations to the new fellows. Improving the healthcare landscape in Africa will not happen overnight. Such partnerships are needed to raise local expertise that will tackle the challenges the continent faces. #HeathinAfrica

Improving the health conditions of populations in Africa requires healthy and sustainable collaborations. Communities constitute a key stakeholder and the benefits of its involvement, when done properly, can't be emphasized enough. Below is an excerpt of a documentary realised by CCTRIS, the Centre for Clinical Trials, Research & Implementation Science. Thumbs up for this initiative to Professor Bosede Afolabi, Titilope Adeyemo, Mobolanle Balogun, Kehinde Okunade and the whole team. #HealthinAfrica #obalamu #clinicaltrials #clinicalresearch #implementationscience

We wish that, beyond administering treatments, every medical centre in Africa - even the "least" - would be part of research centres on the continent. Large and extensive inputs are important to better understand the determinants of health conditions and find appropriate and sustainable solutions. #HealthinAfrica

Our desire is to see access to healthcare democratised in all corners of Africa. #HealthinAfrica #obalamu