Doximity’s Post

It’s taken me nearly a week to emotionally absorb, reflect and write this post. Last week, we met children with stage 4 cancer at the National Children’s Hospital in Manila, a partner of Children International Philippines and the only public children's hospital in the country, where children may receive care at no cost. Families must travel from whatever island they live on to go there for diagnosis and treatment, often requiring long stays, and the parent can no longer work. A doctor at the hospital said that some parents eventually face an impossible choice at a tipping point, between continuing to treat their child or caring for their other children back at home. This isn’t a choice any parent should need to make or the reality any child should face. I also learned that cancer, and many other diseases, often are not diagnosed until later stages among children and families living in poverty, who often avoid accessing care, largely because of fearing the cost. Through Children International’s health equity programs, we are helping to change health-seeking behaviors, removing the fear and avoidance of accessing care, and bridging the medical supply gaps at our partner facilities. I say it often, but it is true. I couldn’t feel more grateful for our partners like International Health Partners, who recently made it possible for us to support this hospital with urgently needed medical supplies, and other supporters that are helping us change these tragic circumstances. Together, we can create a much more equitable world for children and families. #health #healthcare #partnerships #healthequity

In Francophone West Africa, two investment programs—The Challenge Initiative (TCI) and INSPiRE—are working together to advance integration of #FamilyPlanning and #MomAndBaby services. The two programs funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and supported by IntraHealth are pooling resources in four cities in two countries: Koudougou and Po in #Burkina Faso, and Pikine and Touba in #Senegal. In just 18 months, TCI and INSPiRE have achieved significant milestones: 🚩All four city mayors made political and financial commitments, with dedicated budget lines, to family planning and MNCH. 🚩151 health facilities in the four cities have implemented the INSPiRE Integration Model. Read more from Fatima Sow of TCI and Marguerite NDOUR of INSPiRE: https://loom.ly/jI-r8A0

At the dawn of each new day, a promise of hope emerges, an opportunity for positive transformation. In the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa, where hope meets resilience under the first light of the sun, a silent but urgent battle demands our collective attention to the well-being of children. As a passionate advocate of childhood cancer and global child health policy, I am driven to shed light on the challenges faced by young lives in this region and globally. Childhood cancer is an adversary that knows no borders but affects children universally. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the struggle is compounded by limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of awareness. Children endure delayed diagnoses, limited treatment options, and a scarcity of psychosocial support. In this context, global child health policy becomes our guiding light, pointing us toward a world where every child, regardless of location or economic status, has access to quality healthcare. Advocating for robust policies in Sub-Saharan Africa, where disparities are stark, becomes imperative. My approach involves active engagement with policymakers, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders to prioritize childhood cancer and child health in national agendas. Crucially, increased funding for research, infrastructure, and healthcare provider training cannot be overstated. Collaborating with influencers, organizations, and communities is pivotal to educating the public about signs, symptoms, and preventive measures. We must create a ripple effect that extends beyond the hospital walls. Healthy children evolve into empowered adults, contributing to the social, economic, and cultural prosperity of a nation. Together, we can rise for the child's health and build a brighter, healthier future for generations to come. #BecauseThatChildMustLive #ChildrenareGold #ChildhoodCancerAdvocate #ChildHealth #ChildhoodCancer #GlobalHealth #Advocacy #SubSaharanAfrica #RiseForTheChild #KoredeAkindele

An interesting article from CMI's James Wintrup on how foreign healthcare volunteers in Zambia can unintentionally harm local relationships and healthcare systems, fostering dependency, disrupting existing services, and perpetuating a cycle of reliance on foreign aid rather than empowering local solutions. #Zambia #Africa #GlobalHealth #Research

📢 **Why Your Participation Matters:** 📊 We recognize that existing statistics around #endometriosis often overlook marginalized communities. That's why we're urging everyone, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, to help push our survey and ensure marginalized voices are heard. Your insights will fuel our advocacy efforts, empowering us to push for much-needed change rooted in the lived experiences of your communities. Together, let's make sure no voice goes unheard. Join us in shaping a more inclusive future. #ChangeStartsWithUs 💪 Endometriosis UK Emma Cox Sarah Harris, MPH

❔ What do post-polio organisations and groups who advocate in other regions and countries think about the health of post-polio education? This infographic provides insights obtained from a survey we facilitated. It shows that the majority of respondents are active in providing post-polio education out of necessity, and have members who share similar sets of barriers in accessing health care. 💡 Support and action is needed at home and abroad to alleviate both the weight of concern and the barriers to care faced by those affected by polio, and the strain on post-polio advocacy organisations who are delivering population-specific solutions. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

We finalized our 2023 annual report for the Connect project earlier this week. Our small but mighty team has been busy! A few highlights: In Bangladesh, we supported the government to expand our tested interventions to new areas and to conduct 16,574 home visits to first-time mothers. 10,541 postnatal care visits were made by first-time mothers in supported facilities. In Tanzania, we expanded tested interventions to new villages, and we reached a total of 3,213 first-time mothers. Our monitoring efforts found that 775 first-time mothers adopted postpartum family planning methods (and we'll know much more about adoption from our upcoming endline study). We completed baseline studies as part of cluster-randomized controlled trials. The baseline findings from Tanzania are available here: https://lnkd.in/e8Ni9xH6 We published one new paper: https://lnkd.in/epGtzdEa, hosted our first webinar, and presented 16 sessions in global, regional, and country conferences. And in 2024, we're looking forward to completing our cRCT and supporting governments to institutionalize these approaches. We also have a robust qualitative evaluation underway. Stay tuned! https://lnkd.in/eDrnCf9K

In the remote reaches of Lesotho, where access to healthcare can be as arduous as the terrain itself, a simple solution is transforming the landscape of family planning.

May 23, 2024 Today, I attended an advocacy meeting organized by AMAN, where they presented evidence from their innovative project in Dir Upper targeting strengthening of the maternal and newborn care. The project focused on several key areas: Capacity Building: Enhancing the skills and knowledge of the maternal and newborn care workforce. Community Awareness and Engagement: Educating and involving the community in maternal and newborn health issues. Technological Innovation: Introducing WhatsApp-based referral coordination and teleconsultation to improve communication and access to care. Use of NASG for PPH Management: Implementing the Non-Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) to prevent and manage the postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) effectively. Revitalization of Primary Care Management Committees: Re-engaging local communities in resource mobilization and facility management. Sponsored by USAID, this project has shown significant potential and its success suggests that it is worth sustaining and scaling up across the province to achieve even greater improvements in maternal and newborn health.

📢 New paper from my dissertation is now out in Health Policy (under Elsevier)! The piece, entitled “Exploring assisted dying policies for mature minors: A cross jurisdiction comparison of the Netherlands, Belgium & Canada”, was written with my amazing team of co-authors, Alexandra Cernat, PhD MSc, Avram Denburg, Fiona Jasmine Moola, Jeremy Petch, PhD, and Jennifer Gibson. In this piece we offer the first substantial comparative policy analysis on assisted dying legislations from two jurisdictions that include mature minors (i.e., The Netherlands and Belgium) and from Canada (where all minors are ineligible from being able to access MAID). This analysis contributes to our understanding of the ways in which context and sociopolitical values shape assisted dying legislations and the treatment of mature minors therein, while highlighting areas requiring further study amid ongoing debate in Canada. I’m really proud of this work and invite everyone to read through our work and share reflections, questions and comments to move the needle forward on dialogue related to assisted dying for mature minors. https://lnkd.in/eMdiwbBT