In November, 2016, I met 3-year-old Barack Obama’s mother, Mary Atieno, who was all smiles as she watched over her son at the Akala Health Center in Siaya County in western Kenya. Just a few hours earlier, he was struggling to stay alive, one breath at a time. He had been admitted at the hospital …
July 1 is a big day for the World Health Organization. That’s when Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus officially becomes the new director-general of this important global health body. In his acceptance speech, Tedros said, “All roads should lead to universal health coverage. I will not rest until we have met this.” Another of his top goals is putting the …
A month ago I downloaded all the CVs and applications of the three shortlisted candidates for the new WHO director general. I immediately noted that Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was the only one who directly called out the need to bolster the frail health frontlines of many poor countries. As an infectious disease epidemiologist who …
A month ago I downloaded all the CVs and applications of the three shortlisted candidates for the new WHO director general. I immediately noted that Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was the only one who directly called out the need to bolster the frail health frontlines of many poor countries. As an infectious disease epidemiologist who …
When it comes to killer diseases in Africa many people think of infectious diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, or even Ebola. But the reality is that diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease – known as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – are a major threat. It’s estimated that there will be about 3.9 million deaths from these diseases in …