Vital

News & commentary about the global health workforce

Community Health Workers Make a Difference for Pediatric HIV Clients in South Sudan

Lawrence Monday links health facilities and communities to extend HIV care and treatment services.

Creating Partnerships in Support of Health Workers in Uganda

I could begin every blog talking about the many countries, like Uganda, that find it challenging to build and maintain the kind of health workforce needed to deliver high-quality health services, particularly when faced with inadequate funding for human resources for health.

Women and Men Learning the Basics of Emergency Obstetric Care

Three groups of 24 Ethiopian midwives learned basic emergency obstetric care skills, such as inserting catheters and postabortion care.

iHRIS: A Year of Development

As IntraHealth's global project wraps up its second fiscal year, we're sharing a summary of its accomplishments.

Beyond Medication: Effectively Treating HIV in Ethiopia

When I first arrived in Ethiopia, I was struck by the sheer enormity of the challenges facing the Ethiopian people and government. Poverty, disease, poor infrastructure, an inadequate education system, and a rapidly changing economy have exacerbated the public health situation in the country.

From Innovation to Impact: Our Growing Collaboration with Duke University

I would like to join the chorus of accolades for all the finalists of the Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development, but especially Duke University. In response to this challenge, Duke researchers designed a heat-sealed pouch, which stores lifesaving HIV medication in doses appropriate for infants. The pouch is designed to be administered to a newborn during the first week of life, including following a homebirth and by a nonclinician, with the aim of preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission.

Health Workers’ Role in Health Service Integration

It’s vital to strengthen the existing health system as a whole. In integrating health services, these initiatives focus on the role of health workers.

A Midwife Crisis

“If we want to stop these women and babies dying, we need to invest in skilled care,” declared Flavia Bustreo, assistant director-general of family and community health at the World Health Organization. Bustreo’s declaration came on the heels of the release of the WHO’s State of the World’s Midwifery 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives.

South Sudan: “Transforming from Zero” the Nation, the Health System, the Health Workforce

Over the weekend, the world’s newest nation was born. South Sudan celebrated independence as Africa’s 54th nation state and the United Nations 193rd member.

How—and When—Do You Tell a Child She is HIV-positive?

Telling a child she is HIV-positive is difficult in many ways.  

Last month, I was in Kigali, Rwanda, to give the keynote address at the 6th International Conference for Exchange and Research on HIV...

The Key to Progress: Health Workforce Lessons from the Family Planning Movement

One of the great privileges of my life has been to know bold leaders in family planning and reproductive health.