Tag: malaria
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Aug 12, 2010
In Praise of Simplicity
Sometimes we take for granted the elegant solution, and lose sight of the fact that in a world where as many as two billion people do not have the basic health care they need, something needn’t be complicated in order to have an enormous impact. For example: To prevent the spread of infections among newborns and their mothers in rural Armenia, IntraHealth and partners supply women’s health centers with kits comprised of basic equipment such as disposable exam gloves, a mask, an alcohol swab, an umbilical cord clamp, and a clean sheet. Despite longstanding debate regarding the effectiveness of safe birthing kits, a recent systematic review highlights studies noting that clean birthing practices—such as those promoted by the distribution of the kits in Armenia—can prevent newborn deaths and infections, including tetanus. Another IntraHealth program distributes inexpensive mosquito nets to women and children in Senegal , to safeguard them from malaria infections—the leading cause of death among young children in Africa—as they sleep. A $10 bed net treated with... Read More »
