tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183761322024-03-12T18:11:44.133-07:00::sikh students health initiative::an innovative organization bringing together students to collaborate on health and human rights issues affecting our community both locally and globallyS Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-85538497092558721652011-02-20T14:13:00.001-08:002011-02-20T14:17:22.134-08:00Villages Without DoctorsAn excellent article in the NYTimes discusses moving beyond doctors to provide healthcare to communities. Here is an excerpt:But are doctors and nurses necessary to improve rural health? Two very successful programs in desperately poor parts of India’s Maharashtra state say no. SEARCH (the Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health), in the district of Gadchiroli, and the S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-5060252557653808212011-02-08T22:10:00.000-08:002011-02-08T22:15:13.293-08:00200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 MinutesI really loved this video on human development in global communities over the last 200 years. It's a great way to depict development [or lack of].S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-22376087706427909502010-12-14T22:58:00.000-08:002010-12-14T23:04:27.659-08:00Measuring the Health of the PublicThe Institute of Medicine released the first of three Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-commissioned reports on public health today:The United States spends more money on health care than any other country in the world, but there's much more to good health than getting health care from doctors and hospitals. In fact, life expectancy in the United States ranks 49th among all nations, and infant S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-538128136378194202010-08-22T11:59:00.000-07:002010-08-22T12:10:16.697-07:00Using Cash to Slow Population Growth in IndiaAn article in the NYTimes discusses a new pilot program being implemented in parts of India to slow population growth. Young couples are encouraged to delay pregnancy and are told that they can finish school and even get paid by the government if they wait to have children. Waiting also would allow India more time to curb a rapidly growing population that threatens to turn its demography from a S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-14090591417638849172010-04-27T20:59:00.000-07:002010-04-27T21:15:07.033-07:00Healthy Americans = Less Costly AmericansWhile much of the debate surrounding the new healthcare bill speaks to changes in insurance coverage for uninsured and underinsured Americans - a more noteworthy benefit of the overhaul is the (much overdue) focus on prevention. Under the new law, insurance companies will be required to provide preventive services - such as immunizations and check-ups - as part of the patient's insurance S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-40514864313206592682010-04-04T23:23:00.000-07:002010-04-04T23:35:50.799-07:00Farmer Suicides in Punjab ContinueA recent article in the Financial Times discusses how the suicide rate among small farmers in Punjab is much higher than official statistics.The north-western state, the main breadbasket of Asia's third-largest economy, had appeared immune to the wave of suicides by indebted farmers that has swept drier parts of India. Yet research shows that more than 2,000 farmers in Punjab kill themselves S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-46048110773312180842010-02-22T20:58:00.000-08:002010-02-22T21:07:16.497-08:00International Princess ProjectHere's information and a short video about the International Princess Project, an organization aimed at giving women and young girls new opportunities to restore their lives and empower then to live in freedom.International Princess Project advocates for women enslaved in prostitution, helping them restore their lives and empowering them to live free. Through various initiatives, International S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-46014900654958579522010-02-19T10:28:00.000-08:002010-04-04T23:37:14.236-07:00Language and Cultural Barriers in HealthcareA new study, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, confirms the need to address language and culture in healthcare.Nearly half of U.S. physicians say language or other cultural barriers are obstacles to providing high-quality patient care, according to a study released by the Center for Studying Health System Change. Forty-eight percent of all physicians in 2008 reported difficulties S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-36747162760381282672009-12-01T22:46:00.000-08:002009-12-01T22:50:09.305-08:00Find an Urge to Help on World AIDS Day[From The Langar Hall]December 1st is World AIDS Day. Each year on this day we take the time to consider the impact HIV and AIDS has had on people around the globe. This year’s focus is on Universal Access and Human Rights. For as long as I can remember, the conversation has focused on the growing number of infections and deaths associated with AIDS. This year, however, the United Nations S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-38791696579537804032009-11-04T16:11:00.000-08:002009-11-04T16:13:32.579-08:00India's sick 'suffer needlessly' Hundreds of thousands of sick people in India are suffering unnecessary and excruciating pain because of a lack of funds, according to a new report. The Human Rights Watch group says that budgetary constraints result in poor medical training, restrictive drug regulations and poor patient care. The group says that many major cancer hospitals do not provide patients with the painkilling drug, S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-65430855042723838112009-10-31T16:08:00.000-07:002009-11-04T16:11:44.760-08:00Learning About Primary Care ShortagesThe United States currently faces a shortage of primary care professionals that threatens to develop into a major crisis if not addressed. Primary care comprises four main features: A first contact for any new health issue or need Long-term, person-focused care Comprehensive care for most health needs Coordination of care when it must be received elsewhere (i.e. with a specialist)General S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-63459181396644642892009-09-25T13:58:00.000-07:002009-09-25T14:02:55.338-07:00Knitting for babies in RwandaA message from Partners in Health:In the chilly mountains of rural Rwanda, where last year PIH's partner organization began working with the Burera District Hospital, resources are very limited and the temperature often drops into the 50s. Newborn babies, particularly those born prematurely, often struggle to keep warm. In a country where one in 10 babies dies before her first birthday, S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-68189226405213080712009-09-14T21:59:00.000-07:002009-09-14T22:03:50.295-07:00Pollution and Disease in PunjabIn the Faridkot centre… Harmanbir Kaur, 15, was rocking gently backwards and forwards. When her test results came back, they showed she had 10 times the safe limit of uranium in her body. Her brother, Naunihal Singh, six, has double the safe level.An article in The Observer discusses the link between the dramatic rise in birth defects in Punjab and pollution from coal-fired power stations. Many S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-20817518130648264012009-08-31T21:53:00.000-07:002009-08-31T21:58:39.491-07:00New Book: Strength in What RemainsMany of you first learned about Partners in Health by reading Kidder's bestseller about Paul Farmer and the founding of Partners In Health, Mountains Beyond Mountains. Today, Random House is publishing not one but two works by Tracy Kidder--his powerful new book, Strength in What Remains; and a new, deluxe paperback edition of Mountains Beyond Mountains that features an epilogue updating the S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-81270805582882646752009-08-08T20:43:00.000-07:002009-08-08T20:57:57.609-07:00Dengue Outbreak in PunjabA potential dengue outbreak looms in Ludhiana. Dengue, an infectious disease caused by a virus, can be transmitted via mosquito bites. Cases of gastroenteritis were found first among the community, followed by cases of cholera. The fear of a dengue outbreak is now of concern in the region."As for gastroenteritis, illegal water connections in vehras of various areas of the city inhabited S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-6550883272228701562009-06-10T22:35:00.000-07:002009-06-10T22:40:18.380-07:00Humanitarian IQLast week I got this in my inbox. Try it - even as activisits - you'll be surprised how much there still is to learn! http://www.humanitarianiq.com/ S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-62174801541864482302009-05-10T17:48:00.000-07:002009-05-10T18:06:08.612-07:00Humble The PoetA million hereA million thereTwo million dyin from malariaWho really caresS Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-24564079612758183242009-05-10T11:08:00.000-07:002009-05-10T11:15:27.935-07:00Happy Mother's DayThe New York Times has a great piece on celebrating mothers around the world. They ask, What Do You Give the Developing World for Mother’s Day? In five different pieces they explore the developments which have helped and have the potential to improve the health and wellbeing of women and children across the globe:A Birth PillAn inexpensive medicine could save lives.A Dose of CareCounseling S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-31643921785178656032009-05-06T10:15:00.000-07:002009-05-06T10:19:28.983-07:00Operation WalkI was especially proud when I heard about Operation Walk - an organization established by Harpal Singh Khanuja and his wife Maria Khanuja. The non-profit organization is dedicated to providing free knee and hip replacements to underserved people around the world. The concept behind the organization was to perform complicated surgeries on people in developing countries, “where arthritis S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-48982125101860540362009-05-03T16:29:00.000-07:002009-05-03T16:35:21.936-07:00Nobel Prize for Public Health?An excellent piece from Nicholas Kristof in the NYT discussing how the recent Swine Flu scare reinforces a flawed medical system. Think of the 47 million Americans who lack insurance. They are less likely to receive flu vaccines (which might or might not help), less likely to receive prompt care when they get sick, and less able financially to stay home from work — and thus they are more likely S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-73496470224477458522009-05-03T16:25:00.000-07:002009-05-03T16:29:39.230-07:00Universal Healthcare and Health DisparitiesIt should go without saying, but now we have a study to confirm it - universal health coverage could reduce health disparities. The Commonwealth Fund conducted a study which suggests that medicare coverage for all provides a dramatic reduction in the level of poorer health among African American, Latino and low-income Americans. Their research team, led by J. Michael McWilliams, M.D., Ph.D., S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-9518392850500922622009-04-12T22:24:00.001-07:002009-04-12T22:32:58.718-07:00Punjab Farmer SuicidesHearing about farmer suicides in Punjab is no longer (and quite unfortunately not) a unique thing anymore. It's a topic which i find very disheartening, and it's recurrence in the news reinforces the need to pay closer attention to the root cause of these deaths and who is being impacted by them. Mandip Kaur, a 29-year-old housewife from a farming family in southern Punjab, guards her husband S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-61885126207462522092009-03-26T15:15:00.000-07:002009-03-26T15:21:45.327-07:00Purple Day!Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It’s also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy. Here is some information on how you can support the cause to bring more awareness to this condition.---A little bit about Purple Day...Founded in 2008, by nine-year-old S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-51846824296460393952009-03-17T09:00:00.000-07:002009-03-17T10:39:22.189-07:00India Grows and So Does Child Hunger While the US struggles with its economy and financial woes, India continues to grow and remain somewhat fiscally stable. In the midst of this growth, it is easy to forget about the various problems that continue to plague this democracy. The issue of malnutrition is covered in a recent NYTimes article. Small, sick, listless children have long been India’s scourge — “a national shame,” in the S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18376132.post-10651289298904981212009-03-16T14:47:00.000-07:002009-03-16T14:59:31.380-07:00Child Marriages in IndiaNearly half of Indian brides wed before they are 18-years-old, the legal age for marriage since 1978, a survey by the Lancet medical magazine says. A recent BBC article discusses how child marriage continues to be a problem for rural, poor and less educated girls living in India. Dr. Anita Raj (a fellowship advisor of mine from grad school) led the study which discusses the adverse health S Kaurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332659565516635603noreply@blogger.com0