Health

  • December 19, 2022

    Busting burnout: A global health imperative

    Written by
    Kate H. Rademacher, Senior Technical Advisor, FHI 360
    Phyllis Ombonyo, Consultant, FHI 360

    Clinicians. Administrators. Researchers. Procurement specialists. Regulators. Supply chain experts. Community-based workers. Donors. Advocates. Policymakers. These are just some of the roles required to implement effective, evidence-based global health and development initiatives. Yet many professionals are struggling with feelings of overwhelm, disconnection and exhaustion. In the past several years, we have lived and worked through a global pandemic, which exacerbated many pre–existing stressors. In this context, it is critical for us to address the risk of burnout among our staff and partners around the world.

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  • November 8, 2022

    ‘Blended care’: The future of family planning

    Written by
    Kate H. Rademacher, Senior Technical Advisor, Product Development and Introduction, FHI 360
    Helen Anyasi, Technical Advisor, Product Development and Introduction, FHI 360
    Laneta J. Dorflinger, Distinguished Scientist and Director, Product Development and Introduction, FHI 360

    In 2021, FHI 360 committed an estimated US$85 million over five years to support the goals of Family Planning 2030 (FP2030), a global movement dedicated to advancing the rights of people everywhere to access reproductive health services safely and on their own terms. As this effort advances, together we must reflect on the question: What is the future of family planning?

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  • July 26, 2022

    One size doesn’t fit all: Why differentiated services are still needed for the next phase of the HIV response

    Written by
    Hally Mahler, HIV Director, FHI 360
    Timothy Mastro, Chief Science Officer, FHI 360

    Over the past decade, there have been remarkable advances in the HIV prevention, treatment and epidemic control tools used by the global community working to address HIV. Investments in scientific discovery and implementation research have furthered our understanding of the factors driving the epidemic, as well as the biology of viral transmission. Prevention, diagnostic and treatment strategies have improved immensely, as have antiretroviral drugs. 

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  • July 20, 2022

    A new option to transform HIV prevention

    Written by
    Kristine Torjesen, Director, Science Facilitation, FHI 360
    Imelda Mahaka, Executive Director, Pangaea Zimbabwe AIDS Trust (PZAT)

    The future of HIV prevention is here. Injectable cabotegravir (CAB) is the most effective, longest-acting option for avoiding the virus. Until now, pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) medicine taken to prevent HIV has only been available as an oral pill that must be taken daily. CAB needs to be injected only once every two months. 

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  • November 30, 2021

    Refocusing on the fight: Communicating about HIV during COVID-19

    Written by
    Victor John, Communications Specialist, FHI 360
    Kevin Hernandez, Communications Specialist, FHI 360
    Makaila Bowen, Program Officer, FHI 360
    Julianne Edelstein, Senior Communications Specialist , FHI 360
    HIV Communication Team, Social Marketing and Communication, FHI 360

    While COVID-19 has been at the center of health concerns since early 2020, the fight to end HIV continues. How are HIV communicators in the United States effectively engaging with their priority audiences? Here, four HIV communicators explain why they are passionate about their work and discuss how, in the current environment, they can best reach people in the United States who historically have had to bear the largest burden of HIV.

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  • October 26, 2021

    The seeds of decolonization are planted. It is here to stay.

    Written by
    Otto N. Chabikuli, Director, Global Health, Population and Nutrition, FHI 360

    Decolonization of global health is not a future event. This journey started decades ago, before use of the term was common or the development sector saw the concept as disruptive. The goals of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been a major catalyst for the shift, with new voices and local viewpoints being elevated to create sustainable change and accomplish many of the targets we have set for global development. While host country nationals are now taking on greater responsibility in their organizations, more can be done to take full advantage of the benefits of diversity and the potential of decolonization.

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  • October 15, 2021

    How to ensure that hand hygiene gains outlast the pandemic

    Written by
    Aarin Palomares, Program Officer, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, FHI 360
    Ron Clemmer, Associate Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, FHI 360

    Contributors: Henry Omara, Ibrahim Abali, Kenneth Otieno Awuor, Washabiah Chagwa, Peter Gottart, Aeorangajeb Al Hossain and Julia Rosenbaum, FHI 360

    As FHI 360 marks its 50th anniversary, explore our history of solutions and future of possibilities. 

    For years, hand hygiene was a neglected issue within the broader water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector — until COVID-19. During the pandemic, public health messaging has re-emphasized the importance of handwashing and contributed to gains in more people practicing better hand hygiene. But now, we are seeing signs of fatigue and handwashing rates have begun to drop. As the pandemic continues, there is an urgent need to ensure that these gains are not lost. We must create a new normal, one in which hand hygiene is a mainstay in public health interventions. There are three ways to ensure that healthy handwashing behaviors outlast the pandemic.

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  • July 26, 2021

    Shaping the world we want to live in

    An Interview with
    Dr. Timothy Mastro, Chief Science Officer, FHI 360

    As FHI 360 marks its 50th anniversary, explore our history of solutions and future of possibilities. 

    Dr. Timothy Mastro, FHI 360’s Chief Science Officer, offers his perspective on where we’ve been, where we’re going and what’s at stake in human development.

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  • June 10, 2021

    Disrupters: Strengthening health systems through authentic partnerships

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    Strengthening health systems comes down to staff, stuff, space, systems and support. Whether providing primary care or responding to deadly outbreaks of infectious diseases, a holistic approach that places the patient and their community at the center of care and treatment is essential. In this episode, Dr. Paul Farmer and I discuss how human connection and authentic partnership should remain at the center of public health and human development work.

    Dr. Paul Farmer is the Co-Founder, Chief Strategist and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Partners in Health, and a medical anthropologist, physician and author. His most recent book is Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History. His positive approach to disrupting under-resourced and poorly performing health systems is simple yet holistic: Address unmet needs for staff, stuff, space, systems and support.

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  • May 27, 2021

    A star is born: Getting health products to people is a multipronged journey

    Written by
    Kate H. Rademacher, Senior Technical Advisor, Product Development and Introduction, FHI 360
    Kristine Torjesen, Director, Science Facilitation , FHI 360
    Markus J. Steiner, Senior Epidemiologist, Product Development and Introduction , FHI 360

    Recently, a question was circulated on social media: How do you draw a star?

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