Tagged: global 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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  • 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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  • 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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  • February 24, 2021

    Confronting dilemmas in humanitarian response

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    Wealthy nations are now fragile states. Climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. And, the damage done by a global pandemic is not yet fully known but has already erased a decade of progress in the fight against extreme poverty. We are living in a world where crises are proliferating and take much longer to resolve. Some never end.

    My guest for this episode of A Deeper Look, Heba Aly, is drawing attention to the many forces disrupting the world and the implications for us all. Heba is the Director of the New Humanitarian, host of the podcast Rethinking Humanitarianism, and a career journalist. Heba is questioning everything from the power dynamics in aid to the increasingly intertwined nature of humanitarian response and development.

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  • January 28, 2020

    Bringing neglected tropical diseases onto the world stage

    Written by
    Bolivar Pou, Senior Project Director, Act to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) | West, FHI 360
    Phayvieng Philakone, Country Director, Laos, FHI 360

    Can you imagine trying to provide for your family while sick with a disease that makes your eyelashes turn inward and painfully scratch your corneas with each blink? Or attending school when your skin itches nonstop because you are infected with worms? These are some of the challenges that people with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) face every day.

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  • January 13, 2020

    Total Quality Leadership and Accountability: Reaching the last mile in HIV epidemic control

    Written by
    Otto Chabikuli, Director, Global Health, Population and Nutrition, FHI 360
    Moses Bateganya, Technical Director, HIV Programs, FHI 360
    Robert Chiegil, Director, Project Portfolio, West Africa and Middle East, FHI 360

    At recent global health meetings that assessed progress made against the HIV epidemic, presentation after presentation confirmed that the world is inching closer to epidemic control. The excitement at these gatherings was palpable. It would be the first time in human history that such a public health milestone would be achieved without either a cure or a vaccine.

    As technical experts attending these meetings, we were struck by the critical importance of logistical and operational interventions, alongside biomedical ones, to reach the last mile. Yet, unlike the private sector, public health systems in low- and middle-income countries often remain underfunded and understaffed. This environment can make project management very challenging.

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  • December 17, 2019

    Eleven lessons from “A Deeper Look” at the dark side of development

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    In the 2019 season of A Deeper Look podcast, we examined the darker side of development — the unintended consequences of development efforts, the paradoxes that we confront, the harm that the best intentions can sometimes cause and the lessons we can learn by discussing uncomfortable, even threatening, topics.

    Each one of my guests brought a unique perspective to this theme, yet it’s possible to distill a number of common concerns. More than one guest described the long-term nature of development as a journey, and many emphasized the importance of humility in this work. Although our theme for the year was dark, the perspectives, insights and commitment of my guests give me hope that we, as a community, are more willing to acknowledge our weaknesses and do better.

    If you haven’t had an opportunity to tune in, I encourage you to listen to all of the episodes in this season’s A Deeper Look on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. Here are some takeaways.

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  • November 19, 2019

    The darker side of development: The paradox of success

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    We have celebrated many successes in global development, thanks in part to advocacy efforts. The billions of dollars in resources and political will mobilized to tackle global development challenges have yielded historic results, such as reducing the number of cases of HIV, cutting malaria deaths in half and increasing life expectancy rapidly, even in the poorest countries. Does the promotion of the progress made lead to complacency that could ultimately reverse the gains we now celebrate?

    In this episode, I sit down with Tom Hart, North America Executive Director for the ONE Campaign. Tom shares ONE’s approach to advocacy. We discuss the paradoxes of sharing successes and talk about how the final stretch of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals may be the hardest part of the race. We also examine the role of advocacy in development, the continued need for bipartisan political support for development work and the coalition of strange bedfellows during a divisive time.

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  • March 1, 2017

    Global health in the age of the SDGs

    Written by
    Patrick Fine, Chief Executive Officer, FHI 360

    Over the past 15 years, we have witnessed major declines in child and maternal mortality and progress in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in countries around the world. Still, an estimated 5.9 million children under 5 died in 2015, mostly from preventable causes. That same year, 2.1 million people became newly infected with HIV, and an estimated 214 million people contracted malaria.

    In this podcast, I speak with Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, an eminent physician and CEO of Big Win Philanthropy, an independent foundation that invests in children and young people in developing countries to improve their lives and to maximize demographic dividends for long-term economic growth.

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