Dataset Information

Neurology goes global: Opportunities in international health.

ABSTRACT: In recent years, the need for additional neurologists and neurologic expertise in many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has become more apparent. Many organizations are committed to this unmet need, but the scope of the problem remains mostly underappreciated. Neurologists may be skeptical about their value in resource-limited settings, yet we are critically needed and can have a marked effect. International experiences, however, must be carried out in ethical, informed, and sustainable ways in tandem with local health care providers when possible. We present a brief overview of critical issues in global neurology, the importance of focusing on benefits to the LMIC, and options for volunteer opportunities in clinical service, education, research, and disaster relief. Finally, we offer practical pointers and resources for planning these experiences.

SUBMITTER: Fleisher JE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4121462 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Neurology goes global: Opportunities in international health.

Fleisher Jori E JE Mateen Farrah J FJ

Neurology. Clinical practice 20140601 3

In recent years, the need for additional neurologists and neurologic expertise in many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has become more apparent. Many organizations are committed to this unmet need, but the scope of the problem remains mostly underappreciated. Neurologists may be skeptical about their value in resource-limited settings, yet we are critically needed and can have a marked effect. International experiences, however, must be carried out in ethical, informed, and sustainable w ...[more]

PMID: 25110621

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Project description:ObjectiveTo study cross-national inequalities in mortality of adults and of children aged <5 years using a novel approach, with clustering techniques to stratify countries into mortality groups (better-off, worse-off, mid-level) and to examine risk factors associated with inequality.Design, setting and participantsAnalysis of data from the World Development Indicators 2003 database, compiled by the World Bank.Main outcome measuresAdult and child mortality among countries placed into distinct mortality categories by cluster analysis.Results29 countries had a high adult mortality (mean 584/1000; range 460/1000 to 725/1000) and 23 had a high child mortality (mean 207/1000, range 160/1000 to 316/1000). All these countries were in western and sub-Saharan Africa and Afghanistan. Bivariate analyses showed that relative to countries with low child mortality, those with high child mortality had significantly higher rates of extreme poverty (p<0.001), populations living in rural areas (p<0.001) and female illiteracy (p<0.001), significantly lower per capita expenditure on healthcare (p<0.001), outpatient visits, hospital beds and doctors, and lower rates of access to improved water (p<0.001), sanitation (p<0.001) and immunisations. In multivariate analyses, countries with high adult mortality had a higher prevalence of HIV infection (odds ratio per 1% increase 18.6; 95% CI 0.3 to 1135.5). Between 1960 and 2000, adult male mortality in countries with high mortality increased at >4 times the rate in countries with low mortality. For child mortality, the worse-off group made slower progress in reducing <5 mortality than the better-off group.ConclusionsInequalities in child and adult mortality are large, are growing, and are related to several economic, social and health sector variables. Global efforts to deal with this problem require attention to the worse-off countries, geographic concentrations, and adopt a multidimensional approach [corrected] to development.

Project description:Background"Decolonizing global health" (DGH) may help global health trainees understand and remediate the effects of historical colonialism on global health, but little is known regarding how trainees perceive DGH. Understanding their perspectives is critical for designing educational interventions tailored to their needs.ObjectivesTo understand how trainees perceive DGH research and to determine if perspectives differ between trainees from high- (HICs) versus low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodsAn online survey of all 2017-2022 pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees (n = 111) and mentors (n = 91) within a multi-university program that supports US and international investigators in one-year mentored global health research. The survey evaluated individuals' self-reported knowledge and attitudes toward DGH and their perceptions of historical colonialism's impact on eight aspects of global health.FindingsThe response rate to trainee surveys was 56%. Trainees from LMICs were less aware of the concept of DGH; 5/25 (20%) had never heard of DGH and 16/25 (64%) reported that they "know a little," whereas all HIC trainees had heard of DGH and 29/36 (81%) reported that they "know a little" (p = 0.019). For three aspects of global health (i.e., which research questions get asked; development of collaborative relationships; and data/statistical analyses), trainees from LMICs were more likely to report positive effects of colonialism. However, in open-ended responses, no thematic differences existed between how LMIC and HIC trainees defined DGH (i.e., actively eliminating power imbalances; prioritizing local needs; promoting local leadership; providing equitable opportunities; and ensuring programs are culturally appropriate).ConclusionsDifferent perspectives surrounding what DGH means suggest a shared understanding may be needed and is arguably prerequisite to designing educational interventions to help global health trainees recognize, understand, and act in global health. Future research is needed to understand perspectives on decolonization across diverse contexts with attention to constructs such as race, ethnicity, and gender.

Dataset Information

Neurology goes global: Opportunities in international health.

Publications

Neurology goes global: Opportunities in international health.

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