AMR Testing Improving Treatment of Severe Infections in Kenya

While asthma has a large impact—including being the most common reason for school absence—data on the disease can be difficult to collect. An app called Propeller has been developed which tracks medication use among people with asthma and analyzes usage against 30 different environmental factors that can impact air quality and respitory health.

Surprisingly, breathing thin air at high altitudes helps some patients with asthma. Other emerging treatments include medicines that suppress the body’s immune response to allergens.

Since June 2024, Nigeria's National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has implemented a comprehensive fistula intervention program that fully covers transportation, surgery, feeding, post-operative care and follow-up services at no cost to patients. In Kano State alone, 2,157 women have received treatment through the intervention, with facilities handling 30-50 patients monthly, a significant increase from pre-program levels.

The RECOVERY Rehabilitation Center provides rehabilitation care for wounded soldiers. Providers at the center provide patients with specialized care and help to create individual action plans for when patients leave the center to ensure they have the means to adapt to their new way of life.

Following studies that show how important sleep is to hospital patients, several hospitals are revamping their practices to use sleep as medicine and take a more “patient-centered care” approach to allow patients ample time to rest and heal.

Germany, like the U.S., has a largely private healthcare system that relies on private doctors and private insurers. Like Americans, many Germans enroll in a health plan through work, splitting the cost with their employer. But Germany strictly limits how much patients have to pay out of their own pockets for a trip to the doctor, the hospital, or the pharmacy, making medical debt practically nonexistent.

China’s path to officially eliminating malaria began in the 1950s when a scientist in a government-funded program discovered the ancient Chinese herb Wormwood had been used to treat symptoms for centuries and went on to make the world’s top treatment. Effective coordination across many agencies, treating stagnant water, and widespread use of insecticide nets also limited cases. Today China uses the “1-3-7” method where local agencies are told of any likely case within one day, the case is confirmed within three days, and measures are taken to treat the patient and prevent further spread within seven days.

Having learned from a failed response to Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), the South Korea government and health officials enacted a proactive and effective strategy to contain the spread of 'Covid-19. Relying on better information control as well as technological advancements that aided contact tracing and quarantine protocols, the country has seen only seen 2.67 deaths per 100,000 people thus far.

In Florida, a hospital's respiratory department decreased readmission rates for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by emphasizing patient education and encouraging cross-sector collaboration between departments and resources. The change has also helped the hospital avoid financial constraints.

As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, attention is starting to shift toward reopening and recovery. Looking to healthcare professionals as models for doing so can help. A five-part strategy, tested and implemented at Boston’s Mass General Brigham hospital, has shown promise in its ability to reduce spread amongst hospital workers. It includes: hand-washing, social distancing, mask-wearing, regular health screenings, and cultural shifts toward working better together as communities. Key to this strategy is employing all of the measures in synchronicity.