Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

Tom writes:

Got this from friend Banning Garrett. Yet another good stab at making more portable a good set of best practices and creating leave-behind connectivity assets.

Doc-in-a-Box. Start with pictures of the prototype that was in front of the CFR in New York last week. 'It will blow you away when you consider the implications...'

More, including links to other coverage:

For several months the Global Health Program has been working on schemes for creating greater efficiency, financial sustainability, and efficacy in global health efforts. We are deeply concerned that despite billions of dollars committed by the wealthy world to aid health developments in poorer countries, as well as dramatic improvements in fiscal and material support for health by many of the poor countries themselves, the danger of overall failure remains high. In particular, the severe shortage of trained health care workers worldwide - estimated to be a global deficit of 4.3 million doctors, nurses, technicians, and allied support - is already pitting health programs against one another in competition for skilled personnel. Vertical programs that have strong support in the wealthy world (such as roll out of anti-HIV drugs in Africa or provision of lab support for H5N1
influenza surveillance in Asia) are far better funded, and therefore in a position to lure scarce health care workers away from less chic, poorly funded basic primary health programs, child and maternal health efforts, or water purification schemes.

While we strongly believe the emphasis on HIV, tuberculosis, pandemic influenza, and malaria are appropriate, we feel it would constitute a gross tragedy to allow emphasis in one set of health arenas to strip other medical and public health programs of vital financial and human resources.

We are especially concerned that failures to achieve various benchmarks for health achievements, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other UN or Congressionally-sanctioned targets, will result in a decline in donor interest and support. Donor fatigue always looms over global health programs. It can only be staved off by proof of genuine and lasting achievements. Further, achievements in one health arena (e.g. HIV treatment or malaria bed-net distribution) cannot come at the expense of another, less glamorous health target (such as maternal survival or child dysentery
programs).

The Global Health Program has convened more than 100 hours of closed-door meetings and interviews all over the world in an effort to determine what is working and what is not. Last week these efforts culminated in the public display of what the Program calls "Doc-in-a-Box." We invite you to view some of the news coverage of last week's events:

UPI

Nature Magazine

New York 1 Television