I have spent almost three weeks back in TX, which was supposed to be, in part, a time of immense productivity in front of our fireplace (yes, it is chilly here. Probably not enough to warrant a fire but still. I am sitting in front of the fireplace and paying for carbon credits to mitigateContinueContinue reading “Center and Peripherary in Doing Development Differently”
Category Archives: Global health
Hey, you’re sick? Can we know where you live? (simple experiments, complicated designs)
I have been working on a blog for 3ie (*now posted, here!), based on a Delhi seminar talk I gave recently, in turn based on this paper and this blog on using text messages to increase completion of anti-malarial treatment. Not all of the material I initially wrote will appear in the final blog –ContinueContinue reading “Hey, you’re sick? Can we know where you live? (simple experiments, complicated designs)”
Learning by asking: a modest proposal to engage those who did the doing
This post was originally published at Innovations for Poverty Action. it represents an effort to follow-through on some themes I have raised before and hope to continue to raise. Most development interventions are carried out and delivered by local research staff and residents. Such implementation is rarely a straightforward ‘technical’ operation but, rather, there isContinueContinue reading “Learning by asking: a modest proposal to engage those who did the doing”
Ebola and public health ethics (ebolaethics?)
Via Reuters, KFF recently posted a short article about the ethics of giving experimental treatment to the ‘hero doctor’ Sheik Umar Khan — and, really, to any of the trained health professionals who continue to show up to work even though they were at very real risk in Sierra Leone, in Liberia, in Nigeria andContinueContinue reading “Ebola and public health ethics (ebolaethics?)”
Nimboo pani: challenges and triumphs
There has been some complaint from some quarters that I have not recently provided any update about my life, reserving blog posts for slightly more wonky topics. This post will be a small antidote.* In Delhi, one way of dealing with the energy-sapping heat is nimboo pani — literally “lemons water” but in actuality lemonadeContinueContinue reading “Nimboo pani: challenges and triumphs”
Mo money, mo problems? AMF does not make Givewell’s top-three for 2013 #giving season
This blog is a cross-post with Suvojit. Update 21 December: the conversation has also continued here. Recently, Givewell has revised its recommendation on one of its previously top-ranked ‘charities,’ the Against Malaria Foundation (AMF), which focuses on well-tracked distributions of bednets. Givewell “find[s] outstanding giving opportunities and publish the full details of our analysis toContinueContinue reading “Mo money, mo problems? AMF does not make Givewell’s top-three for 2013 #giving season”
cues to action: oral typhoid vaccine
this is a serious upgrade from five years ago when i last took the oral typhoid vaccine. my 7-day, 4-pill course of medicine came equipped with a check-off timeline printed on a bathroom mirror sticker and a livestrong/wriststrong-esque reminder bracelet. color me impressed, as well as 25% of the way to being re-vaccinated. (on another vaccine noteContinueContinue reading “cues to action: oral typhoid vaccine”
back (and forward) from ‘the big push forward’ – thoughts on why evidence is political and what to do about it
i spent the beginning of the week in brighton at the ‘big push forward’ conference, on the politics of evidence (#evpolitics) which mixed the need for venting and catharsis (about the “results agenda” and “results-based management” and “impact evaluation”) with some productive conversation, though no immediate concreteness on how the evidence from the conference would itself beContinueContinue reading “back (and forward) from ‘the big push forward’ – thoughts on why evidence is political and what to do about it”
here’s an idea — if they are trying to tell you something, make it easy for them to do so.
there’s been a good deal of press around the unfortunately insignificant results of a major HIV prevention trial with products for women in south africa, uganda and zimbabwe. the results had little to do with efficacy of the products (a pill and a gel) but rather with the fact that most of the participating women did notContinueContinue reading “here’s an idea — if they are trying to tell you something, make it easy for them to do so.”
targeting vaccine teams: and now nigeria
this seems to be the first time workers were killed in nigeria, despite previous opposition to vaccines. on thursday, a controversial islamic cleric spoke out against the polio vaccination campaign, telling people that new cases of polio were caused by contaminated medicine. more on targeting vaccination workers here.
Heather E. Lanthorn 