It is estimated that 230,000 Australians are infected with Hepatitis C virus. In Cambodia the estimation is somewhere between 300,000 to 750,000 people. In late 2015 a number of new Direct Acting Antiviral drugs (DAAs) which cure Hepatitis C in 12 to 24 weeks with few side effects, became available via at least three different … More Injustice in Health Part II
Waking on Friday morning, it seemed as though just another day in paradise lay ahead. Karen was attending her final class at the five-day cooking course being held at the home of the cookbook author and her husband, who run these courses several times a year. I was invited to join the 11 students and … More Another Day in Paradise
Picking grapes? Picking lavender? Picking olives? No! Picking whether or not to be here. Talk about a First World Problem! There are castles on hilltops at every turn and churchbells ring out on the half hour from medieval spires reaching into blue skies. Ancient Roman cities recently discovered under layers of soil sit on display … More Picking in Provence
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. William Wordsworth, 1804 It is so much easier to be in tune with things when you … More Wandering, Lonely as a Cloud
In the past year two different Spanish journalists passed through the TB Department in Kampong Cham, reporting in El Pais, one of Spain’s leading daily newspapers, about Medecins Sans Frontiere’s work. The earlier report dated 22 October 2014, “Cambodia Advances in the Fight Against Tuberculosis” by Ana Salva, is longer and more difficult to copy … More El Pais on Tuberculosis in Cambodia
While it’s not health systems that save populations, but healthy and equitable economies allowing a decent standard of living for most if not all, I still like this quote by Dr Paul Farmer. He is the founder of Partners in Health (PIH), a Non-Government Organisation who work in the poorest parts of the world, having … More Falling Through Gaps
While I base myself in Cambodia on leave-at-half-pay, unsure what exactly 2015 will bring as I “stress” about how to spend my year off work, three of my colleagues from Australia’s Northern Territory are in Sierra Leone, working in an Ebola Treatment Centre. The standard duration of Ebola missions is six weeks. Considered to be … More My Nurses Are Already Dead
Back in familiar surroundings, my days are going to be less blog-worthy for a while, but I’ll write when something of interest happens. Yesterday was blog-worthy so here I am! As a well resourced country Australia has the facility to respond in an influential way to emergencies of international importance. A current example is the … More Africa, Asia and Australia in a Day
Today I had my first contact with someone in Australia introducing me to the beginnings of what I hope will not be a quagmire of red tape around trying to raise desperately needed funds for our small but functional home of 12 HIV orphans. This evening I visited the children and had my arms draped … More New Beginnings
The other night we went to Sandan Restaurant in Sihanoukville for dinner. Very young apprentice waiters and waitresses, many quite hesitant and nervous, served us under the watchful eye of a slightly older, more confident and experienced young supervisor. Occasionally the apprentices would approach us independently and occasionally the supervisor would accompany them to our … More Templed Out
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