Published in
N°009 - Juanary / February 2021
Article viewed 150 times
Global Orthopaedics - Our legacy for the future?
By Alberto Gregori (1), Patricia O’Connor (2) in category FORUM
(1) FRCSEng FRCSEd FRCSEd(Orth) DFM, chirurgien orthopédique - (2) MRCP FRCSEd(A& E) FCEM, consultant en médecine d’urgence / [email protected]
The overwhelming impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic has been to demonstrate to the world that we are all fragile human beings. Indeed, despite our perceived evolution and societal sophistication we are at risk of succumbing to an infectious disease much like our forefathers throughout history. We are battling a brutal opponent that targets and levels ‘mankind‘ failing to recognise differences of geography, culture, power or wealth. It is no longer acceptable to retreat to our national and personal interest islands ignoring our global interdependence. We must recognise the needs of those outwith our national (more fortunate) ‘bubbles’ and extend health policies and resources to include those areas of the world where health care needs are acute and profound and where poverty supervenes. The Pandemic has highlighted not only the plight of LMIC countries (Low and Lower Middle Income Countries) from the COVID-19 perspective but also the ongoing daily health care crises facing millions of people worldwide. (Fig 1). It is time to think ‘globally’.
Fig.1 Covid rules Mzuzu Cental Hospital gate Malawi
In the past we have concentrated global health care on specific diseases such as TB, HIV and Malaria with 1.20, 1.46 and 1.17 million deaths per year respectively. However, the Lancet...
Content only available to subscribers