NC Voices: Keeping Doctors in Africa

Tuesday, March 17 2009 by Rose Hoban | Send to a friend

Linda Kalilani at the School of Public Health in Blantyre (photo by Rose Hoban)

In African countries many of the brightest people leave for better opportunities in Europe and in the US. Decades of this brain drain have left many African countries poorly equipped to fulfill many obligations to their citizens. That’s particularly true in health care. Clinicians and researchers from UNC Chapel Hill have been in Malawi for close to two decades and in that time, they’ve made a number of important discoveries. But one of the most important problems they’ve been working on is how to keep local doctors and nurses at home. They think they’ve made some progress. In this last installment of our series North Carolina Voices, Global Health Connections Rose Hoban looks at how UNC is working to build a better future for health care workers in Malawi.

NC Voices: UNC AIDS Research

Monday, March 16 2009 by Rose Hoban | Send to a friend

Photo by Rose Hoban

One of the functions of public health clinics has traditionally been to provide care and prevention for sexually transmitted infections or STI’s.  Historically, the concern was to curb the spread of syphilis.  But now, HIV has taken over that space.   It’s the same in the southern African country of Malawi.  At Kamuzu Central Hospital in the capitol, Lilongwe researchers and staff from UNC Chapel Hill work in an STI clinic to treat people with AIDS and to prevent it’s spread.  At the same time, they’re generating ground-breaking research.  Rose Hoban reports for our series, North Carolina Voices, Global Health Connections…

NC Voices: UNC AIDS work in Africa

Friday, March 13 2009 by Rose Hoban | Send to a friend

In the past two decades, African countries have been ravaged by AIDS in numbers that almost defy comprehension. Scientists and researchers have searched desperately for treatments, cures, prevention strategies… anything to reduce the number of people with the disease.  Some of that research has been done in the Malawian capitol of Lilongwe by people from UNC Chapel Hill. AIDS prevention, treatment and care is at the core of what people at the UNC Project are trying to do. They’re finding out what works well – and starting to see some results.  As part of our series, North Carolina Voices, Global Health Connections, health reporter Rose Hoban examines the ways the UNC Project works to combat AIDS.

Global Health Connections: Behind the Reporting II

Wednesday, March 11 2009 by Frank Stasio and Susan Davis | Send to a friend

Reporter Rose Hoban presents the second part of her series of reports about North Carolinians making a difference in health care in Africa. This week the focus is on Zambia. Rose joins host Frank Stasio to discuss Zambia's high rates of maternal and infant mortality, the short life expectancy,  and the way in which the AIDS epidemic continues to take its toll.

NC Voices: Reproductive Health in Africa

Tuesday, March 10 2009 by Rose Hoban | Send to a friend

This report contains graphic content that may be upsetting to some listeners.

In western countries, it’s easy to forget that in many parts of the world, getting pregnant can be a dangerous proposition. In the southern African country of Zambia, the number of women who die during pregnancy or childbirth is 60 to 70 times higher than it is in the U S. Some of those deaths happen when women go looking to end their pregnancies, and find themselves in the hands of untrained people. The Chapel Hill-based non-profit Ipas is one of the few organizations dedicated to helping women around the world get access to all kinds of reproductive services – that includes safe abortions and contraception.  As part of our series, North Carolina Voices, Global Health Connections, Rose Hoban traveled to the Zambian capitol of Lusaka to spend time with health care workers who work with Ipas, and are trying to reduce the rate of maternal deaths in their country.

Global Health Connections: Behind the Reporting

Thursday, March 05 2009 by Frank Stasio and Susan Davis | Send to a friend

You've heard WUNC health reporter Rose Hoban's reports from Africa this week on Morning Edition. The series “North Carolina Voices: Global Health Connections” took Rose to the African countries of Malawi and Zambia. Rose received a special grant for the project. She joins host Frank Stasio to talk about her journeys and discoveries.

Malawi Children's Village, Part Two

Thursday, March 05 2009 by Rose Hoban | Send to a friend

Since it’s inception twelve years ago, Malawi Children’s Village has helped the families of more than four thousand children orphaned by AIDS. But what happens when young children grow up? Rose Hoban reports.

Malawi Children's Village

Wednesday, March 04 2009 by Rose Hoban | Send to a friend

Tom and Eve Vitaglione (photo: Rose Hoban)

Around the world, AIDS has taken it’s toll on millions of people. One of the costs of AIDS is the enormous numbers of orphans created by the disease – millions of children have lost one or both parents.

One couple from Raleigh has been working with an orphan project based in the southern African country of Malawi. Rose Hoban visited Malawi Children’s Village for our series North Carolina Voices: Global Health Connections.

Global Health Connections: A Preview

Monday, March 02 2009 by Rose Hoban | Send to a friend

One of the "coffin shops" mentioned in this report (photo: Rose Hoban)

This week WUNC launches a new series: North Carolina Voices: Global Health Connections. Through a collection of reports, online photo essays and blog entries our Health Reporter Rose Hoban will explore some of the work being done in Africa people and organizations from North Carolina. Rose previews the series with Eric Hodge.

Reporter Rose Hoban has created  web-only audio slideshows and additional blog audio both available here an in the Global Health Connections Blog.