Author: Nicole Toomey

SEATTLE — This past week, the World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since the end of April, three people have died and more than 20 cases of Ebola were confirmed in the province of Bas-Uele, a very remote and isolated area with no telecommunications and poor road access. Rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army is active in this area, resulting in increased levels of insecurity and displacement. These factors present a unique challenge to tackling this most recent Ebola outbreak. This is not the first Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.…

SEATTLE — According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis is expected to increase worldwide over the next two decades. Four countries in particular — Russia, India, the Philippines, and South Africa — are home to 40 percent of all tuberculosis cases. The rise of drug-resistant TB would have a substantial negative impact on mortality and poverty rates. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is resistant to isoniazid and rifampin, the two most commonly used and potent TB drugs. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is resistant to these two drugs plus fluoroquinolone and at least one of three injectable…

CARACAS — Venezuela is a country highly dependent on the oil market. As a result of the 2014 drop in oil prices, the country experienced a severe economic crisis, with high rates of inflation and unemployment, increased anti-government protests and violence, and severe shortages of food, water and medicine. Venezuela is experiencing a sharply rising inflation rate unlike any other country in the world, estimated at 2,200 percent. The current economic situation, along with Hugo Chávez’s addition of free healthcare to the constitution, created a healthcare crisis in Venezuela. The Venezuelan Health Observatory estimates that less than 10 percent of…

DETROIT — In April, an emergency room physician in Detroit was charged with performing female genital mutilation (FGM) on multiple girls around the age of seven. Jumana Nargawala did not carry out the procedures at the hospital that employed her. Instead, she allegedly performed the procedures after hours in a clinic run by a fellow physician and his wife. The three individuals are the first to be charged for performing FGM in the U.S. under a federal law passed in 1996. The sentence carries a prison term of up to five years. Nargawala faces an additional charge for transporting girls…

MEXICO CITY — Diabetes is the number one cause of death in Mexico, responsible for 80,000 deaths annually. One cause of this is genetic predisposition, however, the rising rate of obesity is also a huge reason why 14 percent of Mexican adults are diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes in Mexico is a major health concern, leading to a lower life expectancy and a high risk of developing disabilities. The number of Mexican adults with diabetes has tripled since 1990, and by 2030 it is estimated that 17 percent of the adult population will have diabetes. Further projections predict that without proper…

SEATTLE — Mali is a landlocked desert country located in the interior of West Africa. It is one of the world’s poorest nations and has one of the highest infant mortality rates. While much has been done to improve water quality in Mali, the same cannot be said for sanitation facilities, like flush or compost toilets. An estimated 77 percent of the population now has access to clean drinking water, but less than a quarter of the population are able to properly dispose of waste. The poor water quality in Mali results in a high risk of waterborne infectious diseases.…

SEATTLE — Mudslides and flooding in South America, most recently in Peru and Colombia, have caused a great deal of devastation. Health after a natural disaster is an important area to address to prevent the spread of diseases that can place a heavier burden on infrastructures and drive families further into poverty. Recent storms in Peru this past March have led to extreme flooding, with a death toll nearing 100 and a quarter of a million citizens displaced. The changes in climate that have caused the severe storms in Peru are expected to similarly affect Colombia. A recent mudslide in…

SEATTLE — South Sudan is currently in a conflict-induced famine, as 4.9 million people require urgent food assistance. It is expected that more than 5.5 million South Sudanese will not have a reliable food source by July 2017. Airdropping food in South Sudan has been occurring on and off for many years. These drops are a last resort because of their high cost but are necessary when roads become blocked, either due to natural disasters or conflict. The planning of airdropping food in South Sudan is crucial. Around 50 kilograms of food is dropped in packages. Bags must be dropped…

SEATTLE — Dracunculiasis, commonly known as Guinea worm disease, is a neglected tropical disease and parasitic infection stemming from drinking water contaminated with Guinea worm larvae. The larvae mate and grow inside a human’s abdomen, growing up to one meter long and leading to skin lesions. The presence of a worm in the body is incredibly painful and can incapacitate infected persons for long periods of time. Removal of the worm is done manually by pulling the worm out of the lesion. A full removal can take weeks. Since 1986, Guinea worm eradication has become a top priority for the…

SEATTLE — More than 54 percent of Guatemalans live below the poverty line, and nearly half of the population resides in rural areas. Many of the challenges that arise for impoverished individuals in Guatemala can be linked to water quality and access. In recent years, water quality in Guatemala has become an even more pressing concern as the country is experiencing one of the worst droughts in decades. The current drought began in 2012, and today affects 3.5 million individuals throughout Central America, 1.5 million of whom are in Guatemala. The drought is a huge concern for several reasons. First,…