Evidence collected by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the World Health Organization in recent months shows that mental health, rehabilitation and the population's access to health services are the top priorities and issues to be addressed. Oleksii Korzh unpacks the
The effects of the earthquakes on child health in Türkiye are substantial, multifaceted and, without urgent intervention, deeply enduring throughout the life course. Richard Armitage reports from the scene.
Teams are the talk of the town in practice transformation circles. They are extolled as the solution for many of our deficiencies– from chronic staffing shortfalls to employee burnout. This extended essay by David Loxterkamp gives a perspective from American primary care
…the sparsely populated rural and remote areas of affected provinces, coupled with the precarious and earthquake-damaged transport infrastructure that supplies them, has allowed the construction of very few formal displacement sites within these areas.
Will this delegation from Australia be successful in ‘stealing’ GPs away to Australia? For those who have been weighing up the options, it may well act as their trigger point to leave, but not without the context of the other push and
"The conflict in Ukraine has displaced over 7 million people since February 2022. The UK Government has responded by issuing 219 400 visas for Ukrainians through sponsorship schemes. One year on, we feel there is value in reflecting on the health needs
In response to recent earthquakes, the UK Emergency Medical Team (UKEMT) is currently providing a variety of clinical services from a field hospital in a heavily-damaged town located around 50 kilometres from Gaziantep in Kahramanmaraş Province. Richard Armitage is there.
Timothy Snyder kept a diary whilst in hospital in the US where he was finally treated, the experience of which forms the basis of his reflections. Much of what he writes about is clearly written about and for the American context, but
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), in new guidelines endorsed by Health Canada, recommend that Canadians should have no more than two alcohol-containing drinks per week. Nada Khan explores alcohol advice in primary care.
As the latest cohort in the Oxford International Primary Care Research Leadership Programme, we present the ‘10 things we wish we had known’ for anyone considering a career in academic primary care.
Apichai Wattanapisit reminds us that lifelong learning is a crucial element to maintain the standard of practices and develop the future career.
My love for those who could not help themselves was fuelled by passion,
As medicine became my way of helping them with care and compassion.
Assessing the effectiveness of each charitable project and directing financial donations to the one that ranks highest is certainly a task of gargantuan proportions. Richard Armitage explains.
Internet shutdowns are government interventions motivated to intentionally disrupt access to, and the use of, online information and communication systems. These measures pose a novel and growing threat to various elements of global public health.
Most developed countries have increasingly diverse populations. This context presents a challenge to empathic healthcare, as well as an opportunity. Better communication, treating diversity as an opportunity, and formal training in empathy and diversity can help transform diversity from a potential barrier
Although the doctor-patient relationship works in favour of promoting healing, it may not be sufficient.
With climate change resulting in increasing temperatures all around the world, what exactly does heat do to our cells and vital organs?
Richard Armitage argues that the abuse or neglect of nuclear facilities in conflict settings represents an international public health concern
There are three levels of general practice: generalist practice approach, general generalist practice and expert generalist practice. Koki Kato explains how they can help GPs explain what they do.
Healthcare professionals deploying to and practicing in conflicts and catastrophes can experience a plethora of negative emotions due to perceived or actual transgressions of their core ethical principles. In his final Ukraine report, Richard Armitage gives a powerful personal reflection.
Richard Armitage investigates the impact of the war in Ukraine on the country’s health worker density.
Anaemia is a serious public health concern globally, yet WHO's cut-off values for Hgb were established in 1968 using predominantly White populations in Europe and North America. Is it time to update to population specific cut-offs?
How do we support each other when a colleague dies by suicide? A reflection by Louise Stone.
Movies allow health care professionals to immerse themselves in “near-true” experiences that challenge their values and principles. Beatrice Khater and Bassem Saab discuss using The Last King of Scotland in family medicine training at the American University of Beirut
The Ukrainian system of medical education is considered to be both one of the highest quality and relative affordability in the world. Richard Armitage reports how things are affected by the war in Ukraine.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant and well-recognised threat to human health in Ukraine. Richard Armitage discusses how this is further complicated by the war.
For as long as the war in Ukraine continues, the country’s existing substantial unmet need for palliative care and pain relief will increasingly intensify, and ever greater numbers of people with life-limiting conditions will experience intolerable yet preventable suffering at the most
As of day 70 of the Ukraine–Russia war there have been 186 attacks on health care. Drawing comparisons to Russia's involvement in the Syrian Civil War, Hareen De Silva BEM describes the devastating and long-term tolls these attacks have on civilians.
General public concern over the adequate control of blood pressure is notably high within Ukraine, possibly due to the concerning prevalence of hypertensive disease, public awareness of its associated risk factors, and successful health promotion by primary care and public health professionals.
Richard Armitage discusses how the management of vaccine-preventable diseases has been affected by the conflict in Ukraine
Richard Armitage discusses many Ukrainian families have been separated, meaning the vast majority of refugees are women, children, and elderly people, who are often unaccompanied. These vulnerable individuals are exposed to substantially increased risks of being affected by modern slavery, sexual and
Richard Armitage asks if the prevalence of conscientious objection among clinicians could compromise the provision of abortion services in Northern Ireland.
Oleksii Korzh writes from the Kharkiv Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Ukraine, to describe the effect of the conflict on primary healthcare.
Richard Armitage reminds us that, while they play no part in geopolitical games, it is children – in particular the maintenance of their health and wellbeing – that pay one of the largest and most deeply unjust costs for the accident of
Richard Armitage discusses the interaction of battlefront conditions and COVID-19 in Ukraine
In an open letter to BJGP Life, Roghieh Dehghan and members of the Medact migrant solidarity group argue that deporting refugees to Rwanda is an uncomplicated moral wrong and note the frequent silence of healthcare leadership when these wrongs are mooted by
Richard Armitage uses the inverse care law to discuss the health inequalities affecting Ukrainian civilians who have been unable to flee the country.
Richard Armitage is usually a GP in Nottingham but is currently providing primary care to internally displaced people in the east of Ukraine. He discusses issues for primary care in the region.
Koki Kato reflects on the tension between patient safety and patient centered-ness with a hypothetical case that will be familiar to many. Does it have to be one or the other?
Aaron Poppleton, Dennis Ougrin, and Yana Maksymets give a responsive overview of the health needs of Ukrainian refugees and provide a list of useful resources for GPs
