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Navigating Healthcare Maze: Spreeha’s Tech-driven Local Urgent Health Network

By Halima-Tus-Sadia, Head of Growth and Numair Reza Khan, Communication Intern at Spreeha Foundation

Doctor consultation at urgent health center. Photo: Spreeha Foundation

The Healthcare Maze in Bangladesh

Welcome to the intricate world of healthcare in Bangladesh, where each aspect tells a tale of challenge and strength.

Imagine a country where there are only 7 doctors for every 10,000 people, much lower than what the WHO recommends. Tertiary hospitals strain under the weight of overcrowding and limited resources, where a mere 48 seconds is all a patient gets for consultation on average. You’d have more time to microwave your popcorn than to discuss your health concerns.

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Lights, Camera, Vaccinate! How Malawi Uses Drama to Boost Immunization Rates

By Joan Kalepa and Ronald Ngeno, VillageReach

Drama group acting in a play called “Better Late than Never” in Malawi. Photo credit: Cosmah Chaula

Imagine a child’s missed vaccination sparking a dramatic scene, not of anger, but of awareness. In Malawi, this is a powerful new approach to public health. Through theatrical performances on local stages, communities are learning about the importance of vaccinations in a way that’s both entertaining and effective.

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Addressing Vaccine Dis- and Mis-information in Yemen

By Aisha Jumaan, President, Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation (YRRF)

“Polio has no treatment. Best protection is vaccination.”

In the past few years, Yemen experienced a dramatic rise in vaccine-preventable diseases, posing a severe threat to public health amidst an already dire humanitarian crisis. Millions of Yemeni children missed routine immunizations, with only 37% fully vaccinated in 2023. This gap contributed to over 53,000 suspected measles cases and 2,347 confirmed cases. Additionally, there were 1,978 suspected diphtheria cases. The circulation of polio virus type 2 persisted, with three new confirmed cases in 2023, raising the total to 239 confirmed cases since the outbreak began in November 2021. Vaccine disinformation and misinformation further threatened public trust in the vaccination program.

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