Communicating health research (71) Have you ever published a research paper? What happened? (4)

25 September, 2022

Dear Neil,

I'm confused and, yes, disappointed. Comments on the last issue of HIFA, i.e. "communicating health research" are many and of interest. However they seem to me an exhageration something like an academic exercise: medicine and the health of people are far from it, far indeed. I've been in Africa for the past 40 years, I've witnessed a transformation in healthcare that to me is bad and deserves comments, in primis by African colleagues.

Today medicine is mainly curative (1) more and more private, (2) based on prescription of drugs (3) and lab tests (4), people are empowerished by this trend (5). I feel this last point to be serious, poor deserve respect and not exploitation, certainly so by their professionists in their countries.

I 'point the finger to others' and this is bad but what else could I write in front of data showing the:

- over-prescription of drugs both in public and private settings (data are

available)

- excessive number of pharmacies (illegal), health centres (illegal), delivery of drugs in the same setting of prescription (dangerous), labs of poor/nil creditation, selling of drugs on the road, open air. Health authorities become concerned when national insurance system collapses for the excessive "drugalization" of people.

Medicine is reduced to a pill, an injected antibiotic, a Widal test that is 'obviously' positive most of times.

Greetings from DODOMA

Massimo

HIFA profile: Massimo Serventi is a long-standing Pediatrician working in Africa since 1982. He has worked for several NGOs in 6 African/2 Asian countries. His interests include clinical and community pediatrics, adherence to clinical guidelines and school education as the major determinant of good health.

Email: massimoser20 AT gmail.com