Opinion: To improve children’s health in low-income countries, put pediatric surgery on par with preventing malaria or HIV
The devastation caused by malnutrition, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria in low income countries is well known in the U.S. and other high-income countries, due in part to masterful marketing that has elevated these diseases into the collective consciousness — and convinced many people to open their wallets.
But this narrow focus on fundraising and aid limits the public good that comes from investing in child health. In new research, a partnership between the World Pediatric Project, William & Mary, and the University of Ghana found that a broader approach that includes pediatric surgery extends life, prevents disability, and is well worth the attention of philanthropic supporters.
