A web blog discussing current health and public policy issues in the US and globally
Over the past decade the availability of commercial gene sequencing products that claim to provide information on our genetic origins have increased significantly. These products are offered by companies like ancestry.com, National Geographic and 23andMe to name just a few of the many businesses dealing in that market. This very new and rapidly evolving sector […]
Over the years widespread application of vaccines globally has led to significant reductions in the incidence of many vaccine preventable communicable diseases. One disease smallpox has been completely eradicated from human populations due to strong collaborative efforts across the world. Polio is another disease which could have been eradicated but unfortunately we missed the boat […]
These are the words of an anthropologist friend of mine – who has been traveling from Honduras with the caravan – regarding events at the Souther border over the weekend. No media news spin here: “Today was heartbreaking. My own country, the one with the most powerful military in the world, used that power to […]
I usually buy gas at Costco, and have established some rapport with most of the attendants at the gas pumps. There is this elderly gentleman I always chat with! He is retired and does this not for the money, but to while away the time! Last week as I was filling my gas tank, he […]
In a prior post earlier in the year I wrote on this topic. A closer look at the current global situation suggests that whilst the cost of Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment may appear to be a major barrier there are many nations in the world that have managed to overcome that. In this piece I […]
“Dr. Kankam, make sure to tell them not to prescribe Ambien to anyone who complains of not sleeping.” That was the advice an internal medicine physician gave me when he learnt I was giving a talk to a group of medical residents and medical students. He was referring to the alarming increase in doctors who […]
These days when I hear people say; “I love your accent, where is it from?” I wonder if I should say “thank you” or run for my passport just in case ICE will be in pursuit soon. My English is as good as my genetics will allow (you see both of my parents come from […]
The battle of the sexes continues to rage on across societies and has taken many casualties over time. In Election 2016 many believe the preference for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton was driven by male preference mixed in with a significant dose of misogyny, as to whether this is true is a matter for debate. […]
In Election year 2016, forty-two percent of Americans did not vote, a significant proportion of them like myself were recent immigrants from “shithole” countries! I guess most of them believed their votes won’t matter or sway anything here in the United States of America! Before they make any such fatal decisions not to vote on […]
What if I told you I am afraid to attend church services in America today! With the Sutherland Springs and Charleston church massacres, I am now afraid of being shot in church, you would definitely say Yaw is that not an overgeneralisation? And I would agree with you because the vast majority of Christian Evangelicals […]
In the past few weeks there has been a lot of interest on the breast as different organizations advance various initiatives to help reduce risk of Breast Cancer in Ghana. These activities attracted a lot of attention and have been very successful in raising awareness about this disease. With all that good publicity there is […]
As any self respecting Baltimore resident I sometimes see business deals in terms of street culture. I must admit though that I am no expert in street culture however a conversation that I had with a Baltimore Street homeboy who claims to have personally known the real Nathan “Bodie” Barksdale the inspiration for the street […]
I believe some issues are definitely first world problems. Women’s reproductive rights, unfortunately falls into that category. I have been amused at how abortion rights has so paralysed this nation to the extent the division it is creating can potentially lead to disastrous consequences on this great nation that needs to be “made great again.” […]
Over the past two decades the United States has experienced an uncontrollable epidemic of drug related deaths. In 2016 sixty-three thousand Americans died of drug overdoses, two out of three of these deaths were due to opioids. In times like this whilst law enforcement and public health services grapple for solutions most may ask the […]
The whole of last week most of us have been debating or considering one way or the other if an individual accused but never convicted of attempted rape should be allowed to sit on the highest judicial bench in the land. That decision is a really big decision and would eventually be decided by our […]
A recent World Health Organization ranking of the world’s health systems puts the United States at number 37 between Costa Rica at 36 and Slovenia, first lady Melania Trump’s birth country at number 38. This situation is all the more surprising since the United States spends more than twice as much per capita for health […]
Here in the United States, a group of people has appropriated upon themselves the sole responsibility of determining when America was great, that America had always been great but America needs to be made great again! I call them the “much touted self-righteous holier than thou sole custodians of America’s greatness and patriotism.” For them […]
For me my most favorite place in this world is my home, this does not hold true for my son though; he loves hotels. A few days ago I got the shock of my life. My whole world was turned upside down. As a black man in the US your safety is always a big […]
My country of birth has been described as one of the most religious countries in the world. This is a crown that most Ghanaians wear proudly, whilst others would gladly avoid any mention of that. On that account one can understand why an elected president of Ghana would consider building a national cathedral to be […]
In a prior post I had dreamed of claiming my gun which I rightfully acquired as a citizen of this great nation. Unfortunately life always just appears to get in the way of the greatest ideas and like all great ideas that fateful journey to Arkansas for my gun has still not materialized. However, for […]