In November 2013, Narhari Timilshina, MPH – a public health expert and clinical epidemiologist – traveled to Bhutan with an ambitious agenda: to create the country’s first cancer registry. A cancer registry is an essential tool for gathering information about…
As an organization focused on our global mission, Health Volunteers Overseas doesn’t always have the opportunity to celebrate the community where we have based our operations for nearly 30 years – Washington, D.C. Fortunately, we will have that opportunity this…
In February 2015, the Kathmandu Post (Nepal’s leading English language newspaper) reported that the number of cancer cases in the country was on the rise, with cervical and ovarian cancers ranking among the five most-common cancers for women. HVO is…
The usual practice was to leave the plastic clamp in place on the umbilical cord until the cord itself fell off. Staff was horrified when I suggested removing it after 48 hours, since it was hard and scratchy on the…
This week HVO is celebrating our nursing volunteers in honor of National Nurses Week. What impact do our nursing volunteers have on the institutions where they serve and the health workers they train, and what do they gain in return?…
Editor’s note: The following post was written by Emily Scott, RN, vice president of One Nurse at a Time. One Nurse at a Time is a nonprofit organization created to help nurses become involved in the humanitarian and volunteer arena.…
Health Volunteers Overseas recently had the pleasure of announcing our partnership with Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) for an anesthesia training project in Luang Prabang, Laos. We are delighted to announce the expansion of our partnership with LFHC to…
Editor’s Note: The following piece was written to recognize the outstanding contributions of HVO on-site coordinator and recent Golden Apple Award recipient Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Chung. HVO is incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication of all of our…
You are probably familiar with the HVO mission. Our organization is dedicated to improving the quality and availability of health care in resource-scarce countries by providing education, training and professional development opportunities to the local health workforce in those countries.…
This year on World Health Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) seeks to draw attention to the global burden of diabetes. In recent years, diabetes has been on the rise in low- and middle-income countries. This is due in large…
Last month, NPR’s Goats & Soda blog discussed programs offering short-term experiences in global health (STEGH) for medical students, highlighting “The Risks (And Unexpected Benefits) Of Sending Health Students Abroad.” The post discussed the challenges of ensuring that global health…
This experience challenged me both medically and on a fundamental level of leadership and how to influence change. It certainly grounded me and has made me a better doctor, anesthesiologist and person.” – HVO volunteer Theresa Northern, DO, MPH As…