Global Health Unfiltered Blog
Beyond the Lungs: Gender, Anxiety, and the Hidden Burden of Tuberculosis
The experiences of TB patients show that the disease cannot be understood or addressed through a purely biomedical lens. Social expectations, stigma, and gender roles shape how people experience TB, cope with treatment, and access care.
The Shadow Pandemic: How Depression Silently Undermines Global Health
Witnessing a suicide sparked by the silent struggle of a neighbor, a woman burdened by an undisclosed depression that ultimately led to her tragic demise. It was a stark reminder that battles, both fierce and silent, can be waged beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives.
When Motherhood Becomes a Battle: Fighting Postpartum Depression in Africa
In South Africa alone, up to 40 percent of new mothers suffer from PPD, yet these cases are underreported and misunderstood. The societal belief that PPD does not affect African mothers is a dangerous misconception that leaves many women suffering in silence.
The US needs to rethink its punitive legal approach to mental health
Using punitive legal approaches to respond to illness is not only unjust but defeatist. It ignores the underlying causes of the scourge and fails to provide effective interventions. It creates a vicious cycle of stigma and discrimination that perpetuates societal injustices against vulnerable populations, including the homeless and those battling substance use challenges.
A Cry for Help: Dismantling the Stigma Around Mental Health
I yearned for someone to understand the silent screams echoing within me, someone to acknowledge the invisible pain I was enduring. In essence, I yearned for access to mental healthcare.