Author: yaleglobalhealthreview

BY SAMANTHA LIU Hysteria has always been a markedly female condition. Plato in Timaeus was first to suggest the female uterus would be “sad” when it is not joined by its male counterpart; Hippocrates later coined hysteria in his Hippocratic Corpus as “the wandering uterus,” from hysteron meaning “uterus” [1]. Such characterizations trace back to … Continue reading Wandering Wombs, Wayward Women: Endometriosis and the Afterlife of the Hysteria Diagnosis

BY RISHI SHAH Artificial intelligence (AI) is heralded as a transformative force in medicine, with the potential to revolutionize diagnostics, personalize treatments, and optimize healthcare delivery [1]. Yet, AI is not an inherently neutral tool. Instead, it reflects and magnifies the values, biases, and inequities embedded in the systems that create it. In healthcare, this … Continue reading The Fault in Our Algorithms: Tackling Bias in Medical AI

BY LIZZIE FISHER During medical anthropologist Adrienne Strong’s second visit to Tanzania, she witnessed a harrowing scene: a doctor at Singida Regional Referral Hospital performing an autopsy on a woman who had died with her full-term baby still inside of her. In an interview with me, reflecting on her experience, Strong remarked, “It is truly … Continue reading Laboring for Change: Adrienne Strong on Maternal Mortality in Tanzania

BY LISHORE KUMAR For Onaeshegun, a tender-faced Nigerian native, medicine is more than a system of treating ailments—it’s a story. As a proud practitioner of traditional medicine, she uses recipes passed down from her grandmother to treat her aches, pains, and worries [1]. While she acknowledges that her remedies aren’t cure-alls, in times of struggle, … Continue reading Death and Distrust: How Failing to Proactively Embrace Traditional Medicine During the HIV/AIDS Pandemic Has Limited the Acceptance of Western Medicine

BY JOSHUA CHEN Treating pain is a complex issue. Its subjective nature and dependence on physiological and psychological factors make treatment complex. Opium—extracted from poppy plants—was first officially recorded for medicinal purposes in the 3rd century BC. The prescription of opium as primarily a painkiller, or analgesic, wasn’t documented until the late 18th century [1]. … Continue reading “The Placebo Effect”: Rethinking Pain Relief

BY GRACE UDOH America is failing its Black mothers. A study by the American Journal of Managed Care identified the United States as the worst country for Black women to give birth in the developed world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from … Continue reading A New Kind of Resilience

BY EDIS MESIC Individuals living on both sides of the border between Turkey and Syria were abruptly awakened by a terrifying rumble on Monday, February 6, 2023, at 4:17 am. Streets quickly filled with hordes of civilians rushing out of collapsing homes and buildings as a 7.8 magnitude earthquake tore through cities. With many roads … Continue reading One Year Later: The Lingering Health Crisis Caused by the Turkey/Syria Earthquakes

BY DAYA BAUM COVID-19 emerged in late 2019 and quickly escalated into a global pandemic, fundamentally transforming daily life and public health systems around the world. The virus has led to widespread illness and significant mortality, yet the complexities of its impact extend beyond immediate health concerns. Governmental responses, including lockdowns, social distancing, and mask … Continue reading “Covid This, Covid That”: The Importance of Communication and Preparation in Yale New Haven Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit Administration during the COVID-19 Pandemic