[afro-nets] Poor countries make the best teachers: discuss

[Dieter Neuvians MD <neuvians@mweb.co.za>]

Poor countries make the best teachers: discuss
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Editorial
By Tessa Richards and James Tumwine
BMJ 2004;329:1113-1114, (13 November)
 
It is not only what you spend on health but how you spend it
 
 
[From the Moderator: This is in follow-up of a message on AFRO-
NETS from Fri, 17 Sep 2004 12:48:38 -0400:
Information for the British Medical Journal by Tessa Richards 
requesting inputs from AFRO-NETS subscribers to the above topic. 
D.N.]
 
For the full text article go to:
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/329/7475/1113
 
"We will meet in the developing world a level of will, skill, 
and constancy that may put ours to shame. We may find our-selves 
not the teachers we thought we were, but students of those who 
work under circumstances that would have stopped us long ago.
 
The idea of a BMJ issue focusing on what rich countries can 
learn from poorer ones came from our editorial board. Western 
medical journals' coverage of health issues in low income coun-
tries is "limited and negative," they said. As a result they 
don't capture the learning potential of successful health ini-
tiatives developed in countries long honed to making the best of 
meagre resources.
 
Challenged to do better, the BMJ set up a team of advisers, put 
out a call for examples, and solicited ideas via global research 
networks and email discussion lists including AFRO-NETS and HIF-
net at the World Health Organization. This issue reflects a va-
riety of views of what high income countries whose increasing 
investment in health pays uncertain dividends can learn from 
poorer ones ­ and what poorer ones can learn from each other..."