There are apparently three stages to adapting to a new country; firstly, elation – everything is new, exciting and different; secondly frustration – everything is new, confusing and different; and lastly, normalisation – everything has its ups and downs, some …
The last week of September was a momentous week for many working in development – the end of the Millennium Development Goals and the launch of a new set of Global Goals that will shape policy, programming and reporting for the foreseeable …
A few days ago I had the great privilege of speaking at DFID Mozambique’s summit on ending Child and Early Forced Marriage (CEFM). Mozambique has one of the highest rates of CEFM in the world, with around 1 in 2 …
It always strikes me on my visits to Africa how imaginatively people use their mobile phones. Mobiles are not just for calls, texts or browsing the internet. Instead they are used to transfer money, like I saw on my last …
Nothing can quite prepare you for walking into Zimpeto market, the largest wholesale market in Mozambique. It is a hive of activity, colour and noise with stacks of fruit and vegetables piled high in great walls of produce. It is …
What do you think about when you think about research? Do you think of stereotypes – such as academics looking like Einstein in the picture below with the blackboard? Dusty theses sitting on library shelves? Or do you think about the …
Can you remember starting school? I have vague recollections of going to St. Margaret's CoE Infant School, Durham in the early 1970s with my elder brother, when free school milk was still provided in little glass 1/3 pint bottles. Leading …
The social media room at last week's GAVI conference was quietly buzzing. People's faces were lit by the blue light of their lap top screens and, in one corner, a steady stream of influential people commented and reported into the …
I have just returned from a week long trip to Mozambique where I followed a pentavalent vaccine – one that tackles five diseases – from the ministry of health storage unit in the city of Maputo to the arm of …
I have just read Melinda Gates’ blog on her new year resolution. It's really a renewal of the already massive commitment of the Gates Foundation to carry on supporting improvements in health through innovation and a strong focus on delivering …
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