International Health service Corps (IHSC)

I came across an interesting article in New England Journal of Medicine September 2010 issue. “An International Service Corps for Health —An Unconventional Prescription for Diplomacy” by Vanessa Bradford Kerry, M.D., Sara Auld, M.D., and Paul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D.

We are all aware of Peace Corps. Dr. Bradford Et al proposed a concept of developing a program based on providing health care assistance to international community. This could benefit various countries. In almost all disasters United States is one of the leading countries to provide major contributions to affected countries.  If we have this in place, it would make a better and more effective way to combat major illness and disasters.  

Articles states,

“To break the cycle of poverty and disease, we believe that the United States should create the equivalent of a Marshal plan for health. A program that would train and fund both local providers and US health care professional to work, teach, learn and enhance the health care workforce and infrastructure in low income countries. We envision this program as an International Health service Corps (IHSC)”.

It also elaborates that one third of the world population survives on less than $2 a day; there is a loss of 4.6 million lives annually from AIDS and TB alone, along with deaths of 6 million children who die before the age of 6 from preventable diseases.

IHSC could have collaboration with other countries, any where there is a disaster, like the Haiti earthquake, we can contribute in a quicker and more effective way.

Physicians and nurses could be provided with incentives including loan forgiveness and scholarships, which could make this program more appealing.

In short I think this is a great prospective and has a great potential.

About the picture: I used a 70/300 Nikon lens to take this shot just after sunset.