The People Behind the Screens - Part Three

by Michael Keizer · 2009-04-15 16:38:00 UTC
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(photo credit: julien harneis)

Health technicians

Our programmes are getting more and more complex and as a result we need more and more support from specialised technicians. Have you ever tried to set up an XDR-TB programme without them?

This category includes e.g. lab technicians, specialised electricians, hospital technology specialists, microbiologists, sanitation specialists, prostheticians, and many others. These people usually have had a number of years of experience in their field in developed or middle-income countries, and now apply their skills and experience in the field of global health. The good ones know their stuff, but also understand the place of their specialism in the programme, and how to get the most out of their knowledge and skills for the population; and are very vocal about it. The superb ones are masters of improvisation, and can work miracles with a piece of string, a paperclip, an old sock, and some of Mama Alphonsine's fufu[2].

And...

As I wrote at the start of this article, there are many other support specialisms active in the field. If you wonder whether your specialism can contribute to global health, the answer is probably ‘yes': someone, somewhere, is already working on global health linguistics, global health geology, or global health airship design. And if not, you should be able to carve your own niche, given enough determination, drive, and sheer bloodied-mindedness.

Good luck.

Footnotes

[1] I know I will cop some flak (puns intended) for this, but so be it. Sadly, the need for security managers has increased much faster than the supply and as a result opportunists have found their way in as well.

[2] Think I am joking, don't you? Not so: I have seen lab technicians improvise bacterial media from the strangest foodstuffs.

Michael Keizer
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