What's a health system?

Current discussions in our team have put the notion of a health system to the test. For our purpose "health system" is highly problematic. Obviously the pluralistic character of "medical systems" has been understood today. Still, health system's planners do not problematize the systemic character enough. As working terms, I will test "health structure/therapeutical services structure/public health structure" and "health organisation/therpeutical services organisation/public health organisation" to get rid of "health system" as term for analytical purposes. To reflect the manyfold medical and (social etc..) environmental components that constitute the ecology of health and disease in specific situations, I will have to reflect on these terms: "healthsituation"; "oikos of health"; "healthscape"...
If you have any suggestions?

Conference on Global Histories of Development

hier wird der link zur h sozkult rezension kommen, ist noch in der redaktionsphase

GDR support for Ifakara

In the 1970's a student group from Marburg, Aktionsgruppe Tanzania, has been sending substatial material support to the Leprosarium Nazareti in Ifakara through the international red cross. Gregory Witkowksi, who researches the history of this student initative has presented a research paper on this topic at last weekend's conference "Towards a Global History of Development" held at the ETH Zürich.

Ifakara Hospital: Interviews

This week I meet Dr. Edgar Widmer. Edgar Widmer has worked in Ifakara in the early 1960's. He has also been active in international health for 40 years or more.

>>here foto of dissertation: follows<<

Hospital History in Africa: Conference in CapeTown

Dear Friends, look out for more information on the Conference taking place in Cape Town, 24-26 November on the History of Hospitals in Africa.
More information will soon be available here.

HHSA Project started even stronger

The history of health systems project has started with its full team conducting research since yesterday.
We are also preparing a workshop on the history of hospitals in Africa taking place in Cape Town, South Africa this November.
Our new office premises are: Steinengraben 5, First Floor, Room O112.