Alanna Shaikh

Recent Activity

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  Alanna commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  When 'Charity' in Haiti Kills Children

  I am not sure this argument makes sense. Shouldn't the Haitian government be enforcing appropriate laws on child travel? Won't this also protect children from trafficking? I agree that stealing orphans is reprehensible, but blaming the traffickers for the fact that relevant laws are now actually being obeyed seems off-base.

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  Alanna commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder May Be Haiti's Next Disaster

  Here's the WHO reference: http://www.who.int/mental_health/resources/tsunami/en/

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  Alanna commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder May Be Haiti's Next Disaster

  WHO numbers indicate that in Tsunami affected poplulations, you saw a PTSD prevalence rate of 10% BEFORE the disaster. Several years after the tsunami, it's about 15%. That is a 50% increase - hard on individual sufferers, I agree, but in absolute numbers it is unlikely to destroy a society.

  
  

  The best thing we can do for Haiti is support rebuilding to create an opportunity for people to live healthy, stable lives to help them recover from their trauma.

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  Alanna commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Texted Donations to Haiti Delayed

  I am not sure the delay really matters. As long as they know the money is coming, the big NGOs can use credit lines and internal funds to spend in advance.

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  Alanna commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Stupid Homeopathic Treatments Are Spreading

  Also, considering you're  not even a member of the global health community, I don't see you as a committed reader.

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  Alanna commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Stupid Homeopathic Treatments Are Spreading

  I did a lot of reading on homeopathy before writing this. The other side, as I see it, is that homeopathic remedies are just distilled water and therefore don't do harm if you use them for minor ailments. I said that in the post.

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  Alanna commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  Where are the US Based Global Health Jobs?

  I thought futures group got bought out and merged into something else...

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  Alanna commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  AIDS Advocacy- How to Do It, How Not To

  Whether they had that agenda or not, I think that the message they conveyed was extremely misogynist. I don't know that authorial intent is relevant here.

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  Alanna commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  Stupid Homeopathic Treatments Are Spreading

  You answers:

  
  

  1) Homeopathic medicines are not regulated by the FDA. They are excepted from any real regulation in accordance with an agreement made in 1938:

  
  

  http://www.fitsugar.com/1696481

  
  

  2) In general, homeopathic remedies don't cause harm because they are distilled water and nothing else. However, they keep people from getting care which would actually help, and cost money that could be spent on treatments that work. For examples of actual harm, see this list:

  
  

  http://whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html

  
  

  Lastly, this isn't a question you asked for an answer to, but no - I am not a journalist. I am a blogger. That means you get my opinion as well as facts. And my opinion (which is backed by the facts) is that homeopathy is dangerous nonsense.

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  Alanna commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  Stupid Homeopathic Treatments Are Spreading

  There is a tax-payer funded US NIH Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine specifically dedicated to evaluating alternative remedies. So far, it hasn't found anything that works.

  
  

  http://nccam.nih.gov/