Crystal Ng

Life after 2015: Keep Mental Health in Mind

Carol Bales — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 19:56:01 +0000

I could use a vacation.

Don’t worry, boss! I’m not overly stressed, but everyone can benefit from an occasional break. In fact, many countries mandate that workers receive a minimum number of vacation days per year. The idea is that time off can contribute to maintaining or even improving worker productivity and satisfaction. Yet a recent Atlantic piece points out that mandatory vacation time does not necessarily correspond to workers’ satisfaction.

Author's name:

Crystal Ng

Publication Date:

September 2013

Another Reason We’re Focusing on Health Workers: Ruth Wanyama

Carol Bales — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:03:19 +0000

“Me, I was born a premature. And if it wasn’t [for] the work of the midwives, I would not be alive. That’s why,” says Nabirye Ruth Wanyama.

Ever wonder why someone decides to become a health worker and dedicate their lives to helping others? We sure do. It’s one of the standard questions for “I’m a Health Worker,” an informal video series that CapacityPlus produces to highlight how we place health workers at the center of everything we do. We know it takes a qualified and motivated health worker like Ruth to deliver life-saving health services.

Author's name:

Carol Bales with Crystal Ng

Publication Date:

August 2013

Making Things Better in Uganda: Supporting Health Workers and Lending a Hand

Sarah Dwyer — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 17:10:50 +0000

Meet Martin Ssendyona, senior medical officer in the Uganda Ministry of Health’s Quality Assurance Department.

Martin’s job brings him into contact with a wide variety of health workers in different settings. “I think we need to be more innovative within the circumstances we are working,” he reflects. “There are many challenges we face, but many of these may not necessarily need additional resources. We need to see how we can involve others, engage the system, and make things better than the way they are now.”

One way Martin tries to make things better is through providing supportive supervision to health workers in remote areas. During one particularly memorable visit, he even lent a hand and got a surprising reward.

Author's name:

Sarah Dwyer with Crystal Ng

Publication Date:

August 2013