Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Nelson Mandela

  • Discrimination: From Blues to Amazing Grace to sleeves

    Lauren E. HillWalnut Cove, North Carolina, United StatesJack E. RiggsMorgantown, West Virginia, United States “Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.” – Bertrand Russell, from “An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish” “Now I know you’re a Blue, but these old eyes don’t…

  • Book review: Island Dreams: Mapping an Obsession

    Arpan K. BanerjeeSolihull, United Kingdom Gavin Francis is a Scottish doctor, author, and traveler who has worked in emergency medicine, family medicine, and as the resident doctor for the Antarctic survey, which resulted in a previous book. His wanderlust and way with words have been favorably compared to the late Bruce Chatwin. Island Dreams: Mapping…

  • Blood donation in South Sudan

    Ahmed ElhagLatham, New York, United States When discussing the many challenges surrounding blood donation in South Sudan people tend to focus primarily on infrastructural barriers such as limited health care facilities and lack of investment and medical supplies. However, one important barrier that is often overlooked is the cultural stigma around blood donations. Many people…

  • John Brereton Barlow: The “mitral valve” cardiologist

    Jimmy PhamMichigan, United States “To all the students who listen, look, touch and reflect: may they hear, see, feel and comprehend”—John Barlow, Perspectives on the Mitral Valve (1986) Mitral valve prolapse is now recognized as one of the most commonly diagnosed cardiac valvular abnormalities, occurring in 2.4% of the general population using standardized echocardiographic criteria,…

  • Kindred paradigms: Community arts and health advocacy in HIV/AIDS activism

    Niyi AwofesoAnu RammohanAustralia, Perth Community arts involve an understanding of communities and how art can function as an agent of social change. Community artists employ a broad range of genres and disciplines to reach a wide audience. Defined broadly as the work of communities of people committed to improving their individual and collective circumstances through…