Lancet the Medical Journal.ke

11/03/2023

Policy updates in the Middle East encourage women to occupy high-level roles in various parts of the healthcare industry.

17/12/2022

CHINA / SOCIETY
YOUNG HEARING IMPAIRED ENTERPRENUERS AI AP HELPS PEAPLE 'SEE' SOUNDS
By Lou Kang
Published: Jun 09, 2022 12:17 AM

"For me the highest desire as a hearing impaired is to have a proper social life. Even with cochlear implant, the situation is not very much improved. If I ask another person to repeat what they said again and again they will finally lose interest in the conversation," A Hua (pseudonym), who lost his hearing at 12, shared his experience with the Global Times.
Among large population in China who are burdened with hearing impairment, having an efficient interaction with the rest of the world is probably the largest obstacle to retain a normal social life.
"If we cannot hear, then we cannot communicate, meaning that we would never involve ourselves in this society," said Shi Chengchuan, CEO of a start-up developing a voice-text transfer application. Also suffering from hearing loss, Shi was lucky enough to make a living for himself with a decent office job, but for others with a similar condition, things are more difficult. "I have a friend studying as an accountant in college, but he was refused repeatedly by employers because of the same reason," Shi recalled.

That was when the 30-year-old deiced to quit his regular job and devoted to developing a phone application to help those who experience the same disabilities.

VOIBOOK was developed by both Shi and his friends and released in 2017. As Shi told the Global Times, the aim is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help those who cannot hear to communicate "as freely as possible" with rest of the world, and "we can see it as a 'blind road' paved for the hearing impaired people," he said.

"Of course, the best situation is that we can recover from the impairment but the chances varies from individual to individual under restraints such as technology, medical condition, and economy."

Shi lost his hearing ability at the age of 11 and worked as a software engineer in an international cooperation after graduating from Jinan University in South China's Guangzhou, one of China's top universities.

Before graduating, Shi already made attempts in augmented reality (AR) after he noticed Google introduced AR glasses giving solutions for people with hearing disabilities. Those glasses enabled people to read words on the glasses which are recognized from the surroundings as the other is talking.

After six months of his high-salary job, Shi resigned and created a start-up company named VOIBOOK to help more people like him with hearing impairment.

The app uses the structure of AISpeech and applies AI tech in speech synthesis, voice recognition, voice assessment, as well as translation. But it develops further functions such as automatically recognizing people's voice four meters away and identifying different languages, such as English, and Cantonese.

TECH ASSISTANCE WITH HEARING VALUES

The World Health Organization defined hearing loss as the condition on people with hearing under a threshold of 20 decibels and profound hearing loss on those with very little or no hearing at all needing to use sign language.

Statistics show that nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide will have various degrees of hearing loss by 2050. Whereas in China, reports say that around 72 million people suffer from different levels of hearing loss, and the number could reach 100 million by 2030 as aging problems deepen in society.

Facing the largest population with hearing loss in the world, China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) has already suggested building a social system to support and care for the families of persons with disabilities, which is essential to be better understood by society as well as getting support.

Shi admitted that "protection for this population is still in an early stage," but he is glad to see the government values it while more start-ups like VOIBOOK work in this area.

Yao Dengfeng, associate professor of the Beijing Union University, who also suffers from profound hearing loss since he was 1 year old, completed testing a pair of AR glasses with his students in the laboratory at the end of 2021. Yao's ambition is to witness the information accessibility technology to be applied in every corner of society.

There are only about 10,000 hearing-impaired personnel to provide professional services in China. After fixing the communication, other obstacles, including non-verbal signals such as car horns and light signal sounds, still trap the hearing impaired from stepping outside their room, turning cities into vicious jungles.

"In fact, one solution to this is that we are trying machine algorithms to let them learn to recognize these sounds, so the machine can alert when it comes to a certain sound," Shi noted.

"Many people think that I was lucky enough to have a regular job back then, but for me, I always wanted to make a difference with the knowledge that I have learnt for people like me," he said.

04/11/2022

WHAT CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS CAN TEACH EVERYONE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
By Upasna Gautam, CNN
Something special for those who have plans to travel abroad for either further studies or work.My Green Card Lottery with The American Dream is on the way coming.Let me prepare myself psychologically not to be caught by suprise when the time comes.

CNN-Sahaj Kohli, whose family immigrated to the United Kingdom from India, struggled with an identity crisis familiar to many children of immigrants.

As the first in her family to marry a non-Indian, the first to go to therapy and the first to start talking openly about mental health, she found herself needing an outlet to share her challenges. In 2019, she founded Brown Girl Therapy, an online mental health community for children of immigrants in the West, to marry her two passions of mental health advocacy and narrative storytelling.

Wherever their parents were born, children of immigrants are often straddling two cultures. They are being raised with values inside the home that can be different from those they are experiencing outside of it.

Immigrant parents still teach their children in the ways of their home country, often rooted in deferring to elders. That’s why children of immigrants can struggle with chronic guilt, noted Kohli, who earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Children of immigrants don’t all share the same experiences, but Kohli learned behavior patterns and obstacles that many of them face. Setting boundaries and discussing mental health with parents will be the focus of her forthcoming book, “But What Will People Say?”

“If you aren’t doing what is told of you,” Kohli said, “you feel like you’re doing something wrong or betraying your family.”

In a conversation with CNN, Kohli shed light on the struggles that first- and second-generation Americans face while also offering guidance on how to navigate difficult conversations.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

CNN: Why do children of immigrants experience unique mental health challenges?

Sahaj Kohli: Children of immigrants are often straddling two different cultures. They are raised in a culture where the norms and the values are different than the values and norms that they’re being socialized in outside of the house. You are taught the role you are supposed to play, and it’s rooted in deferring respect to elders. That’s why children of immigrants struggle with chronic guilt.

CNN: Where does that feeling of guilt stem from?

Kohli: Guilt tells us when we are doing something wrong, when we may have wronged someone else or when we may be acting outside of our values. But when your values are different than those around you, then that guilt is holding you back. It’s making you act out someone else’s values rather than listening to your own. Recognizing that guilt is a warning sign for you to slow down rather than a stop sign for you to turn around is something that I find is difficult for children of immigrants to embrace.

CNN: How do you see these challenges manifest in the workplace?

Kohli: I often see it with children of immigrants who identify as women and the gendered roles that have been placed on them. If they grew up in a culture where they were taught to submit to an elder and are working with a boss or a colleague who’s been at the company longer than (they have), they might struggle to say no to that person, to ask for help or struggle to say that they have too much on (their) plate right now.

A lot of children of immigrants grew up in (a) hierarchical family system, and that hierarchy transcends into the workplace. They feel because they’re lower on the rung in the hierarchy, they have to defer to people who are higher on the rung. They feel like they need to constantly prove themselves or make those who are superior to them happy. Boundary setting feels intangible because they’re constantly trying to make other people happy.

CNN: How does the definition of success vary between children of immigrants and their parents?

Kohli: Immigrants come to a new country oftentimes without people they can lean on for support and sometimes a language barrier. They’re coming because maybe they were forced to, they might have been refugees, or maybe they’re coming because they want to give better opportunities (to) their children. The historical legacy of immigrants is in having to prove themselves and having jobs that show value to the economy. Immigrant parents pursued stability and security, whereas children of immigrants have the privilege to pursue passion and happiness.

CNN: What tips do you have for children of immigrants who struggle to talk to their parents about these issues?

Kohli: When having a difficult conversation with parents, it’s about addressing their fear. Often, immigrant parents come from a fear-based mindset and scarcity mindset because they might have come to this country with very little. They may be scared that you’re going to revert to not having enough, and they don’t want that. That’s why they prioritize security and stability.

Be vulnerable and address their fear. Help them understand that they don’t have anything to worry about, because they’re just worrying about their child being OK. Educate them on what you want to do so they can understand that it doesn’t need to be scary.

CNN: Where might there be disconnect in languages between the child and parent?

Kohli: In many cultures, the words don’t exist at all. We have to stop thinking in English when we consider where our parents might be coming from. That can look like addressing feelings of anxiousness. How can you identify what it feels like physically?

In a lot of Asian cultures, mental health symptoms manifest as physical symptoms. Headaches can be depression, or stomachaches can be anxiety. Making that connection could be helpful. For example: “Mom, when you have a lot on your plate, I notice you get stomachaches. That’s how I feel when I get anxious.” You can also highlight the severity and talk about how it affects (you) day to day. For example, “I used to love playing soccer, but recently I haven’t been able to get up and go.”

CNN: These children often experience survivor’s guilt — the feeling they’ve done something wrong by surviving a tragic event when others could not. What guidance do you have for navigating that experience?

Kohli: Children of immigrants often think, “I should just be grateful, because my parents had it worse.” I call it gratitude shaming — where we shame ourselves into feeling grateful. The most important thing to remember is that just because someone had it worse, your feelings are not invalidated.

The desire to make immigrant parents proud can be isolating when you’re left alone to deal with your struggles and don’t know how to ask for support. Having systems of support in or outside of the family is important.

Pain and suffering are not a competition. It doesn’t mean you’re betraying your family or your culture. If you struggle, you are human.

CNN: What have you learned that can apply to anyone?

Kohli: Self-care is an important part of mental health care. … (It) strengthens the roles you are responsible for as a child, parent, partner or sibling. For example, reframing therapy as something that’s not selfish, but something that helps you in the values that you’re rooted in within your family.

Self-care looks different for different family systems. It’s important to seek out external support with people who share your values. You never want to do this alone and free-fall without any kind of support as you’re navigating mental health conversations.

Build those systems of support inside or outside of the family before you start tackling the subject because it can feel isolating. For all of us, self-care in mental health is finding the agency you have within the systems you live in.

18/10/2022

CAN AI INCREASE THE SUCCESSRATE OF IVF?

Research continues on how next-gen technology could help address infertility.
Omnia Health Staff | Feb 16, 2020

Recent studies have shown how fertility experts are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assist infertile couples in their journey of parenthood. A recent development to have come out in this regard is from the United States.

Researchers have claimed that the results of their study could help enhance the success rate of In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) method, a widely known Assisted Reproductive Technology, by determining early on if an in vitro fertilised human embryo could lead to live birth. According to a report, they used an AI-driven system to examine a large number of time-lapse images of the early-stage embryos to identify “with a great degree of accuracy” which ones would most likely result in healthy babies. The technique is also seen to help lower the risk of multiple pregnancies.

Prof. Dr. Human Fatemi, IVI Middle East Fertility Clinic, explained that the process of selecting the healthiest embryos for implantation in a woman’s uterus involves a careful examination of the embryo's appearance at the blastocyst stage or the early development phase. He highlighted that bringing AI into the picture would help improve and standardise the current critical embryo selection system, which, for many experts, has remained very subjective and inconsistent. The technology utilises mathematical methods to point out a viable embryo.

CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE
“Generally speaking, the embryo quality is just one factor used by specialists to establish the chances of having a successful pregnancy in the IVF procedure. With that said, however, it should be pointed out that it is highly crucial in the entire process. AI has been changing the landscape of many fields and disciplines and the area of fertility treatment is no different. We should continue to look into the benefits of fully embracing this technology and its impact on our efforts to continuously increase our success rate. This will bring greater hope to many couples who are struggling to conceive,” added Dr. Laura Melado, IVF Specialist, IVI Fertility, Abu Dhabi.

Additionally, recent publications showed that utilising the AI technology is cost-effective and non-invasive apart from accelerating and promoting higher consistency in the embryo selection process.

TAGS: IVF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

10/10/2022

02/10/2022

THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE:FIVE TRENDS IN HEALTHTECH SERVICES
Investment in healthcare infrastructure and cutting edge technology has significantly increased over the past two decades from both the government and the private sector.This has led to growth of ultra-modern healthcare facilities in the country mostly in the cities and urban centers thus raising the quality and accessibility of healthcare services as well as reducing the number of patients traveling abroad to seek healthcare services.With this kind of infrastructure the healthcare sector is ready for the future to come with a new set of foreseen and unforeseen challenges including a growing population and density, growing life expectancy, share of population over 65, changing lifestyle, and more.
Technological advancements will have a-far-reaching impact that enables prevention, diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation and care.
The changing demographics and epidemiological trends are the main factors contributing to the increasing healthcare demand in the country.
SHIFTING SERVICE DELIVERY
The expanding and ageing population, high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), rising cost of treatment and increasing pe*******on of health insurance are contributing to the higher costs in the industry.This challenges have let to a rise in the technologies pushing the boundaries of traditional medicine and enabling the transition to personalised medicine and more customised treatments, including targeted and gene medicine, bionics and robotics technology, tissue engineering and 3D printing.This wave of innovation includes Artificial Intelligence(AI,Internet of Things(IoT), Automation, Telemedicine,Machine Learning and massive data.This trends include:
1.Patient empowerment:Patients will be able to easily acces their own health records and personal analytics,home testing kits,personal electronic monitoring devices etc,to shape their health and become a major component in the decision making process.
2.Intergrated delivery model:Significant shifts are underway, from in-patient to out-patient care, and the emergence of alternative patient friendly formats and seamless virtual health(Telemedicine) delivery networks, to home care and malls care, as well as other formats.
3.Personalised treatment: New technologies (e.g., tissue engineering and 3D printers) will enable personalised and more accurate treatment allowing the arrival of bespoke medicine; health systems will build and leverage a patient’s 'digital profile' to enable targeted treatment for individuals as well as populations with similar profiles.
4.Prevention: Health systems will benefit from predictive diagnosis of diseases, supported by technologies such as AI-enabled risk profiling, epidemiological understanding of different districts and cities, and data analytics for targeted health screenings. This will be the foundation of predictive-preventive systems.
5.Healthcare Professional 4.0: Machine enabled diagnosis will facilitate a symbiosis between health professionals and AI, where digital image diagnostics, virtual reality,Automatic Laboratory testing,Point of care testing,digital twins, and routine surgery will deliver greater value and better health results. 4.0 health professionals will require increased digital, cognitive and behavioral skills.

25/09/2022

05/09/2022

05/09/2022

After struggling with body fat issues for two years, actress and socialite Risper Faith undergoes surgery to get her sexy back