The New York Times has been running a great series over the past week called “Small Fixes” that looks at some low cost health innovations that could save thousands of lives:
It’s not that the American health system is completely deficient in small, clever, inexpensive fixes. It’s just that sometimes they’re awfully hard to find. The whole system tilts heavily in the other direction. We specialize in giant, cumbersome, ruinously expensive fixes. Thus, while we duly celebrate some clever little tools, we compulsively improve on others until they are almost unrecognizable, and still others we blithely ignore.
Some of these small fixes being tested around the world include using vinegar to fight cervical cancer in Thailand, folding saris to filter cholera-contaminated water in Bangladesh, and a liver damage test that fits on a postage stamp. If you haven’t already, definitely check out some of these articles.
