Want to sponsor this section?
Get details of our sponsorship programme
More informationThis section is all about medical and health issues and concerns.
Related Articles
A level of stress that gets adrenaline and cortisol going and brings out our best performance is healthy. However in our 21st century world many of us experience undue levels of stress and pressure that make us feel overwhelmed and which need alleviating. It can be unhealthy and unhelpful if...
Cowering by the radiator in my mother’s home, wrapped in my large pink fluffy dressing gown, was my first experience of reverse culture shock. In my early twenties I had spent time living and working in a South East Asian Orphanage for children with disabilities. Being immersed daily into poverty,...
Practice of taking a Sabbath?
In my life prior to being a full -time missionary I had not ever considered the principle of taking a Sabbath , but quickly became aware of what it can be like to be a full -time Christian worker. The demands are great, we set our...
I’m so tired and I cannot sleep,
As my fears all surface and drag me in deep.
The darkness and anguish hit me between the eyes.
All those memories I desperately try to deny.
The dark shadows follow me around every day.
Those thoughts of despair I can’t shake away.
(One verse from a poem...
Strange. Unprecedented. Unpredictable. Uncertain. Difficult. Many adjectives can be used to describe our experiences of the pandemic as it has swept the globe. Some countries are starting to ‘lift’ restrictions and lockdowns, attempting to emerge into some kind of ‘normality’. Other places are going into lockdown for the first or...
InterHealth's top 10 tips for travellers
1. Drink lots of water
Staying hydrated makes a big difference to your energy when in a hot, tiring environment, and during a long flight. If it's very hot at your destination, one or two drinks of oral rehydration solution during the day can be...
Can people with mental health problems go on mission overseas?
My friend Philip (pseudonym) is a young married man with a good education, doing well in his profession, and active in church service. To look at him you may never guess that for many years he has suffered with a significant...
Most experienced travellers will understand how important it is to get all the right jabs before departure. Most of us will also make sure we pack the appropriate clothing for the climate we're heading into. And not too many people (we hope) will forget to bring their passport and travel...
Any organisation sending staff to work or travel abroad has a duty of care for those individuals. Whilst the Health and Safety at Work Act and its Regulations do not apply outside Britain, an international dimension is relevant when considering the duty of reasonable adjustment under the Disability Discrimination...
With individual churches increasingly embracing the heart of international mission, proactively fostering links with partner churches and sending out small mission teams from their congregations, the phenomena of 'DIY Mission' is definitely on the rise. Equipping churches with the knowledge and skills to manage mission partner health before, during and...
Most of you who read this will be aware of the health care crisis facing vast areas of the developing world. The statistic that most sticks in my throat is WHO's estimate that the world is short of 2.5 million health workers.
"the world is short of 2.5 million health workers"
But...
A Summary of the Changes to NHS Entitlement for Mission Workers
Historically the British government provided an exemption for missionaries working for charitable organisations that allowed them to have full access to NHS healthcare regardless of their residency status or how long they remained overseas. Unfortunately this changed in England...
In August 2013, InterHealth wrote to its users about the UK Department of Health's consultation on access to NHS care in England.
The UK government has recently published its response to the consultation and is in the process of finalising the details. These currently include a number of proposed changes...
The NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 came into effect on 6 April 2015 and have implications for access to free secondary NHS healthcare in England for missionaries. OSCAR has surveyed many of the insurance providers to see if they have insurance products that might cover the gap for...
"So, given your experience with missions in India, what advice would you give me that's different than what most people would say?"
There I was with what seemed like the million dollar question. My best friend was sitting across from me at our favorite restaurant, asking me for hope. This would...
One of the most frequent questions asked by travellers relate to carrying medicines for their own personal use across international borders. This is often prompted when stories hit the headlines describing individuals who have been imprisoned and prosecuted for being found in possession of medicines that are freely available in...
In August 2006 having just returned to the UK from working abroad, I attended a routine hospital appointment and was asked: "Have you been living in the UK for the last twelve months?" I answered truthfully and was promptly questioned by a member of staff from the hospital's 'Paying Patients'...
"I was a week into my placement when the Accounts Officer quit, the Country Director was on leave, my Programme Manager was swamped with taking on the CD's tasks, and I was asked to complete a household nutritional survey with over 100 respondents by the end of the week, with...
