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PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE

Health in a global perspective

By Kaparaboyna Ashok Kumar, MD, FRCS, FAAFP

In the last 200 years, we have seen remarkable progress in Royal College of
healthcare across the globe. Before the industrial revolution, life Surgeons (FRCS).
expectancy stagnated around 25 to 40 years. In 2010, more than A few years later, I
200 years later, the average life expectancy soared above 67 years found myself in
for men and women. the United States,
Additionally, the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study shows having completed
that the world has made significant progress in reducing mortal- a second residency
ity and morbidity attributable to a number of health issues. Ma- in family medicine working at my private practice in Oklahoma.
ternal and child health has improved over the last two decades I soon found myself in academic medicine, first at the UT Health
with reductions in pregnancy-related complications and malnu- Science Center in Tyler and now here at the UT Health Science
trition. Also, infectious diseases are on the decline in many parts Center in San Antonio.
of the world, thanks largely in part to global infectious disease Through the years, I have remained connected to India and
control and prevention strategies, including clean water cam- the United Kingdom. In addition to taking leadership roles in
paigns, the use of mosquito nets, immunization and drug dona- organized medicine both within the broader medical society and
tion programs that treat HIV, TB, and many tropical and within my specialty society, I have also been actively involved in
neglected diseases. the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).
So why does global health matter here at home? We are all af- Organizations such as AAPI work tirelessly on a number of
fected by what happens around the world; after all, diseases do health issues to provide healthcare through free clinics in the
not see borders or follow the traditional protocols of immigration United States and India.
like people do. When a passenger boarding a flight in Singapore There are other examples of physicians getting involved abroad
lands in New York City with a new strain of the flu, it risks the and giving back. During the earthquake in Haiti, many San An-
health of our patients and our nation. With pertinent border tonio-area physicians joined teams from across the United States
and immigrant health issues in Bexar County and an ever-grow- to deliver care to those most in need. Physicians also generously
ing refugee population, we often do not have to travel outside of responded during the most recent typhoon that devastated the
the United States to encounter many tropical or neglected dis- Philippines, offering financial resources, time and medical supplies.
eases. Finally, understanding health systems around the world Global health continues to spark enormous interest amongst the
can help us improve our healthcare delivery landscape. next generation of physicians -- our medical students and residents.
The BCMS International Committee, chaired by Dr. Roberto Interestingly enough, their enthusiasm is ever increasing for help-
San Martin, has continued its contributions to health through ing the people all over the world. Medical schools and residency
its medical exchanges with sister cities in Japan and India. With programs are racing to offer unique and rewarding global health
delegations visiting San Antonio and our own delegation travel- experiences for their trainees in order to remain competitive. So,
ing to Japan and India, we have exchanged ideas and strategies with global health heading to the forefront of medicine, catch the
for improving health in our local communities while learning bug before it is too late, and get involved this year!
from our Japanese and Indian colleagues abroad. Kaparaboyna Ashok Kumar, MD, FRCS, FAAFP, is the 2014
We all have global health narratives that touch our lives. My president of the Bexar County Medical Society. Dr. Kumar is a Dis-
story begins as a student of medicine in Hyderabad, a city in tinguished Teaching Professor, vice chair for Medical Student Edu-
southern India. From there, I immigrated to the United King- cation, and Family Medicine Clerkship Director in the Department
dom, where I completed my general surgery residency training, of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Texas
practiced as a general surgeon, and was elected a Fellow of the Health Science Center at San Antonio.

8 San Antonio Medicine • February 2014