The human body is made up of 13 organ systems. Within those systems, there are about 60,000 different ways things can go wrong, according to surgeon, MacArthur Fellow and National Book Award finalist Atul Gawande.
Humans have figured out how to prevent many of those afflictions from occurring, to treat them when they do and to reduce suffering in the meantime. But for many people, good health services remain out of reach. And for them, the knowledge gained from thousands of years of health treatment, failure and experimentation goes unused. How do we explain this shortfall?
Gawande, who spoke to Devex last month in New York, has known the human body as only a surgeon can; but his wide-angle view of the role health systems play in enabling or obstructing health care is uncommon in such a specialized field.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
