International Injury Research Unit Scholar Presents at Global Health Council

Katharine Allen, a doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a valued research assistant for the International Injury Research Unit, was asked to present her latest work during a Global Health Council meeting in Washington, DC this week. Her project delved into how a small country’s health care system made seemingly remarkable progress in a very short amount of time.

Ms. Allen, the recipient of a Fulbright grant, spent seven months in the Sultanate of Oman studying its health system. It was founded in 1972, yet was ranked #1 in efficiency by the World Health Organization in its 2000 report. In less than 40 years, the mortality rate for children under age 5 fell from 181 per 1,000 live births to 11.1. Life expectancy rose from 49.3 to 74.3 years (between 1970 and 2005). And the national number of hospitals surged from two to 58.

Ms. Allen’s research determined that the root cause for Oman’s extraordinary improvements in health care can be traced primarily to its use of five-year plans, clearly defined goals and measurable benchmarks. However, according to Allen, the real test now lies in how this system of development will perform through the coming decades.

The International Injury Research Unit applauds the work of Ms. Allen and looks forward to continuing its support of innovative research projects around the world.