Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. This book focuses on the health sciences student and is meant to give depth and detail to concepts only touched on in online training resources. It addresses pros and cons of going abroad and the alternatives to a global health experience, at home, helping you assess your motivations, attitudes, skills and talents, as well as developing the learning objectives of an international experience. The book discusses burden of disease, common presentations and pathologies in outpatient care, allocation of healthcare resources in an environment of scarcity, the challenges of late presentation as well as emergency preparation. It also highlights common causes of mortality and morbidity in children, management of these problems and the specific skills required to work with them.