I'm a writer/researcher and a retired nurse. I worked in the NHS for over 30 years – as a nurse, midwife, specialist heath visitor and senior manager. I've also worked as a charity fundraiser. I retain a keen interest in the politics of health and illness in the developing and developed world. I have a specific interest in Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) with an associated website: www.shiftingsands.org.uk. Contact me at bridthehir@gmail.com
A lasting memory from my recent holiday in India is recalling the pride that people took in telling me that a polio-free subcontinent was expected to be declared by the WHO in February 2014. The world’s largest democracy had gone from being one of the most affected countries in the world – with the last polio case in 2011 – to achieving this monumental feat through public support and conviction, political will and an ambitious public health campaign.
