As an early-career researcher and physician from a developing country, I strongly resonate with your reflections. In clinical and surgical research, I often face the same tension between pursuing quick, publishable results and investing in deeper, riskier questions that could truly improve patient outcomes.

Your point about skill-oriented, problem-driven training is crucial. it equips young scientists and clinicians not just for academia but also for broader impact in healthcare and innovation. Thank you for articulating these challenges so candidly; it’s a powerful reminder that systemic change is essential to nurture the next generation of researchers.

This post powerfully highlights the tragic and often overlooked intersection between armed conflict and public health crises. The devastation of healthcare infrastructure, coupled with the breakdown of essential services like clean water and sanitation, creates a perfect storm for infectious diseases to flourish—compounding human suffering beyond the immediate violence of war. Florence Nightingale’s historic observations remain painfully relevant today, reminding us that the indirect toll of conflict through disease and malnutrition is as lethal as the battlefield itself.

The international legal frameworks like the Geneva Conventions set critical standards to protect civilians and medical personnel, but the widespread violations underscore the urgent need for greater enforcement and accountability. As a physician and researcher, I see firsthand how these breaches not only violate human rights but also undermine global health security. Preventing and controlling infectious diseases in war zones must be a non-negotiable priority—humanitarian and medical aid are not luxuries but lifelines.

As a physician and independent clinical researcher, I work closely with pediatric surgery and anesthesiology teams while also exploring a variety of research areas in health services, clinical outcomes, and healthcare delivery. My recent projects include studying diagnostic delays in neonatal Hirschsprung disease as a lens to understand broader system challenges. I value opportunities to collaborate with scholars worldwide to translate evidence into impactful health service improvements.

This is an inspiring opportunity for researchers committed to advancing healthcare access and quality worldwide. I truly appreciate BMC Health Services Research’s focus on scientific validity over perceived impact — a principle especially important for representing voices from under-resourced health systems. In my work, I’ve seen how evidence-based insights from diverse contexts can reshape policy and practice. I look forward to engaging with this community and following the journal’s continued contributions.