Our Mission
BIDA aims to support, encourage, train and acknowledge the wonderful work of Britain’s international doctors and dentists, without whom our NHS would simply collapse. We also promote understanding, tolerance, equity and fairness – join us, today at Join BIDA | British Internationa
Help promote self-harm understanding
Our Women’s Healthcare Forum Chair is leading a charge to better comprehend self-injury, particularly in those with “ignored” physical health problems.
Dr Anita Sharma, who created the Endometriosis Awareness North charity, pointed to figures showing that young women are twice as likely as men to self-harm.
The problem is a manifestation of feelings of low mood and a lack of voice, which is certainly the case for many endo sufferers who believe their cries of pain are simply not listened to.
Dr Sharma wants to promote awareness and understanding and believes that real-life case studies can boost that cause ahead of World Self-Harm Day on March 1st.
This can be done anonymously.
Please message endometriosisawarenessnorth@gmail.com
Hats off to our charitable members
March sees a proliferation of health campaigns (including Wear a Hat to raise awareness of brain tumour day!) and you can bet our membership will be right at the heart of many of them.
Self-Harm Day is a superb example. Our Women’s Healthcare Forum Chair has already called for those experiencing the problem to come forward, and help raise awareness. As the founder of the Endometriosis Awareness North charity Dr Anita Sharma, she will also play a significant part in Endometriosis Awareness Month (also held in March).
As we have oncologists within our ranks, they are sure to be promoting Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil appeal, and the aforementioned Brain Tumour campaign will get support across the board.
Ergo No Smoking Day – since we have all seen the damage cigarettes cause.
Everyone from our nutritionists to cardiac experts may well tap into the likes of Veggie Awareness Month.
Since our members are drawn from countries as far afield as India and South Africa, they might proffer some political and historical context to Commonwealth Day.
The compassion of BIDA’s members extends well away from the wards and surgeries of Britain and we salute them for preventing illness and adding so much to the life of their communities.
No more years of women's health woe
Future changes to the NHS’ ten-year-strategy must address gender inequality, the North-South divide and race and ethnicity.
That is the thrust of our Women’s Healthcare Forum Chair’s blog in top medical publication MIMS Learning.
Dr Anita Sharma claims the plan “risks recreating and perpetuating structural bias and data gaps in the health system.” She continues: “A plan that is ‘fit for the future’ must examine who the NHS is designed to benefit and who it continues to leave behind.” – Go to https://www.mimslearning.co.uk/pages/mims-learning-blog
As the founder of charity Endometriosis Awareness North, Dr Sharma has been very vocal about health inequalities – often bemoaning the lack of resource put into issues such as endo, and of cervical and breast cancer screening in BAME communities.
You can learn more about Endometriosis Awareness North by visiting https://endometriosisawarenessnorth.com/awareness
Our doctor urges better BAME engagement
Cervical screening rates are down, with communities such as Oldham a full three points behind the national average.
And our women’s healthcare forum chair Dr Anita Sharma believes that is because cultural barriers plus a lack of connection with the NHS means that residents in her borough are not attending smear tests.
Speaking during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, she highlighted how 99.8% of cases could have been prevented had proper screening taken place.
Dr Sharma also blamed anti-vaxxers for the fall in uptake of the HPV vaccine in schools.
The hopeful news is that she has once again teamed up with Muzahid Khan MBE to raise awareness.
The two pioneered Britain’s first #breastcancer drive for Asian women Pink Chai, which launched so successfully last year.
To learn more, go to https://endometriosisawarenessnorth.com/
From the President
Watch a message from our President on the 50-year-anniversary of BIDA and why we are founded on a philosophy of “friendship, dignity, respect and service above oneself.” https://www.youtube.com/shorts/C1HVB3oy2e8