Category: APHA IH Section

Please welcome our video editor, Niniola Soleye!

by ihsection, posted in APHA IH Section

Fellow IH Section members and blog readers, please help me welcome our Video Editor, Niniola Soleye. You may have noticed that someone new has been posting short pieces about global health-related topics. Niniola has taken over this function and has been writing video reviews of global health videos for several weeks now, and I am happy to formally introduce her as part of the IH Blog team. You can read more about her below.

0c56637I am a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a passion for global health as I was born in Nigeria, I am part Ghanaian, and the majority of my relatives live in West Africa. I currently work at an international nonprofit organization working to improve health systems in developing countries with a focus on maternal, newborn and child health, HIV/AIDS, TB, chronic diseases, family planning and reproductive health, and malaria. In my role I support internal communications, knowledge exchange, and learning efforts across the organization.

Guinea-Worm Disease & Eradication: WHO Video Review

by nsoleye, posted in APHA IH Section

Guinea-worm disease, or dracunculiasis, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) with no vaccine or medication for treatment. The disease is caused by a parasitic worm known as the Guinea-worm and is transmitted through contaminated drinking water. Guinea-worm disease is the first parasitic disease set for eradication and this short World Health Organization (WHO) video shows the progress of eradication efforts to date.

When someone drinks water from a source contaminated with water fleas that carry the Guinea-worm larvae, the larvae are released in the stomach and pass into the body cavity. Over the course of 10-14 months, the larvae mature and turn into worms. At this point, a painful blister forms on the outside of the body (usually on the lower legs and feet) as the female worms try to exit the body. The blister causes an intense burning sensation which often leads people to submerge their legs/feet in water for relief. While the blister is submerged, the female worm comes out and releases thousands of larvae into the water, thus contaminating the water and completing the cycle of infection. 

I find it amazing that Guinea-worm disease is on the verge of eradication because in this case, eradication has nearly been achieved through preventive measures alone. From health education and increased detection to water filtration and water treatment, the prevention efforts put forth have decreased the number of reported cases from 1,797 in 2010 to just 90 between January and June 2013.

This is a great accomplishment for the global health community. Congratulations to the WHO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Carter Center, UNICEF and all others supporting the eradication of Guinea-worm disease!

IH Section Members: Sign up for the International Welcome Booth at the Annual Meeting!

by ihsection, posted in APHA IH Section, Section Announcements

APHA has once again agreed to allow us to host a Welcome Booth for our overseas colleagues. This will be the fifth year we will be hosting the Welcome Booth. The hour or two or more that you spend at the Welcome Booth will be spent on greeting our overseas colleagues, learning about them, providing them with a special ribbon, directing them to appropriate conference rooms, and answering their questions. It is a great place to meet, greet, and help our colleagues from overseas. For some attendees, this may be their first visit to the United States, while for some others this may be their first APHA Annual Meeting! You know that navigating one’s way to various sessions/meetings dispersed among several venues is not an easy task. This is where you could help by volunteering an hour or two each day at the Welcome Booth.

You will get to meet old friends and make some new ones! This is an excellent networking opportunity for everyone.

Please visit the Doodle poll and do the following:

1. Provide your full name (first and last name).
2. Select the days and times when you are available to volunteer.
3. Save your selection before closing the browser.

Note: If you are a student or a new professional, please e-mail Jessica Keralis at jmkeralis [at] gmail [dot] com after signing up for your desired time slot(s). We would be happy to pair you with a longtime member for mentoring, advice, or just someone to help you learn more about our section.

Please make your selection as soon as possible. Thank you!

Save the Date: CBPHC Pre-Conference

by ihsection, posted in APHA IH Section

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, November 2nd, 8 30 – 5 PM
EVENT: Community Based Primary Health Care APHA Pre-Conference: Effective CBPHC Tools for Effective Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
LOCATION: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Current and future practitioners of CBPHC, and anyone interested in improving the health of poor and vulnerable populations in global health

GOALS OF THE WORKSHOP:

  • Sharing of maternal, newborn and child health knowledge and effective practices to improve the effectiveness of your CBPHC programs for greater impact in reducing child, newborn and maternal deaths
  • Learn from experienced health professionals about career paths in CBPHC
  • Network and collaborate with other public health practitioners

We will be sending more information on the agenda in the coming weeks. http://www.apha.org/programs/globalhealth/

REGISTRATION: To register, please contact: Sandy Hoar (e-mail: hoar@gwu.com)

The registration fee, including morning coffee, is $35 (students $25). To facilitate planning, please register ASAP but certainly by October 11th and indicate if you will be joining us for dinner afterwards.

For more information contact: Sandy Hoar, Laura Chanchien Parajon (lauraparajon@amoshealth.org), or Elvira Beracochea (elvira@midego.com)

Hope to see you at the conference!

APHA Conference Coming Up!

by ihsection, posted in APHA IH Section

Colleagues, the APHA annual conference a career-strengthening event for you and your students!

Here is a summary of the events so far:

  • There will be 55 panels by the International Health Section, 2 panels by WFPHA, and 1 panel by CUGH.
  • 1120 scientific sessions in total all focusing on the global health theme “Think Global, Act Local.”
  • A strong voice for students through the 5,000-member-strong Student Council and potential openings for students interested in Global Health through networking with our many established health professionals.
  • A one-day workshop on November 2 by our CBPHC and MCH committees in association with the Harvard Maternal Health group focusing on Maternal Health (email Laura Altobelli at laura@future.org and Elvira Berracochea at Elvira@midego.com for details).
  • Dean Julio Frenck of Harvard and Purmina Mane, Pathfinders, are our keynote speakers for our November 6 luncheon. This is an event you need to pay for at the time of your registration.
  • Even the Intersectional Council Meeting is focusing on Global Health with facilitation by our Section Chair. The importance of this is that our Members meeting on Sunday at 2pm and our Social Reception and Awards meeting on Tuesday at 6-9pm will have additional potential for networking for those wanting collaboration and funding contacts across many Sections working in Global Health.
  • Flow-ons from this conference are already been discussed linking APHA and other organizations working in Global Health so you would be missing out on the “ground floor” by not coming and joining the conference and International Health Section.

If you are interested in becoming involved with our current committees please contact those below.

CBPHC; Elvira@midego.com
MCH: laura@future.org
Climate Change: Rose Schneider RoseSDC@aol.com
Policy and Advocacy: Peter Freeman pffreeman@gmail.com
Information and Communication: jmkeralis@gmail.com
Global Health Connections: Gopal Sankaran gsankaran@wcupa.edu
Pharmaceuticals: Maggie Huff-Rouselle mhuffrousselle@ssds.net

If you would like to be visible at the event as part of the Section by putting in a few hours voluntary work please contact me at pafmaties@yahoo.com.

If you are interested in forming a focal committee on any areas within the International Health Section, please contact me this month so that we can explore member interest before the conference and potentially establish such committees at the conference.

Regards,

Paul Freeman
Chair International Health Section