Category: Information and Social Media

ASPH Calls for Comments on its Draft Global Health Competencies

by ihsection, posted in Information and Social Media

ASPH has recently released a draft of its Global Health Competency Model, a set of competencies recommended for graduates of master’s level programs in global health.  They are based on the organization’s MPH core competencies and are divided in to seven “domains,” or categories.  According to the draft,

…formal educational programs for global health professionals are highly fragmented in terms of the institutions offering such programs and quite varied in terms of the outcomes and qualifications expected of graduates. As the number of institutions offering formal training in global health grows, ASPH has taken leadership in developing a competency model based on the necessary roles and functions of the global public health system of the future. This approach recognizes that global health and public health represent a unified front with a long tradition of bringing scientifically-validated programs, policies, and services to bear upon the world’s most pressing health needs. A Lancet article in February 2010, in which ASPH global health leaders sought to emphasize the common framework of global health, international health, and public health, stated that “[g]lobal health and public health are indistinguishable,” further defining the scope of this initiative.

The document (pdf) can be viewed here.  Below is a screen grab of the competencies.

ASPH is calling for comments on the draft by Friday, September 23.  Comments may be sent to ghcompetency@asph.org.

CDC Evaluation Fellows Program (Atlanta, GA)

by ihsection, posted in Information and Social Media

Evaluation Fellows Program
Office of the Associate Director for Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA)
CDC-OADPG-2011-0032

Project Description:

CDC seeks applicants for the inaugural class of the CDC Evaluation Fellows Program.  This is a new initiative within CDC and represents a major commitment by the Agency to program evaluation and program improvement.  Fellows will be selected and will be housed in the newly-created Office of the Associate Director for Program and collaborate with the evaluation team under the leadership of CDC’s Chief Evaluation Officer.  Fellows selected for this new initiative will be assigned out to CDC programs to help develop and implement program evaluations and evaluation studies.  These host programs will be selected through a competitive process to ensure Fellows are being assigned to important and productive evaluation projects that will build the knowledge base of the program and enhance the professional development of the Fellow.

Fellows will conduct  evaluations and help to build the evaluation skills and capacity of the staff in the program to which they are assigned.  Fellows may be assigned to one program/project for the duration of their fellowship or may rotate to several programs, depending upon the duration of the project.  Fellows will have a  point of contact within the program as well as mentoring and support from AD Program staff. In addition, we have reserved some dedicated resources for training and professional development of Fellows.

The participant will receive a monthly stipend depending on education level and experience. The participant must show proof of health insurance. The appointment will be full-time at the CDC in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Participants do not become employees of CDC or the program administrator, and there are no fringe benefits paid.

Additional details regarding the ORISE Research Participation Program can be found at http://www.orau.gov/cdc

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate has a PhD in evaluation, social sciences, public health, or other relevant discipline plus some experience with applied evaluation projects.  Master’s-level candidates with significant experience in applied evaluation projects are also welcome.  Candidates must have received their degree within the past five years to qualify for this program.

Technical Questions:
The Research Participation Program for CDC is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. To be considered, send a current resume to Tasha Powell via email at Tasha.Powell@orau.org  or via fax at (865) 241-5219. Please reference Project # CDC-OADPG-2011-0032 in all communications.

New Online Course on NCDs Offered by USC and the NYT Knowledge Network

by ihsection, posted in Information and Social Media

A new online course, “Tackling the Global Rise of Non-Communicable Diseases – The UN General Assembly Summit,” will be offered during the third week in September.  The cost of the course is $150.  Please see the text of the notice that was sent to me below.

TACKLING THE GLOBAL RISE OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES:
THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SUMMIT
The New York Times and The University of Southern California
Present New Online Course

Much of the world faces a rising epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, heart and lung disease, obesity, and diabetes. For those interested in learning more about why this epidemic is taking place and the steps being taken to control it, The New York Times Knowledge Network and The University of Southern California present a new one-week online course, “Tackling the Global Rise of Non-Communicable Diseases – The UN General Assembly Summit.”
 
This course, taught by Heather Wipfli, Ph.D., and Jonathan M. Samet, M.D., M.S., will be timed to correspond with developments that unfold at the UN General Assembly Summit on NCDs to be held in New York, September 19-26. The Summit represents the first time ever that the UN General Assembly will hold a summit involving heads of state to address the threat of NCDs to low- and middle-income countries and only the second time the General Assembly has held a special summit to address a health issue (the other for HIV in 2001, which led to the establishment of the Global Fund for HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria). The UN Summit will highlight the role of global “actors” and actions in addressing global health problems.
 
The course will cover a variety of topics relating to NCDs, including:
The factors driving the NCD epidemic, e.g. the tobacco and food industries
The burden posed by these diseases
The efforts to control the NCD epidemic
 
“Tackling the Global Rise of Non-Communicable Diseases” will run from September 16-23, 2011. To register for this new online course or for more information, please visit:
http://www.nytimesknownow.com/index.php/tackling-the-global-rise-of-non-communicable-diseases/.
 
This course is part of The USC and New York Times Knowledge Network online continuing education program (www.nytimes.com/usc), which offers students tailored, practical programs to enhance their professional paths, and the flexibility of online courses for both working and non-working adults. Courses feature USC faculty, in addition to New York Times journalists.

Announcement: World Pneumonia Day 2011 Grants

by ihsection, posted in Information and Social Media

Below is an announcement calling for submissions for a grant from the 2011 Small Grants for World Pneumonia Day Advocacy program:

World Pneumonia Day 2011 is coming on November 12th and applications are being accepted for the 2011 Small Grants for World Pneumonia Day Advocacy program. Starting August 5, 2011, ideas are being sought for World Pneumonia Day events that tackle pneumonia where it has the biggest impact. Winning submissions will be eligible for grants of up to US$10,000 of funding. We are looking for well-thought out, innovative and impactful ideas that will put a spotlight on pneumonia as a problem that can be solved. Ideas will be evaluated on not only how well they promote change but also how well they incorporate this year’s World Pneumonia Day theme: “I am the face of pneumonia.” This theme strives to connect the personal, human stories that illustrate pneumonia’s direct impact. Find out more about the 2011 Small Grants Program and submit your application before the August 18th deadline!  Additional questions can be sent to info@worldpneumoniaday.org.
 
Full article and application at: http://worldpneumoniaday.org/news/2011-small-grants/

Fellowship: Jacaranda Health Maternal Health Fellowship (Nairobi)

by ihsection, posted in Information and Social Media, Internships and Fellowships

Jacaranda Health: Maternal Health Fellowship

Background
Jacaranda Health is a start up social enterprise that aims to set a new a new standard for maternity care in East Africa. We are combining business and clinical innovations to create a self-sustaining and scalable chain of clinics that provide reproductive health services to poor urban women. Our model is a combination of two tightly-integrated services (a) Jacaranda Maternities near the slums where women can go for respectful obstetric care, safe delivery, and postnatal care; and (b) mobile vans that create a direct link with our patients, generate demand and healthy outcomes through antenatal care and birth preparedness. Jacaranda has received awards for its model, and we are also planning to work as an “innovation laboratory” for new approaches in improving maternal health, from outreach and marketing, to low-cost mobile technologies

We are piloting the model in Nairobi with a Jacaranda Maternity and mobile unit. We have just launched our first mobile clinic and are providing services to women in peri-urban Nairobi. We are working quickly to prepare to launch a fixed clinic for deliveries and basic emergency obstetric care.

Job Summary
Jacaranda Health is looking for a medical student or MPH with experience and interest in maternal health to help us develop evidence-based protocols for our new maternity clinic. This is an opportunity for an ambitious student or recent graduate to spend three to six months working with some of the most exciting innovations in maternal health. We have a great team in Nairobi, and good advisors internationally, and would like to have some help from someone who has a combination of a clinical and public health research background

Responsibilities
The Maternal Health Fellow would work with our international clinical advisors, our front-line clinical staff, and our operations manager to help develop a set of clinical protocols that are truly world-class and evidence based. This will require research, compiling protocols from our library of protocols and academic research in maternal health, and vetting them with our clinical staff in the field. We want to take the best practices from maternal health globally and translate it into a set of protocols that provide clear checklists and decision support for our frontline nursing staff. There will also be an opportunity to get involved in other clinical activities, such as systematizing our clinic processes, working with our partners at Harvard School of Public Health on our impact evaluation, and some of the new technologies that Jacaranda is piloting.

Timing
This is a full-time three to six month position, preferably based in Nairobi. Start date as soon as possible: August or September through November. The position is a volunteer fellowship, but Jacaranda can offer a stipend for expenses and housing.

Qualifications

  • MPH or medical resident, with experience working in maternal health, ideally from both a clinical and a research perspective
  • Highly resourceful, independent, and self-starting
  • Demonstrated professional experience and an interest in maternal health
  • Flexible and easy-going enough to work in a fluid, cross-cultural startup environment in Nairobi
  • Ability to communicate findings compellingly to colleagues and advisors
  • Desired: experience working in East Africa

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work with our advisors and partners from obstetricians at Harvard and internationally, to experienced nurses and midwives in Kenya
  • Exposure to all facets of building innovative maternal health organization. You will have a chance to see first hand the clinical, operations, marketing, technology, and business elements that go into building a successful social enterprise
  • Learn about maternity experience and clinical challenges faced by low-income mothers in peri-urban areas
  • Significant responsibility and independence

Additional Comments
Interested candidates may apply by email with an up to date CV and cover letter to jobs@jacarandahealth.org. Please put “Maternal Health Fellowship” in the subject line.