Call for applications for 2018 Public Health Fellow in Government

by ihsection, posted in APHA IH Section, Education Opportunities (Workshops, Conferences, Etc), Internships and Fellowships, Section Announcements

APHA has put out a call for applications for the 2018 Public Health Fellowship in Government. APHA is looking for candidates with strong public health credentials who wish to spend one year in Washington, D.C., working in a Congressional office (either the House or the Senate). The fellow will have the opportunity to see first hand how public policy impacts public health and to offer their public health expertise to policymakers. Fellows will have the option of serving on the personal staff of a member of Congress or a congressional committee, working on legislative and policy issues such as creating healthy communities, improving health equity, addressing environmental health concerns, population health or the social determinants of health.

Training for the fellowship will begin in January 2018 so you must be able to move to the Washington, D.C., area. The fellowship is open to all APHA members who are public health professionals including state and local health department staff, medical, nurse or public health practitioners, nongovernmental agency staff and teachers/researchers/academics who have a demonstrated interest and ability in policy. Federal employees are not eligible for this fellowship. All candidates must have a master’s degree or a doctorate (or equivalent) in public health or related discipline. In addition, all candidates must be U.S. citizens or a permanent residents. All candidates must have five years or more of professional experience in a public health setting. Internships, graduate assistantships and residencies do not count toward the five year requirement.

Fellows receive a stipend of $70,000 for the year, and an additional $10,000 is available for travel and other related costs (including moving costs and the costs of attending the APHA Annual Meeting).

Applications, additional information and brief articles from the previous fellows are available at https://www.apha.org/fellowship. The application, including a CV and three letters of recommendation, is due to APHA by August 14, 2017. For more information, contact aphafellowship@apha.org or call 202-777-2510.

International Group B Strep Awareness Month: What Should I Know About GBS Disease?

by scanyatonwu, posted in APHA IH Section, Infectious Disease, Maternal and Child Health, Women's Health

July is International Group B Strep Month. This blog post gives an overview of the illness and its impact on pregnant women around the globe.

Group B Streptococcus bacteria (GBS), also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, typically colonize the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, the throat, and the skin. GBS disease is caused when bacteria enter a normally sterile site such as the blood, bone, or spinal fluid. Both children and adults can develop GBS disease. The disease usually develops in infants that are 0-90 days old and adults that are 60 years of age and older with underlying chronic illnesses. There is currently no vaccine for GBS disease.

Although GBS may come from unknown sources, one out of four pregnant women are carrying the bacteria in their vagina or rectum and can vertically transmit an infection to their newborns. Infections occur during labor (“early-onset disease” or EOD) or within the first week of life through three months of age (“late-onset disease” or LOD). Symptoms can be difficult to distinguish from other infections and range from fever, difficulty breathing, lethargy, and “blue” skin. Severe symptoms that can develop in newborns and infants include sepsis and pneumonia. Meningitis is more likely to occur in infants or newborns with LOD. Complications from GBS disease may result in preterm delivery and lead to developmental disabilities or death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), risk factors for pregnant women include:

  • Testing positive for group B strep bacteria late in the current pregnancy (35-37 weeks pregnant)
  • Detecting group B strep bacteria in urine (pee) during the current pregnancy
  • Delivering early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) 
  • Developing a fever during labor
  • Having a long time between water breaking and delivering (18 hours or more)
  • Having a previous baby who developed early-onset disease

Since 1970, GBS disease has been a topic of concern in health care, research, and public health circles. In 1989, the death of three newborns from GBS disease led to the development of public awareness campaigns that called for improved education, detection, and preventive resources in the U.S. Furthermore, around this time, data collected by the CDC revealed that GBS disease was the leading cause of death in newborns. Parents and advocacy groups actively demanded guidance that would allow for routine screening and the development of an effective vaccine for pregnant moms, globally. Below is a timeline of how advocacy efforts led to research, policy change, and the implementation of effective interventions:

Brief Timeline of GBS Disease Awareness, Education, and Prevention Efforts

  • 1990 Group B Strep Association US/International is created. Its primary goals are to:
    • Educate the public about GBS infections.
    • Promote prevention of neonatal GBS infections through routine prenatal screening.
    • Promote the development of a GBS vaccine.
  • 1991 GBS researchers awarded a 5-year grant to begin research on a vaccine for  GBD disease
  • 1992 American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and American Academy of Pediatrics publish position papers for members
  • 1996 CDC Call for Content on GBS Prevention Protocol in (January MMWR)
  • 1996 CDC, ACOG, AAP published first consensus statement on GBS National Prevention Guideline in June
  • 1997 Group B Strep Association launches its first website
  • 2002 The National Consensus Guidelines recommending routine screening for all pregnant woman was published
  • 2008 The CDC Active Bacterial Surveillance Core published data that showed an 80% drop in GBS neonatal morbidity and mortality
  • 2014 WHO convened the first meeting of the Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee (PDVAC); GBS and RSV identified as pathogens that cause a large burden of disease

Globally, it is estimated that EOD makes up 60-90% of GBS disease cases. The mean incidence of GBS disease in infants 0-89 days old is estimated to be .53 cases of GBS infection/1000 live births. The highest incidence of cases is reported to be in the continent of Africa, however, additional studies need to be conducted in low-income countries to better assess the true burden of disease. Prevention methods worldwide include providing prophylactic treatment (antibiotics) to women that are either high-risk or have tested positive for GBS, during labor. With treatment, there is only a 1/4000 chance of the baby becoming infected compared to a 1/200 chance if no treatment is given. In order to identify those who qualify for treatment, a culture-based method can be used to screen all pregnant women between 35-37 weeks for vaginal or rectal colonization of GBS. On the other hand, a risk-based method identifies pregnant women with risk factors for EOD such as fever, preterm delivery, and being in labor for 18 or more hours.

Although the administration of antibiotics during labor reduced EOD from .75 cases of GBS infection/100 live births to .23 cases of GBS infection/100 live births, GBS disease morbidity in infants and mothers is still significant and likely underreported. Antibiotic treatment and GBS disease education are more accessible to pregnant women in high-income countries than those in low-middle income countries. It is likely that challenges related to access to care and health system deficiencies limit the use of antibiotic treatment in low-middle income countries. As a result, the development of a cost-effective vaccine may be able to help bridge an awareness gap.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), developing a vaccine for maternal immunization is a priority when it comes to GBS disease. In 2016, the WHO Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee held a technical consultation to discuss vaccine development. Ultimately, the committee determined that the global burden of GBS disease cases that result in stillbirths needs to be assessed. In addition, standardized antibody assays need to be developed in order to find correlates of protection. Vaccine targets such as the type III capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and proteins on the GBS bacterial surface have also been identified. As new vaccine development ideas for GBS disease are being discussed, here are some foundational components that the Group B Strep Association (US/International) and Group B Strep Support (UK/EU) groups feel have an important role to play in the introduction of the vaccine to pregnant women across the globe:

  • Standardized definition of disease worldwide.
  • Standardized monitoring of disease worldwide.
  • Routine prenatal care widely available in which a vaccine can be delivered.
  • Education of health professionals and parents and expectant parents about group B Strep and the vaccine.

Check out these CDC podcasts, if you want to learn additional information about GBS disease during International GBS Awareness Month!

Triangle Global Health Consortium – Call for Abstracts

by ihsection, posted in APHA IH Section, Call for Abstracts

2017 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

​Making a Difference:  Global Health and its Social, Economic, and Political Impact
September 28th
Talley Student Union, North Carolina State University

Abstract Submission Process:  Click on the link below to submit an abstract.  You will be asked to provide contact information, a short, specific title and a description of the proposed session. Developing this information in a Word document first then cutting and pasting into the submission form is suggested. This will allow you to utilize a spell check feature and provide you with a copy of what was submitted.

**The submission deadline for panel discussions, workshops, and story-telling has been EXTENDED 1 WEEK, and these abstracts will be accepted until 5pm ET on July 14, 2017. The submission deadline for poster abstracts is 5pm on August 31, 2017.   

​http://www.triangleglobalhealth.org/2017-conference-abstract?utm_campaign=buffer&utm_content=buffer35e1a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com

Global News Round Up

by abbhirami, posted in APHA IH Section, News

Politics & Policies

The World Bank is creating the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility to help developing countries finance the costs of responding and containing future disease outbreaks.

David Beasley, who heads the United Nations World Food Programme, hopes a meeting with Ivanka Trump will help stop the President’s plan to withdraw US funds from diplomatic and  humanitarian efforts in the world.

A new metric of global mortality published in the Lancet has ranked the US 35th among other nations in preventing the deaths of its citizens that can be avoided by applying known medical interventions.  

In Haiti, where pharmacists are hard to come by, street vendors sell a range of drugs including generic medicines to expired pills.

Nine of India’s poorest states failed to spend the money allocated in the budget for healthcare.

Programs, Grants & Awards

The Annual Meeting of New Champions will take place in Dalian, People’s Republic of China on June 27-29.

Michael Merson will be stepping down as director of the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) effective June 30, but will remain as Wolfgang Joklik Professor of Global Health and vice president and vice provost for global strategy and programs.

Research

Results from one of the largest stroke rehabilitation trials published in The Lancet has revealed that family-led rehabilitation is ineffective and highlights the need for professional rehabilitation centers in low- and middle-income countries.

Scientists are exploring the possibility of utilizing bacteriophages to treat antibiotic-resistant infections.

Cotrimoxazole (CTX) should be given to all HIV-infected adults with mild or severe HIV disease or those with CD4 counts below 350/mm3 according to 2006 WHO guidelines. They assessed the impact of CTX prophylaxis on the risk of malaria episodes in HIV-1 infected adults from 4 West African countries with different patterns of malaria transmission.

HIV reduces fertility through biological and social pathways, and antiretroviral treatment (ART) can ameliorate these effects. In northern Malawi, ART has been available since 2007 and lifelong ART is offered to all pregnant or breastfeeding HIV-positive women.

This article presents the finding of the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) 2014 survey on syphilis testing policies and practices in the Americas.

Scientists have linked triclosan, a common household disinfectant found in products such as toothpaste and make up, to antibiotic resistance.

Diseases & Disasters

More than two years of civil war in Yemen has created the worst cholera outbreak in the world according to the UN.

Technology

The global wireless health market share was the largest in North America in 2016 and is projected to experience robust growth in the Asia-Pacific region with a total market size of around $309 billion by 2025.

Amidst a technology revolution, China’s private sector is stepping up to help in one of the biggest challenges we face in global health to improve the delivery of healthcare interventions, such as vaccines, by connecting high impact innovations with the countries that need them the most.

Researchers have developed a baker’s yeast-based biosensor that can detect a fungal pathogen for less than one cent per test.

Studies and others suggest that incorporating game-like elements (gamification) into health programs is both feasible and beneficial.

Environmental Health

Rising water shortages in low- and middle-income countries pose serious challenges within healthcare facilities, especially in surgery and maternity units.

Nearly a million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the world and this number is expected to rise another 20% by 2021.

Equity & Disparities

A new report by UNICEF entitled “Narrowing the Gaps: The Power of Investing in the Poorest Children,” found that increasing access to healthcare among poor communities saved more lives and was more cost-effective than in non-poor communities.

A new study finds major gaps in policy and practice in Global Fund’s efforts to address gender inequalities.

Analysis of hand-washing behaviors using data from 51 nationally representative surveys reveals that many families in low- and middle-income countries lack soap at home.

Women’s groups in Tanzania are urging the government to lift the ban that prevents pregnant girls from attending school.

Multinational corporations are lobbying the UN behind closed doors to keep tax avoidance off the list of targets in the Sustainable Development Goals, say advocates of global tax reform.

Maternal, Neonatal & Children’s Health

Apart from the impact on the lives of young girls below the age of 18 who get married each year, child marriage has a huge impact on the economy costing nearly $4 tn.

WHO, along with multiple countries, is now embracing the commitment to reduce the mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) of HIV and/or syphilis to elimination levels, such that these cease to be public health problems. This will require political advocacy and commitment from experts in HIV, syphilis, maternal child health, health policy, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

IHSC Career Development webinar recording now available

by ihsection, posted in APHA IH Section, Careers, Section Announcements

The Career Development team of the IHSC is pleased to share with you the recording for their most recent webinar held on Tuesday, June 27, 2017.

Kristen Stafford, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore and Sara Shuman, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor, La Salle University and Director of Promontoras, Puentes de Salud in Philadelphia discussed their experiences in resource-limited settings in a program entitled, From Implementing PEPFAR Programs in Africa to Intimate Partner Violence Prevention in Mexico – Two Paths to Becoming a Global Health Professional.

If you have any questions, please email: apha.ihsc.careers@gmail.com