Celebrating Global Health Day 2019

Caitlin Noonan | The Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health

Each year, the Center for Global Health celebrates Global Health Day to recognize the accomplishments of Hopkins students, faculty, and staff in addressing pressing health challenges.

Keynote Speaker 

On March 28, 2019, the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health, in partnership with the JHSPH MPH Program, welcomed Dr. Michele Barry as the 2019 Global Health Day Keynote Speaker. Michele Barry, MD, FACP, FASTMH is the Director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health and Senior Associate Dean for Global Health at Stanford University. In a stirring lecture to Hopkins students, faculty, and staff, Dr. Barry discussed emerging threats to urban health resulting from climate change.

Dr. Barry began her talk by noting that although cities occupy only two percent of land globally, they are responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, 60 percent of global energy consumption, and 70 percent of waste. Because of this, cities should be a primary focus of interventions to mitigate climate change. While megacity populations tend to have higher rates of literacy and education and better access to health and social services, they also face unique environmental health challenges. Addressing such challenges, Dr. Barry noted, will require a “multisolving approach” that focuses on the intersection between planetary and human health and involves all members of society.

Dr. Barry invited lecture attendees to join her at the 3rd Planetary Health Annual Meeting at Stanford University from September 4-6 to further engage in developing creative solutions to improve planetary health. She also urged attendees to consider how they can begin to inspire change locally and globally by challenging policy makers and considering their roles in preventing climate change.  

Prior to the keynote talk, Dr. Barry held a small session with select students and junior faculty to discuss women’s leadership in global health. During this interactive presentation, Dr. Barry presented and debunked some myths around women’s leadership and strategized with participants on how to advocate within their institutions.

Mentorship Awards

Global Health Day also provides a time to recognize the faculty members who play a critical role in shaping international student experiences. Nominated by students, these mentors are recognized for their passion, dedication, and expertise in guiding students through global health research. This year, the Center for Global Health recognized four outstanding mentors, selected from a nomination list of nearly 20 faculty members across Johns Hopkins University:

• Bryan Hall, PhD, Bloomberg School of Public Health, “It's one thing to be working on a project as a research assistant, but another to be mentored and supported throughout the research process by someone who lives and breathes this work, someone who believes wholeheartedly in its potential for truly positive change in the community – one of the many driving forces behind his success.”
• Rajeev Cherukupalli, PhD, Bloomberg School of Public Health,“[Dr. Cherukupalli] has inspired me in my doing my work through so many ways…Rajeev has been extremely supportive…He has been guiding me in not only checking the work quality, but also to make sure I understand the detailed reason and process of achieving it
  
  
  Dr. Cherukupalli (center) with Dr. Tom Quinn, Director, Johns Hopkins Center for
  Global Health (left) and Ronald Daniels, President, Johns Hopkins University (right)
   
• Matthew Robinson, MD, School of Medicine, “[Dr. Robinson’s] attitude towards collaboration, seeing things through, meeting the set target is commendable and very inspirational. There was a time when he had landed from a 21-hour long plane journey and in 4-5 hours was present at the study site…I am very glad I had the opportunity to work with him and learn so much from him.”
  
  
  Dr. Robinson (center) with Dr. Tom Quinn (left) and Ronald Daniels (right)
   
• Nicole Shilkofski, MD, MEd, School of Medicine, “Dr. Shilkofski has served as an exceptional role model to me of a clinician who cares deeply about engaging well and ethically in an international setting…She served - during this project, and continues to - as a caring, committed educator who is generous with her time and her expertise to provide students with valuable experiences and learning that goes far beyond participation in a research project.”

Poster Presentations

At the afternoon poster session, 94 students and trainees across the Schools of Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, Arts and Sciences, Business, and Advanced International Studies presented on their global health experiences. Students showcased a wide range of projects––including field observations, laboratory-based work, qualitative and quantitative research––carried out in over 30 countries over the past year. Over three quarters of these projects were funded by the Center for Global Health through the Global Health Established Field Placements, Paul S. Lietman Global Travel Fellowship, Global Health Established Multidisciplinary Sites, and Global Health Field Research Award. Additionally, eighteen students presented on their MPH field experience. Awards were presented to the top three posters, and to the highest scoring photographs submitted to the annual schoolwide global photography contest.


Zaina Kiragu, MPharm, MPH '19 describing her field work in Kenya


2018 GEMS team presenting their work on integration of HIV Care Delivery
into Microfinance Groups in Western Kenya

Poster Contest Winners

• 1st Place: Celina Santiago, “Community Needs Assessment and Capacity Building in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico”
• 2nd Place: Lisa Hoffmann, “Enhancing the Quality of Screening and Measurement of Hypertension for Outpatients in an Ambulatory Setting in Tanzania”
• 3rd Place: Camille Hage, “Multi-Purpose Cash Transfers and Health among Vulnerable Syrian Refugees in Lebanon”
• Honorable Mentions:
  • Kelli Grunstra, “Acceptability and Feasibility of COPD Self-Management Action Plan Intervention in Peru, Nepal & Uganda
  • Belinda Jivapong “Paso a Paso: Formative research with Cuna Más instructors for the creation of a safe-play and song-based ECD intervention plan in peri-urban Peru”
  • Ariel Frankel, “mHealth for safety and GBV risk reduction in Nairobi, Kenya”
  • Grace Yi, “Spatial and Sociodemographic Correlates of Gambling Participation and Disorder Among Filipino Migrant Workers in Macao (SAR), China”
  • Kathryn Gerber, “Facility Readiness Assessments for Quality Antenatal Care Delivery in Rural Nepal”
  • Ekta Paw, “A Qualitative Analysis of the Trauma Care System in Hanoi, Vietnam”
  • Anna Passaniti, “Time to ACT: implementing strategies for breast cancer control in Africa”

Photo Contest Winners

1st Place: Joanne Katz, “Newborn infant with grandmother” Pidari, Nepal



2nd Place: Vanessa Burrowes, “Through the Crowd” Puno, Peru



3rd Place: Marisa L. Henry “Playtime in Islas Flotantes de los Uros” Lake Titicaca, Peru

Acknowledgements

The Center for Global Health would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to a successful Global Health Day:

• JHSPH MPH Program (Marie Diener-West, Paul Whong, Lisa Lassiter)
• ​JB Grant Society (Rie Tai & Modupe Oduwole)