By Victoria Sevilla

Victoria Sevilla was a Virtual Global Health Practicum Intern for CFHI Philippines in February 2022. She was mentored by Associate Medical Director Paolo Victor Medina, MD. Victoria received her Bachelor’s in Global Health from the University of Southern California (USC), and will earn her second degree in Biological Sciences this year. She credits GlobeMed at USC for catalyzing her dedication to health equity and social justice, but the scope of her activism has since expanded. Victoria holds positions in Right to Health (R2H) Action, a grassroots health policy organization, and the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA). She is also a member of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and the American Public Health Association (APHA). 

For years, I’ve longed to work with CFHI due to their sustainable model with fair-trade partnerships and asset-based community engagement. My undergraduate work with GlobeMed at USC emphasized the importance of responsible global health collaborations, especially avoiding volunteer tourism or “voluntourism.” Despite ramifications to the local communities, traveling to lower- or middle-income countries to “help the less fortunate” is a swiftly growing trend.

Having native Tagalog fluency, I knew my capacity to contribute a culturally-sensitive impact was expanded should I participate in CFHI’s Global Health in the Philippines program. I also understood, however, that my experiences greatly differed living in the United States. In addition to limited financial resources as a student, I did not feel qualified to travel to and volunteer in a country I had not visited since childhood. So upon learning of CFHI’s virtual programs, I was excited for the opportunity to broaden my global health competencies without infringing ethical dilemmas.

Voluntourism is not limited to eager tourists and also extends to the medical community. Historically, medicine has been used to biologically justify racial supremacy.¹ As a result, colonizers excused medical research on native populations and the eradication of their history, culture, and language.¹ Today, healthcare professionals could perpetuate this colonial legacy by performing medical procedures typically beyond their scope of practice.¹ For pre-medical students, volunteering abroad is part of the “pre-med” checklist to look better on medical school applications, all while gaining clinical experience not otherwise allowed in the United States. These undergraduates, untrained and unqualified based on American standards, capitalize on the opportunity with minimal or no accountability.

Though “voluntourists” claim altruistic intentions, a “White Savior,” capitalist-colonial subjectivity remains.² Voluntourism not only reinforces distorted power-dynamics between countries and disrupts local economies, it coerces those already resource-strained to adapt.⁴ Medically, cultural differences and language barriers severely compromise patient safety, especially in rural communities where access to care is scarce.¹ Pre-health students are most dangerous, some having been allowed to diagnose patients, write prescriptions or perform medical procedures by themselves.³ And with more and more natural disasters and extreme weather, the demand for these “humanitarian expeditions” is predicted to increase.⁴ Another layer of complexity are the growing concerns about the misuse of technological advances where “virtual volunteerism” could become another mode of exploitation.⁴ For these reasons, voluntourism is really a form of neocolonialism.

So where does this leave global health students? How do we gain real-life experiences without partaking in the unethical practices we advocate against? We are not excused from “intellectual tourism” simply because of our academic status.⁵ Thus, Withers et al. (2018) and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) identified the major obstacles faced in academic practicums and established best practices in response.⁵

Major Challenges:⁵

1. Sending vs Host Institution Disputes
2. Language and Cultural Differences
3. Intentional or Accidental Misconduct
4. Unequal Benefits from Partnership
5. Inadequate Mentorship
6. Student Financial Disparities
7. Practicum Value
8. Physical Safety

Best Practices Recommendations:⁵

1. Competitive Student Selection
2. Transparency on Objectives and Expectations
3. “Pre-Trip” Orientation
4. Pre‐requisite Training
5. Financial Aid
6. Mutual Benefit and Reciprocity
7. Pertinent Mentorship
8. Program Assessments

CFHI’s model ensures these challenges are addressed and best practices maximized. With the help of ​​Dr. Juliana Araya Amador (CFHI Practicum Coordinator) and Dr. Paolo Victor Medina (CFHI Philippines Associate Medical Director and Practicum Preceptor), I was confident my actions were not only ethical and sustainable, but also exemplified the cultural humility CFHI values.

In addition to practicing and teaching Community Medicine as an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Dr. Medina is the faculty liaison officer to the town of Ternate under the MAGNAMARTE-UP Community Health Partnership Program. With guidance from Ternate’s Municipal Health Officer and based on the town’s current needs, Dr. Medina designed my project to study vaccine hesitancy. The practicum objectives, key responsibilities and expected deliverables were clearly communicated, and all of my questions immediately addressed. At the “pre-trip” orientation stage, online modules included analyses of my cultural profile and intercultural effectiveness, identifying the cultural differences I should be most attuned to. Most valuable of all is Dr. Medina’s impeccable mentorship. His patience and thorough guidance ensured my academic, professional, and personal development surpassed its potential.

Contributing to equitable healthcare delivery to vulnerable populations is an indescribable honor. Currently, there is minimal literature on Filipino COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and rural communities are especially at the margins. Working with the citizens of Ternate, we hear their causes for concern and factors in decision making. Promoting open discourse allows us to strategize the best, next steps forward with the local government. Though the 16-hour time difference minimizes direct resident interactions, Dr. Medina and I are able to use it to our advantage. Completing the investigative analysis in my time zone maximizes the field team’s reach in the community. We are literally working around the clock! This efficiency is made possible by the virtual platform and has promising applications for interdisciplinary collaborations.

As Dr. Mellissa Withers’s (APRU Global Health Director) former student, I have had the privilege of her instruction and guidance. Discussing virtual global health practicums and the applicability of APRU’s Best Practices, she supports the expanded accessibility for students. She does not believe it perpetuates neocolonial volunteerism because performative tourists driven by a savior mentality will prefer traveling in-person. Dr. Withers concludes that the ultimate gauge on responsible global health engagement depends on the hosts’ investment and if it strains their resources.

CFHI’s virtual programs allowed international partnerships to progress at a time where borders were closed, but global health collaboration even more dire. This innovative response to the pandemic demonstrates how ethical and sustainable practices can be maintained despite society’s thrust into survival mode.

Learning from esteemed leaders such as Dr. Medina, Dr. Withers, and Dr. Araya is an unbelievable privilege, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity CFHI has enabled. This practicum experience is a comprehensive application of the competencies I’ve learned, and I hope to participate in an on-site rotation in the future. For students concerned with the wider implications of their global health involvement, CFHI’s well-established infrastructure is a testament to their mission towards responsible engagement.

References:

1. Eichbaum, Q.G., Adams, L. V., Evert, J., Ho, M-J., Semali, I. A., & van Schalkwyk, S. C. (2020). Decolonizing Global Health Education: Rethinking Institutional Partnerships and Approaches. Academic Medicine, 96(3), 329–335. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003473
2. Everingham, P. & Motta, S. C. (2020). Decolonising the “autonomy of affect” in volunteer tourism encounters. Tourism Geographies, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1713879
3. Evert, J., Todd, T., & Zitek, P. (2015). Do you GASP? How pre-health students delivering babies in Africa is quickly becoming consequentially unacceptable. The Advisor, 61-65.
4. Ong, F., Lockstone-Binney, L., King, B., & Smith, K. A. (2014). The Future of Volunteer Tourism in the Asia-Pacific Region: Alternative Prospects. Journal of Travel Research, 53(6), 680–692. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287514532365
5. Withers, M., Li, M., Manalo, G., So, S., Wipfli, H., Khoo, H. E., Wu, J. T., & Lin, H. H. (2018). Best Practices in Global Health Practicums: Recommendations from the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. Journal of Community Health, 43(3), 467–476. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-017-0439-z

“My name is Shirley Yang. I am a CFHI intern, working virtually with CFHI’s Ugandan partner organization, KIHEFO. In this op-ed, I explain the importance of nutrition education in breaking the cycle of malnutrition and clarify misconceptions about causes and effects of malnutrition. After providing a brief overview of active nutrition programmes, run by both the Government of Uganda and international humanitarian organizations, I offer suggestions about how to improve the system based off of my own research and meetings with my supervisor, Dr. Geoffrey Anguyo. “

The role of nutrition education in promoting healthy diets cannot be underestimated. Malnutrition is not characterized solely by lack of food, but also lack of knowledge of available food. Malnutrition, especially in childhood and pregnancy, can have detrimental consequences on one’s long-term well being. The negative effects are not confined to an individual; they will eventually seep into the community and country, affecting human capital availability, economic productivity, and national development. 

In recent years, Uganda has made strides in reducing poverty levels and undernutrition rates. However, malnourishment continues to threaten the Ugandan population as half of children under five and one quarter of child-bearing age women are anemic. To add on, more than one third of all young children suffer from stunting, a consequence of inadequate nutrition and care. There are many factors that drive malnutrition in Uganda, including early motherhood, lack of family planning, lack of access to clean water and sanitation, child diarrhea and malaria, and poor infant and young child feeding practices. 

To break the cycle of malnutrition, organizations are focusing on addressing the nutrition needs of the young child from conception through about 24 months and ensuring the nutritional well-being of the mother before she becomes pregnant. There are numerous movements, initiatives, and campaigns sponsored by the Government of Uganda as well as international humanitarian organizations addressing malnutrition in Uganda, such as the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Compact, and Preventing Child and Maternal Deaths: A Promised Renewed. 

As outlined in the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan (UNAP), the Government of Uganda is implementing a multi-faceted approach to eradicating malnutrition by addressing nutrition, agriculture, and food security simultaneously. UNAP focuses on improving maternal, infant, and child nutrition, increasing production of and community access to micronutrient-rich foods, and advocating for increased resources dedicated to nutrition intervention. 

Various USAID programs focusing on improving nutrition in Uganda are also utilizing a multi-faceted approach. For instance, HarvestPlus Meals for Nutrition in Uganda (MENU) focuses on increasing production and consumption of high-yielding iron-rich food such as beans and pearl millet. Such programs operate in rural areas as 84% of the population reside in rural areas and agriculture continues to be the main source of income for the majority of Ugandans.

Nutrition educational practices that directly involve the target audience, whether that be children, their caretakers, or pregnant women, have proven successful. For instance, a program promoting exclusive breastfeeding of infants that included peer counseling for mothers before and after giving birth resulted in increased rates of exclusive breastfeeding for children whose mothers received counselling compared to children whose mothers did not receive counselling. This sentiment is shared by my host organization KIHEFO. 

As shared by former KIHEFO interns through blog entries, “What’s on Your Plate” is an interactive hands-on activity built from KIHEFO’s Nutrition Guide. By inspiring participants, ranging from primary school students to caretakers, to diversify their diets by incorporating locally accessible foods that belong to the five different food categories quintessential for a balanced diet. Additionally, during our meeting this week, Dr. Geoffrey shared an instance in which a young child was severely malnourished and the KIHEFO nutrition center successfully rehabilitated the child using a vegetarian-diet. By telling this case, Dr. Geoffrey emphasized the importance of clarifying misconceptions; in this instance, he clarified that nutrition rehabilitation does not require meat, which most households only consume two to three times per year. This instance reinforced the importance of nutrition education — specifically, the importance of recognizing the importance of eating foods from different food groups to acquire sufficient macro- and micronutrients. 

The multi-sectoral strategy that the Government of Uganda and various humanitarian organizations are undertaking is very comprehensive. However, research has shown that postpartum counselling on breastfeeding is lacking. Although three-quarters of women delivered in a health facility in 2016, only 35% received postpartum counseling on breastfeeding. The disparity indicates that the health system is not taking full advantage of contact points to deliver high quality services. This trend could also extend to other health services provided by health professionals. 

During our meeting this week, Dr. Geoffrey continuously reinforced the importance of reaching out to churches, as the majority of Ugandans rely on spiritual leaders. Outreach is a critical component of ensuring the general public is properly educated on nutrition. Allocation of sufficient funds to outreach and communications is critical. Increasing points of communication, such as at churches and delivery centers, between health professionals and nutritional programme personnel with the general public is quintessential. By connecting with community hubs, nutrition education can be more readily available to the general public.

Every year, dozens of students and trainees head to Ghana to participate in CFHI’s Hospital Medicine in Coastal Ghana program, where they are immersed in a new culture while participating in observational clinical rotations at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital under the supervision of a team of local preceptors. This post chronicles the experience of four CFHI trainees who participated in this program in 2019 and 2020. During their time in Ghana, they shadowed medical professionals in various departments within the hospital, visited historic landmarks, and broadened and enriched their medical and socio-cultural knowledge. 

Shashank Singh

Shashank Singh, an Undergraduate Environmental Public Health student at Ohio State University, rotated in four different departments at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. This experience gave him a great introduction to the Ghanaian healthcare system and its many different facets. He noticed that lack of access to clean water was a recurring problem within the hospital, and this disparity made Shashank realize that water quality is an urgent public health issue that still afflicts many regions of the world and helped to deepen his understanding of determinants of health. He also got the chance to participate in an outbreak event where he accompanied local healthcare workers into the community to provide pop-up clinic services and assisted in health education campaigns. He thought that going into the community was a great intervention and appreciated the opportunity to learn about locally-based initiatives to provide care to those who usually do not have access to health care.

Ka’la Drayton

Ka’la Drayton is a fourth-year medical student at the Medical University of South Carolina. During her first couple of weeks at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ka’la rotated in both the OB/GYN and internal medicine departments. During her rounds with OB/GYN specialists, she shadowed local healthcare professionals as they tended to emergency room visits, cesarean sections, removal of fibroids, ovarian cancer treatments, and more. While rotating in the internal medicine department, Ka’la was able to witness a variety of different cases such as a hemorrhagic stroke, Mallory-Weiss tear, cirrhosis, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and HIV encephalopathy. Her experience gave her a better understanding of the local and global burden of disease as well as how communities are able to remain resilient despite scant resources and  innovate to address local issues such as sanitation, water supply, and electrical outages. Ka’la wrote, “Though their resources are limited they know exactly what to do and how to do it but unlike home, all of those things aren’t laid out beautifully in our Pyxis bin.” Learning more about the healthcare system in a different country allowed Ka’la to compare and contrast her experiences with those in America. 

Even though Ka’la is a trainee from the US, she felt right at home in Ghana. She wrote, “I went from being the only African American during rounds in America to now being the only African American amongst Ghanaians here, and it’s life-changing. Being among people who look like me and are treating people who look just like them, made me so proud.” The local healthcare professionals and staff made her feel very welcomed, shared stories, and bonded over how they share the same issues when it comes to getting consults or referrals from other hospitals. 

Kristin Forkapa

Kristin Forkapa is a fourth year medical student at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. During her program in Ghana, she spent two weeks in the pediatric ward and two weeks in the internal medicine ward. Kristin noticed many differences in the healthcare system between Ghana and the US. For example, she noted that in Ghana, one pays for treatment before receiving care, whereas in the US, care is  administered first and then the bill comes after. She also noticed that the relationships between students/residents and attending physicians is much more relaxed in Ghana and has forged lasting friendships with her mentors and fellow trainees. 

Her CFHI experience allowed Kristin the chance to learn the history of Ghana and culturally immerse herself in the local community. On a weekend trip, Kristin visited the Cape Coast Castle — an important landmark in Ghana and where roughly 214 million Africans had been held during the slave trade. A lot of her free time was spent going to the local markets almost daily or visiting her friends family members who live in Ghana. She particularly enjoyed the food – especially the jollof, kenkey, stew, and kebabs.

Jerica Gibson

Jerica Gibson is a Medical Student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She spent one week in Internal Medicine, one week in a CHPS compound (Community-Based Health Planning and Service) and two weeks in the Pediatric Ward at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. During her time at the CHPS compound, she shadowed the local staff on  family planning sessions, general consultations, and pediatric check-ups and vaccination. While shadowing residents in Internal Medicine, she came across many ailments such as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVTs), Malaria, HIV, and Meningitis. This was a new experience for her, as the U.S. has a very different burden of disease and many of these communicable diseases are less present.

Jerica also visited the Cape Coast Castle where she was able to learn about the history of Ghana during the 1600s. In her blog she writes: “It shed light on the slave trade from a different perspective that is not often taught appropriately in the US.” Seeing the Cape Coast Castle in person was very impactful for her and allowed her to learn a lot more about the transatlantic slave trade from a different viewpoint.

Like other CFHI participants in Cape Coast, Jerica witnessed and confronted challenges within the healthcare system such as unsafe water quality, lack of hospital funding, and inadequate access to health services. As someone who has spent a lot of time advocating for better healthcare in the US, this experience opened her eyes to the inequalities that exist elsewhere too. She hopes to continue learning and advocating not just for equality of healthcare in the US, but around the world. 

While each participant’s experience is different, CFHI global health programs in Ghana provide a rare chance for students and trainees in the health and medicine fields to learn and experience what health looks like in a different context and learn from local health leaders while culturally immersing in the communities that they serve. Participants emerge from their programs with a better understanding of health and its determinants, a network of peers and mentors, and a deepened sense of self and service.

CFHI’s programs in Ghana are now being offered virtually- check out virtual internships and virtual practicums here. All of CFHI’s Virtual Opportunities can be found here: https://www.cfhi.org/virtual-opportunities

We love hearing from CFHI Almuni about how their global health immersion experience impacted them as health providers.  This month we’re sharing the reflections of Magdalene Kuznia. Maggie   participated in the Tropical Medicine & Community-Based Care on the Coast of Mexico program in Puerto Escondido.  She’s currently a clinical nurse at Stanford University, and a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Nursing.

As a nursing student I had the opportunity to travel to Puerto Escondido with CFHI. I was looking to broaden my nursing education experience. Faculty at my school recommended that I spend a summer working with CFHI so that I can better understand community health in nursing and improve my Spanish. The other CFHI scholars on my program were two physician-assistant students, and one student applying to medical school. It was fun for me to work with other pre-health students, especially ones that were going into different fields in medicine. We each had varying levels of Spanish and knowledge of medicine, so we were all able to learn from each other.

The first few weeks we rotated at different primary care clinics or “Centros de Salud.” I was in a nearby clinic that usually had two doctors and two nurses. The nurses would triage the patients, and then the doctor would see about 10 to 20 patients for about 20 to 30 minutes. The nurses there had autonomy to decide which patients saw the doctor that day, which streamlined the process for the doctor. I loved watching how the healthcare providers interacted with their patients. Appointment time was crucial, since most patients only came in to see the doctor when something was wrong. The doctor had minimal time to provide teaching on the ailment and healthier lifestyle practices. The nurses were able to compliment the doctors sick-care with wellness counseling.

My last few weeks my colleagues and I were together in the hospital. I think some of my favorite experiences were in the labor and delivery unit. The people of Puerto Escondido do not celebrate birth in the hospital like Americans do – the unit had about 10 beds all in one line with each other. The nurses’ station faced the beds, and the doctor would come by and assess down the line which patient was ready to give birth next. There were no men allowed, and the only private room was where the patient was transported to for the actual labor part. The mother hoisted herself on the delivery table, and hoisted herself off when the baby arrived. None of the healthcare workers celebrated outwardly when a baby was born; the mother later received her baby and went on with her day. However, one man was so excited to have his first child, he snuck on to the unit to visit his wife and baby. The new parents were so excited and burst into tears of joy. The nurses allowed them to have their time together and then promptly shooed the man away to give the other patients their privacy. Their touch of excitement broke up the hustle and bustle of the day.

In nursing school, we discussed often the importance communicating on the same level as our patients. While we are educated in medical terminology, many people are not. As nurses, it is our focus to translate the medical language and apply it to our patients’ world. Puerto made this layer an important challenge for me. My Spanish skills were put to the test as I did my best to understand the common language of the people and the medical language of the health care practitioners. My Spanish going into the trip was purely conversational at best. My first weeks in Puerto I was able to physically see the affects of the disease or trauma on the patient, but later I became much better at listening to how the ailment affected the patient personally. CFHI offered us medical Spanish classes in the afternoons, which helped us piece together some of the issues we saw in the clinic or hospital earlier that day. I definitely saw an improvement in my Spanish-speaking skills by the end of the trip.

To this day, I still dream of the food that I ate and the beaches I ventured. Additionally, my time in Puerto ensured how I much loved taking care of different populations. It was a challenge taking care of people with a different language than myself. As a nurse today, I am constantly humbled by what I have to learn from others, and I am so happy my time in Puerto helped open me up to what the world can teach us.

CFHI is honored to receive interns from around the world at our offices in San Francisco. This summer we have the pleasure of welcoming Alessandra Khodaverdi from the University of San Francisco. Alessandra is a Master of Public Health student who is deeply passionate about traveling and ensuring global health equity. During and after her internship, she hopes to integrate CHFI’s guiding principles of sustainability, humility, and reciprocity into her own work on community and global health disparities to build a better future for all.

Greetings! I am Alessandra Khodaverdi, an MPH student from the University of San Francisco. I am currently in my final program semester, and am finishing my current capstone project on health equity and access from the lens of undocumented migrant workers in host countries. Recently, I participated in an internship through the United Nations-mandated University of Peace in Costa Rica. This short-term experience in global health (STEGH) made such a profound impact on my life not only as a student, but also sharpened my public health lens as a professional. The first-hand knowledge and education about the integrative aspects of culture, human rights, environment, and sustainable health practices are immeasurable, and I will carry them with me forever.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Short-Term Experiences in Global Health

While high-income countries (HIC) student trainees are embarking on global health experiences in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) in growing numbers, the perceived benefits and disadvantages for host communities are not well captured. An obvious interest and increased demand for global health education has directly expanded educational programs and STEGHs. However, despite positive intent to gain knowledge and make an impact in developing communities, such STEGHs may actually exacerbate global health inequities. “In the absence of clear definitions, standards, impact data, and appropriate conducts, STEGHs may represent a suboptimal use of time and resources, harm the host community, and even perpetuate global health inequities” [4]. Frequently, an array of ethical issues arise when trainees volunteer or are asked to perform tasks beyond their scope of training. Other factors such as  false advertisement by unreliable volunteerism programs, vague admissions criteria, and lack of program and student oversight contribute to an unethical nightmare. This is a particular problem when HIC trainees travel to under-resourced communities where patients are completely unaware that these pre-health students are not actual health professionals, despite the trappings of white coats and scrubs.

A plethora of studies have well-exemplified and highlighted the various benefits of STEGHs for student trainees. Such benefits include increases in skills and confidence, better understanding of the social determinants of health, and dedication to underserved communities back home. As supplemental studies into the underrepresented LMIC voices are desperately needed, a recent CFHI study conducted in La Paz, Bolivia and New Delhi, India revealed important insights into the perspective of LMIC host community members with regards to STEGHs. Benefits for hosts included improvements in job satisfaction, rise in local prestige of physicians and their practices, resource enhancement, and opportunities for global connectedness, leadership skills, and improved local networks and leadership development. Adversely, reported drawbacks for hosting HIC trainees were the perceived hesitancy and apathy of student trainees, unfulfilled promises, lack of cultural sensitivity and equal opportunity. Additionally, the costs of host undertakings continue to go unrecognized despite best practices outlined the Working Group on Ethics Guidelines for Global Health Training (WEIGHT). These WEIGHT guidelines outline and advise the importance of recognizing the true costs in terms of labor, time, and resources for host communities in educational student immersions. [2]

CFHI: Ensuring Reciprocity and Sustainability through Asset-Based Community Engagement and Development

CFHI was designed to prioritize strength-based partnerships, sustainable reciprocal benefits, and clear recognition of costs incurred by host communities. Being that reciprocity and sustainability are central to CFHI’s organizational approach, programs and reciprocal investments in host communities center on the asset-based community engagement/development approach.

With this model, the outsider supports community empowerment by enabling local asset mapping, organizing assets around a mutual agenda, and building consensus toward a shared development goal. The emphasis for support is placed on a community’s existing strengths and potential as the building blocks for success, rather than rewriting the entire script.

As CFHI’s motto is “Let the World Change You,” the organization highlights students as learners, rather than agents of change—as it is imperative that trainees must first understand culture, reality, and context before initiating change. As a future public health professional, these concepts of health equity and sustainability are immensely important, especially in my past work with undocumented women and migrant workers, and future endeavors with vulnerable populations. The most important point I have taken away from both internships so far is the importance of respect —especially for host marginalized communities that invite us to learn. When a mutual respect and cultural understanding is established, it paves the way for open communication, positive leadership, and a true appreciation for the complex challenges and solutions in global health.

Sources:

[1]  Cherniak, W., Latham, E., Astle, B., Anguyo, G., Beaunoir, T., Buenaventura, J.H., DeCamp, M., Diaz, K., Eichbaum, Q., Hedimbi, M., Myser, C., Nwobu, C., Standish, K., & Evert, J. (2017) Host perspectives on short-term experiences in global health: a survey. The Lancet Global Health, 5(9). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30116-X

[2] Evert, J. (2015) Teaching corner: child family health international: the ethics of asset-based global health education programs. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 12(1), p. 63-67. DOI:10.1007/s11673-014-9600-x

[3] Kung, T.H., Richardson, E.T., Mabud, T.S., Heaney, C.A., Jones, E., & Evert, J. (2016). Host community perspectives on trainees participating in short-term experiences in global health. (2016). Medical Education, 50, p. 1122-1130. DOI: 10.1111/medu.13106

[4] Melby, M. K., Loh, L.C., Evert, J., Praterm C., Lin, H., & Khan, O.A. (2016). Beyond medical “missions” to impact-driven short-term experiences in global health: ethical principles to optimize community benefit and learner experience. Academic Medicine, 91(5). DOI:10.1097/ACM.0000000000001009

By Lyndsey Brahm
Program Operations Manager

There is a certain energy that is felt walking through the doors of the United Nations (UN) in New York City. It’s inspiring being surrounded by so much diversity, in a place where cultures collide for the common good.

As a long time partner of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC), Child Family Health International (CFHI) had the honor of being invited to the 2017 Partnership Forum  to engage in the promotion of opportunities to increase prosperity and sustainable development for all. The forum’s theme was “taking action to improve lives”. CFHI has long been a part of this movement and is recognized for its unique approach to community engagement, prioritizing local empowerment through ownership and recognition of expertise, and utilizing an asset-based approach, which draws attention to strengths within the community rather than weaknesses.

Mrs. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and High Commissioner for Human Rights, stressed in her keynote speech that, “we cannot achieve anything without partnership. It simply won’t happen.” In conversation amongst foreign diplomats and UN members, the importance of inclusive, bold and innovative partnerships was discussed in order to strive for resilient infrastructure and to honor the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with special regard to vulnerable countries and a changing climate.

CFHI seeks to bridge the gap between the global north and south through sustainable partnerships that allow for communities to take ownership over their own development and to provide a means for those with great promise to remain within and dedicated to their communities. CFHI’s global health education programs highlight local expertise and encourage program participants to understand and value what it means to be a guest in a community other than their own. This approach has the power to shape future collaboration for the better and instills hope in achieving important global initiatives, such as the SDGs.