GHSP Newsletter December 2022

View this email in your browser

WSU BSOM
GLOBAL HEALTH SCHOLARS PROGRAM

2022 has been a year of reset, reflection, and renewal. We are grateful for all of your work and the sacrifices you have made this year to support and serve others. May this holiday season be a time for you to rest, refuel, and restore! May the beauty and meaning of the holidays warm your spirit.

Picture credit: allmedical.com

Our Global Health Scholars Emma Newman (M3) and Erika Nguyen (M2), with faculty mentor Dr. Jennifer Lee, have been working on analyzing data from a Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus screener that has been tailored for OneWorld Health ambulatory clinics in Nicaragua and has also been utilized online in Nicaragua and Honduras. Through this work, they hope to improve awareness, education, and treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in the population that OneWorld Health serves through its clinics.

GHSP Students Inaugurate Third Year Travel Elective

Two of our M3 Global Health Scholars, Yanil Ramirez and Temitayo Akosile, recently traveled to Antigua, Guatemala through the program Maximo Nivel, They completed a 4 week clinical rotation as medical volunteers in a government-sponsored community clinic, serving and educating patients who have a long list of chronic diseases that had not been managed due to social factors, such as lack of funds and/or access to care. Below is a shortened summary. You may also click here to read more about Yanil's and Temitayo's patient encounter, experiences, and reflections.

Yanil Ramirez: I was impressed to see and experience that the patients were highly motivated to make lifestyle changes and amazed at their willingness to adhere to treatments.

For example, we told one of the patients with elevated blood pressure (BP) readings to keep a BP log for a week at home and we would re-evaluate him. At his follow- up a week later, his home BP readings were consistently slightly elevated. We discussed with him that his current elevated BP could be managed with life-style modifications. The team at the clinic educated him on the type of changes he could do, and he said he would do so. He came back to the clinic the following week and told us that the day after his last visit he immediately went to the market with his wife to buy fruits and vegetables. He began to walk daily and work on ways to reduce stress at work. His willingness to make change really impacted me, because I was able to experience the power and importance of disseminating educational resources for citizens to better take care of themselves. He is just one of the many patients I interacted with who had the strong motivation to make changes, despite the many social barriers he faced. Through my interactions with the community and individuals in Ciudad Vieja, I discovered the beauty of global health, the importance of continuity of care, the challenges of underserved care, as well as the ways in which community organizations, such as Maximo Nivel, help address these barriers.

Temitayo Akosile: One of the most important things I learned was how significant social determinants of health are in determining how much healthcare a patient receives. The lack of education on health and lifestyle promotion, as well as disease prevention, was heartbreaking. No one should be denied access to quality healthcare because of their socioeconomic status or lack of access to health care. My experience on this GH trip has inspired and strengthened my desire as a future physician not only to learn more about the social determinants of health, but also to always do my best to meet those needs and provide valuable resources to address them. Many factors, including limited health literacy skills, transportation difficulties, and low income and education levels, hampered many patients' autonomy in accessing healthcare, as I witnessed.

Volunteering in Guatemala allowed me to learn about the various cultures that exist within the community. By gaining this knowledge, I was able to better understand how I can impact the community and their medical needs. I learned a lot about the healthcare system and their way of life. This trip solidified my interests in medicine and global health, for which I will always be grateful.

From L to R: Cassandra (nurse from Canada), Temitayo Akosile, and Yanil Ramirez

Temitayo Akosile at the clinic in Guatemala.

Ukrainian Welcome Event

Welcome Dayton, launched in 2011, supports integration of immigrants into the Dayton community by encouraging business and economic development, providing access to education, government, health and social services, ensuring equity in the justice system, and promoting arts and culture. Read more about how this program offers support and resources to refugees from Ukraine and around the world.

At a November event at the Dayton Metro Library, newly arrived Ukrainians had an opportunity to connect with each other and learn about resources in the community. Along with Dr. Jennifer Lee, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, our BSOM Global Health Scholars were there giving health screenings: Dani Khalilzadeh (M2), Fatima Boumahchad (M2), Yev Gladkiy (M2), Davud Tsalikov (M1), David Fields (M3), and Anh Nguyen (M4). Thank you for spending some of your Saturday helping to welcome our newest neighbors!

It was a great event and we counted 164 people attending. Dayton Daily News discusses how the city of Dayton aims to equip newly arrived Ukrainians with services necessary for a smoother transition into the community. Watch the clip from WHIO Channel 7.

We are looking forward to do additional "Welcome" events in 2023, so stay tuned. We'd love to have our BSOM students continue to represent!

Global Health Happenings

World Cup in Qatar: A case study for Global Health concepts

A global sporting event, like the World Cup, creates excitement and opportunities for shared connections. It is also an opportunity to learn more and understand deeper the ways in which communities are impacted, both in a positive way and in a negative way. How we measure and mark a "successful World Cup" can continue to advance the advocacy towards human rights protection globally.

Now that the World Cup is over, reporters will start leaving Qatar, giving less attention to the human rights controversies exposed. According the AP News, activists say abuses ranged from unpaid wages to harsh working and living conditions for migrant workers building the stadiums and infrastructure needed for Qatar to host the World Cup. Reports also note that workers were barred from forming unions or striking, leaving few realistic avenues to pursue justice for harm rendered. The upstream and SDoH issues that motivate migration for work are important Global Health topics that directly apply to our physician training. Also, the impact on migrant workers' health and resources that should be considered as "standard of care" globally are important to learn and therefore advocate for in our work together both locally and globally.

Equidem is an organization that offers leading human rights and labor rights expertise for business, government, and charities. Equidem made a final push by posting an open letter to FIFA before Sunday's final match. Human Rights Watch states that FIFA granted Qatar the games in 2010, with no human rights and no set conditions about protections for migrant workers who would be needed to construct massive infrastructure. FIFA adopted a Human Rights Policy in 2017 and in However, Qatar claims it leads the region in labor reforms and that progress will continue after the World Cup.

Global Health Career Happenings

Connecting Refugee Health Professional

Immigrant & Refugee Health Preventive Medicine Fellowship

The program will allow trainees to develop a transferable skillset while providing a nuanced understanding of the intersectional way that immigration status, nativity, and immigrant-identity interact with Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) arenas such as, i.e. access to safe housing, experiences of discrimination and violence, and economic opportunities.

The Boston Medical Center (BMC) aims to train a pipeline of physicians in public health and general preventive medicine with a focus on immigrant and refugee health outcomes in medically underserved communities. By the end of the 2-year program, trainees will be prepared to lead immigrant and refugee serving organizations (such as health centers), study immigrant health outcomes and inform and advocate for policies and practices for addressing health disparities through.

During the program, trainees will earn an MS in the Boston University School of Public Health.

Click here to view eligibility requirements, how to apply, and information regarding the schedule. If you have questions, please contact us.

Picture credit: Learning about the Major World Holidays

December is the most festive month of the year. The month marked by all manner of events and festivals around the world, including religious, cultural, and spiritual events, Let's explore ten December global holidays and their symbolism:

This year, Hanukkah is celebrated from December 18th to December 26th. Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights, the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem and the rebellion of the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire are remembered. Click here to learn about traditions.
St. Nicholas day, celebrated on December 6th, derived from St, Nicholas, a bishop in 4th century Greece. He gained his saint status by selling his items and giving money to the poor and serving others who were ill and suffering. Click here to learn about celebrations.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe falls on December 12th. This is a day that honors the belief that Jesus' mother Mary, who is Mexico's patron saint, appeared to a man in Mexico City in 1531. The bishop asked for a miracle to prove Mary actually appeared to the man. Click here to learn about the miracle.
Dhanu Sankranti is an auspicious day as per Hindu mythology and occurs when the Sun enters the Sagittarius sun sign or the dhanu rashi. It is of special importance in the state of Orissa where this day is celebrated with great joy. Click here to learn about the festival.
Gita Jayanti falls on December 3rd this year. The sacred book was introduced to Arjun by Lord Krishna during the Mahabharata War in Kurukshetra. This day is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Temples dedicated to Lord Krishna. Click here to learn about rituals.
The winter solstice is a celebration of the imminent return of the sun and longer days and extended hours of sunlight ahead. It's a time to reflect, release, and set intentions for the new season. Watch a video about the solstice.
Christmas is the historical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christ's birth is celebrated on December 25th and January 6th is the date of the Feast of the Epiphany, commemorating when the wise men arrived in Bethlehem and found baby Jesus in the manger. The period of time between both dates is know as the 12 days of Christmas. Click here to learn about traditions.
Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26th in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries. It was a custom on this day for tradesmen to collect their "Christmas boxes," gifts of money or goods in return for reliable service all year. Click here to learn why it's called Boxing Day.
Kwanzaa is celebration of African-American culture that is held from December 26th to January 1st. On each of the seven nights, families gather to light a candle on the Kinara, then one of the seven principles is discussed: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Click here for the official Kwanzaa website.
Omisoka occurs on December 31st annually. An essential part of this Japanese holiday is connected to luck and moving forward. The goal is to close loose ends and resolve any unfinished business at the year end, in order to start the new year off the right way. Click here to read more about concepts and customs.

Copyright © 2022 Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine Global Health Scholars Program, All rights reserved.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.