|
|
|
Greetings!
It's been an eventful summer thus far at the Duke Global Health Institute! There's so much news to share that we're bringing you an expanded issue today. President Brodhead and Dr. Merson are well into their multi-continent trip including stops in China, Singapore and - this week- Tanzania and Uganda. (You can tag along the journey through the President's Summer 2011 blog! New photos and video posts from Africa are expected beginning Thursday.) Read about their progress below. Don't miss a new video featuring participants of the third offering of the Duke-Peking University Global Health Diploma program. Needless to say, the program continues to be a huge success thanks to the faculty from Duke and PKU. As always, we're also keeping you informed of new faculty research and policy advances, staff changes, news headlines, job opportunities and much more.
Until next time,
Geelea Seaford and Everyone at DGHI
|
|
|
|
|
President Brodhead, Merson Visit DGHI Sites in Africa
July 7, 2011 will mark the first time a Duke University President has ever traveled to Africa while in office. Why this is important since people travel to Africa every day? Here's why: There's no better place than Africa to see Duke's three core themes -interdisciplinarity, internationalization and knowledge in service to society- in action.
President and Mrs. Brodhead will see Duke in action when they travel to Tanzania and Uganda. Over the next six days, the President will see projects and faculty from eight Duke Schools. They'll meet students, including undergraduates, graduate students and medical students as well as global health residents. They'll see firsthand the ways in which Duke is partnering with governments, universities, health care staff, nongovernmental organizations, community and religious groups. And no doubt they'll be welcomed and inspired by the people of Moshi and Kampala, as both are places of immense beauty paired with extraordinary need and opportunity.
Duke's presence in Africa is long-standing, particularly in Tanzania. Our hope is that this visit will reaffirm Duke's commitment to strengthening its collaboration with African institutions, lead to new research initiatives and exchanges of faculty and students that connect Duke with the African continent, and encourage faculty and students from across the University to pursue areas of study for which African research is crucial to the future of scholarship.
Follow along the visit through Tanzania and Uganda on the President's trip blog,
http://sites.duke.edu/summer2011/
Merson Signs Agreements to Partner with Wuhan, Fudan Universities in China
Last week, DGHI's Michael Merson and others signed agreements to collaborate with public health leaders at Wuhan and Fudan Universities in China in the field of global health. The agreements will lead to increased faculty research collaborations, student and faculty exchanges, and opportunities for the two schools to explore further mutually-beneficial activities. Read more about these two new partnerships at http://sites.duke.edu/summer2011/
|
|
Students, Professionals in China Receive Global Health Training From Duke
Since the creation of the Duke-Peking University (PKU) Global Health Diploma Program in 2009, nearly 100 Chinese students and professionals have delved into the social, political and ethical issues associated with global health and
 | WATCH VIDEO
Duke-PKU Diploma: What Students are Saying |
health disparities in China and around the world. The two-week diploma program offered at Peking University in Beijing - now in its third year - is the first major education initiative of the Duke Global Health Institute in China, an increasingly important leader on the global stage.
This month, 30 additional students completed the diploma program, with closing ceremonies held on June 24 at PKU. This year's class, like in previous years, has targeted students as well as major players in health care, public policy and research initiatives in China.
"The Duke-PKU Global Health Diploma Program is the first of its kind in China," said Yan Guo, professor of public health at Peking University and faculty member in the diploma program. "Together, we have introduced cutting-edge knowledge, provided more opportunities for young people, and cultivated a talent reservoir for future development. We are very proud to see that it has grown over time, and more importantly, it has helped to spread the notion of global health among the next generation, and even inspired some of them to pursue their career in this field."
|
|
|
Report Suggests Childhood Obesity Prevention Begins at Birth
A new report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Obesity Prevention Policies for Young Children, of which Duke child nutritionist Sara Benjamin Neelon is a member, urges that efforts to prevent  childhood obesity begin as early as birth.
The report, released June 23, outlines evidence-based strategies and policies to assess and prevent the beginnings of obesity among infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Authors of the report emphasize that obesity cannot be solved by tackling only one factor. It requires a multipronged approach that includes healthy eating, more active play and less television time, healthy sleep habits, regular growth monitoring and identifying signs of excess weight, and breastfeeding during infancy.
About 10 percent of children from infancy to age two and slightly over 20 percent of children ages two through five are overweight or obese, a rate that has doubled since the 1980s.
"Many people still have the perception that a chubby baby is a healthy baby, but emerging evidence suggests that excess weight gain in infancy puts children at a greater risk for obesity and other health problems later in childhood," said Neelon, assistant professor of community and family medicine and global health at Duke University Medical Center and DGHI. "This report highlights opportunities for obesity prevention starting very early in life."
Neelon and the committee recommend health professionals measure infants' weight and length and the body mass index of young children as a standard procedure at every well-child visit.
|
|
|
Study Reveals Older Blacks and Mexicans Have Worse Dental Health Than Whites
A recent study by Duke University faculty member Bei Wu, PhD, finds that older blacks and Mexican-Americans are more likely to have decayed and missing teeth than are non-Hispanic white individuals. They are also less likely to visit the dentist for checkups. This is the latest study to conclude that oral health disparities persist among racial and ethnic groups in the US, and that multiple clinical approaches are required to reduce these disparities.
Wu holds faculty membership in the Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development,  the Duke Global Health Institute, and Duke University School of Nursing, where she also serves as Director of International Research. Her new study was published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry in June.
While an increasing number of studies have examined oral health disparities across race/ethnicity in the US, this is one of a limited number of studies that focuses on older adult minorities.
The study evaluated the frequency and number of decayed, missing and filled teeth among more than 4,300 adults aged 60 and older based on dental and health examinations and interviews collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2004. Approximately 61% of the individuals included in the study were non-Hispanic white, 17% non-Hispanic black and 21% Mexican-American. Wu's research documents significantly higher numbers of decayed teeth among blacks and Mexican-Americans, but fewer numbers of filled teeth among these populations than among whites.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boyd to Lead International Education at DGHI
David Boyd, associate professor of the practice of global health, has been appointed Faculty Director for  International Education at DGHI. In his new role, Boyd will provide leadership, direction and technical expertise in the development of DGHI's international education programs.
"David brings to this position many years of experience and expertise at Duke and Vanderbilt in global health practice and education. He is also one of our most dedicated and dynamic teachers," said Randall Kramer, DGHI associate director for strategy and professor of environmental economics and global health. "We are very pleased to have David serve in this important role at a time when DGHI is expanding educational offerings across key areas of the world." Boyd will oversee the international expansion of DGHI's global health education programs. Duke expands its global reach, DGHI is able to customize existing curricular offerings, such as the Global Health Certificate and the Master of Science in Global Health for international audiences, and develop new programs for delivery in a range of international settings using innovative technologies and learning approaches. Boyd will work closely with Duke faculty, international collaborators and counterparts in other Duke units to carry out these plans. Two examples of DGHI's international education programs include the Duke-Peking University Global Health Diploma and Global Semester Abroad in China and India. Potential areas for expansion of DGHI education initiatives include Kunshan, China, Thailand and India among other key parts of the world. DGHI is also considering an online global health short course in an international setting.
Health Care to Rebuild Rwanda
By Chanel Laguna
More than a decade after a genocidal war devastated Rwanda, the Government of Rwanda and the Ministry of Health have a vision for rebuilding the country's health care system. They are looking for academic medical center partners to
 | WATCH VIDEO
A Vision for Medical Education:
Patrick Kyamanywa |
assist in the effort.
On June 20, the Dean of the National University of Rwanda, Dr. Patrick Kyamanywa, met with faculty and staff from the Hubert Yeargen Center for Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, department chairs and the Chancellor for Health Affairs to share his country's vision and to appeal for Duke's help.
"We are calling upon partners with different capacities and different strengths to help solve the challenge of health sector strengthening through improved medical and health sciences," Kyamanywa told an audience of 30 students, residents, faculty and researchers at DGHI. The lack of proper medical facilities throughout the country is hindering the rebuilding of Rwandan society, Kyamanywa said.
Did you miss the lecture at DGHI? Click the image above to watch the video.
|
|
|
| Received this as a forward? Sign up for future issues.
|
|
|
|
|
|
