Greetings from Montreal where we're attending the 2011 Global Health Conference hosted by the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. Over the last three days, it has been energizing to meet so many global health students, faculty and practitioners from 63 countries.  You can find blog posts, videos, photos and Twitter posts from the conference online.  

 

Master of Science in Global Health Information Session comes to the Triangle.  Join MSc-GH faculty and staff at the NC Biotechnology Center TOMORROW (Wed, Nov. 16) at 9 am to learn about the program.  

 

DGHI's Talk of the Week:  Thursday, Nov. 17 at 12 pm, Trent 124.  "The Context of HIV Risk among Female Drinkers in a South African Township" by Melissa Watt, research scholar at the Duke Global Health Institute and coordinator of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Core at the Duke Center for AIDS Research.  

 

Finally, free tickets for the Dec. 3 talk by Paul Farmer are available starting today from the Duke Box Office. We've heard they are already sold out, but keep checking the website in case more are released.    

 

Until next week,

Geelea Seaford and Everyone at DGHI

The 2011 Global Health Conference kicked off on Sunday in Montreal, Canada with remarks by US Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby. Ambassador Goosby talked of unprecedented progress of PEPFAR to save lives and reduce new HIV infections in key African countries. It was a promising message to start off the conference that focused on advancing health equity in the 21st century.

"We are in a moment globally where global health is on everyone's radar screen," said Goosby. "Your voice is different because you have evidence-based research on how our work is making a difference for people in developing countries.  The time to break down barriers between the academic and political world is now."   

 

The opening session on the role of government in global health set the tone for an energized, inspirational and knowledge-sharing three-day conference, which was attended by more than 1,300 students, university faculty, health clinicians, professionals from 63 countries, and government leaders from Canada, the US and around the world who shape global health policy, research and education.   

  

 

Duke Global Health Work Highlighted at Conference

The research projects and education initiatives of the Duke Global Health Institute, its partners, students and faculty were on stage at the 2011 Global Health Conference this week.

 

DGHI faculty and partners Ahaz Kulanga, Charles Muiruri and Dr. John Bartlett presented a poster on the impact of a $10 million Medical Education Partnership Initiative grant awarded to the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in partnership with the Duke Global Health Institute. A year into the five-year initiative, the partnership and grant have provided enhanced information technology infrastructure, classroom upgrades, new teaching methodologies, electronic curriculum management, more laboratory space, standardized testing and support for mentored research projects. Learn more about the initiative.

 

Master of Science in Global Health students Lauren Beaudry and Sarah Lombardo presented their poster on the attitudes toward tobacco and alcohol among Sri Lankan adults. As part of their research projects, they found that tobacco and alcohol use have not decreased in the last decade despite tighter governmental regulations on their production and sale. The most commonly cited reason for smoking was "as a habit," though women identified "to overcome frustration" as their top motivator.  The primary reason for drinking among men was "for fun," and for women was being "unable to refuse in parties/functions." The students' mentors on the project were DGHI faculty members Truls Ostbye and Asia Maselko.

 

 

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