The network - Towards Unity For Health

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INTERNATIONAL HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATIONSOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITYPajarito Mesa:How a ‘Little Bird’ Took FlightImagine for a moment what it would be liketo live in a community where the landscapeconsisted of miles and miles of dusty plainspeppered with humble, flat-roofed homes,and a climate too dry to support much morethan a sage bush here and there. And whatis more, imagine life there is quite challenging:no running water, no electricity, no sewage,no paved roads, no mail service and setapart from the conveniences enjoyed bypeople residing in the nearby modern city.The place I describe exists. It is the commu-Pajarito Mesa communityD E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8nity of Pajarito Mesa, a non-border colonialocated six miles south of Albuquerque(New Mexico, USA), at the rim of the maincity dump. A couple of years ago, residentsand attending physicians at the Universityof New Mexico (UNM), Department ofFamily and Community Medicine (F&CM)Mobile Clinic VanOver the course of the past couple years, ourdoctors have worked with the UNM LawSchool, the Southwest Organising Project (acommunity organisation), and with theAddressing Community NeedsA project of this magnitude has taught usmuch about the gap between the UniversityHospital setting and marginalised communities.As you may imagine, communicationN E W S L E T T E R N U M B E R 0 2 | V O L U M E 2 7caught site of Pajarito Mesa, and found thatits health needs were as vast as its stark,dusty landscape.ColoniasNew Mexico is a unique state because over50% of the population consider themselvespart of an ethnic minority. Whereas peopleof all ethnicities generally live in harmony,there is an unfortunate, but also commonnegative view regarding undocumentedminorities. Because New Mexico is situatedalong the US-Mexico border, there are manypeople who enter the USA through NewMexico without documentation, seeking abetter life for their families. Once in theUSA, many of these people live in fear thatthey may be deported and thus oftentimesPajarito Mesa community itself to make asource of clean water a reality. At the sametime, at the request of the community, UNMalso began a project to provide healthcareto the community via a mobile clinic van.The van is staffed by UNM attending physicians,residents and students. All comers tothe mobile clinic are served on a walk-inbasis.Perhaps the most important function of theclinic is to create a trusting relationshipwith the community by providing good careand then easy follow-up at a nearby establishedclinic. This helps residents of PajaritoMesa, who may have not seen a doctor inyears, to obtain a medical home that doesnot discriminate based on documentation.with the Pajarito Mesa community has, attimes, been challenging. We are constantlyreminded we are there not to impose ourideas, but to listen and respond to theneeds expressed by the community.Unfortunately, many of New Mexico’sundocumented people face financial, politicaland emotional barriers to a way of lifeenjoyed by wealthy citizens of the USA. Aswe have heard from the Pajarito Mesacommunity, helping establish a source ofclean water, and providing healthcare viaa mobile clinic were two small, yet feasibleways a large university could use itsresources and expertise to address onecommunity’s needs. While we continuepushing for ‘healthcare for all’ with all ourlive together in clandestine communitiesmight here in the USA, we can always findcalled colonias. Pajarito Mesa is such aThe mobile clinic is free of charge, andcreative and meaningful ways of helpingcolonia and is home to approximately 1500patients may be seen for routine medicalthose who need it most. In the meantime,people, most of whom are undocumentedand gynaecologic care. In January 2009 wemy ear is to the ground!Spanish speakers.will be able to provide the community withMost in the community work, pay taxes, butfree of charge basic medications, a projectErin Corriveau | Student, School oflive in fear and poor conditions. Furthermore,which was approved quietly by the Board ofMedicine, University of New Mexico,when UNM F&CM physicians conducted aPharmacy and UNM Hospital administra-United States of Americaneeds assessment in the community, cleantion.Email: ecorriveau@salud.unm.eduwater and healthcare were top priorities!14
THE LIKE-MINDED WORKING TOGETHERGlobal HealthEducation ConsortiumThe initial ideas for launching a univer-of its website, listserv, networking groupssity consortium dedicated to promotingand conferences, GHEC then makes thesehealthcare and social equity to disadvan-resources readily available in the servicetaged populations through global healthof improved and expanded global healtheducation arose during a meeting ineducation programmes. Thus, GHEC seeksWashington in 1990. The first consulta-to serve as a catalyst for shifting the para-tive and organisational meeting, hosteddigm of medical education from a purelycollaborations with universities in lowby the University of Arizona on March 2,bio-medical curative model to one moreincome countries, faculty training, and1991, officially launched what was thenoriented towards public health and whichevaluation of the effects of global healthcalled the International Health Medicalis socially accountable, in keeping with theeducation and experiences.Education Consortium (IHMEC). Facultyhumanitarian goals of global health.and programme administrators from 24universities attended this meeting and committedthe new organisation to raising theprofile of global health training in medicalschools. In 2005, IHMEC changed its nameto the Global Health Education Consortium(GHEC) and broadened its membership toinclude all other health professional disci-One exciting project consistent with thisapproach is the Innovative Medical SchoolProject. The project is an alliance of eightinnovative medical schools seeking totrain physicians for service in underservedcommunities. The schools are developing acommon evaluation framework with whichThrough most of its existence, GHEC membershipand focus has been on NorthAmerica. In 2007 GHEC named a VicePresident of International Operations andthrough a European partner organisation,is expanding its international operation.GHEC will soon add overseas membersand increase international participation inD E C E M B E R 2 0 0 8plines. Since then, IHMEC/GHEC has sponsored17 annual scientific meetings hostedby various universities in North and CentralAmerica and in the Caribbean. Additionally,GHEC now co-sponsors four to five regionalconferences in collaboration with host universitieslocated throughout North America.GHEC now has more than 70 institutionalmembers and in the coming years will beworking to extend its membership beyondits traditional medical school base toinclude public health, nursing and otherallied professions as well as educationalinstitutions in low income countries.Recently, GHEC held a special symposiumin Sacramento, California to celebrate 17years of Alliances and Leadership in Globalto measure and compare accomplishments.Participating schools are locatedin South Africa, the Philippines, Cuba,Australia, Canada and Venezuela.Another project, the Trans-InstitutionalAlliance for Global Health, was initiatedin 2007 with the collaboration of theCentre of Global Health at the Universityof Virginia. Taking a different but complementaryapproach, the project has twoobjectives:• to characterise the priorities and activitiesof major North American universityprogrammes directed at transnationalinstitutional capacity building;• to identify the main problems confrontingthese programmes and opportunities forits programme.GHEC continues to exert considerableinfluence within and beyond the consortiumof educational institutions committedto improving the health and humanrights of underserved populations globally.Through its work to expand and improveeducational programmes globally, GHECin association with like-minded organisationssuch as The Network: TUFH, seeks tobring closer the day when access to qualityhealthcare and the full attainment ofhuman rights are realities for all.Additional information is available at:www.globalhealthedu.orgFor more information contact Thomas Hall:N E W S L E T T E R N U M B E R 0 2 | V O L U M E 2 7Health. During this period, the number ofreducing them through collective action.thall@epi.ucsf.eduacademic centres with global health programmeshas grown rapidly.Plans for the FutureAnvar Velji and Thomas Hall |GHEC has prepared a five-year programmeCo-Founder GHEC, Clinical ProfessorProjects and Productsplan (2010-2014) that calls for substantialUniversity of California, USA; ExecutiveThrough projects undertaken and productsgrowth, a number of new projects, and theDirector GHEC, Department ofproduced, GHEC seeks to enlist the exper-periodic review and upgrade of existingEpidemiology and Biostatistics, Universitytise of its membership in the developmentinitiatives. Major activities will include theof California, USAof high quality educational materials andexpansion and upgrade of the modulesEmail: anvarali.velji@kp.org;programmes for the benefit of all. By meansproject and other educational materials,thall@epi.ucsf.edu15
Page 2: CONTENTS03ForewordPrimary Healthcar
Page 7 and 8: BOOK REVIEWAwakeningHippocratesBook
Page 9 and 10: INTERNATIONAL HEALTH PROFESSIONS ED
Page 11 and 12: NEW INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMMESLast
Page 13: Soft Skills Trainingin MalaysiaThe
Page 17 and 18: IMPROVING HEALTHJMHPE: THIRD GROUP
Page 19 and 20: WOMEN’S HEALTHPreventing Paediatr
Page 21 and 22: HEALTH PROMOTIONOral Health Promoti
Page 23 and 24: STUDENT INTERVIEWHow do students fr
Page 25 and 26: Fathi Maklady | Vice President forp
Page 27 and 28: Taskforce Carefor the Elderly Gets
Page 29 and 30: REPRESENTED AT INTERNATIONAL MEETIN
Page 31 and 32: INTERNATIONAL DIARYDiary 20091 - 4

The network - Towards Unity For Health

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