Transformations: Center for Global Health Newsletter: Building Partnerships for Global Health
April 2008; Issue 2
Inside:
* CGH Wins Grant to Improve Water Access in South Africa
* UVa's Building Tomorrow Raises Thousands for Schools in Uganda
* CGH Scholar to Present at Vancouver Conference
* Local Events
* National and International Events
UVa's Center for Global Health Wins Grant to Improve Water/Health in South Africa
The Center for Global Health and a coalition of faculty and
students from several disciplines have been awarded a
$50,000 grant from the Jefferson Trust to launch an
innovative, multi-disciplinary, and longitudinal program
to improve access to water and health in Limpopo Province,
South Africa.
The project, Water and Health in Limpopo Province (WHIL),
will, for the first time, bring together faculty and
students from medicine, engineering, environmental sciences,
nursing, and environmental planning to address a critical
issue in Limpopo province: access to clean water and
sanitation. This project will work with communities in
Limpopo province to identify and develop strategies to
improve access to water and sanitation and will measure
the impacts on health outcomes.
Water-borne diseases are rampant in this northeastern
province of South Africa, one of the country’s poorest.
Sixty percent of the population lives below the poverty
line. Diarrheal diseases are a leading cause of childhood
death, and 90% of the population lives in rural areas with
limited access to potable water and sanitation.
The Center for Global Health’s WHIL coalition will expand
on a seven-year relationship with the University of Venda
and work to create a replicable model to improve access to
water and sanitation, reduce the incidence of water-borne
disease, and improve health outcomes. This model will draw
upon multiple disciplines and actively engage the
communities involved.
Rebecca Dillingham, MD, MPH, is a co-author of the proposal.
“We look forward to continuing to build, with our South
African partners at the University of Venda and in the
communities, a model for the ethical engagement of research
universities with communities in resource-limited settings.
Dirty, hard-to-access water and the associated diseases are
our partners’ greatest concern. Across UVa, we have
significant expertise relevant to these problems. This is a
perfect match. We are excited to have the opportunity to
apply our expertise and to learn from our colleagues and
their experiences.”
Over a three year period, WHIL will develop and implement
strategies for site selection, sampling, data collection,
and assessment of health outcomes and community engagement.
During this time period, UVa and Venda students will also be
selected to participate in the project and related courses
will be developed and offered at UVa and the University of
Venda.
Results will include written assessments of existing
sanitation and water systems, databases of water and health
data, and the development and piloting of interventions to
improve existing systems in a way that is sustainable within
the community.
This is the third year the Jefferson Trust has offered
grants. The UVa Alumni Association's Board of Managers
established the Jefferson Trust in 2004 with the goal of
providing an unrestricted endowment dedicated to pursuing
excellence throughout the University.
The fund's major donors—those giving $100,000 or more—are
offered membership on the board of trustees, which allocates
the funds. The trust's goal is to raise a $10 million
endowment, which would allow annual grants of approximately
$500,000. It currently has assets of approximately $6.3
million.
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Bike to Uganda Raises Thousands of Dollars
The UVa chapter of an international non-profit organization
that empowers young people to raise funds & awareness for
vulnerable children in Uganda has raised thousands of
dollars to build new schools in the sub-Saharan country.
Building Tomorrow (BT) raised more than 17,000 dollars
during its second annual Bike to Uganda fund raising event.
During the first week in April , more than 700 participants
hopped on stationary bikes set up on Grounds to peddle the
7,354 miles that separate Charlottesville and Kampala, Uganda.
100% of the funds goes directly to building primary schools
in Kampala. This spring's event raised enough money for the
UVa Chapter to build one school for 350 children. The
chapter is also halfway to its goal of building a second
school. Construction on the first school will begin this
summer.
UVa's Building Tomorrow chapter has worked closely with the
architecture and engineering schools throughout the year –
specifically the Engineering in Context Capstone Design
program and Architecture Studio reCOVER. While BT has been
raising funds for the school, the engineering team has been
designing the water and power systems and the architects
have been designing the structure itself. As participants
biked the final miles to Uganda, the engineers and
architects presented the final designs for the school.
The land for the school was purchased earlier this semester
and, with the funds raised from Bike to Uganda, the first
brick will be laid in just a few months.
Jason Franasiak is the adviser of the UVa branch of BT.
"It is humbling to be a part of a large movement on grounds
at the University of Virginia that aims to meaningfully and
concretely impact the education of vulnerable children in
Kampala, Uganda. These young minds have such great need and
are most deserving of our attention and whatever small
assistance we can offer."
To learn more about the UVa's chapter of Building Tomorrow,
visit http://www.buildingtomorrow.org/supporters/uva/
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New CGH Scholar to Present in Vancouver
New Center for Global Health (CGH) scholar Maria-Cecilia
Venzon has been invited to present in Vancouver, Canada, at
the Western Regional International Health Conference, which
runs from May 23 thru May 25th.
Ms. Venzon's abstract is entitled Lightcatchers: The Use of
Performance-Based Teaching to Discuss Community Health
Issues and its Implications on Global Health. The first
year PhD student in the School of Nursing was recently
named a Center for Global Health scholar and will be going
to the Philippines this summer.
Her project is entitled "The use of forum theater in
promoting safe sex practices helping decrease HIV-AIDS
incidences among low-income Filipino women who experience
of violence."
Ms. Venzon is among 33 students who received awards from the
Center this year. The scholar awards have been issued since
2001, and more than 700 students have been honored as CGH
scholars.
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Local Events
The next calendar will cover events from May to June. Please
email events by April 27 to jak4g@virginia.edu
WHAT: Interested in the African Studies Minor? Just curious?
Want more information about it? The African Studies
Initiative will be holding an information session about
the African Studies Minor
WHEN: Monday April 21, 6:30pm
WHERE: Robertson (New Comm School) Rm. 260
Come with questions and comments
CONTACT: Email Stephanie deWolfe: stephdewolfe@gmail.com
WHAT: The Charlottesville "Glocal" Food System: Challenges
and Opportunities for our Community’s Local and Global Food
Sources. What are the true costs of buying food from around
the globe? How much food can we grow close to home? Is it
enough to support us and can we afford it? This and other
questions inspired a UVa class to conduct assessments of
Charlottesville's glocal (global + local) food system. The
class, which is sponsored by the Center for Global Health,
will be presenting its findings at City Hall on Tuesday,
April 22 from 3:00 until 5:00pm. The presentation is open
to the public. The class, consisting of graduate and
undergraduate students, is titled "Healthy Communities,
Healthy Food Systems (Part III): Global-Local Connections"
and is taught by Timothy Beatley, Teresa Heinz Professor of
Sustainable Communities, Department of Urban and
Environmental Planning, and Tanya Denckla Cobb, Senior
Associate, Institute for Environmental Negotiation.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 3:00-5:00 pm
WHERE: City Council Chambers, City Hall, 605 East Main
Street
PARKING: Market Street garage (next to City Hall)
RSVP: (desired, but not essential) By Friday, April 19 to:
chrisinger@virginia.edu
CONTACT: Tanya Denckla Cobb at tanyadc@virginia.edu
WHAT: Creating Health and Interdisciplinary Partnerships,
Presented by Clinical Nursing Student Leaders Joel Anderson,
BA and Meredith Cooley, BA, RPCV, and Emily Sloan, MS, 4th
year ND/MPH student
WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, Noon-1PM
WHERE: 5044 McLeod Hall
CONTACT: Doris Greiner, PhD, RN, 434-982-0645 /
dg2n@virginia.edu
WHAT: The Inter-American Health Alliance at the University
of Virginia cordially invites you to the First Annual
UVa-Guatemala Benefit Dinner; – Building Partnerships for
Better Health –Integrating Pediatric Primary Care and Health
Education in Rural Guatemala –
This event includes faculty, administration, doctors,
nurses, engineers, community health workers, and students
interested in global health. Multiple organizations that are
partnering with the University of Virginia. Regional music
and a buffet of Guatemalan food are featured, and a cash bar
is available. An on line link for ticket purchase will be
available at www.fivetimesfivehundred.org. shortly. A silent
auction will feature items and services from local
businesses, faculty, and students. Please contact Elizabeth
Murphy (egm6f@virginia.edu) if you are interested in
donating an item to the IAHA Silent Auction.
All proceeds from tickets and silent auction sales will
directly benefit Primeros Pasos "First Steps" Medical Clinic
in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 6:00 to 9:00 pm
WHERE: La Taza Coffee House, 407-B Monticello Road,
Charlottesville, VA 22902
CONTACT: Megan Dunning, med5j@virginia.edu or Elizabeth
Murphy, egm6f@virginia.edu
WHAT: Reunions Weekend Undergraduate Research Poster S
ession; Be a part of Reunions Weekend! Take advantage of
this great opportunity to present your ongoing or completed
research to interested alumni.
WHEN: Saturday, June 7 3:00-5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Newcomb Hall Plaza
CONTACT: Katherine Walters, kcv3a@virginia.edu, at the
Center for Undergraduate Excellence by May 2
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National and International Events
April
April 21-24 World Vaccine Congress, Washington 2008
Terrapinn Ltd Arlington, Virginia,
http://www.terrapinn.com/2008/wvc_DC/
May
May 1, Symposium on Population Health and Policy:
"Next Steps in Controlling HIV in Africa: Behavior,
Biology, or Both?" Johns Hopkins University and Population
Reference Bureau Washington, DC,
http://www.prb.org/EventsTraining/PolicySeminars.aspx
May 5-7, Eleventh Annual Conference on Vaccine Research
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Baltimore,
Maryland, http://www.nfid.org/conferences/vaccine08/
May 15-20, Translating New Technologies to Improve Public
Health in Africa Keystone Symposia, Kampala, Uganda,
http://www.keystonesymposia.org/Meetings
/ViewMeetings.cfm?MeetingID=930
May 19, World Hepatitis Day WHO, NVHR, IHRA Worldwide,
http://www.euro.who.int/aids/news/20070418_2
May 21-23, Immunopotentiators in Modern Vaccines Meetings
Management Montego Bay, Jamaica,
http://www.meetingsmanagement.com/pdf/IMV_2008.pdf
May 27-June 1, The Global Health Council will host its
annual international conference from May 27 through
June 1, 2008. The theme of the meeting is Community
Health: Delivering, Serving, Engaging, Leading. Washington,
D.C., http://www.globalhealth.org/conference/
view_top.php3?id=738
May 31, World No Tobacco Day WHO Worldwide,
http://www.who.int/tobacco/en/
June
June 2-5, World Vaccine Congress Asia 2008 Terrapinn,
Ltd Singapore, http://www.terrapinn.com/2008/wvcasia/
June 8-12 6th, International Symposium on Pneumococcai and P
neumococcal Diseases ISPPD Reykjavik, Iceland,
http://www.congress.is/ISPPD-6/
June 17-20, Bio International Convention Biotechnology
Industry Organization San Diego, CA, http://www.bio.org/
June 19-22, International Conference for Infectious Diseases
International Society for Infectious Diseases Kuala Lumpar,
Malaysia, http://www.isid.org/
June 18-20, 2008, RAISE: Reproductive Health in Emergencies
Conference 2008, Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda,
http://www.raiseinitiative.org/conference/
July
July 17 - 19, 2008, "Bridging Local, National, and
International Perspectives", 2008 Nursing Ethics and Health
Care Policy Conference, New Haven, Connecticut,
http://nursing.yale.edu/Centers/International/EthicsConference/
August
August 3-8, 2008, AIDS 2008 will be the first International
AIDS Conference ever held in Latin America. The theme of
the conference is “Universal Action Now.” Mexico City,
http://www.aids2008.org/
August 13-15, Novel Vaccines: Bridging Research, Development
& Production, Cambridge Healthtech Institute Cambridge, MA,
http://www.healthtech.com/Conferences/2007/imt/vac.asp
September
Sept 4-6, Conference on Sexually Transmitted Infections
and HIV Europe International Union Against Sexually
Transmitted Infections Milan, Italy, http://www.iusti.org/
October
Oct 11, World Sight Day WHO Worldwide,
http://www.v2020.org/page.asp?section=0001000100070009
December
Dec 1, World AIDS Day WHO Worldwide,
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2006/world_aids_day
/en/index.html
Dec 8-11, Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, Living
Better with HIV: African Leadership Towards Universal
Access Society for AIDS in Africa Dakar, Senegal
June 2009
June 28 - July 1 18th Congress of the International
Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease Research
International Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease
Research London, UK, http://www.essti.org/index.php
November 2009
Nov 9-12, 11th International Union Against Sexually
Transmitted Infections World Congress International Union
Against Sexually Transmitted Infections, Cape Town,
South Africa, http://www.iusti.org/
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