Looking for another Fall IH Course? There are still seats available in several!
There are several IH Department courses that still have a number of seats available:
IH703 – Global Public Health: History, Approaches and Practices
IH745 B1 – Monitoring and Evaluation of International Health Programs
IH773 – Financial Management for International Health
IH792 – Capacity, Cost & Need: Balancing the Equation Â? A Quantitative Exercise in Health Systems Planning and Analysis
IH795 – Global AIDS Epidemic: Social & Economic Determinants, Impact, & Responses
August 15th Scholarship Deadline: Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation
Learn more at The Student Insider!
Interested in contributing to a public health study with the chance of it being published and your name being listed as a contributing author?
Dear SPH students,
Hello! My name is Ruju and I am a 4th year medical student who is working on a public health study. I am looking for collaborators to join the project. Here's what you need to know:
Description: Survey-based, cross-sectional study of willingness-to-pay (WTP) for cataract surgery by patients in Ghana
Our Advisers: Dr. Nafisa Halim, applied sociologist; Dr. Edward Feinberg, ophthalmologist; and Vidhya Balu, biostatistician
What you will do: Partner with me to clean/code the data and do statistical analysis (basic regression and sensitivity).
Preferred qualifications (but not required):
- Has access to and familiarity with a statistical package
- Courses: Introduction to epidemiology, biostatistics, SAS, etc
- Prior experience with public health research
Benefits to joining: You will get published as a contributing author! My goal is to submit a manuscript to a journal (likely Health Policy & Planning or Social Science & Medicine) by October or November of 2012.
Other specifics:
- Sample size: n=237
- Variables: Total of 46. In addition to demographics, the following broad categories were tested for their influence on WTP: financial situation, ocular health, overall health, education, beliefs/knowledge/exposure, expected uses of vision, and level of autonomy
- Hypothesis: Better welfare, awareness, and independence leads to higher WTP, so I predict that all of these factors should be directly proportional to WTP.
- Value: I feel that this study is valuable because data on WTP for eye care in Africa is limited; our results may help us move toward models with increased patient engagement in their own care and better long-term financial sustainability for eye care programs.
If you are interested, please email me at rurai@bu.edu with your name, concentration/class year, qualifications, and an updated CV. I look forward to hearing from you!
A note to new students: if you are in the area, get your ID’s ASAP!
To the new IH Concentrators:
If you are already in the Boston area, we recommend you come over to the ID office to get your official Boston University ID BEFORE Orientation. This is an effort to avoid the long lines that will be at the ID Office during Orientation. The ID office is located at 710 Albany Street in the street level offices of the garage. It is open Monday through Friday 7am to 9am and 12:30pm to 3pm. Please bring a picture ID as proof of identification.
As an FYI the ID office will be open 7am-3pm on 8/29, 30 and 31.
Learn more about the ID cards here!
Two volunteer positions for APHA International Health section!
1. Volunteer campaign manager for American Public Health Association executive board candidate
We are looking for a student who would be prepared to volunteer a few hours a week to work with the American Public Health Association, International Health section to provide logistics support the candidacy of Maggie Huff-Rouselle for the Executive Board of the APHA. The opportunity will require approximately four hours a week between mid-August and late October, to work with Maggie and Malcolm Bryant (chair of the IH section), to prepare a campaign strategy, put together candidacy materials, liaise with the 27 sections and 50 affiliates, and work with the governing council of APHA.
This is an excellent opportunity to become familiar with the governance of the oldest and largest public health association in the world, and facilitate establishing international health as an active player in the executive decision-making of the association.
Interested students should contact Malcolm Bryant by August 13th.
2. Volunteer fund-raiser for the American Public Health Association, International Health Section.
The international health section is establishing a fund to provide scholarships to students from both the US and internationally, to attend the APHA annual meeting. We are looking for one or more volunteers (you don't have to be an APHA member), to assist in strategizing how to establish this fund, identifying potential donors, soliciting donations, and developing the bylaws that will guide allocation of resources from this fund for scholarships. Ultimately we would like to be able to offer scholarships for 20 US-based and 10 international students to enable them to present scientific papers at the annual conference.
Anyone interested in this opportunity should e-mail Malcolm Bryant (bryantm@bu.edu) - the current chair of the IH section, and we will organize a meeting of interested individuals during the week of 13th August.
Two year position with CBM as Emergency Programme Manager based out of Brussels
CBM is an international Christian development organisation, committed to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in low income regions of the world.
Click here to learn about the position and how to apply!
Financial Management Analyst position with Futures Group
* Financial Management Analyst: Futures Group has an opening for a Financial Analyst within the Financial Management department. The person in this position will be responsible for assisting in the development of annual work plans and pipeline budgets, reviewing budgets and financial reports for accuracy, and other ad hoc financial requests as needed. Using strong interpersonal and communication skills and additional analytical skills, the incumbent will develop and maintain positive relationships with colleagues and clients with a strong focus on customer service.
For more details, you can also see the complete posting here.
If you are interested in the position please send an email with a resume and the title of the position in the subject line. Only the most highly qualified candidates will be reviewed and/or contacted.
Saloni Sehgal
HR Business Partner I
International Recruiter
Futures Group
One Thomas Circle, NW Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005 USA
tel: 202.777.9740 | HR fax: 202.777.9776 l skype: fg-ssehgal
Two-year fellowship in Uganda as Population, Health and Environment Advisor
Global Health Fellows Program II
Technical Advisor I: Population, Health and Environment Advisor
Health of People and the Environment-Lake Victoria Basin Project, Pathfinder International
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Assignment: Two year fellowship
GHFP II-P1-052
The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with CDC Development Solutions and Management Systems International. GHFP-II is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
GHFP-II's goal is to improve the effectiveness of USAID health programs by developing and increasing the capacity of health professionals with tailored development opportunities. This is accomplished through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels, and performance management and professional development activities aimed to enhance the technical and leadership skills of fellows.
BACKGROUND:
The Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) covers 5 countries-Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi-where economic and social development depends on the healthy functioning of this shared ecosystem:
- Over 80 percent of the population in the region relies on land, agriculture, and fishing for their livelihoods.
- The Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization reports that lake fisheries provide almost 2 million people with household incomes.
- Almost 22 million people rely on consumption of the lake's fish for their dietary needs.
Compounded by the impacts of climate change, the lives of people in LVB are greatly challenged due to declining land productivity, soil degradation, desertification, loss of biodiversity, diseases of livestock and crops, declining fisheries, poor development and trade policies, and rapidly growing population. High maternal morbidity and mortality also severely hampers the region's ability to develop and achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 targets on reproductive health (RH), a prerequisite for poverty reduction. In recent national surveys, more than 40 percent of women in Uganda and 25 percent in Kenya expressed an unmet need for contraception.
In addition to improving maternal and child health and women's empowerment, access to voluntary contraceptive services also enables families to have only the number of children they want, which helps reduce risk of infectious disease associated with crowding and ease population pressures on natural resources. Approximately 30 million people live in LVB, and that population is expected to double in the next two decades. Growing numbers of people in the area, from natural growth and migration for economic opportunity, adds pressure in terms of "demand for ecosystem services" while increasing the potential for environmental degradation and threats to ecosystem functioning.
INTRODUCTION:
Since late 2011, Pathfinder International has implemented the Health of People and the Environment-Lake Victoria Basin (HoPE LVB) project, in an effort to reduce threats to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem degradation in the LVB while simultaneously increasing access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) to improve maternal and child health in project communities. The project will develop and test two scalable models for building capacity and promoting an integrated set of Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) interventions to be adopted by Ugandan and Kenyan communities and local and national governments. This three year project has been made possible by a collaboration of three donors: the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (programs for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Population), the David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Population and Reproductive Health program), and USAID, which supports the project directly through this fellowship and indirectly through its partners the BALANCED project, ExpandNet, and Population Reference Bureau. Two monitoring and evaluation consultants supported by USAID are also part of the project team.
Pathfinder is working with three local organizations in Kenya and Uganda-Ecological Christian Organization (ECO), Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), and OSIENALA (Friends of Lake Victoria)-to implement a package of activities aimed at providing underserved families and communities with knowledge and skills to improve their RH, reduce levels of poverty through improved and/or more secure livelihoods, and increase their capacity to sustainably manage natural resources in the LVB. The interventions were identified by a participatory process that engaged key stakeholders, including community members from the select demonstration sites in both countries. The results of this pilot project will be shared with the LVB Commission and governments of Kenya and Uganda to advocate in favor of an integrated approach as a means of simultaneously strengthening RH and family planning, and reducing threats to environmental conservation-both of which are critical to attaining Lake Victoria environmental conservation targets, as well as MDG targets. Throughout the life of the project, the ExpandNet team will provide technical assistance to the project to incorporate and consider the potential for scalability-to other districts in the regions and other LVB countries.
The HoPE LVB Project Manager sits within Pathfinder Uganda in Kampala, which oversees both the Uganda and Kenya operations for this project. There is a Pathfinder team in Kisumu, Kenya, embedded in the OSIENALA office, which receives some technical and administrative support from Pathfinder Kenya in Nairobi. The Project Manager is supported by a management team which includes the Country Representative of Pathfinder Uganda, a monitoring and evaluation officer, a financial controller, and other administrative staff. Managerial and budgetary oversight, donor relations, and programmatic technical assistance come from Pathfinder headquarters in Boston for specific topics such as PHE integration, advocacy, maternal health, and adolescent SRH.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Population, Health and Environment (PHE) Advisor will work with HoPE project partners, stakeholders and staff to achieve this integrated approach to community health, land and fisheries conservation, and livelihoods improvement. The Advisor will be based In Pathfinder Uganda Office in Kampala with the HoPE LVB Project Director based in Kampala serving as his/her onsite manager. S/he will also periodically travel to the other partner sites in Uganda and Kisumu to coordinate project activities.
Specifically, the PHE Advisor will:
1. Provide technical assistance in the implementation of PHE strategies in project sites in Kenya
- Collaborate with the project's conservation and livelihood and RH officers to provide routine technical oversight and other support to community groups to ensure proper implementation of integrated SRH and conservation activities.
- Collaborate with the project conservation and livelihood officers to identify needs of community groups such as village health teams, beach management units, women's groups, youth groups and local leaders, encourage a participatory approach and provide technical support as necessary in conjunction with Project management team.
- Assist with the curriculum development/improvement for PHE training for local district councils, Community Health Workers/Volunteers, community members, and other project staff.
- In the Advisor's areas of expertise, provide guidance to other project staff and consultants in implementing activities, monitoring and reporting on project activities.
- Gather and analyze new PHE-related opportunities and information within Kenya and Uganda that would enrich the project.
2. Assist in the smooth execution of the monitoring and evaluation plan (M&E) which measures the integration of PHE interventions implemented by the project
- Monitor the execution of the M&E plan to measure achievements in implementing integrated PHE activities. Use existing PHE resources to ensure that the M&E plan is building on the evolving best practices in M&E of PHE.
- Participate in the design/adaptation and effective use of appropriate data collection tools in liaison with partners.
- In collaboration with project's data officer, analyze and synthesize data for reporting purposes.
3. Build the capacity of project staff and government entities
- In collaboration with project team and advisors, develop and implement a plan to embed PHE integration strategies, knowledge and approaches into the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, local government agencies and the local districts' conservation programs and organizational practices.
- Identify key local staff from the conservation partners to mentor in PHE integration strategies and approaches in order to transfer technical expertise to those organizations.
- Develop materials with partners and Pathfinder Headquarters staff on documenting PHE best practices in the LVB context for use by program partners and implementers implementing organizations and their partners.
4. Build networks and information dissemination channels for HoPE LVB and PHE in general
- As part of the HoPE LVB project, develop good working relationships with key partners and local service providers.
- Develop relationships within the PHE community and USAID PHE technical partners in Washington, DC (Woodrow Wilson Center, Population Reference Bureau, the BALANCED Project, etc.) and beyond in order to share and disseminate these lessons and experiences with the broader PHE community.
5. Provide project implementation support to the HoPE LVB team
- Provide support to Project Manager in designing, implementation and monitoring of integrated health and environment/conservation project activities in the project communities.
- Assist in designing community- and facility-based trainings; design training materials, coordinate training events and prepare activity reports as appropriate for conservation and RH interventions.
- Assist the Program Manager in designing annual and quarterly work plans and in Advisor's areas of expertise.
- Assist the Project Manager in preparing annual and quarterly reports.
- Contribute to the documentation of lessons learned and success stories in the community.
- In collaboration with the Technical Services Unit at Pathfinder headquarters, support project implementation documentation to ensure that the process of executing the pilot model is well documented.
Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on (a) organizational and programming need and/or (b) the Technical Advisor's own interests.
REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND EXPERIENCE:
- Master's degree in a related field
- 0-7 years' experience implementing community-based health programs with or without experience in an international/resource challenged setting
- At least two years' experience implementing community-based health programs in a resource challenged setting in Africa is preferred
- Experience with or knowledge of natural resources management, environmental management, and conservation strategies desirable. Demonstrated passion and interest for conservation required
- Experience with PHE integration highly desirable
- Knowledge of and experience with monitoring and evaluation of health activities
- Proven strong cross-cultural and interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a cross-cultural team environment
- Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment
- Excellent oral communication and writing skills
- Proficiency in Swahili highly preferred
- Ability to obtain a medical clearance to live and work in rural Kenya required
- US citizenship or US legal permanent residency required
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
Salary based on commensurate experience and earnings history. The Public Health Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including professional development programs http://www.ghfp.net/docs/2012_Benefits_Booklet_GHFP.pdf
TO APPLY:
All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP-II's online recruitment system at https://www.ghfp.net/recruitment/, which allows you to store your CV, profile and bio data form in our database. A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application. All applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm Eastern Time on August 14, 2012.
Project Associate Position (10-12 month term) with Progressive Health Partnernship in Uganda
Project Associate Position
Progressive Health Partnership
Founded by students at Duke University in 2007, Progressive Health Partnership (PHP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to decreasing the burden of disease on the global poor. PHP works in southwestern Uganda and will be undertaking an expansion of its Omukazi N’amagara Program (ONP) over the next year. This is a maternal and neonatal health program aimed at promoting safe deliveries for pregnant women and improving reproductive health.
PHP is currently recruiting a project associate for a 10-12 month term, beginning in January 2013. As a PHP staff member, you will work with PHP and its community partner in Uganda to help manage the ONP. You will have the opportunity to help manage the delivery of antenatal services, develop materials for health education campaigns, work closely with community members and village health team members, collaborate with government officials, and help oversee quantitative and qualitative research. An in-depth list of responsibilities is provided in the application; these may vary depending on the individual.
We are looking for applicants who demonstrate a history of hard work, a commitment to PHP’s mission, an ability to work well with others, and an ability to take initiative and to work effectively in an unstructured environment. All interested candidates who meet these qualifications should apply.
You should be prepared to live in a rural area without electricity or running water for a substantial portion of the year. You will receive a stipend to cover all work, travel, and living expenses during the year.
Required for application:
1. Basic Information
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Personal Statement
4. Letter of recommendation
5. Additional reference
Please see www.proghealth.org for further information about our organization and projects. Any questions regarding PHP or the PHP Project Associate position may be directed to info@proghealth.org.
The application and all supplemental materials (curriculum vitae and letter of recommendation) are due to info@proghealth.org by 5:00PM on Friday, August 17, 2012. Selected candidates will then be interviewed in the month of September either online or over the phone.
The application can be downloaded from http://www.proghealth.org/projectassociate. We look forward to getting to know you!
