A Military Collaboration for HIV/AIDS Prevention

Last week (June 19-21) the U.S Public Health Service Scientific and Training Symposium was held at the University of Maryland, College Park campus.

While many of the Symposium activities focused on domestic health issues, one session highlighted an important partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Nigerian Ministry of Defense. Carla Bozzolo, an MPH candidate in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health, was at the session and has this report on the proceedings.

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Strengthening Health Systems through the Nigerian Ministry of Defense—U.S. DoD Walter Reed Program Nigeria Partnership

by Carla Bozzolo

On Wednesday, June 20th, Major General Tahir Umar and Colonel Nelson Michael spoke about the strengths and importance of the partnership between U.S. DoD and the Nigerian Ministry of Defense in implementing and sustaining an HIV/AIDS prevention program for Nigerian soldiers and civilians.

The program was developed because of the high HIV/AIDS burden in Nigeria (it has the 2nd largest AIDS burden as of 2010). Cost implications of managing HIV/AIDS care in developing countries were too high, beyond the reach of the average Nigerian soldier (less than half of Nigerians were receiving the treatment they needed). An intervention program in the armed forces to accompany prevention activities was identified as an appropriate strategy.

Three for Free: AIDS 2012 Events

For the first time in over twenty years, the International AIDS Conference is being held in the U.S., right in our backyard (at the Washington D.C. Convention Center). This is an amazing opportunity for UMD students to learn about new scientific breakthroughs and success stories, as well as hear from leaders in the field of AIDS research, prevention, and treatment.

If you haven’t registered by now, the fees are steep ($310 for a student registration), but that doesn’t mean you can’t take in some fascinating events anyway. There are a number of affiliated events that are free and open to the public; while the AIDS 2012 website has the complete list, we’ve rounded up three we think you might find interesting.

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Voices of Haiti

Date: July 25 & 26, 8:30 PM

Place: Armand Hammer Auditorium, Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th Street, Northwest, Washington, DC

Organized by: PSI & the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting

What’s it all about? Voices of Haiti is a multimedia exploration of Haiti’s earthquake through the lives and voices of Haitians confronting the ongoing consequences of this disaster, especially those living with HIV/AIDS. The event features poet Kwame Dawes, composer and performer Kevin Simmonds, soprano Valetta Brinson, and the photography of Andre Lambertson.

For more information: http://pulitzercenter.org/event/voices-haiti-performance-corcoran-gallery-washington-dc

It Happened Last Spring: Global Public Health Scholars Academic Showcase

Photo by Sibia Sarangan, courtesy of College Park Scholars.

The College Park Scholars Global Public Health program doesn’t get much mention on this blog, (mainly because it’s not open to current students) but that doesn’t mean we’re not fans of the two-year living-learning program. Students enter as freshmen and finish with a practicum—an internship, service learning, research, or study abroad experience—that they describe and present in a final poster. When we perused the posters presented at this year’s Academic Showcase, we were impressed by the number of students sharing important global health lessons with their peers.

Below are just a few of the posters from this year’s the College Park Scholars Academic Showcase, held on May 4th:

Maggie Fung
Global Pharmacies: A Look into Drug Delivery at the Local and Global Levels
“However, there are many other factors that affect drug delivery such as the cost of the drugs and availability of the drugs despite the presence of a pharmacy. … many countries, developed and developing, experience similar types of difficulties but on different levels.”

Julia Park
Public Health Issues as the East Meets the West
“Most importantly, I learned that public health does not just comprise of illness, treatment, and prevention. Public health in India encompasses religion, culture, policies, and education, which leads to treatments that cater to the individual needs of each patient.”

Alexandra Raymond
Developing a Sustainable Community in Los Andes, Guatemala
“Each day we spent on the reserve we learned about the different ways the community stay sustainable. For example, the reserve: ran on hydroelectricity, using energy from a river that ran through; built a local shop that provided everyday needs to the people; [and] organized a carpool system so people could travel to the city together.”