Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH), a global health membership organization has prioritized advocacy efforts to strengthen U.S. and global commitment to improving the health and well-being of people in developing countries. This presentation will begin with an overview of why Christians should be involved in advocacy, including a Biblical case for advocacy and speaking for the voiceless. The session will then highlight some important current federal global health efforts and other current policy issues that influence global health. The session will then equip the participants with tools to take specific action steps when leaving this session to be a positive influence on global health policy.
Professional education programs are geared toward preparing students to do curative care in healthcare settings. In order to reach into the community with preventive healthcare requires an additional set of knowledge and skills. We will look at the principles that were operative in the 1978 Alma Ata and examine what needs to be included in the education of healthcare professionals to achieve Health for All.
when macro level economic integration occurs across borders, it results in the movement of people across borders at an unprecedented level. While this brings tremendous opportunity for trade and employment (people move from the poorer to the richer country, while good move from the richer to the poorer country). The benefits flow most easily to the more food secure housholds (RFSA-1 and RFSA-2) while the insecure Households (RFSA-3 and RFSA-4) experience tremendous hardships including the risk of being trafficked. The risk of disease outbreaks across borders also increases trenedously...but there are also great opportunities for service to the vulnerable and needy; and great opportunities for the spread of the gospel among the neo migrants.
Every village has a development strategy (survival strategy) that it pursues for its survival and advancement. External interventions that seek to be sustainable, need to understand, engage and build upon this strategy. This is the startegy of the THV50-40-10 (Total Health Village), which sees health as not only treating diseases and preventing them; but goes beyond public health to address issues of Holistic well being. This session focusses on the concept, the approach, and looks at some of the outcomes identified by engaging the use of the latest Participatory tools in measuring what matters in impact.
Best Practices in Short-term Medical Missions
In recent years there has been a tsunami of short-term healthcare volunteers going into the developing world; both faith-based and humanitarian. Recent estimates tell us that 29% of students enrolled in medical schools participate in some type of short-term global health project prior to graduation. Dental, nursing, and allied health schools are also beginning to follow suit. Yet, few churches or educational institutions have any knowledge of what constitutes best practices in global health. This workshop will review the six guidelines for best practices in global health as they appear in the book “When Healthcare Hurts: An Evidence Based Guide to Best Practices in Global Health Initiatives”. It will also review the four primary areas of global health best practices which include the following.
1. Patient Safety
2. Healthcare System Integration and Collaboration
3. Facilitation of Health Development
4. Community Empowerment
