2014-2015 Annual Report
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How can 1,000 creative young leaders make health equity a reality? Global Health Corps is finding out. ANNUAL REPORT 2014 - 2015 MISSION Dear Friends, Global Health Corps’ mission is to mobilize a global community of emerging leaders to build the movement for health equity. We are It has been nearly seven years since my co-founders and I were tasked with the challenge to engage the next generation of global health leaders. We believe the most powerful lever building a network of young changemakers who share a common of change in global health is leadership. We remain humbled to spend every day building belief: a movement of visionary young leaders who represent a diversity of backgrounds and are united in their commitment to ensure health equity worldwide. Health is a human right. When we began this journey in 2009, we never could have imagined that six years later, more than 20,000 young, creative, and driven leaders would have applied for nearly 600 fellowship positions across Eastern and Southern Africa and the United States. Today, the Global Health Corps (GHC) community is impressive and far-reaching, with buzzing hubs of fellows and alumni spread across the globe. From organizing grassroots efforts that advance sexual and reproductive health rights in Zambia, to establishing community-run health centers in rural Uganda, to serving on the frontlines of the Ebola crisis and recovery efforts in West Africa, the GHC talent pipeline proves how critical resilient leadership is to improving health systems and realizing health as a human right. As our community and our movement continue to grow, we are grateful for the constant inspiration, guidance, and partnership we receive along the way. As collaborators in our mission, we are honored to work with each of you as we make health equity a reality for everyone, everywhere. With gratitude, Barbara and the Global Health Corps Team LETTER HOW GHC WORKS GHC fellows provide the critical skills to fill leadership and management gaps in the global health field, in turn driving improvements in health equity, in Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, the United States, and Zambia. Identify high-impact Competitively select Pair them up Match them to an Train them Build a global ecosystem health organizations with exceptional young leaders organization of fellows and alumni Fellows work in pairs – a local fellow Throughout the year, fellows gaps that need filling with diverse skills and an international fellow – because participate in trainings, workshops, impacting health equity During a paid year of service, fellows we know that sustainable change and conferences aimed at increasing strengthen and learn from their We partner with existing We open the door for passionate can only be made when local voices their impact as practitioners and Through retreats, mentorship, and placement organizations, working on organizations and government young people with backgrounds in are included and cross-cultural their development as global health networking events, we facilitate a variety of health issues from HIV/ agencies in Eastern and Southern fields as varied as finance, IT, and collaboration takes place. leaders. communication and collaboration Africa and the United States whose architecture to apply those skills to AIDS to maternal and child health. amongst our fellows and alumni, impact is increased by having at least solving global health challenges. enabling stronger collective action to two of our fellows. move the needle on global health. OUR IMPACT W or kf Advoc To implement o S y & acy rc up lic mothers2mothers’ e p o ly P Mentor Mother programming, T P C Fellows with PATH r a h a rt At Inter-American ensuring HIV+ expectant mothers n a in Zambia conducted i e n r Development Bank in i can give birth to HIV- babies in s n surveillance to support ongoing i h n Fellows at IntraHealth Washington, DC, fellows Malawi, fellows facilitated the ip research into malaria elimination g International in Washington, navigated supply chain recruitment process for 27 new D strategies. Their findings were Fellows with Population DC collaborated with large media requirements in three countries to Mentor Mothers and managed their e translated into the first mass drug Media Center (PMC) in and policy making institutions to author v ensure local community members training. They are now prepped e administration campaign, which enjoyed Burundi improved awareness of C a report on the incidence of violence l had enough micronutrient o high levels of community participation and maternal and child health issues o and armed with the knowledge against health workers worldwide, p supplements to feed 4,000 m needed to support HIV/AIDS m extensive public support from traditional through the use of behavior change garnering global media coverage, children every day for 18 m healthcare teams in their leaders, in order to ensure malaria, a communications, and oversaw PMC’s including from The New York Times, e months. n preventable and treatable disease, u communities. radio-delivered health information t n and the passage of a UN General did not spread during the rainy program—an initiative providing i c t Service Assembly resolution with 62 UN nology season. education to improve maternal a ec ch t ir Fu mission co-sponsors. e i n ture and child health behaviors o D dr T n a tec i At CHAMP in i s s h through radio. in rc Fellows at Millennium Fellows at ACODEV g Zambia, fellows A Villages Project in Uganda researched and implemented Fellows with MASS in Uganda wrote a planned and executed a large new data collection technology Design Group in Rwanda successful grant proposal and scale event in honor of Global to reduce the waiting time for worked to design the new increased the operating budget by Hand Washing Day. Seeking to test results from six weeks to 170,000 square foot Munini $100,000 per year for the next four promote hand washing in schools and one day. As a result, life-saving District Hospital, with 300 beds years. Through this grant, ACODEV communities, 1,114 school children programmatic decisions were and a specialized design to hired four new staff members and 900 parents participated and made in real time and reduce the spread of airborne and began working with local were educated about sanitation communicated to the infections. communities to advocate for best practices. increased access to health public. services. OUR VOICE AND INFLUENCE We are implementing a new communications strategy, leveraging key global moments and cross-sector opportunities, to further amplify the voices of GHC fellows and alumni as effective, influential leaders in the health and social justice space. From writing widely circulated op-eds, to speaking on high-visibility global health panels, and being featured in top-tier media coverage, GHC is emerging as a His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and the Honorable Minister of Health global force. In Fall 2015, we launched our publication, AMPLIFY, on Medium, which Dr. Agnes Binagwaho joined our year-end retreat to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2014-2015 provides a singular space for new voices in global health leadership to tackle health fellowship class. As we work to strengthen and deepen our presence in each of our placement countries, equity and social justice issues with a global lens. ongoing support from President Kagame and the Rwandan Ministry of Health is invaluable and humbling. CEO Barbara Bush presented her “big 2014-2015 Zambia fellow Angel idea” for global health on the opening Rebecca Rwakabukoza, 2014-2015 Chelwa authored a narrative on night of the 2015 Aspen Ideas Festival: Uganda fellow, was invited to deliver AllAfrica.com about the “Don’t Spotlight Health and moderated a a TED talk at TEDxNakaseroWomen MINImize Me” march she organized panel on the future of global health in May. Rebecca spoke on identity to address street harassment and leadership featuring GHC alums and storytelling within the context of sexualized violence in Lusaka. Estefania Palomino and Bryan Eustis. Ugandan feminism. Fast Company published The New York Times columnist an in-depth piece on GHC’s Nick Kristof profiled GHC’s 2014-2015 Uganda fellow model of bringing non- model of harnessing the passion Jen Zhu reported a story on traditional health sector and commitment of millennials boda boda ambulance drivers talent into the global health in his Sunday column, which in Ruhiira Parish on Slate’s field, featuring a slide show was the most viewed article that Roads and Kingdoms, which highlighting the work of week and syndicated 13 times was then re-circulated by seven fellows and alums. Melinda Gates. nationwide, reaching millions. CAITLIN STEVENS GAP FILLED at HEALTH BUILDERS OUR FELLOWS Health Systems Strengthening Fellow Demonstrating the power of the GHC network, both fellows reported to a supervisor (now Executive Director) who is a GHC alum. Caitlin and Immaculate After graduating from North Carolina State University with worked to introduce continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices to a degree in international studies, Caitlin completed a year Rwandans suffering from acute respiratory infections (ARI), a devastating of AmeriCorps service with the Philadelphia Health Corps health issue primarily affecting young children. The use of CPAP devices is a where she co-ran a medication assistance program for sustainable intervention that is improving health outcomes for thousands of under-insured patients at a community health center in Rwandans,