As part of a $9.5 million, five-year U.S. grant to the University of Nairobi to expand medical students’ education to 12 peripheral sites in Kenya, a delegation from Nairobi toured UW medical sites in Spokane and Boise. A contingent from Nairobi came to the region May 12-20 for a deep dive into the WWAMI Program, a 40-year-old partnership of the UW School of Medicine and Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.
More than 1,000 young people packed McCaw Hall June 17 to party with a purpose. They raised more than $35,000 for the Infectious Disease Research Institute, which has developed rapid TB tests for use in Haiti. UW showcased the work of global health researcher Tom Hawn, MD, PhD, and fellow researchers at UW who are studying the macrophage (the cells where TB invades and lives in) and the phagosome (a special compartment in the macrophage designed to kill things) to determine why some people are immune to TB and others are not.
The Department is now accepting applications from currently licensed physicians and qualified physician assistants and nurse practitioners for the first Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene course taught in Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda) from Sept. 19-Dec. 16, 2011. This 12-week course has been designed in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Makerere University in Uganda, and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College in Tanzania.
Bill Foege has a new book out, "House on Fire," and Humanosphere's Tom Paulson has a photo of Melinda Gates holding the book at a reception for the Gates' new headquarters building.
KPLU-Humanosphere’s event April 26 at Seattle Town Hall — Can Seattle Save the World? – was clearly a huge hit, drawing in an estimated 700 people. Humanosphere blogger Tom Paulson summarized some of the more memorable comments from the four panelists:
The Gates Foundation has several new jobs posted -- more than two dozen at last count. Check it out!
The Climate Change and Global Health initiative is one of six new programs, center, and initiatives funded by the Department of Global Health. Read more about the funding announcement.
Patz lecture came as the Department recently kicked off an exciting new initiative, "Climate Change and Global Health: Adaptive Solutions for Human Health and the Environment.” This initiative involves more than 25 collaborations on campus and off and could position the UW as a major player in addressing global health and environmental issues arising from climate change.
Jonathan Patz, MD, MPH, Professor and Director, Global Environmental Health at the University of Wisconsin (at Madison) gave a great lecture Jan. 4 to a standing-room only crowd as part of the Washington Global Health Alliance Discovery Series. His topic, "Climate Change and Health: Dark Clouds AND Golden Opportunities" discussed the list of health issues associated with climate change (e.g., urban heat island effect, air pollution and aeroallergens; vector-borne diseases; water-borne diseases; water resources and food supply; mental health and environmental refugees).
The future of the region's global health sector took center stage at the 39th annual enterpriseSeattle economic forecast Jan. 13. The Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA) was asked by enterpriseSeattle to partner on the sold-out event (more than 500 attendees, including Gov. Christine Gregoire). Many global health organizations, including the Department of Global Health, were featured in the "global health innovation room," allowing groups to introduce their work to a broader business community.