Tina Mensa-Kwao on partnering with youth to improve their mental health care

UW School of Public Health

Tina Mensa-Kwao is a doctoral student in the Global Health Implementation Science & Metrics program at the University of Washington School of Public Health, where she focuses on understanding how to enhance the implementation of evidence-based practices to improve the mental health of young people globally. In this Q&A, she shares why she’s passionate about global health, her research efforts and its potential impact, her future goals as a professional, and advice for new students. 

Why Asia’s early heat wave is so alarming

Vox

Climate change is making a safe, slow adjustment to heat much harder by upending what we’d typically expect as seasons change. Summers are getting longer and more intense, encroaching on winter and extending long into the fall. Large parts of Asia have been hit particularly hard the past two weeks. Axios reported how heat records have fallen throughout China, India, Bangladesh and Thailand, as areas have surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

Kristie Ebi, professor of global health and of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.

WA, Seattle launch campaign to plant thousands of urban trees

The Seattle Times

Officials with the state and city of Seattle on Thursday launched a renewed effort to plant trees in urban areas most affected by pollution, flooding and other extreme weather events, like the unprecedented 2021 heat wave that smashed record highs and killed more than 150 people in Washington.

Kristie Ebi, professor of global health and of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.

IDASH Program Launches for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region

International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH)

On April 3, the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) launched the Informatics and Data Science for Health (IDASH) fellowship training program with an in-person workshop in Tbilisi, Georgia. The program launched in partnership with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CDC/EECA) Regional Office, the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe, and country governments.

Opinion: Fixing health care system isn't just about filling white space

STAT

"When I envision the U.S. health care system, the first thing that comes to mind is a Jackson Pollock painting: splashes of color chaotically surrounding white space. The splashes of color represent existing health care venues and resources; the white space represents the gaps across our system that prevent patients from gaining the right access and the right support to improve their health," writes Chris Dodd, clinical instructor of global health at the UW.

Examining Accountability, Influence, and Politics in Global Health: A Frank Conversation with Anand Giridharadas

In a recent conversation with Anand Giridharadas, author of the Department of Global Health (DGH) 2022-23 Common Book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, the DGH community examined the increasingly powerful role billionaire philanthropists have assumed in setting the social change agenda, including in public health. His critiques speak to the challenges we face in our efforts to decolonize global health research and practice, center the priorities of the Global South, and promote equity in our work.  

Public health students partner with communities locally and abroad to support Ukrainians displaced by war

UW School of Public Health

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Olena Bidovanets was pursuing her Master’s of Public Health (MPH) degree at the University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH). An infectious disease and psychotherapy medical doctor, Bidovanets wanted to study public mental health. After receiving a 2021-23 Fulbright award, she moved from her home in Ukraine to Seattle.

Mental Health Matters

UW School of Public Health

As we recover from the pandemic, researchers and practitioners say we need to take a community-based approach to mental health. In other words, to help all of us heal our mental health, we all need to collectively practice well-being.

Deepa Rao, professor of global health and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

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