Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Global Child Health Initiative
There is an intense and immediate need for health care in developing nations. A huge gulf exists between the health of the wealthy and that of the poor, and this gulf is increasing world-wide. The majority of the health issues and causes of death are preventable and treatable. According to the Global Issues website, one billion people lack access to health care. Sadly, 11 million children under age 5 die from malnutrition and preventable diseases each year. And 1.6 million people die from pneumococcal diseases (bacterium that causes infections like meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis), the number one vaccine-preventable cause of death worldwide, and more than half of those victims are children. More than half a million, mostly children, died from measles in 2003, even though an effective immunization costs $.30 US dollars per person and has been available for over 40 years.
In an effort to train doctors about these global health issues that affect children, the Department of Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center inaugurated the Global Child Health Initiative within the Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics (BCRP). "The goals of the initiative are: 1) to increase knowledge and awareness of global health issues among all residents, 2) to provide specialized knowledge, skills, and mentorship to residents with career interests in Global Child Health, and 3) to provide high-quality opportunities for meaningful international clinical experiences," according to the website for the Global Child Health Initiative.
The Boston Medical Center offers classes to residents interested in global health issues. Biweekly International Health Cases are shared either from returning faculty or residents from abroad. They hope to use telemedicine via video phone to present cases in real time from staff working internationally.
An International Health Curriculum is a part of the annual conference schedule covering the following topics: Tuberculosis, HIV, Malaria, Malnutrition, Vitamin and Micronutrient Deficiencies, Parasitic Infections, Child and infant mortality in the developing world, Traditional medicine and healers, Politics in Global Health, Maternal and Reproductive Rights, Child Human Rights, War and Conflict, and Developing Effective Health Care Systems in Resource Poor Settings.
Two main educational forums for primary care residents include topics such as primary care for immigrants/refugees, legal issues and advocacy for immigrants, and travel medicine. Boston Medical Center presently has an international refugee/travel clinic, a tuberculosis clinic, and international primary care clinic, and a Latino clinic. Residents particularly interested in international health can be placed in the international primary care clinic for their continuity experience. This resident clinic primarily serves immigrants and refugees and is staffed by preceptors with particular interest and training in international child health.
Within the curriculum, different cultural beliefs and traditions surrounding health and illness are explored. This includes: readings from Ann Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down; meeting patient victims of female circumcision; or learning from traditional healers (such as shaman, santiguadoras, or acupuncturists).
Boston Medical Center sponsors an annual Global Child Health Grand Rounds with leading clinicians and researchers. The program also hosts a quarterly Global Health Dinner, with invited speakers and faculty involved in international health. This includes a pre-dinner talk by visiting international physicians or invited speakers, and informal time for discussion.
The staff of the Global Health Initiative is currently establishing a list of faculty at BMC/Children's working in international health and creating a database of ongoing clinical research to pair interested residents and faculty.
For more information, go to the website.
