(Event Report) Global Health Summer Program 2014

date : 9/12/2014

Each year, HGPI’s Global Health Summer Program (GHSP) gathers 10-20 university students and young professionals in global health related fields, such as medicine and public health, and presents familiar global health issues from a new perspective encouraging participants to think critically about their role and responsibility as future global health leaders. The 2014 GHSP focused on health systems and health workforce development in the Camotes Islands, Philippines. The program was conducted in English and took place in Tokyo, Japan and in the Philippines.

Dates
September 5, 2014 to September 12, 2014

Schedule
9/5-9/6/2014: Orientation and skills training (Tokyo, Japan) featuring lectures by Japan’s top global health leaders, Dr. Kenji Shibuya, Dr. BT Slingsby, and Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa
9/7-9/11/2014: Fieldwork (Cebu and Camotes Islands, Philippines) including meetings with WHO, local government officials, and community stakeholders
9/12/2014: Final meeting and presentations (Tokyo, Japan)

Venue
Tokyo meetings: Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Roppongi
Fieldwork: Cebu and Camotes Islands, Philippines

Program Details
In partnership with US NGO Project HOPE and the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT), the 2014 GHSP spent five days and four nights in Cebu and the Camotes Islands of the Philippines, where participants learned about the issues that make attracting and keeping healthcare workers in the Camotes Islands an on-going struggle. Research activities included guest lectures with local officials, medical professionals, NGO representatives, and other health system actors as well as fieldwork. Project HOPE has been engaged in a health system rehabilitation and strengthening project in the Camotes Islands and participants had the opportunity to learn about their program as well as work as volunteer consultants for them.

The program culminated in the creation of a feasible and sustainable program proposal to support the growth of the healthcare workforce in the Camotes Islands. Upon return, students presented their ideas to HGPI Board Members and Project HOPE representatives and received feedback on the programs’ feasibility and sustainability. Through this hands-on experience and by learning from the perspectives of others, students became stronger health professionals who are more equipped to address disaster relief and health systems issues globally, as well as in their home countries.

Participants
12 university and graduate level students in the fields of nursing, medicine, public policy, international affairs, public health, finance, and pharmacy with a keen interest in global health. Because this program was conducted in English, English conversation and listening skills were required.

Sponsors
Project HOPE
Global Health and Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT)
Global Health Innovation Policy Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)

Contact
Anne Smith
Health and Global Policy Institute
1-11-28 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014 Japan
Tel: +81-(0)3-5511-8521 E-mail: jimukyoku@hgpi.org

Registration deadline: 2014-07-18

Exhibition date：2014-09-05