NEWSLETTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL … · MD. Hafizur Rahman,Assistant Scientist, IH...

50th Anniversary

Events

Faculty and Alumni

Highlights

FUTURE HEALTH SYSTEMSEMPOWERING LOCAL RESEARCHERS, INNOVATING HEALTH SYSTEMS

STUDENT HONORS & AWARDS

The GlobeNEWSLETTER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH l SUMMER 2011 l WWW.JHSPH.EDU/DEPT/IH

Department News

and Highlights

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From the ChairRobert Black, MD, MPH

Summer 2011

3 Future Health Systems

6 News & Highlights

11 The Department’s 50th Anniversary

12 The John Snow, Inc. Award

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

From a modest beginning in 1961, the Johns HopkinsBloomberg School of Public Health’s Department ofInternational Health has grown into a global leader-ship role in health research, policy analysis, and pro-gram implementation. e Department is divided intofour areas: Global Disease Epidemiology and Control;Health Systems; Human Nutrition; and Social and Be-havioral Interventions. We offer master’s and doctorallevel training in these areas of international health, aswell as doctoral training in public health practice.

Presented by JSI President andFounder, Joel Lamstein

is Year’s RecipientsBhavya GowdaMSPH Candidate Health Systems Program

Jesse GreenspanMSPH CandidateSocial & Behavioral Interventions Program

Empowering Local Researchers, Innovating Health Systems

Cover photo credits, clockwise from top left: Outside afacility in Afghanistan, by Gilbert Burnham; Interviewin China, by the FHS China Team; Mother and infantsin Uganda, by David Peters; Village Doctor inBangladesh by FHS Bangladesh; Hafizur Rahman in-terviewing in Bangladesh by FHS Bangladesh.

Operational research, implementation research and health systems re-search all attempt to provide information to improve the delivery of healthservices. All are multidisciplinary research efforts using quantitative andqualitative methods to improve the effectiveness of health interventionsand programs. Operational research is action oriented in response to spe-cific identified problems in intervention delivery or support services. Im-plementation research, as defined by the NIH Fogarty International Cen-ter which has made it a priority, “creates generalizable knowledge that canbe applied across settings and contexts to answer central questions”(Madon et al. Science 318:1728-9, 2007). Questions—such as why dohighly efficacious interventions have a lesser effect when implemented inresource-poor countries and how must interventions be modified in thesesettings to achieve the greatest benefits—must be prioritized. Health sys-tems research addresses more complex problems of the health system.

In November 2010 the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Researchin Montreux, Switzerland, drew 1,200 participants from more than 100countries. Department faculty, students and alumni were prominent lead-ers and participants. e statement from the conference Steering Com-mittee recognized the move toward a further agenda of “science to ac-celerate universal coverage.” A cosponsor of the symposium and animportant organization taking this agenda forward for more than adecade is the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, formerlydirected by Associate Professor Sara Bennett and currently directed by IHalumnus Abdul Ghaffar, MD, PhD ‘01, MPH.

Since its inception 50 years ago, the Department has engaged in these ar-eas of applied research to bring effective services to populations in low-and middle-income countries and to generate knowledge of global rele-vance. In this issue of e Globe we highlight the work of the FutureHealth Systems consortium led by Department faculty Associate Profes-sors Sara Bennett and David Peters and funded by the UK Departmentfor International Development. In addition to the University of Sussex,the consortium includes three Asian institutions and seven Africanschools of public health that work together to address local research pri-orities within overall program goals.

Other faculty have recently begun new applied research projects. Assis-tant Scientist Kate Gilroy was funded by USAID for implementation re-search to improve the quality of integrated community case managementof serious childhood infectious diseases in Malawi and Mali. Professor Pe-ter Winch is beginning an assessment of the treatment of malaria withcombination anti-malarial drugs in Ghana with funding from the Clin-ton Health Access Initiative.

ese areas of applied health systems and community research have beena priority for the Department throughout its history. ey are essentialto scaling up health services and improving health systems to achieve thelargest and most equitable health benefits.

Recent and Upcoming Events

Student Scholarships and HonorsNew Staff and Faculty Faculty Awards and Honors

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Page 3THE GLOBE | Summer 2011

Future HeAltH SyStemSEmpowering Local Researchers, Innovating Health Systems

The Department’s Health Systems faculty recently wona second 6-year award to lead the Future Health Sys-tems (FHS) consortium. During this second phase, re-

searchers from four continents will continue investigating howto deliver effective primary health care services to the most vul-nerable and disadvantaged populations around the world.Building on the Department’s long tradition of community-based healthcare, FHS is designed around the mandate of lo-cally driven research. Not only do local experts lead researchactivities, local communities are also a part of the research de-sign and implementation processes. As with the first 5 years ofFuture Health Systems, this innovative approach will help localcommunities implement sustainable programs while produc-ing globally relevant research findings.

Global CollaborationChief Executive Officer Dr. Sara Bennett, associate professorin International Health, oversees a decentralized managementteam composed of representatives from across the globe. WhileHopkins administers the grant, specific research activities arenot predetermined by the UK Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID), which funds the grant, or by Hopkins.Along with representatives from each of the partner organiza-tions, a special advisory group will help guide research priori-ties based on overall program goals. Experts from variousdisciplines and a range of organizations comprise the advisorygroup. One member, Alumnus Dr. George Pariyo of Mak-erere University and WHO, received his doctorate from theDepartment of International Health. He along with the othermembers will help ensure that the consortium fosters south-to-south learning and overall research capacity.

Main partner organizations are headquartered in both high-and low-income countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Uganda,

the United Kingdom, and the United States. Moreover, eachorganization shares in the responsibility of taking the lead ofimportant facets of the project. See the table on the next pagefor an overview of the main partners’ roles.

RESEARCH GOALSFHS focuses on developing strategies for delivering effectivematernal and child health services to the most disadvantaged.e consortium’s efforts are broadly organized around threeoverarching research goals that are not mutually exclusive:

1. Unlocking Community Capabilities: developing sys-tems for identifying existing resources that can be usedto improve the quality and effectiveness of health serv-ices

2. Stimulating Innovations: harnessing new technologiesand organizational innovations to improve health carequality and coverage sustainably

3. Learning by Doing: systematizing health care processesso that all stakeholders can develop and refine skills forimproving services

In the previous 5 years, FHS produced a wide range of high-quality health systems research. Over the next 6, FHS willbuild on past experiences while expanding into new areas ofsustainability and capacity. Below are three brief examples ofsuccess stories from the first round of FHS. Although the les-sons learned from a project are rarely limited to one category,the following are organized by one of the three primary re-search goals. Plans have not been finalized for the new phaseof FHS, but these projects offer promising avenues for futurehealth systems research.

Future Health Systems: A Global Collaboration

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THE GLOBE | Summer 2011Page 4

A motorcycle taxi (boda boda) driver and a client in UgandaPhoto credit: FHS Uganda Team

Unlocking Community CapabilitiesTaxi Drivers Providing Safe Delivery in UgandaIn rural Uganda, affording adequate health care is not the onlychallenge for expectant mothers. Finding transportation to askilled provider is also a major obstacle. Complications during de-livery, therefore, result in many unnecessary maternal and childdeaths.

FHS found through many consultations with community groupsand leaders that boda bodas, or motorcycle taxis, were the onlyavailable and reliable means of providing transportation to healthcare services for expectant mothers. After further consultationwith communities, a voucher program was developed for moth-ers to use the taxis and to pay for antenatal, delivery, and post-natal care. At the same time, health service providers were trainedto accommodate the anticipated increase in service utilization.And a media campaign was launched to spread the word aboutthe program.

Response to the program was overwhelmingly successful, withover 12,000 women receiving vouchers. Births with a skilledprovider increased, as did antenatal and post-delivery care visits.e Ugandan research team, led by Dr. Elizabeth Ekirapa-Kiracho at Makerere University, is now developing a study toinvestigate how this particular program can become self-sus-taining. e study should also produce generalizable informa-tion about tapping into existing local capacity to improve healthdelivery and services.

Stimulating InnovationVillage Doctors in BangladeshOne of FHS’s most widely recognized successes is its work withinformal health markets. In Bangladesh, what are known as “vil-lage doctors” are not actually trained physicians, but rather in-formal providers in rural areas where formal health care servicesare lacking. Past research has shown that village doctors routinelyprescribe medicines that are not only inappropriate but oftendetrimental to the patient.

To address these inadequacies, FHS, led by ICDDR,B, devel-oped a branding system called ShasthyaSena, or Health Soldiers.Village doctors were invited to participate in a certification pro-

JHSPH Faculty and StaffFuture Health Systems

Sara Bennett, Associate Professor, International Health Chief Executive OfficerDavid Peters, Associate Professor, IHResearch DirectorDavid M. Bishai, ProfessorPopulation, Family and Reproductive Health

Anbrasi M. Edward, Assistant Scientist, IH

Robert Franks, IH, Budget ManagerAsha George, Assistant Professor, IH

Adnan Hyder, IH, Associate Professor, IH Daniela Lewy, Research Associate, IHResearch Manager

Sachiko Ozawa, Assistant Scientist, IH

Prasanthi Puvanachandra, Assistant Scientist, IH

MD. Hafizur Rahman, Assistant Scientist, IH

Partner lead research roles team leaders

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthDepartment of International HealthHealth Systems Program

cross-country research on fragile states and service deliverycross-country research on intermediaries in pharmaceuticalsmarkets

Dr. Sara Bennett, Chief Executive OfficerDr. David Peters, Research Director

International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B)

Pro-poor analysesE-Health in informal markets and NGOs Dr. Abbas Bhuyia, Research Director

Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR), Jaipur, India

integrating services for environmentally marginalized popu-lations Dr. Barun Kanjilal, Country Team Leader

China National Health Development ResearchCenter, China

re-integration of village doctors; assessing impact of complex reforms on service delivery

Dr. Zhengzong Zhang,Country Team Leader

Makerere School of Public Health, Uganda building community institutions to deliver services in post-conflict areas

Dr. Elizabeth Ekirapa-Kiracho, Country Team LeaderDr. William Bazeyo, Director, African Hub

Institute for Development Studies, Sussex, UK cross-country research on knowledge intermediaries and thesafe and responsible use of pharmaceuticals Dr. Gerry Bloom, Country Team Leader



gram that included training to treat the most common illnessessuch as pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. ey were given afree reference guide, and were able to market themselves aspart of the ShasthyaSena Network. Media campaigns helpedspread the word about the quality of the network to give mem-bers a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Initial find-ings show an increase in appropriate prescriptions by trainedproviders compared to those with no training.

New research is being planned to link this network ofproviders with physicians through mobile phones and the in-ternet. Systems for providing financial incentives for referringpatients to the formal sector are also being discussed. is link-ing of the informal sector is part of the FHS goal of both un-locking capacity and stimulating innovation.

Learning by Doinge Balanced Scorecard in Afghanistane development and successful implementation of the Bal-anced Scorecards in Afghanistan has led to a remarkable im-provement in health services in a war-torn country. Since2004, Health Systems faculty and the Indian Institute ofHealth Management Research (IIHMR) have worked withthe Ministry of Health to develop a set of tools that has be-come the cornerstone of the government’s monitoring andevaluation system of its primary health care sector. roughconsultations with stakeholders, baseline levels of services wereset and indicators developed. Regular data collection hashelped managers and service providers alike track and improvetheir own performance.

In addition to learning by doing, findings from Afghanistanwill help inform another priority topic for FHS: health care inpost-conflict states. FHS will explore expanding the use of thescorecard into other problem areas affecting fragile states, suchas social capital and capacity. Researchers will also investigatehow improvements in health care can lead to improvements inother sectors of society and to a greater trust in public institu-tions.

Building Capacity: e African HubHealth Systems faculty are very excited that FHS includes amechanism for collaborating with seven African schools ofpublic health. ese schools are part of theHigher Education Alliance for Leadershipthrough Health (the HEALTH Alliance)and are referred to as the African Hub. eschools are located in the Democratic Re-public of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda,Tanzania, and Uganda.

Makerere University in Uganda is the leadpartner of this initiative, which is designedto improve health systems research and in-structional capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.A long-time collaborator with theBloomberg School, Makerere University re-cently partnered with Johns HopkinsSchools of Medicine, Nursing, and PublicHealth to conduct institutional capacity-

A village doctor examines a patient in Chakaria, Bangladesh.Photo credit: FHS Bangladesh Team

JHSPH Student Dissertations Supported by Future Health Systems

Aneesa ArurContracting for health services in Afghanistan: An analysis of the changes in outpatientservices utilization and quality between 2004 and 2005. (2008)Adrijana CorlukaExploring Policymakers’ and Health Researchers’ Perceptions of Evidence-based Poli-cymaking in Argentina: A Mixed Methods Approach. (2011)Sachiko OzawaTrust matters: Villagers' trust in providers and insurers in the context of a community-based health insurance scheme in Cambodia. (2010)Laura C. SteinhardtDeterminants of access to primary health care services in rural Afghanistan. (2010)

building activities. e program was funded by the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation and findings were published thisyear in a special issue of BMC International Health and HumanRights, entitled, “An innovative approach to building capacityat an African university to improve health outcomes.” esefindings will inform many of the capacity-building activitiesplanned under FHS.

e connections built between faculty and staff at these insti-tutions and other FHS partners will serve the dual purpose ofbuilding local capacity while also engaging local researchers inthe development and conduct of studies. Plans are already un-derway to mentor faculty on grant writing and course devel-opment. An evaluation tool to assess current health researchcapacity has also been developed by Associate Professor SaraBennett and faculty in the African Hub.

e Next 6 YearsFuture Health Systems continues the Department’s commit-ment to partner with local organizations to better serve disad-vantaged and marginalized populations. e next 6 years ofFHS will build on its previous success by reaching out toAfrican schools of public health and empowering local re-searchers to take the lead on many research priority areas.While the mission of FHS is to improve health care deliverythrough quality systems research, it is also a successful modelof a truly global research collaboration.

--Jeff Knezovich at IDS and Daniela Lewy at Hopkins contributed to this article.


News & HighlightsStudent Scholarships and Fellowships

Baker, Taylor, Reinke Scholarship in International HealthAlison Connor, GDECErica Layer, SBI

Established in 2004, thisscholarship commemo-rates over 100 combinedyears of dedicated publichealth service by Drs.Timothy D. Baker,William Reinke and CarlE. Taylor. e efforts ofthese three men were in-strumental in establishing

the field of international health as a distinct discipline. isfund supports graduate students in the Department of Inter-national Health and is targeted toward students working in thefollowing areas: organization of health delivery systems, com-munity-based healthcare or injury control in less developedcountries.Clements – Mann FellowshipLaveta Stewart, GDECDustin Gibson, GDEC Mary Lou Clements-Mann, MD, MPH ’79,professor of International Health, and herhusband Jonathan Mann, MD, MPH, vis-iting professor of Health Policy and Man-agement, died in September 1998 whenSwiss Air Flight 111 to Geneva crashed intothe North Atlantic. e Manns were at theforefront of the worldwide struggle againstAIDS. Dr. Clements-Mann was an interna-tionally known physician who devoted mostof her career to developing and testing vac-cines to combat respiratory viruses, AIDS,and diarrheal diseases. As professor of Inter-national Health, she was the founding di-rector of the Center for Immunization Research, where sheworked with colleagues to develop the master's and doctoralprograms in vaccine sciences. Dr. Jonathan Mann founded theWorld Health Organization’s AIDS program and was one ofthe first scientists to bring the international AIDS crisis to theworld’s attention. e Clements-Mann Fellowship was estab-lished by family members, friends, and colleagues as a tributeto Mary Lou and Jonathan’s tireless devotion to vaccine devel-opment, research, and human rights. e fund supports out-standing graduate students working in vaccine sciences.

e Mary and Carl Taylor FundKiely Houston, SBI

e Mary and Carl Taylor Fund was createdin 1995 with contributions from facultyand alumni in honor of the Taylors’ com-mitment to the students of the School ofPublic Health and to improving interna-tional health through research and action. e fund providessupport to a student working in the area of internationalbioethics.

Robert & Helen Wright FundSarah Dalglish, SBINathan Miller, GDECMelissa Poulsen, SBI

is fund was establishedin 1983 with donationsfrom family members andfriends of former Inter-national Health facultymember Robert Wright,MD, MPH ’40. eFund provides supportfor continuing doctoralstudents who expect to

contribute to the improvement of publichealth in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.

Diana Hess ScholarshipMeredith Dyson, Health Systems

In 1983 the Diana Hess Memorial Fundwas established with contributions fromher family and friends. Diana Hess, a for-mer Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, wasdevoted to improving public health inAfrica. e Hess Fund provides an annualscholarship to students in the Departmentof International Health. e award is basedon academic and professional accomplish-ments and need for financial support. Preference is given tothose planning to work in Africa, but this is not a requirementfor receipt of the award.

Wendy Klag Memorial FundEmma Sacks, Health Systemsis fund supports students at the JohnsHopkins Bloomberg School of PublicHealth who are working on issues relatedto the health and well-being of children.

Alison Connor Erica Layer

Sarah Dalglish

Melissa Poulsen

Humanitarian Assistance AwardEva Leidman, Health Systemsis fund provides support to master’s anddoctoral students who are committed to im-proving humanitarian response and health forrefugees, displaced persons and populationsaffected by conflict and natural disasters.



News & Highlights


Student Scholarships and Fellowships

Nancy Stephens FundAimee Summers, GDECSonja Goedkoop, Human Nutrition Established in 1970 as the InternationalHealth Fund, this fund provides grants tomaster’s or doctoral students in the Depart-ment of International Health who are com-pleting their degrees. For 37 years NancyStephens was the immensely popular stu-

dent coordinator in the Department of International Health. Ather retirement in 2001, Dr. Robert Black honored her by re-naming this fund the Nancy Stephens Student Support Fund.

Henry and Lola Beye ScholarshipOlakunle Alonge, Health Systems

is fund was established in 2001 throughthe estate of Lola Beye, widow of HenryBeye, MD. Dr. Beye received his MPH de-gree from the School in 1942 and was anauthority on tropical diseases. He spentmany years at the U.S. Public Health Serv-ice where he was the director of the Middle America ResearchUnit. He conducted intensive studies on elephantiasis, hemor-rhagic fever, filariasis and schistosomiasis, and during his careerworked in such countries as Bolivia, British Guinea, ailand,and Panama. Mrs. Beye, a nurse, often worked in the field withDr. Beye. is fund supports an outstanding student who hascompleted a medical degree and is pursuing a graduate degree inthe Department.

Georgeda Buchbinder AwardSarah Peitzmeier, GDECHieu Pham, SBIRohit Ramchandani, DrPH candidateKwame Sakyi, SBIHaneefa Saleem, SBI

Dr. Georgeda Buch-binder received herMPH from theSchool in 1984. Shethen moved toHawaii and began apublic health careerby teaching Popula-tion Science and In-ternational Health.Her career was pro-gressing extraordinar-ily well when she was diagnosed withcancer. is fund was established by friendsand colleagues after her death to celebrateher all-too-brief career in public health. isfund annually supports students, junior fac-ulty, or other priority projects in interna-tional health.

Harry D. Kruse Fellowship in NutritionMuzi Na, Human Nutrition Lenis Chen, Human Nutrition

Presented annually to acontinuing full-time stu-dent who has demon-strated outstanding aca-demic performance andprofessional potential inthe field of nutritionand public health.

e R. Bradley Sack Family Scholarship AwardSarah Dalglish, SBIEstablished in 2000 by R. Bradley Sack,MS, MD, ScD ’68, the award supports out-standing doctoral students studying infec-tious disease in the developing world. Dr.Sack has served on the faculty at the Schoolfor over 30 years and has consulted andworked all over the world on problems re-lated to infectious diseases.

Hieu Pham

Kwame Sakyi

Muzi NaLenis Chen

e Harry J. Prebluda Fellowship in Nutritional BiochemistryHua Jing, Human NutritionSohyun Park, Human NutritionAttia Goheer, Human Nutrition is fellowship was established in 1990 byMrs. Harry J. Prebluda and her children inmemory of her late husband. Harry Prebludaearned his doctorate degree in Biochemistryat the School in 1937, and worked closely with E.V. McCollum.e fellowship fosters the careers of outstanding young scientistsfocusing on nutritional biochemistry and metabolism.

Sohyun Park

e Elsa Orent Keiles Fellowshipin Human Nutrition in International HealthSeung Hee Lee, Human Nutrition is fellowship was established in 1996 with a bequest from theestate of Elsa Orent Keiles, ScD ’25, a graduate of the Departmentof Chemical Hygiene (now Biochemistry and Molecular Biolo-gy). In keeping with Dr. Keiles’ research interests, the award pro-vides tuition support for graduate students with demonstrated fi-nancial needs in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecu-lar Biology or the Program in Human Nutrition in the Depart-ment of International Health.

Haneefa Saleem

Sonja Goedkoop

Rohit Ramchandani


News & HighlightsStudent Scholarships and Fellowships Congratulations New

Delta Omega members

Student Assembly Honors and Awards Committee

Assistant Professor Christian Coles

James Fuller

Alice Hu

Ashley Jackson

Naoko Kozuki

Aubrey Levine

Siti K. Mohd-Hanafiah

Aliya Noormohamed

Suzanne Pollard

Melissa Roach

Lauren Schwartz

Ah Young Shin

Alaina omas

Congratulations NewPhi Beta Kappa membersAnju Aggarwal, Human Nutrition

Summer Rosenstock, GDEC

Daniel Roth, Human Nutrition

Golden Apple Award for Medium Class SizesProfessor Joanne Katz, GDEC

Student Recognition AwardKatherine Lin, GDEC

Siti Khayriyyah Mohd-Hanafiah

Suzanne Pollard Melissa Roach

Naoko Kozuki

e David and Elinor Bodian Scholarship FundLaveta Stewart, GDEC

e David and Elinor Bodian Foundationestablished this award to honor the late Dr.David Bodian, who served on the School’sfaculty from 1942 to 1947, and his wifeElinor. Dr. Bodian’s seminal research onthe behavior of the poliovirus contributedto the development of the polio vaccineand to worldwide progress in combatingthis crippling disease. Elinor Bodian grad-

uated from the Art as Applied to Medicine Program at theSchool of Medicine. e fund provides annual support to adoctoral student in any department at the School whose dis-sertation research is at a critical juncture.

Marjorie F. and Joseph I BermanFamily AwardSarah Beckham, SBI

Lazzara Family FoundationHsin-Jen Chen, Human NutritionNadine Budd, Human Nutritionis fund supports students who are study-ing obesity-related issues.

Nadine Budd

Richard and Barbara Hall FundBess Lewis, Human NutritionAmy Desai, Human Nutritionis fund supports the School’s educationand research mission in human nutritionthrough research conducted by graduate stu-dents and junior faculty. Amy Desai

Aliya Noormohamed

Ah Young Shin

Alaina Thomas

SBI Alumni AwardJeremy B. Lapedis, MSPH studentStephen R. Kodish, PhD student

is award is made pos-sible by contributionsfrom master’s and doc-toral graduates of theSBI program.

Stephen Kodish Jeremy Lapedis



News & HighlightsFaculty Promotion

New Staff

New Faculty

New Faculty

CongratulationsSuccessful Thesis Defense

Sofia Arriola, Global Disease Epidemiology and Control (GDEC), "Antimicrobial Resist-ant Bacteria and Use of Antimicrobials in Pig Farming in Peru.” Abdul Bachani, Health Systems, “Approaches to Measuring Non-Fatal Health Outcomes:Disability at the Iganga-Mayuge Demographic Surveillance System (IM-DDS) in Uganda.” Victoria Chou, GDEC, “e Impact of Young Maternal Age on Maternal and ChildHealth Outcomes in Rural Nepal.”Adrijana Corluka, Health Systems, “Exploring Policymakers’ and Health Researchers’ Per-ceptions of Evidence-based Policymaking in Argentina: A Mixed Methods Approach.” Rakesh Gupta, Health Systems, "Evaluating the delivery huts program to promote insti-tutional deliveries in Haryana, India" Ji Li, Human Nutrition, “Genetic and Environmental Influences on Children’s Dietary In-takes, Growth and Health during Puberty: A Twin Study in China.” Anant Murthy, Health Systems, “e Economic Burden of MRSA in Europe: A SwissCase Study on Sources of Bias, Cost-effectiveness, and Organizational Factors AffectingHospital Policy.” Adetayo Omoni, Human Nutrition, “Growth and Nutritional Status of Untreated HIV-Infected Zimbabwean Children and Treated HIV-Infected Nigerian Children.”Dan Roth, Human Nutrition, “Vitamin D Supplementation in Pregnant and Non-Preg-nant Women in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Pharmacokinetic and Safety Studies.”

Parul Christian,DrPH, MSc, Professor,Human Nutrition

Munirul Alam, PhDSenior Associate, GDEC

Martha Helena Jahuria Arias, BSVisiting Scholar, GDEC

Abdulgafoor M.Bachani, PhD, MHS, Assistant Scientist,Health Systems

Viraj Bhise, MBBS,Associate, HealthSystems

Scott Compton, PhD, Associate, SBI

Dagna O. Constenla,PhD, Associate Scientist, Health Systems,IVAC

Vivian Fei-Ling Go, PhD, MPH, Joint Appointment, Associate Professor, SBI

Laura L. Hammitt, MD, AssistantScientist, GDEC (CAIH)

Steven A. Harvey,PhD, MHS, Assistant Professor,SBI

Ketan S. Jumani, BDS,Research Associate,GDEC

Eunice “Wangeci” Kagucia, MHS,Research Associate, GDEC

Yunhwan Lee, MD, DrPH, MPH,Senior Associate, Health Systems

Arif Billah Al Mahmud, MBBS,MSc, Associate, Health Systems

Carla Blauvelt, Senior Research Pro-gram Coordinator II

Donna Dennis, Research Assistant,Human Nutrition

Ramani Dinavahi, Laboratory Man-ager, CIR

Matthew Lee, Research Program Co-ordinator, Human Nutrition

Shannon McMahon,MHS, Associate, SBI

David Roger Murdoch, MD, MS,Senior Associate, GDECSandra S. Retsky, DO, MBA, SeniorAssociate, Health Systems Anthony Scott, MD, MSc, Associate,GDECRachel Strom, MPH, Research Associate, SBI

Eileen O’Brien, Grant Writer, HealthSystems Program

Shirin Wadhwaniya, Senior ResearchAssistant, Health Systems

Paula Warner, Research Program As-sistant, Human Nutrition



News & HighlightsFaculty Honors


Professor and Chair Robert E. Black received the 2011Canada Gairdner Global Health Award. e award rec-ognizes Dr. Black’s discovery that zinc can both treat and pre-vent diarrhea and “for his significant contributions toimproving child survival and particularly for critical clinicaland epidemiological studies to reduce childhood diarrhealdeaths.” Since 1959, the prestigious Gairdner Awards havehonored the world’s most promising medical discoveries.

Professor Bob Black at the Canada Embassy in Washington, DC, for theGairdner Awards Reception. With him are John Dirks, Director of the Gaird-ner Foundation (left) and Professor Mathu Santosham (right).

Associate Professor Sara Bennett was ap-pointed to the World Health OrganizationAdvisory Committee on Health Research, andhas been invited to chair the Wellcome Trust’sAfrican Institutions Initiative Advisory Com-

mittee. e Initiative seeks to develop a critical mass of sus-tainable health research capacity across Africa.

teaching excellencerecognition Awards

3rd TermAssistant Scientist Sachi Ozawa

and Associate Krishna Rao

Health Financing in Low- andMiddle-Income Countries

excellence in Faculty Advising

e Johns Hopkins Center for GlobalHealth and the Master of Public Healthprogram recognized five faculty for Ex-cellence in Global Health Advising.Faculty were nominated by their ad-visees and selected by a committee.

Assistant Professor Alain Labrique wona Faculty Innovation Award for “Wire-less Public Health Technologies to PreventDrowning.”He was also accepted into the2011 NIH mHealth Summer Institute.

Associate Professor Adnan Hyder will re-ceive the Aron Sobel Guardian Award fromthe Association for Safe International RoadTravel at the Pillars of Action for Global RoadSafety Gala.

JHu Alumni Association AwardsKnowledge for the World Award, which honors alumni whoexemplify the Johns Hopkins tradition of excellence and havebrought credit to the university and their profession in the in-ternational arena through their professional achievements orhumanitarian service.

Patricia N. Mechael, MHS ’98Joanne Katz, ScD ‘93

Assistant Professor Pamela Surkan won oneof the first annual Center for Public Healthand Human Rights Junior Faculty ResearchAwards for, Nepali widows’ understandings ofhuman rights and impact of rights violations ontheir health and the health of their children. e awards are meant to stimulate new research on the intersec-tion of public health and human rights, and are made possiblethrough an anonymous gift to the Center.

Professor Timothy BakerProfessor Joanne Katz

Assistant Professor Caitlin Kennedy

Assistant Professor Alain Labrique

Associate Professor Andrea Ruff

Professors Sue and Tim Baker next to their portrait by Ingrid Egeli,now on display in the Bloomberg School. The portrait was presentedby the School in honor of their contributions to public health.

Visiting Professor Cesar Victora received the 2011 Pro-gramme for Global Paediatric Research Award for Out-standing Contributions to Global Child Health, which ispresented annually by the Programme for Global Paediatric Re-search, e Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto.



Right to left: Professor Keith West, Jr., Professor An-drew Prentice, and Dean Klag at the 5th AnnualGeorge G. Graham Lectureship. Professor Prenticeof the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Med-icine gave the keynote address, From Bench to Bushin Designing Nutrition Interventions: Avoiding Snakesand Climbing the Ladders. The annual lecture is madepossible by the Middendorf Foundation.

Dr. Adnan Hyder, IIRU Director, accepts the WHOCollaborating Center official letter from Dr. EtienneKrug, WHO Director of the Department of Vio-lence, Injury Prevention and Disability, Geneva, andChair of the United Nations Road Safety Collabora-tion. A seminar and exhibit were held to mark thisrecognition and as an IH 50th anniversary celebratoryevent.

Institute for Vaccine Safety Hosts Anniversary events

In April the Institute for Vaccine Safety hosted two well-received seminars aspart of the Department’s 50th Anniversary celebrations.

Seth Mnookin’s book, e Panic Virus: A TrueStory of Medicine, Science, and Fear, explores thecontroversies over vaccines and their rumoredconnection to developmental disorders. Mr.Mnookin’s lecture to the School was "e Vac-cine Debates: A case study of the media's cover-age of medicine in modern society."

Journalist Brian Deer,whose recent series in theBritish Medical Journalexposed the fraud in thelink between MMR vac-cine and autism, ad-dressed the School with alecture entitled, "AnElaborate Fraud: Vaccineand Autism."

DistinguishedIH AlumnusAward

Nominate AlumniMaximum of 500 words. Nominee’s CV appreciated. Email: [email protected]

Deadline June 30, 2011

Global HealthConference

Alumni receptionJune 14, 2011

6–8 p.m.

Cafe Paradiso2649 Connecticut Avenue

Washington, DC 20008RSVP: [email protected]

50th Anniversary Highlightsrecent and upcoming events in recognition of This IH milestone

Fifth Annual George G. Graham lectureshipPresented by the Middendorf Foundation

International Injury research unit (IIru)Now a WHO Collaborating Center

uPCOmING eVeNtSSeptember 14

Prince Mahidol Symposium in honor of Professor Robert Black’s 2010

Public Health Prince Mahidol Award

September 20Peace Corps Program with Aaron Williams,

Director of the Peace Corps

Brian Deer



The John Snow, Inc. AwardPresented by JSI President and Founder, Joel lamstein

The Globe Summer 2011

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School ofPublic HealthDepartment of International Health615 N. Wolfe StreetBaltimore, MD 21205410-955-3734www.jhsph.edu/dept/IH

Robert Black, ChairAssociate Chairs:James Tielsch, Academic ProgramsJoanne Katz, Director, Global DiseaseEpidemiology and ControlDavid Peters, Director, Health Systems Keith West, Jr., Director, Human Nutrition Peter Winch, Director, Social and BehavioralInterventions

Writer/Designer, Brandon Howard

Bhavya GowdamSPH Candidate, Health Systems ProgramJohn Snow, Inc. Award Recipient, 2011Bhavya Gowda, anMSPH candidate inthe Department’sHealth Systems Pro-gram, will use theJSI Award towardsher internship withthe Clinton HealthAccess Initiative inEthiopia. Currently,Bhavya is a researchassistant with theJohns Hopkins Can-cer Disparities Pro-gram. is summer, she will travel to Ethiopia tojoin that country’s Laboratory Services team. Aspart of this group, she will help the Ministry ofHealth scale up Ethiopia’s capacity to preventmother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.Bhavya’s training at Hopkins this past year will al-low her to work on a variety of important prior-ities including:

• Introducing new technologies athealth care locations

• Starting the accreditation process ofin-country labs based on WHO stan-dards

• Forecasting demand and building ca-pacity for all laboratory diagnosticcommodities

Joel Lamstein is founder and president of John Snow, Inc. (JSI), an in-ternational public health consulting firm. JSI's mission is to enhance thelives of underserved populations throughout the world. e organization

provides technical and managerial assistance to public health programsworldwide. With a staff of over 2,000, JSI has worked in over 100 countriesto implement programs to improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerablepopulations.

Mr. Lamstein was also aco-founder of Manage-ment Sciences forHealth (MSH) and ispresident of World Edu-cation, a nonprofit or-ganization dedicated toimproving the lives ofthe poor through educa-

tion, economic and socialdevelopment programs. He is currently a senior lecturer at both the HarvardSchool of Public Health and at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Heserves as the vice-chair of the Global Health Council's board of directors, andis on the boards of advisors at Boston University Public Health School, theUniversity of Michigan School of Public Health, and the Harvard Center forPopulation and Development Studies. e John Snow, Inc. Award, an annual award created in 2001, provides fi-nancial assistance to outstanding second-year Master of Science in PublicHealth (MSPH) students in the Department of International Health who areengaged in internships in the field.is year's recipients of the JSI Award are

• Jesse Greenspan, who will intern at Curamericas Global, Inc., inLiberia to improve primary healthcare delivery in remote areas, withan emphasis on maternal and child health, and

• Bhavya Gowda, who will be part of the Clinton Health Access Ini-tiative's laboratory services team in Ethiopia to support the scale-upof early infant diagnostics for HIV.

Jesse GreenspanmSPH Candidate, Social & Behavioral Interventions Program

John Snow, Inc. Award recipient, 2011Jesse Greenspan, an MSPH candidate in the Social & Behavioral In-terventions Program, received the JSI Award to intern at Curamer-icas Global, Inc., in Liberia to improve primary healthcare deliveryin remote areas. Before coming to Hopkins, Jesse worked for Part-ners In Health, where she addressed the logistical and procurementneeds of healthcare and social support programs in the Caribbeanand Africa. She enrolled in the master’s program at Hopkins to pur-sue her interests in improving access to comprehensive and com-munity-based healthcare services for underserved populations.Currently, she is a research assistant at the Johns Hopkins Center forAmerican Indian Health. is summer she will join Curamericas—

an organization co-founded by the Department’s own Dr. Henry Perry—to help evaluate and im-prove the effectiveness of the organization’s network of local community health educators in Liberia.Her internship will also give her the opportunity to conduct research to help inform future inter-ventions related to nutrition and maternal and child health. Liberia is still recovering from a civilwar and Jesse is eager to help contribute in whatever way she can to the rebuilding of its health in-frastructure.

JSI is pleased to sponsor the John Snow, Inc.Award at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of

Public Health in recognition of the many finestudents who are truly the future of global health.

--Joel LamsteinPresident, John Snow, Inc.


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