Voices of Public Health: Recent Episodes
John Snow, Inc.
This episode of the Delta Center podcast spotlights Michael Curry, Esq, the President and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (Mass League) and one of the co-founders of the state’s Health Equity Compact. The Health Equity Compact brings together over 80 leaders of color across a diverse set of Massachusetts organizations—including hospitals, health centers, payers, academic institutions, and public health—who are dedicated to advancing health equity in Massachusetts.Michael Curry discusses the establishment of the Compact and the importance of bringing leaders of color to the table. Through his experience at the Mass League, Michael specifically emphasizes how health centers can and should be at the forefront of health equity work: “Why can't health centers be closer to the power?”The Mass League, together with the Association for Behavioral Healthcare, previously participated in Phase 1 of the Delta Center’s State Learning and Action Collaborative and has continued to drive positive change through coalition building in the state. The Health Equity Compact’s work demonstrates a strong movement toward health equity in Massachusetts and shows the importance of partnership and collective action in the state.
Rotavirus is a major cause of childhood disease and death in India. In 2016, the Government of India began a phased introduction of the rotavirus vaccine, and by 2019, the vaccine had been scaled up to cover the entire country.
In this interview, Rebecca Chase, a Program Officer with JSI's Immunization Center, speaks with Dr. Arup Deb Roy, Project Director, and Dr. Amanjot Kaur, Senior Program Officer, both with JSI Private Limited’s new vaccine introduction team, about their experiences working the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to introduce the rotavirus vaccine in India. They discuss the challenges and successes of introducing a new vaccine in a large country like India and how their approach could be replicated for future vaccines.
In this episode, our guest, Nadia Vargas from Mountain Family Health Center, shares the social needs screening process at their health center and how their coordination platform supports local health information exchange to boost community-wide health. This episode will be useful to all health centers working on their own social determinants of health processes.
Connection, care, and concern are powerful tools in helping people overcome mental health challenges. When we let people know they matter, we offer them hope and can help them find resources to support their mental health. Every one of us can be a resource. Helping someone doesn’t always mean referring them to a clinician. Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches people to identify, understand and respond to mental health and substance use challenges for youth, adolescents, and adults.
The introduction of fentanyl into the drug supply has been a game changer in how we prevent overdoses. More people are focusing on practical strategies and ideas to keep the person engaged, safe and alive while minimizing the harm resulting from substance use. Phoebe Axman, Director of Education of New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition, has joined us today. She will share the evidence-based practices behind these life-saving services and how they are making a difference across NH.
The vaccine cold chain relies on a global network of refrigeration units and carriers to keep vaccines at the right temperature from production to administration. In this episode, Amos Chweya and Wendy Prosser from JSI's Immunization Center chat about the challenges of maintaining cold chain equipment and share some “crazy” ideas to approach it differently. By making cold chain maintenance "sexy" (and smart), we can ensure that vaccines stay safe and effective throughout the distribution process and end up in the arms of those who need them most.Amos Chweya, Regional Immunization Technical Officer, brings over 30 years of experience in public health programming to support country-level supply chain and logistics activities in the African region. He specializes in immunization logistics and health care waste management and works with regional partners on cold chain management.Wendy Prosser, Senior Technical Officer, provides technical assistance and strategic guidance on immunization supply chain design and management across JSI's country teams. Her expertise in supply chain optimization, health program design and management, monitoring and evaluation, and stakeholder engagement is grounded in several technical areas, including HIV testing and treatment, malaria, and family planning.Find out more about how JSI is strengthening sustainable immunization programs and transforming public health supply chains: https://www.jsi.com/expertise/immunization/https://www.jsi.com/expertise/global-health-supply-chain-management/
In Yemen, the USAID-funded Systems, Health, and Resiliency Project (SHARP) is using innovative mobile solutions to increase immunization coverage for children. The project recently piloted an SMS reminder system and an Electronic Immunization Registry to share vaccination information between community midwives, health facilities, and parents. The result? A resounding win: uptake of Penta3 (the third dose of a vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b) increased by 38%, and dropout rates dropped significantly in the pilot area.In this podcast episode, Dr. Areej Banaja, SHARP Senior Health Facility Manager, talks to Omar Al-Gundaid, SHARP Communication Manager, about these innovative interventions and getting the message out about the importance of childhood vaccinations. Dr. Areej has eight years of experience in the clinical and public health sectors with international nongovernmental organizations and UN agencies. She has worked in humanitarian and fragile settings, focusing on emergency and outbreak response, supply chain management, and child health. Prior to joining JSI, Dr. Areej was a child health officer at the UNICEF Yemen country office, where she played a key role in the national response to outbreaks of cholera, diphtheria, and COVID-19.SHARP works to reduce maternal and infant mortality in Yemen by focusing on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child health, and nutrition coupled with support services to tackle health challenges such as COVID-19, malnutrition, and other life-threatening conditions.Learn more: https://www.jsi.com/project/systems-health-and-resiliency-project-sharp/
As young people grow and mature, they seek independence and intimacy. However, many struggle with forming safe and healthy relationships. The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (NHCADSV) and their member organizations are teaching these important skills to youth starting in middle school.
The NH Pediatric Improvement Partnership (NH PIP) is helping pediatric practices build the skills and systems to identify and respond to trauma among their young patients and families. When pediatricians have meaningful conversations with their young patients about any type of trauma they have experienced, they validate their experiences and normalize their feelings, and they help reduce the shame and secrecy of the trauma—making healing possible. We were excited to have Felicity Bernard, the Director of the NH PIP on our most recent episode. She talked to us about how this project is helping pediatric practices look beyond what a child presents during a visit to understand how they feel and respond to stress.
Vaping or e-cigarette use has been described as a public health crisis. They have been marketed as a tool to help adults quit smoking, but they have become a youth craze. Our guest, Kim Coronis with Breathe NH, helps us understand this attraction and how nicotine impacts the adolescent brain – releasing feel-good chemicals.
As health centers grapple with technology and telehealth for advancing equity, considerations around the triad in clinical informatics - technology, people and process continue to be a challenge. Dr. Jelinek from Hennepin Healthcare discusses a wide range of topics from physician training to digital navigation, covering actionable steps to reframe care delivery around patients' needs.
Juvenile court diversion is an approach to help both youth and those harmed by their offenses heal and repair from their actions. Research shows that most young people age out of delinquent behavior with no intervention, by simply growing up; and diversion programs are a more productive way to prevent future arrests. Being involved in the court system does more long-term harm than good.
As we age, some of us may find ourselves or those we care about using substances more often. Pain, boredom, and loss makes us more vulnerable. Our guests, Margaret Franckhauser and Anne Marie Olsen-Hayward, explain how this slide happens and how to get help.
With federal funding from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration), the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension (UNH Extension) builds on the efforts of the State’s Opioid Response (SOR). The Partnership sits down with Melissa Lee, the project director with the UNH Extension to explore how this new funding collaborates with stakeholders to implement evidence based opioid prevention strategies that ultimately bend the curve on overdose and death. Expanded programs for individuals living with chronic pain and learning opportunities for healthcare providers serving them are a few of the successful alternative strategies to medication for managing pain. Also, they are working with The Partnership to get the word out about prevention tools and messaging and to address the endless need for stigma reduction to normalize asking for help with behavioral health issues.
As health centers strive to ensure that access to telehealth is equitable for patients, digital navigation and digital literacy continue to be challenges for those with complex health and social needs. The lack of focus on digital literacy can hinder the use of patient engagement technology and could deepen the digital divide. This podcast covers a wide range of considerations about digital literacy and how it impacts telehealth equity for health centers, and Theresa Sladek from Literacy Minnesota describes how organizations with tremendous expertise in digital literacy can support telehealth delivery equity for health centers.
In this episode of the Delta Center podcast, members of the Delta Center team recently sat down for a conversation with Andrea Ducas, a Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (https://www.rwjf.org/). During this 15-minute episode, Jason Patnosh from the National Association of Community Health Centers (http://www.nachc.org/) and Mohini Venkatesh from the National Council for Behavioral Health (https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/) talk with Andrea about strategies and tips for health centers and other nonprofits that would like to work with foundations. The podcast covers: how to find a foundation that’s a good fit; how to assess when a foundation or donor aligns with your organization’s values; suggestions for starting a new relationship with a foundation; and do’s and don’ts when working with foundations.
A transcript can be downloaded from https://deltacenter.jsi.com/updates/strategies-nonprofits-use-working-foundations
This episode of the Delta Center podcast features John Solomon, LPC, CPHQ, a behavioral health counselor from rural Alaska, discussing the importance of expanding the telehealth system and reimbursement policy to support these services that increase access to care, especially for communities that have been historically marginalized. John is the Director of Behavioral Health at Maniilaq Association (https://www.maniilaq.org/), which provides health and social services to twelve federally recognized Tribes in Northwest Alaska and serves as the largest employer in the area.
John Solomon spent years as an indie rocker in Minnesota, and now uses his voice to speak out as an advocate for telehealth in rural Alaska. John has seen first-hand how flexibility in reimbursement for telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency increased access to mental health and substance use care while also creating new job opportunities for rural Native Alaskan communities. John's story is relevant for any state still pushing for making telehealth flexibility permanent after the public health emergency ends.
Together, Alaska Primary Care Association (APCA) and the Alaska Behavioral Health Association (ABHA) (https://deltacenter.jsi.com/grantee/alaska-primary-care-association-alaska-behavioral-health-association) are participating in Phase 2 of the Delta Center’s State Learning and Action Collaborative, where they brought together a multidisciplinary advisory group of consumer advocates and policy and practice experts to advocate for telehealth legislation. Fortunately, the Alaska legislature passed telehealth legislation (HB 265) in May 2022! This new state law (https://stateofreform.com/featured/2022/05/alaska-bills-address-health-care-needs/) protects audio and video telehealth access and expands Medicaid coverage of those services. It also removes a current requirement for an in-person visit with a healthcare professional prior to treatment and permits clients to have follow-up telehealth visits from providers who are licensed in another state, but have an established relationship with the client.
A transcript can be downloaded from https://deltacenter.jsi.com/
eConsults, also known as electronic consultations or interprofessional consults, are communications between health care providers, who can use them to get recommendations and additional expertise about complex conditions from providers in other locations. These programs and resources help health centers take advantage of beneficial specialty care expertise to provide to their patients who may not have access to this care otherwise. The value of eConsults increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to reduce unnecessary in-person patient visits to specialists, and continue to provide value as a way to increase access to specialist care for patients, decrease their wait times, and to alleviate pressures in resource-constrained environments. This podcast covers a wide range of considerations about eConsults, considering their value to patients and providers, and how providers like Dr. Daren Anderson at ConferMed are leading teams that create a national network of specialists providing eConsults and other telehealth services to providers across the country.
Passionate youth are leading the way on the efforts to improve the opioid crisis in NH. Listen to this episode of the Power of Prevention Podcast and learn how young people are working directly with Governor Sununu to reach their peers with motivational messaging to avoid substance misuse, prevent suicide and promote well-being.
This is a podcast for people who are looking for solutions and want to make New Hampshire a better place where we all have the opportunity to live, learn and thrive. In each episode, we will go deeper into the topic of substance misuse prevention in New Hampshire.
We are hoping to make your lives a little better with these inspirational stories about substance misuse prevention. We share our best interviews with people who are working tirelessly in their professions, their families and their communities to stop something unwanted from happening—in this case the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.
Are we getting it all wrong? Lynn Lyons suggests a new approach when it comes to dealing with worry and anxiety in young people. In this podcast, she challenges us to think about the consequences of eliminating these negative feelings and shares practical tips on helping your kids cope forward with worry and anxiety in their lives.
This is a podcast for people who are looking for solutions and want to make New Hampshire a better place where we all have the opportunity to live, learn and thrive. In each episode, we will go deeper into the topic of substance misuse prevention in New Hampshire.
We are hoping to make your lives a little better with these inspirational stories about substance misuse prevention. We share our best interviews with people who are working tirelessly in their professions, their families and their communities to stop something unwanted from happening—in this case the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.
Our guests connect the dots of how adverse exposures or events in childhood influence child development and attachment. As caregivers, they share their insights on dealing with social isolation, remote work, and home-schooling stresses imposed by the pandemic. Listen to gain empathy for young families and learn some healthy tips for coping.
This is a podcast for people who are looking for solutions and want to make New Hampshire a better place where we all have the opportunity to live, learn and thrive. In each episode, we will go deeper into the topic of substance misuse prevention in New Hampshire.
We are hoping to make your lives a little better with these inspirational stories about substance misuse prevention. We share our best interviews with people who are working tirelessly in their professions, their families and their communities to stop something unwanted from happening—in this case the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. Learn more about the partnership: https://drugfreenh.org/
Whether you are dealing with arthritis, an injury or simply aging, chronic pain can be very debilitating. When you practice self-management skills like healthy eating, balancing exercise with rest, appropriate use of medications, and dealing with difficult emotions, you activate your body’s natural defenses to cope with pain. You feel stronger, more resilient and create a more joyful life.
This is a podcast for people who are looking for solutions and want to make New Hampshire a better place where we all have the opportunity to live, learn and thrive. In each episode, we will go deeper into the topic of substance misuse prevention in New Hampshire.
We are hoping to make your lives a little better with these inspirational stories about substance misuse prevention. We share our best interviews with people who are working tirelessly in their professions, their families and their communities to stop something unwanted from happening—in this case the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. Learn more about the partnership: https://drugfreenh.org/
We are joined by Julie Nicknair-Keon LCMHC NCC, Director of Counseling at New England College, Wellness Center in Henniker, NH and Ashley Desrochers, Public Health Program Manager, Strafford County Public Health Network to talk about what they've seen in terms of supporting young adults during this phase in their development. Their work is supported by funding through NH Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS), who recently conducted a large population survey as part of the Voices of NH Young Adults. The purpose of the survey was to better understand why our young adults are struggling and how their unique challenges can be addressed.
At the Partnership, we believe when young adults have access to resources and opportunities they can explore and secure their identity, independence and intimacy, and become responsible adults who create happy and healthy families, develop into strong leaders, and contribute to a vibrant workforce and economy.
This is a podcast for people who are looking for solutions and want to make New Hampshire a better place where we all have the opportunity to live, learn and thrive. In each episode, we will go deeper into the topic of substance misuse prevention in New Hampshire.
We are hoping to make your lives a little better with these inspirational stories about substance misuse prevention. We share our best interviews with people who are working tirelessly in their professions, their families and their communities to stop something unwanted from happening—in this case the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. Learn more about the partnership: https://drugfreenh.org/
The pandemic was hard on families, schools and other institutions that serve our community. Our natural coping resources and those of institutions were not available. People had to figure out how to cope with quarantining, isolation, home schooling, unemployment, loss and grieving without these supports and resources. Existing inequities widened. To cope with the stress, many people increased their substance use during these isolating months.
While we begin to open up and return to “business as usual” we know for some this experience is still with us. Others are excited to get back into the swing of things.
We are joined by Traci Fowler, Senior Program Officer, Upper Valley Region to talk about what she’s seen in terms of prevention and what can be done to help people live, learn and thrive again in NH.
This is a podcast for people who are looking for solutions and want to make New Hampshire a better place where we all have the opportunity to live, learn and thrive. In each episode, we will go deeper into the topic of substance misuse prevention in New Hampshire.
We are hoping to make your lives a little better with these inspirational stories about substance misuse prevention. We share our best interviews with people who are working tirelessly in their professions, their families and their communities to stop something unwanted from happening—in this case the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. Learn more about the partnership: https://drugfreenh.org/
The Partnership drugfreeNH sits down with guest Kim Haley, Student Assistance Program Coordinator for Second Start in Concord, to discuss what schools, and SAP's in particular, can do to help students live, learn, and to hopefully thrive in NH.
This is a podcast for people who are looking for solutions and want to make New Hampshire a better place where we all have the opportunity to live, learn and thrive. In each episode, we will go deeper into the topic of substance misuse prevention in New Hampshire.
We are hoping to make your lives a little better with these inspirational stories about substance misuse prevention. We share our best interviews with people who are working tirelessly in their professions, their families and their communities to stop something unwanted from happening—in this case the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. Learn more about the partnership: https://drugfreenh.org/
JSI is stronger because of the diversity of the women who lead our health programs globally.
In this series, we explore the personal and professional stories of six women who lead some of JSI’s global health programs. We’ll learn how they started their public health careers, how their personal stories affect their professional lives, what makes them successful leaders, and what advice they have for young professionals just starting their careers.
In this episode, we talk with Wuleta Betemariam. Wuleta is the new director of JSI's Center for Healthy Women, Children, and Communities, and has more than 20 years of experience leading public health programs. In her previous role, Wuleta was JSI's country representative in Ethiopia and project director for the Last 10 Kilometers Project. Before joining JSI, Wuleta was the deputy director of EngenderHealth's program division in New York, where she provided strategic direction and oversight of country and global programs. She established EngenderHealth's presence in Ethiopia, a program in Sudan, and was the country director for two countries. Wuleta has also been a technical advisor for USAID's Population, Health, and Nutrition office, where she focused on reproductive health. Wuleta holds a master of public health and public policy from the University of Michigan. She is now in her final year of a doctoral program in public health leadership at the University of Illinois.
Learn more about the We Lead series: www.jsi.com/we-lead-podcast
JSI is stronger because of the diversity of the women who lead our health programs globally.
In this series, we explore the personal and professional stories of six women who lead some of JSI’s global health programs. We’ll learn how they started their public health careers, how their personal stories affect their professional lives, what makes them successful leaders, and what advice they have for young professionals just starting their careers.
Learn more about the We Lead series: www.jsi.com/we-lead-podcast
For our fifth episode, we talk with Dr. Aminata Traoré, chief of party of the Momentum Integrated Health Resilience project in Mali. This project is a global initiative to improve the health and well-being of women and children living in fragile environments. Aminata previously led the Mali office of the MEASURE Evaluation project, also funded by USAID, and has served as an advisor to numerous programs dedicated to strengthening public health systems management, data use, and care delivery.
"I'll Meet You There (Free Copyright Music)" by Sapajou is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
JSI is stronger because of the diversity of the women who lead our health programs globally.
In this series, we explore the personal and professional stories of six women who lead some of JSI’s global health programs. We’ll learn how they started their public health careers, how their personal stories affect their professional lives, what makes them successful leaders, and what advice they have for young professionals just starting their careers.
For episode four, we talked with Ainura Ibraimova, Chief of Party, USAID Cure Tuberculosis Project. Listen to learn about Ainura’s professional journey to public health and how she led the transformation of Kyrgyzstan’s health system after independence from the Soviet Union.
Learn more about the We Lead series: www.jsi.com/we-lead-podcast
"I'll Meet You There (Free Copyright Music)" by Sapajou is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
JSI is stronger because of the diversity of the women who lead our health programs globally.
In this series, we explore the personal and professional stories of six women who lead some of JSI’s global health programs. We’ll learn how they started their public health careers, how their personal stories affect their professional lives, what makes them successful leaders, and what advice they have for young professionals just starting their careers.
For episode 3, we talked with Yasmin Chandani, the CEO of one of JSI's affiliate organizations, inSupply Health. inSupply Health is an East African public health advisory firm dedicated to improving people's access to essential health products and services. Yasmin previously served as Director on some of JSI's largest global health supply chain projects and has a successful track record of contextualizing innovations and data-driven quality improvement approaches for building people-centered, responsive supply chains.
Learn more about the We Lead series: www.jsi.com/we-lead-podcast
"I'll Meet You There (Free Copyright Music)" by Sapajou is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
JSI is stronger because of the diversity of the women who lead our health programs globally.
In this series, we explore the personal and professional stories of six women who lead some of JSI’s global health programs. We’ll learn how they started their public health careers, how their personal stories affect their professional lives, what makes them successful leaders, and what advice they have for young professionals just starting their careers.
In our newest episode of We Lead, we meet with Nabeela Ali, JSI’s Country Representative for Pakistan and Chief of Party for our Integrated Health Systems Strengthening and Service Delivery Project. Nabeela is recognized globally for generating evidence for policy and design programs, ranging from chlorhexidine for newborn cord care to marginalized communities in Pakistan.
For the transcript of this episode visit: https://www.jsi.com/we-lead-episode-two-with-nabeela-ali/
Learn more about the We Lead series: www.jsi.com/we-lead-podcast
"I'll Meet You There (Free Copyright Music)" by Sapajou is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
JSI is stronger because of the diversity of the women who lead our health programs globally.
In this series, we explore the personal and professional stories of six women who lead some of JSI’s global health programs. We’ll learn how they started their public health careers, how their personal stories affect their professional lives, what makes them successful leaders, and what advice they have for young professionals just starting their careers.
For our first episode of #WeLead, a podcast series celebrating diverse women in leadership, we talk to Dwan Dixon, a major catalyst for the series, on how her unique identity makes her a successful leader, and not despite it.
Learn more about the We Lead series: www.jsi.com/we-lead-podcast
"I'll Meet You There (Free Copyright Music)" by Sapajou is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
In this podcast, you will hear from Kate Bagshaw, Technical Officer with JSI’s Immunization Center and Hannah Hausi, a Senior Immunization Technical Advisor, and Patrick Nicks, an Immunization Technical Officer—who are based in Malawi. With more than 30 years of experience working on public health and immunization combined, they share their experiences supporting the country to identify and reach 9-year old girls with the HPV vaccine, the process of changing the country’s vaccine delivery strategy over time, and how the country plans to strengthen and maintain the HPV vaccination program moving forward.
Learn more about our HPV vaccine introduction experience: https://www.jsi.com/global-human-papillomavirus-vaccine-introduction/
In this podcast, you will hear from Kate Bagshaw, Technical Officer with JSI’s Immunization Center and Hannah Hausi, a Senior Immunization Technical Advisor, and Patrick Nicks, an Immunization Technical Officer—who are based in Malawi. With more than 30 years of experience working on public health and immunization combined, they share their experiences supporting the country to identify and reach 9-year old girls with the HPV vaccine, the process of changing the country’s vaccine delivery strategy over time, and how the country plans to strengthen and maintain the HPV vaccination program moving forward.
Learn more about our HPV vaccine introduction experience: https://www.jsi.com/global-human-papillomavirus-vaccine-introduction/
In this podcast, you will hear from Kate Bagshaw, Technical Officer with JSI’s Immunization Center and Dominique Kondji Kondji, the Executive Director of Building Capacities for Better Health in Africa (BCH Africa) and Achidi Asanga Zaccs, a Communication Technical Assistant with BCH Africa, who are based in Cameroon. With a collective 30 years of experience working on immunization and community health, they share their passion and understanding of the challenges and successes linked to introducing the HPV vaccine in Cameroon during the COVID-19 pandemic. They share how the HPV vaccine introduction has both built on previous experiences and posed unique challenges and how the country is planning to maintain HPV vaccination, including through strengthened community engagement, during the COVID-19 pandemic response.
Learn more about our HPV vaccine introduction work: https://www.jsi.com/global-human-papillomavirus-vaccine-introduction/
JSI's Stacey Moody talks to Donald Moore, CEO of the Pueblo Community Health Center, on how to develop and use telehealth when tackling integrated care.
In this podcast, we are joined by members of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) at both the federal and provincial level in Sindh province of Pakistan to discuss successes and strategies in improving urban immunization in Karachi, Pakistan. We cover the creation of an Immunization Roadmap, private sector engagement, and the impact of COVID-19 on immunization in Karachi. This work is funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Cervical cancer is among the most common cancers in women worldwide, and 70 percent of cervical cancers are caused by two types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV vaccine is the most cost-effective public health measure to prevent HPV and cervical cancer. Not only does the introduction of the HPV vaccine require national immunization programs to reach a non-traditional target population, adolescent girls, but it also requires them to develop new delivery approaches and detailed microplans
JSI, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Expanded Program on Immunization, and other partners, provided targeted technical assistance, including vaccine distribution and cold chain/logistics readiness, to HPV vaccine introduction efforts in Kenya and Cameroon. On this podcast, we connect with two supply chain experts, Amos Chewya and Cheick Coulibaly to discuss their experience contributing to the technical guidance for effective supply chain management for the introduction of the HPV vaccine.
Learn more about our HPV/Cervical Cancer work here: https://www.jsi.com/global-human-papillomavirus-vaccine-introduction/
Many infants and families in urban areas of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), do not receive vital health services such as immunization. To address these inequities in the megacity of Kinshasa, JSI worked with the Ministry of Health and urban municipalities to strengthen routine immunization (RI) service delivery through locally tailored solutions. This involved the adaptation of the Reaching Every District (RED) approach and identification of steps to ensure quality of care and reduce dropouts in the urban environments. Through these efforts, new strategies reduced missed opportunities for vaccination and vaccinated zero-dose children through the DRC’s RI system in Kinshasa.
Today, we will speak with Dr. Joel Bompongo and Dr. Andre Tonda, JSI’s Urban Immunization Technical Advisors who has been heavily involved in these immunization strategies since the inception of the project. Learn more about our immunization work: https://www.jsi.com/expertise/immunization/
By 2050, 42 percent of Ethiopians will live in urban settings. Rapid urban population growth puts pressure on infrastructure and impacts the health of people who live, work, and age in large cities. In this episode, you’ll hear from Hibret Alemu Tilahan, Director of the Strengthening Ethiopia’s Urban Health Program. He spoke to JSI Director of Communications, Penelope Riseborough about the evolution of the country’s health sector and the complexities and challenges of addressing urban health. Their conversation spans maternal and child health, infectious diseases, and health systems strengthening. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our work in Ethiopia: https://www.jsi.com/location/ethiopia/
In our latest podcast, JSI team members working on the Rapid Immunization Skill Enhancement (RISE) project discuss their experience piloting their digital training program for improving health workers’ immunization knowledge and skills in India. The RISE training modules went online for use by health workers in March 2020, almost coinciding with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The team shares the challenges & opportunities that a digital training platform has for continuing health workers’ training even during a pandemic. This work is done for the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India and funded by GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
Learn more about the RISE program and our immunization work: https://www.jsi.com/project/rapid-immunization-skill-enhancement-rise-in-india
Check out a recent webinar from the RISE team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzEr-9zAUqI&feature=youtu.be
In this podcast, you will hear from Steve Ollis, JSI's Senior Digital Health Advisor, and Trinity Zan, Associate Director of Research Utilization at FHI 360. Both outgoing co-chairs of the Global Digital Health Network, Steve and Trinity discuss the past, present, and future of the network and digital health as a whole. The Global Digital Health Network (GDHN) envisions a world where technical innovation supports improved health and contributes to better quality, accessibility, and sustainability of health services and health outcomes, particularly for underserved populations in low resource environments. The networking forum, consisting of over 3,900 members from 117 countries, works to share information, engage with the broader community, and provide leadership in digital health for global public health. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our digital health work: https://www.jsi.com/expertise/digital-health/
In this podcast, you will hear from Brian Castro, Program Officer with JSI’s Immunization Center and Amos Chweya, a Regional Immunization Technical Officer; Isaac Mugoya, a Regional Immunization Technical Officer; and Lucy Kiarie, immunization project officer, all who are based in Kenya. With a collective 20 years of experience working at all levels of immunization, they share their passion and understanding of the challenges and successes linked to introducing new vaccines in Kenya. With a particular focus on introducing the HPV vaccine in Kenya, they share how the HPV vaccine introduction has both built on previous experiences and posed unique challenges and how the country is planning to maintain HPV vaccination while also supporting the COVID-19 response. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our work in Kenya: https://www.jsi.com/location/kenya/
In this podcast, you will hear from Kate Bagshaw, Technical Officer with JSI's Immunization Center and Raphael Nshunju, a Senior Immunization Technical Officer for JSI’s Immunization Center based in Tanzania. With over 10 years of experience working at all levels of immunization, Raphael shares his passion and understanding of the challenges and successes linked to introducing new vaccines in Tanzania. With a particular focus on introducing the HPV vaccine in Tanzania, Raphael shares how the HPV vaccine introduction has both built on previous experiences and posed unique challenges and how the country is planning to maintain HPV vaccination while also supporting the COVID-19 response.
Learn more about our immunization work: https://www.jsi.com/expertise/immunization/
COVID-19 has changed every aspect of how health centers run their businesses and meet their community’s needs. Join JSI senior consultant Toni Macguire and John Silva, Lawrence Community Family Health Center's President and Chief Executive Officer, John Silva, to learn how they have adapted to address the pandemic. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our work with community health centers: https://www.jsi.com/expertise/community-health-centers/
In this podcast, you will hear from Kate Bagshaw, Technical Officer with JSI's Immunization Center and Adelaide Shearley, Regional Immunization Technical Adviser for JSI's Immunization Center based in Zimbabwe. With over 30 years of experience working at all levels of immunization, Adelaide shares her passion and understanding of the challenges and successes in this field. With a particular focus on new vaccine introduction, Adelaide shares her experience introducing the HPV vaccine in the region and how it has been a unique and personal one for her.
Learn more about our immunization work: https://jsi.com/expertise/immunization/
Girls and young women account for 74 percent of new HIV infections among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. For the first time, the latest PEPFAR data show significant declines in new HIV diagnoses among adolescent girls and young women. In the 10 African countries implementing PEPFAR’s pioneering DREAMS initiative, the majority of the highest HIV-burden communities or districts achieved a 25–40 percent or greater decline in new HIV diagnoses among young women. In this episode, you will hear from Folami Harris, project director of JSI’s DREAMS Innovation Challenge Program. She talks to JSI Director of Communications, Penelope Riseborough, about the importance of focusing unique resources and attention to girls and why this subject is important to her. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about JSI's DREAMS Innovation Challenge: https://www.jsi.com/project/dreams-innovation-challenge-funds-manager/
In 2014, the Ebola epidemic spread to Liberia, resulting in the death of almost 5,000 people along with heavy social and economic losses. The outbreak resulted in declining health service provision and use, as almost all able health workers were needed to handle the outbreak, health facilities shut down, and fear and anxiety permeated society. In this episode, you will hear from Rose Macauley, JSI's country director in Liberia. She spoke to us about what it was like being in Liberia during the outbreak, how it affected the country's health system, and how Liberia plans to continue to strengthen it. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our work in Liberia: https://www.jsi.com/location/liberia/
Community health workers (CHWs) are frontline public health workers who have a close understanding of the communities they serve. In this episode, you will hear from Durrell Fox, a Community Health Worker and Health Equity Consultant at JSI. He talks to JSI's Communications Coordinator, Brenda Seng, about the core roles and skills of CHWs. With over 2 decades of experience, Durrell shares a personal understanding of the current challenges CHWs face and what makes this profession unique. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our work in the US: https://www.jsi.com/united-states/
Vaccination has made an enormous contribution to global health. Major infections such as smallpox have been eradicated and global coverage of vaccination against many infectious diseases has been enhanced dramatically. Despite these successes, approximately 6.6 million children still die each year and global vaccination rates have stagnated. In this episode, you will hear from JSI Immunization Expert, Robert Steinglass. He talks to JSI Program Manager, Adriana Alminana about the importance of vaccination for improved public health and the growing need to increase focus on strengthening routine immunization systems for sustainability and equity. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our immunization work: https://www.jsi.com/global-expertise/immunization/
Since 2010, new HIV infections in Zambia have decreased by 27 percent and AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 11 percent, according to UNAIDS. In this episode, you’ll hear from Dr. Muka Chikuba-McLeod who has been at the frontlines of the fight against HIV since the beginning of the epidemic in the country. She is the director of the USAID DISCOVER-Health project and JSI’s country representative for Zambia. Dr. Chikuba-McLeod talks to JSI’s Director of Communications, Penelope Riseborough about HIV prevention, treatment, and care; game changers in HIV; and what it will take to achieve epidemic control. Music by Scott Buckley.
In 2010, Pakistan decentralized its health system to give more responsibility to provincial governments for policy-setting and service delivery. USAID's Maternal and Child Health Program was developed to support the Pakistani government and Sindh province, in particular, through the initial process. In this episode, you will hear from Dr. Nabeela Ali, JSI Country Representative for Pakistan. She spoke to JSI Technical Advisor, Nancy Brady about the results that the JSI-implemented Health Systems Strengthening Component of USAID's Maternal and Child Health Program had. Through this, she explains how strengthening a health system saves lives. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our work in Pakistan: https://www.jsi.com/location/pakistan/
HIV remains one of the world's most significant public health challenges. In this episode, you will hear from Andrew Fullem, the Director of the JSI HIV and Infectious Diseases Center. He talks to JSI Director of Communications, Penelope Riseborough, about the difference between the public health response to HIV in the United States and internationally, the transformation of HIV treatment over the years, and the stigma surrounding HIV. With 27 years of experience in public health, and being an HIV-positive gay man, Andrew Fullem shares a unique perspective on the evolution of the epidemic. Music by Scott Buckley.
Learn more about our HIV work in the US: https://www.jsi.com/expertise/hiv-infectious-disease/