SECTION CONNECTION An insider's view of the APHA International Health Section

Message from the Chair

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

Spring is a busy time for most of us as it heralds the national public health week and preparation for school and university graduations.

The theme for the 2022 NPHW is "Public Health is Where You Are." This year makes it even more crucial for the global community to work together across disciplines to improve health and wellbeing, as we slowly emerge from the ongoing COVID crisis.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3 - "Good Health and Well-being", i.e. Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well Being For All at All Ages” The NPHW 2022 Theme is a complement to the SDG 3 Goal and its 13 targets.

As the global public health workforce, we are aware that health for all, around the world, is an important part of the sustainable development agenda. Inclusion, respect for diversity, gender harmony, and human rights are key elements which need to be woven into health care polices to improve the health of local and global communities.

The continued climate crisis is a major issue which cannot be ignored as this has caused increased morbidity and mortality among vulnerable populations. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), women, especially those living in low socioeconomic conditions, face increased risks and experience a greater burden of climate change impact -- and this is a risk multiplier for gender-based health disparities.

As I conclude my message for this newsletter, I would like to express heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Dr Paul Farmer who passed away in Rwanda on February 21st. He was a true champion of health care equity, a great teacher and mentor and an amazing colleague.

I had the opportunity like many of us have of knowing him and had the privilege of him co-authoring a chapter for my book Women’s Global Health and Human Rights with his wife Didi Bertrand Farmer. You will be missed, Paul, and you have truly made a difference in the lives of so many around the world. Rest In Peace! Your legacy in public health continues.

Thank you all for your commitment to public health.

In Health and Human Rights!

Padmini (Mini) Murthy MD, MPH, Chair International Health Section

National Public Health Week: “Public Health is Where You Are,” April 4 to 10

During the first full week of April each year, APHA brings together communities across the United States to observe National Public Health Week as a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation's health. For over 25 years, APHA has served as the organizer of NPHW.

This year’s NPHW theme is “Public Health is Where You Are.” Where we live impacts our communities’ health. During each day of National Public Health Week, we focus on a particular public health topic. Then, we identify ways each of us can make a difference on that topic. These areas are critical to our future success in creating the healthiest nation, and everyone can do their part to help.

Get ready to celebrate by:

• RSVP-ing for APHA’s NPHW virtual events, including the Kickoff Forum (April 4), Student Day mentoring and young professional panel events (April 5), Twitter Chat (April 6), virtual all-levels yoga (April 10) – and much more!
• Staying active with the Keep It Moving Challenge!
• Submitting your NPHW events to the calendar.
• Joining NPHW events in your community.
• Spreading the word about NPHW online! Download and share our social media shareables, sized for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And share our fact sheets (also available in Spanish)!

NPHW 2022 DAILY THEMES

• Racism: A Public Health Crisis (Monday)
• Public Health Workforce: Essential to our Future (Tuesday)
• Community: Collaboration and Resilience (Wednesday)
• World Health Day: Health is a Human Right (Thursday)
• Accessibility: Closing the Health Equity Gap (Friday)
• Climate Change: Taking Action for Equity (Saturday)
• Mental Wellness: Redefining the Meaning of Health (Sunday)

Want to share any NPHW events you're hosting? Have a story to tell about your journey? Attend any events during NPHW? We want to hear more. Share your events and stories with us at ihsection.communications@gmail.com!

Member Spotlight: Sonita Simelus

Interviewed by: Mary Ellen Biggerstaff

This past December, Dr. Sonita Simelus, M.D., MPH traveled to the Dominican Republic (D.R.) with Foundation Yes 2 Ministry, a non-profit organization to provide medical care in a mobile clinic for Haitian immigrants and refugees. Dr. Simelus was born in Haiti and raised in the Dominican Republic, she started her career practicing in the rural Dominican Republic, and was very involved in public health with her clinical work.

Having developed a passion for public health work and due to the rigid requirements established for internationally trained doctors, it was challenging for her to work as a physician when she moved to the U.S., leading to the shift in her professional purpose to public health, from treating one individual to making a difference for an entire community. “Ever since I started working in public health, I have not had too many moments’ frustration. It is very fulfilling. I wish I had known what public health was when I was younger. I now have the chance to mentor, educate, and expose graduates and undergraduates students to the wonderful field of public health…encouraging them to be involved. That was how I found my passion, by working in the field.” She is currently a researcher with the Institute of Public Policy, and she teaches Public Health Program Promotion and Planning, and Global Health at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

She was very glad to be involved again in clinical work. She traveled to the D.R. in December with a team, for a 3-day mission at Batey Uno in Santiago de los Caballeros. They were able to serve 300 adults and 400 children and pregnant women and referred patients who needed follow up to the local clinics approximately 5-10 miles away. Through the organization, besides free health screenings and medications, participants were able to receive school supplies, diapers, essential items, multivitamins, toothpaste and other essential items.

As health care volunteers during COVID-19, they had to make special adjustments for safety. Everyone who was traveling was vaccinated and they did have access to PPE and masks for patients. The entire community came out to help, and they were supported by local teams including pastors, and police offers. These mobile clinics will be an ongoing service, as the organization will be traveling to Mexico this year. Dr. Simelus was very pleased to help support her fellow Haitian Immigrants, who are particularly vulnerable in the D.R. “They live in conditions in which they experience increased barriers to access to care. Someone must go to them, they have so many barriers to basic needs. We will continue to travel and try to make a difference in the lives of these individuals. I look forward to more opportunities where I can continue to work with communities to promote health and improve outcomes for populations who experience such disparities and inequalities. I can see all the work that is happening. And there are a lot of opportunities for all of us to collaborate.”

Malcolm Merrill, an APHA Pioneer in International Health

By: Ray Martin, APHA IH Section Historian / Archivist

Many of you are familiar with the name Carl Taylor, because he was in many respects the father of APHA's International Health section and was its first chair when the section was established in 1976. More recently, the Section named its Lifetime Achievement Award after Carl Taylor.

Less well known is the second chair of the International Health Section, Malcolm Merrill, M.D., MPH, who served as chair in 1977. He also had a distinguished and varied career.

In reflecting on his career and accomplishments that I list below, I feel a sense of awe at the pioneering leadership and heroism exhibited in his life, wondering whether the age of such giants in global health is past. But then I am reminded that the 21st century brings a new set of challenges and opportunities, climate change and environmental justice, poverty and equity, modern pandemics in a globalized world, and that each of us as professionals can feel called to make a difference.

Highlights of his 50-year career as a doctor:

• With a master's degree in bacteriology, he joined the Rockefeller Foundation at Princeton University in research, discovering how sleeping sickness in horses was transmitted.
• He joined the California State Department of Public Health where he headed the venereal disease control division and the public health laboratory, and eventually became director of the entire Department of Public Health. It was in this position that he met with President John F. Kennedy in August 1962. In the photo with JFK below, Malcolm is the fourth figure on the right.
• Malcolm was APHA President in 1959-1960 and was a key participant in an assessment of APHA's involvement in international health, leading to the establishment in 1959 of a "Program Area Committee (PAC) on International Health, a precursor to the eventual establishment of the IH section.
• He worked for WHO from 1960 to 1965.
• In 1965, he joined the U.S. Agency for International Development as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Health, Population, and Nutrition. He visited 46 countries observing the need for rural health systems and promoting family planning and programs to reduce high population growth rates. He played a key role in the 1967 establishment of the World Federation of Public Health Associations.
• In 1968 APHA established a Community Health Action Planning Service (CHAPS) and hired Malcolm away from USAID to be its Director. Although CHAPS was domestically focused, he saw the relevance of international health and in 1970, he was appointed head of APHA's Division of International Health where he successfully obtained large grants for APHA field programs. He had to cope with some APHA leaders who were more narrowly U.S.-focused and did not appreciate the relevance of international health.
• He also was a leader in the establishment of the National Council for International Health (later becoming the Global Health Council) and served as its first Vice Chair from 1972 to 1974, with Carl Taylor as Chair.
• He retired from APHA in 1977, settled near San Francisco, and died November 13, 1987, at age 84.

Committee and Working Group Updates

Global Maternal and Child Health Network: The Global Maternal and Child Health Network (GMCHN), the first intersectional working group within APHA, is seeking members and leaders—subject experts spanning the GMCHN mission—to help expand our vision and fulfill our goals to provide a strong foundation for promoting issues of maternal and child health. GMCHN is actively recruiting for:

• Membership and Communications Committee
• Professional Development /Continuing Education (CE) in cooperation with the APHA Office of Global Health (OGH) offering annual oral and poster convention sessions and virtual webinar events annually
• Public Policy Advocacy—Global, Federal
• Grant seeking for fulfilling activities outlined and consideration of support for collaborative activities with external entities and related purposes; e.g., language translation, dissemination, convenings, etc.
• Creatives on Global MCH Challenges with consideration of new partnership and entrepreneurial models for workforce and systems development
• Emerging technologies at the forefront of integrated sectors’ MCH service delivery, epidemiology, influencing, incentivizing, and more.

To become a member of the APHA GMCHN, please visit and login at the APHA Connect home page; next click on Groups on the toolbar, and then scroll down to ‘Groups without a Category’, and join GMCHN as one of your free chosen connections. Please include your name, APHA member number, and Section affiliation(s). Membership is not limited to IH and MCH Sections.

PLEASE NOTE: The GMCHN Steering Committee (SC) seeks applications from Association members with short resumes for Steering Committee membership, policy development, and joint activities with other internal entities among others external with similar missions and goals. If interested, please contact our GMCHN Chair, Evelyn Cherow, MA, MPA: globalpartnersunited@gmail.com. Learn more about the GMCHN here.

Student Committee: The International Health Student Committee is looking to expand its leadership and members! If you are interested in getting involved in the committee, reach out to IHSC Secretary Hannah Rayel at aphaihstudentscommittee@gmail.com to be sent reminders on meeting times and updates. If you are interested in taking on a leadership role, the student committee is looking for applicants for the positions of co-chair for the membership committee and communications committee. Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBrEgmtDYZGvfbwEi3l0AC2C-50xKLe1VlNlCa8bi-7G15kg/viewform?usp=sf_link. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to IHSC Co-Chairs Harry Yu and Veena Thamilselvan ataphaihstudentscommittee@gmail.com!

Community-Based Primary Health Care: The Community-Based Primary Health Care working group currently has several opportunities for new members and persons to fill several leadership roles! Learn more about the roles here and attend their webinar on April 12th at 12 PM Eastern to get more information.

Nominations Committee: International Health Section leadership elections cycle starts soon! We have several leadership openings this year, including chair-elect (whose term as chair would begin in November 2024), section councilor, treasurer and student liaison. To self-nominate for any open position, please notice when the website opens March 5 (you’ll get an email from APHA if you’re a paid-up member). Self-nominations close April 6. We invite all interested folks to contact the nominating committee to explore your potential candidacy (write to Liz Calderon <caldel06@nyu.edu> or Amy Hagopian <hagopian@uw.edu>) We can advise on which positions you might be best suited for, and what roles each position performs. For more general information on the Section, please consult our Section Handbook. Elections for section leadership positions will open at the end of May (closing June 25).

International Health Climate Change and Health Working Group: The International Health Climate Change and Health Working Group is holding monthly meetings. We will be working on a series of projects to connect and mobilize public health professionals into climate change action. If you are interested please contact Rose Schnieder ( roseschneider0520@gmail.com) or Glenda Young-Marquez (geyoung@gwu.edu).

Communications Committee & Social Media Sub-Committee: The Communications Committee & Social Media Sub-Committee are excited to welcome two new incoming Co-Chairs, Kinjalbahen Nayak and Chris Cugini! Kinjal and Chris will take over the position fully this May. Learn more about our co-chairs and the rest of our team here. If you are interested in joining our expanding team, please reach out to us at ihsection.communications@gmail.com

Program Committee: The committee encourages APHA members and non-members to submit abstracts for the 2022 Annual Conference. Abstract submissions are now open through April 30th 11:59PM (PDT). Abstract status notifications will be sent to all submitters by June 27th.

Announcements and Member News

A Call to Action: Addressing The Ukraine and Ethiopia Wars: A group of concerned public health professionals has mobilized to raise awareness about and urge expedited advocacy action to end the Ukraine war and serve as a reminder of the ongoing Ethiopian war and the war crimes and crimes against humanity underway in that country since November 2020–in both armed conflicts leading to attacks on health facilities and healthcare and aid workers, numerous deaths, internal and external displacement, gender-based violence, and dire famine. We seek your assistance in advocating with your U.S. House and Senate representatives as described in the link below. The Call to Action contains action recommendations and related policies of APHA and the World Federation of Public Health Associations. In addition, there are several recent UNICEF statements on Children in War, Lancet articles pertinent to extant conditions that justify concerted and collaborative action at this time, and a summary of a recent Medical University of South Carolina Symposium on war as a public health crisis with speakers’ abstracts covering wars in progress throughout the world. Read the Call to Action here: https://aphaih.org/2022/03/10/a-call-to-action-addressing-the-ukraine-and-ethiopia-wars/

Health Crisis of War Symposium: On February 4th, several members of the IH section participated in the global health symposium titled Health Crisis of War: Making War a Priority Health Agenda. The event was presented by the Medical University of South Carolina’s Department of Public Health Sciences. Several APHA sections including the IH section and Peace Caucus played a key role in the success of the event. The purpose of the symposium was to: i) discuss how war and armed conflicts are relentless events, producing devastating effects on the wellbeing of populations; ii) outline recommendations to make war a global or local health priority issue. To learn more about the event, click here.

COVID-19 Reflections Two Years Later: IH member, Mark Strand, posted his thoughts on COVID-19 two years into the pandemic in his most recent blog post. Read his post here.

UNC Chapel Hill Job Announcements: The Health Policy and Management department at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is currently recruiting for two tenured track faculty positions. Please circulate these postings amongst your networks - One is in cancer (https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/222658) and the other in health equity and/or global health (https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/223844)

APHA PHEHP Webinar - Promoting Patient Empowerment: Discussion of Misinformation and Application of Health Literacy Principles - March 28, 3pm ET: The Public Health Education and Health Promotion (PHEHP) Learning and Professional Development (L&PD) Committee presents the PHEHP March webinar about public health misinformation concerns and how health literacy communication has and can be used to combat misinformation. The event will include presentations from Dr. Scott LaJoie and Dr. Marissa Brash. Dr. LaJoie will be presenting the impact of misinformation on medical decisions and health behaviors, and Dr. Brash will be presenting how principles of health literacy are used to combat misinformation. Following the presentations, there will be a Q&A session. This is a member only event. To register, please complete the form here: https://apha.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJApc-qtpj8uHd0IrlsTj4FkOzYAFgA7vhRx

Register for the 2022 Preparedness Summit: Registration for the 2022 Preparedness Summit, to be held April 4–7, 2022, in Atlanta, is still open! The 2022 Preparedness Summit, Reimagining Preparedness in the Era of COVID-19, will provide an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned from current and previous responses, and highlight tools, resources, and learnings that we can apply into the future.

APHA's Public Health Film Festival: APHA's Public Health Film Festival is now accepting submissions for films. An exciting part of the Annual Meeting and Expo, the film festival offers attendees another avenue to learn and sparks conversation about health in creative ways. We welcome public health films of all types and topics, including theme-related pieces and those that explore and highlight public health locally, nationally and globally. APHA will screen films that demonstrate, educate, inspire and encourage a change for a healthier future as we lead the path toward equity. Submission deadline: May 15. Learn more and submit here.

Submit announcements and member news to ihsection.communications@gmail.com.

International Victories in Abortion Access

By: Eighmey Zeeck

Between the Covid-19 pandemic and political turmoil seen across the globe it doesn’t feel like there have been any positives in public health lately. However, the International Abortion Work Group would like to highlight the major wins for abortion access, especially in countries that had previously been staunch opponents to reproductive rights for women. Just this month we saw the World Health Organization release new Abortion Care Guidelines on International Women’s Day!

In order to fully understand the force behind access to safe and legal abortions, the Marea Verde movement in Latin and South America must be discussed. The Green Wave, in English, not only fights for abortion rights, but gender equality raising up the powerful voices of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Latine women. The movement's first victory occurred right as 2020 came to a close. Argentina’s Senate voted to expand access to abortion for the first 14 weeks of gestation. Prior to this expansion women could only seek an abortion if their health was at risk or if conception occured due to rape. If a woman sought an abortion outside of these guidelines they could face jail time. This victory helped other organizations across Latin and South America become empowered to seek similar abortion access for reproducing people in their own countries.

2021 saw the Mexican Supreme Court strike down an anti-abortion law in Coahuila state, citing it as unconstitutional. This was a huge victory in the most populated Latin American country, making access to abortion up to 12 weeks gestation easier in six states. Analysts feel it will take time to implement the new ruling throughout Mexico, but it is still a victory. Then in February 2022, Causa Justa saw their grass roots efforts take shape as the Colombian high court decriminalized abortion for the first 24 weeks of gestation! There are no limits to seeking an abortion under the ruling as well, making it one of the least restrictive rulings in both Latin and South America.

While improved access to abortion in Latin and South America are tremendous, smaller countries have seen big wins through the voting booth. San Marino’s residents voted to legalize abortion up to 12 weeks gestation. It had previously had a total ban on abortion since 1865. The residents of Gibraltor also voted to ease abortion restrictions, allowing abortions up to 12 weeks gestation and potentially after if there is a risk to the persons health.

The French health authority put in place an emergency ruling that allows women to seek medicated abortion, at home, up to nine weeks of gestation. This expanded access to medication abortion was based on restrictions seen across France due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And just this year the French Parliament voted to expand access to abortion services up to 14 weeks gestation from the previous 12 weeks gestation. In the Netherlands one chamber of parliament has successfully voted to lift a five day waiting period for anyone over 16 days pregnant to obtain an abortion. While this law is not yet in place, the upper chamber of the Dutch parliament must also vote on it, it would be a big win for people seeking abortive care in the Netherlands.

While there is still a long road ahead to seeking abortion access for all, let us revel in the amazing progress we have seen despite being in the middle of a pandemic. Through increased community organization and collaboration the needle will continue to move forward on the improvement of abortion access globally. If you too want to continue to help improve safe abortive care please consider joining the International Health Sections International Abortion Working Group. You can reach out to Eighmey Zeeck at eighmeyzeeck@gmail.com for more information about the work group.

Meet the IH Student Committee!

1. What is the Student Committee?

We are a group of students who are passionate about global health and about engaging our peers to promote both personal and professional goals as they relate to international health! Recently chartered, we aim to build on the work of our founders to advocate for students and young professionals in both academic and public health practitioner fields!

2. Meet the Leaders!

(Co-chair) My name is Veena Thamilselvan and I am a Senior at Johns Hopkins University studying Public Health & Social Policy. Next year I will be starting a MSPH in International Health System! I have always been passionate about humanitarian health and addressing the intersection between technology and health system development!

(Secretary) My name is Hannah Rayel and I am a first year Master of Public Health student in Community Health Sciences at North Dakota State University. My interests are in global health and the connection between health and human rights. The APHA provides many opportunities for individuals to become more involved – I hope by taking on this role I will be able to do the same for other students!

(Co-chair) My name is Hairui Yu and I am a doctoral candidate in Health Promotion and Health Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health. My research interest includes social and behavioral aspects of health, modifiable risks, obesity, and health equity. I have been a certified health education specialist (CHES) in the U.S. since 2018. Thanks for this valuable volunteer opportunity as a co-chair working with everyone!

3. What are you committee's goals for the next year?

We hope to host abstract workshops and networking events this year to help create stronger bonds both within the IHSC and externally as well! As students, we also want to support our peers and hope to fundraise to allow for students within or from outside the U.S. who are a part of APHA to attend the annual meeting. Ultimately, we hope to provide opportunities for students interested in international health and look forward to meeting and collaborating with other students.

If anyone would like to learn more, you are welcome to email us at aphaihstudentscommittee@gmail.com to be included on the mailing list for upcoming meeting updates and announcements!

IH Climate Change and Health Activists Meet with APHA's Climate Leadership

With the IH section’s growing awareness of the major impact of climate change on global health, the IH Climate Change and Health working group is focused on representing and advancing a global approach to climate change by APHA and its Center for Climate, Health and Equity.

Three working group leaders had a March 14 lunch meeting with Katherine Catalano, the new Deputy Director of APHA's Center for Climate, Health and Equity launched in 2018. Climate change and health was the overall theme of the 2017 APHA annual meeting. Katherine, who has background experience at the Union of Concerned Scientists, shared her aspirations for the Center that climate change will be treated as a priority through an equity lens in ways that will improve public health and health equity.

Rose Schneider, working group Chair, Ray Martin, Co-chair and Glenda Young, Chair of communications briefed Katherine about the IH Section's concern that APHA approach the challenges of climate change through a global lens, not just a narrower U.S. lens. They also reported on recent activities and accomplishments of the working group. They also discussed the need for the Center to place priority on strengthening the public health workforce understanding of the impact of climate change on health and engaging more with APHA membership on climate change in the Center’s activities.

Katherine provided an update of the Center's activities, namely advocacy and policy; children’s environmental book club; a Climate and Health Playbook; Adaptation Planning for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; and a student Environmental Justice Video Challenge.

APHA's web page on climate change and health, with a link to the Center, can be found at https://apha.org/Topics-and-Issues/Climate-Change

The IH Climate Change and Health working group has a distribution list of 45 IH members. If you would like to be added, please send an email request to Glenda Young-Marquez at geyoung@gwmail.gwu.edu