Congratulations to our 2023 Award Winners

Congratulations to our colleagues whose outstanding accomplishments in international health are being recognized by our Section this year!

Carl Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award in International Health
Sarah Shannon

Mid-Career Award in International Health
Mona Bormet

Gordon-Wyon Award for Community-Oriented Public Health, Epidemiology and Practice
Judy Lewis

Distinguished Section Service Award
Brianne Riggin-Pathak

Welcome message from our IH Section Chair, Carol Dabbs

Dear IH Section Members,

As we enter the final preparations for the 2023 APHA Annual Meeting, it is gradually becoming clear that we are almost back to the full-bore Annual Meetings of pre-pandemic times. But we’ve added the power of remote access by having several pre-meetings, like the COA/ISC Candidates Forum, the policy hearings, and a vibrant virtual program in the weeks preceding the in-person meeting in Atlanta, including the workshop offered by the IH Section Working Group on Community-based Primary Health Care. The latter was sold out almost two weeks in advance!


This year at the Annual Meeting, our approximately 1800-member section will have a full program of oral and poster scientific sessions presenting the 248 accepted abstracts. Our hearty thanks to Jamie Zigterman and Liz Healey, our Program Chairs for this excellent program—it was a feat of endurance and strength to create it!


In addition, we will have several IH Section meetings, as follow:
– an Open House on Sunday morning starting at 9 am, 
– a Luncheon at 12:30 pm on Monday. A few tickets are still available through your registration for the AM at $62; sales close on 11/6. Those without a ticket may sit in the back to listen to the speech, scheduled to start about 1 pm. 
– several IH committees and working groups are holding open meetings –some at 6:30 pm on Monday, and others at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, all listed in the program. 
– our Awards Reception will be on Tuesday evening starting at 6:30 pm. 
We hope to see you at one or more of these IH events as well as at our scientific sessions.

As this program year draws to a close, I want to acknowledge and thank the leadership of the IH Section, without whose initiative and support we would not have an IH Section which is active year round, and which supports our strong Annual Meeting program.
– Our elected leaders include the Immediate Past Chair, Chair-Elect, Treasurer, Secretary, Secretary-Elect, Student Assembly Liaison, 6 Section Councillors, and 6 Governing
Councillors.
– We have 8 IH Committees (Awards, Communications, Membership, Mentorship, Nominations, Policy and Advocacy, Program, and Students) and 6 IH Working Groups Climate Change, Community-based Primary Health Care, Global MCH Network, Health Systems Strengthening, International Abortion, and Palestine Health Justice), each of which is supported by dedicated and creative volunteer international public health professional members and Chairs or Co-Chairs.
Committees and Working Groups are open to all IH members—let me know which group you’d like an introduction to!

I’d like to give a shout out to our APHA staff liaison to the IH Section, Vina Hulaam, who has provided substantial support which moved our programming forward, and to our Section Historian. And to our incoming elected officers: Section Councillors Jessica Keralis and Jamie Zigterman, Governing Councillors Jean Armas and Emily Maistrellis, and Secretary-Elect Mark Strand. (NB we will have a special election this fall for Student Assembly Liaison.)

Our thanks go also to our outgoing Secretary Jessica Keralis, outgoing Section Councillors Jean Armas and Rhoda Gordon, and outgoing Governing Councillors Kevin Sykes and Samer Jabbour. In addition, I want to thank the several IH members in APHA leadership positions for their ready advice and counsel to the section throughout this past year. These include a member of the Executive Board, Vice-Chair of the Science Board, incoming Chairs of the Student Assembly and of the Intersectional Council, 2 members of the AJPH Editorial Board, and a member of the Advisory Board to APHA’s Center for Climate, Health, and Equity.

I look forward to another fruitful year in the IH Section.

Sincerely,
Carol J. Dabbs, MPH
Chair, APHA IH Section
Email me at: ih.chair@apha.org

Can Digital Health Help End Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths Equitably? You’re invited to a virtual session at this year’s APHA+ Digital Conference on November 9th!

Dear colleagues,

My name is Jean Armas and I am the chair of the newly formed Technology and Innovation Committee of the Global Maternal and Child Health Network (GMCHN) at the American Public Health Association. On behalf of our committee, I’d like to invite you to attend an upcoming virtual session we are hosting at this year’s American Public Health Association meeting. If you’re already attending the in-person conference, you won’t need to register for the digital conference – you already have access!

Please feel free to spread the word and forward this invite to your colleagues.

Join us during the American Public Health Association’s APHA+ Digital Conference for an exciting session on digital health to advance maternal and child health on Thursday, November 9, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Eastern.

This session includes:

  • Engaging presentations from experts who have successfully used digital health to improve outcomes for mothers and newborns
  • Q/A with 3 distinguished professionals in the digital health space:
    • Annette Ghee – Former Technical Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, World Vision International
    • Christine Njuguna – Head of Product Management, Jacaranda Health
    • Sema Sgaier – Co-Founder & CEO, Surgo Health

For more information on the session, go to: http://bit.ly/3rDxw69  

For a sharable flyer, go to: https://bit.ly/40fBeQg

We look forward to bringing many more events like this after the annual meeting! For more information on GMCHN, our committee, and to keep in touch, please email us.

APHA IH Section: Call for Communications Committee Leaders

The International Health Section’s communications team is currently looking for volunteers who want to get involved in our section’s communications leadership. 

This is a great opportunity for self starters interested in engaging with the global health community through our communications channels by drawing attention to relevant global health topics; encouraging public support and action on pressing global health issues; providing timely, credible and accurate public health information; and providing transparency into the work of the American Public Health Association and the International Health section. Applicants must maintain current membership in APHA’s International Health section for as long as they serve in the position.

To learn more about the Communications Committee, visit https://aphaih.org/ihcommunications/

Communications Chair

  • Develop and implement the section’s communication’s strategy
  • Represents the Communications Team on leadership calls and at the Annual Meeting or finds a designated representative if unable to attend 
  • Filters incoming communications requests and decides the appropriate channel for broadcasting the request 
  • Manages the process of developing and publishing the quarterly newsletter
  • Recruits co-chairs and fills in for their responsibilities as needed
  • Updates the section website and APHA landing page as needed
  • Contributes an original blog article once every three months to the IH Section blog

Approximately 2 hours per week, 1 year minimum commitment.

Please contact: ihsection.communications@gmail.com for more information.

Communications Co-Chair & Social Media Subcommittee Chair 

  • Works with the Communications chair to develop and implement the section’s communications strategy
  • Leads the social media team in developing and implementing a social media strategy that meets the section’s overall communications objectives. Specific tasks include holding regular strategy meetings with the team, reviewing and adding Social Media Subcommittee events on the Communications Calendar, sharing content forwarded from the leadership team with the Social Media Manager and Social Media Associates for posting
  • Analyzes social media data to determine reach and engagement. Develops and implements recommendations for growing the section’s social media presence and furthering engagement.
  • Represents the Communications Team and Social Media Subcommittee on leadership calls and at the Annual Meeting or finds a designated representative if unable to attend
  • Works with the Communications Chair to develop content for the section’s quarterly newsletter, Section Connection
  • Contributes an original blog article once every three months to the IH Section blog
  • Recruits for the Social Media Manager and Social Media Associate positions and fills in for their responsibilities as needed

Approximately 2 hours per week, 1 year minimum commitment.
Please contact: ihsection.communications@gmail.com for more information.