Global Health Programs

The Center for Global Health began as the Global Health Programs Office (GHP) at PennMed, and was launched by the School of Medicine in 2004 in response to requests from Penn's medical students who had formed a global health interest group. Since its initiation, the Center has grown in a stepwise fashion, with the participation of programs and faculty from many departments. For convenience, global health activities may be divided into three major rubrics: (i) Education and Training; (ii) Research; (iii) Service and Clinical Programs.

CGH coordinates global activities of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and supports the international aspects of our research, educational, and service programs. Our activities include: (i) placement of Penn medical students in international rotations, and hosting of international medical students at Penn; (ii) facilitation of international research initiatives and sponsored programs undertaken by faculty of the School of Medicine; (iii) coordination of global activities with other schools of the University, and the Office of the Provost; (iv) provision of information for faculty, students, and administration; and (vi) representation of the School of Medicine in interactions with international institutions.

 

 

 

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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Publication
    A Comparison of Five Introductory Textbooks in Global Health
    (2011-03-01) Nathanson, Neal; Hall, Thomas
    A Review of: Essentials of global health, by R. Skolnik, Sudbury, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2008, 322 pp., including index and supplementary materials, US$57 (paperback), ISBN 13: 978-0-7637-3421-3; ISBN 10: 0-7637-3421-7 Understanding global health, edited by W.H. Markle, M. Fisher and R. Smego, Columbus, McGraw Hill, 2007, 361 pp., including index and supplemental materials, US$35 (paperback), ISBN 13: 978-0-07-148784-9; ISBN 10: 0-07-148784-0 Global health, an introductory textbook, by A. Lindstrand, S. Bergstrom, H. Rosling, B. Rubenson, B. Stenson and T. Tylleskar, Denmark, Studentlitteratur, 2006, 310 pp., including index and supplemental materials, US$35 (paperback), ISBN 978-91-44- 02198-0 An introduction to international health, by M. Seear, Toronto, Canadian Scholars Press, 2007, 352 pp., including index and supplemental materials, US$49 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-55130-327-7 Introduction to global health, by K.H. Jacobsen, Sudbury, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2008, 366 pp., including index and supplemental materials, US$43 (paperback), ISBN 13: 978-0-7637-5159-3; ISBN 10: 0-7637-5159-6
  • Publication
    The Afya Bora Consortium: An Africa-US Partnership to Train Leaders in Global Health
    (2011-06-01) Farquhar, Carey; Nathanson, Neal
    The Afya Bora Consortium is a partnership of 8 academic health institutions, 4 in Africa and 4 in the United States. The Consortium is developing a Global Health Leadership Fellowship for medical, nursing, and public health professionals, largely drawn from the 4 African partner countries. The fellowship provides trainees with practical skills to prepare them for future positions leading the design, implementation, and evaluation of large, high-impact programs in governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and academic health institutions in their own countries. This article describes a Pilot of the proposed program.
  • Publication
    Eradication of Poliovirus: Fighting Fire With Fire
    (2011-04-01) Nathanson, Neal
  • Publication
    From Emergence to Eradication: The Epidemiology of Poliomyelitis Deconstructed
    (2010-10-25) Nathanson, Neal
    Poliomyelitis has appeared in epidemic form, become endemic on a global scale, and been reduced to nearelimination, all within the span of documented medical history. Epidemics of the disease appeared in the late 19th century in many European countries and North America, following which polio became a global disease with annual epidemics. During the period of its epidemicity, 1900–1950, the age distribution of poliomyelitis cases increased gradually. Beginning in 1955, the creation of poliovirus vaccines led to a stepwise reduction in poliomyelitis, culminating in the unpredicted elimination of wild polioviruses in the United States by 1972. Global expansion of polio immunization resulted in a reduction of paralytic disease from an estimated annual prevaccine level of at least 600,000 cases to fewer than 1,000 cases in 2000. Indigenous wild type 2 poliovirus was eradicated in 1999, but unbroken localized circulation of poliovirus types 1 and 3 continues in 4 countries in Asia and Africa. Current challenges to the final eradication of paralytic poliomyelitis include the continued transmission of wild polioviruses in endemic reservoirs, reinfection of polio-free areas, outbreaks due to circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses, and persistent excretion of vaccine-derived poliovirus by a few vaccinees with B-cell immunodeficiencies. Beyond the current efforts to eradicate the last remaining wild polioviruses, global eradication efforts must safely navigate through an unprecedented series of endgame challenges to assure the permanent cessation of all human poliovirus infections.