Which community-based interventions are most successful in improving and eliminating food insecurity and child malnutrition in resource-limited settings? This is one of the many questions a student will attempt to answer as they work with a local community health promoter who is the director of the Siete Semillas program, a family and community-based intervention to provide enriched flour made from locally-produced nutrient and calorically rich seeds to malnourished children. The student will be involved in all aspects of the program, including flour production, talks given by the community health promoter, and growth monitoring. They will conduct a formal evaluation of the enriched flour product on the growth, health and well-being of the children. Spanish proficiency required. Visit www.dghonline.org for more information.

What are the major acute and chronic diseases that affect people in rural El Salvador and what can be done to eliminate or mitigate them? The student will work with local physician and community health promoters in a busy rural clinic to understand local epidemiology of disease; prevention, care and treatment of common illnesses; and innovative strategies to improve health outcomes. Areas of focus include pediatric health, women’s health, and geriatric health. Spanish proficiency required. Visit www.dghonline.org for more information.

What are the challenges of delivering care to persons living with HIV/AIDS and what are some innovative strategies to educate at risk populations and prevent HIV transmission? Comite Contra SIDA (Committee Against AIDS, CoCoSI) is a dynamic youth group working in HIV, gender violence, STD and pregnancy prevention in Santa Marta, El Salvador using innovative pedagogical techniques such as theater and radio programs. CoCoSI is a partner of Doctors for Global Health and was the 2011 Recipient of the UNAIDS Red Ribbon Award for its community-based HIV work. The student will interact with CoCoSI youth to conduct a formal evaluation of CoCoSI’s projects and programs. There will be opportunities to work with CoCoSI youth during home visits; running radio programs; teaching HS students, incarcerated female gang members, and sex workers. Spanish proficiency required. Visit www.dghonline.org for more information.

How can existing, innovative mobile applications be leveraged to improve community health promoter training? A collaboration among Doctors for Global Health (DGH, non-profit organization engaged in health and community development projects in Latin America, Mexico, and Africa), Hesperian Foundation (non-profit publisher of community oriented healthcare manuals such as Where There is No Doctor, one of most widely used health-care manuals in the world), and Unamesa (company that creates innovative technologies for educational purposes) will embark on a project to explore this. Objective is to create a mobile health application that can be used by community health promoters (CHP) to improve their fund of knowledge, diagnostic and treatment skills in order to improve the health and well-being of the people they serve in resource-limited settings. The student will work with DGH to conduct an educational needs assessment of CHP at DGH partner sites; conduct pre and post testing of CHP’s knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about key causes of child and adult morbidity and mortality in resource-limited settings; evaluate successes and challenges of the project using process and outcomes measures. Spanish proficiency required. Visit www.dghonline.org for more information.

With epidemiologic transitions (i.e. a shift from acute infectious diseases to increased prevalence of chronic illness) occurring in many resource limited countries, what can be done to address these emerging chronic illnesses to improve diagnosis and lessen morbidity and mortality? The student will work with the local physician and community health promoters in a busy rural clinic. Research will focus on using the existing electronic medical record database and interviews with key informants (including patients with chronic illnesses and the providers who care for them) to understand the local epidemiology of chronic illnesses; accompany patients to their sub-specialty appointments; and devise strategies for prevention, earlier diagnosis and treatment. Spanish proficiency required. Visit www.dghonline.org for more information.

Great strides have been made in reducing child mortality. Early childhood (i.e. from birth to five years of age) is referred to as a “critical period,” one during which tremendous neuronal growth occurs. Insults and stressors during this time can have a profound and potentially irreversible effect on cognitive development, educational achievement, and final economic success. What can be done to improve the quality of early stimulation to promote optimal child development and educational opportunities? The student will work with local, indigenous teachers from Campesinos para el Desarrollo Humano (Peasants for Human Development) who are responsible for running the Centers for Integrated Child Development for 2-4year olds in rural communities in El Salvador. The student will assist the teachers and a DGH volunteer who is a specialist in early child development to perform developmental, health, and nutritional screening on the children and implement existing or devise new tools to meet the educational needs of the children. Spanish proficiency required. Visit www.dghonline.org for more information.

What are the major acute and chronic diseases amongst hospitalized patients in Chiapas, Mexico and what can be done to eliminate or mitigate them? The student will work with local physicians and nurses in a busy rural hospital to understand local epidemiology of disease; prevention, care and treatment of common illnesses; and innovative strategies to improve health outcomes. Hospital provides adult and pediatric care, surgery, and OB/GYN services. Spanish proficiency required. Visit www.dghonline.org for more information.