2023 MUSC Global Health Week

Thank you to all of the speakers, volunteers and attendees who helped make the 2023 MUSC Global Health Week a success! The MUSC Center for Global Health is proud to bring experts and students together, from around the world, to broaden their understanding and appreciation of global health.

Access On-Demand Recordings

On-demand recordings are available for the the following sessions from the 2023 Global Health Week. Please click the link to view the recorded program:

To learn more about each of the programs, including faculty involved, please continue reading.

Monday, April 17

Implementing Telemental Health Programs in Low Resourced Contexts in Latin America and the Caribbean

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Telehealth offers an innovative way to address significant gaps in access to care; however, implementation in low resourced contexts can be particularly challenging. This session explained how telehealth has impacted equity and inclusion for underserved youth in trauma-focused services in Colombia and Puerto Rico. Panelists will explore ways to increase equity in access to telehealth services; implementation and dissemination efforts for providing training and technical assistance for trauma-focused telehealth programs in low resourced contexts; and clinical perspectives of implementing telehealth in global contexts with trauma-exposed youth.

Regan Stewart, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Director, Telehealth Outreach Program for Traumatic Stress
Medical University of South Carolina

Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center
Medical University of South Carolina

Daniel Fernandez
Director, Fundación Los Pisingos
Bogotá, Colombia

Dulce del Rio-Pineda
Co-Founder and Organization Coordinator, Mujeres de Islas
Culebra, Puerto Rico

Tuesday, April 18

Reducing Premature Deaths from Smoking: International Tobacco Control Interventions

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Cigarette use currently causes more than eight million deaths annually, with a projected death toll of one billion premature deaths by the end of the 21st century. Panelists will describe their efforts to promote programs and policies to reduce smoking related premature deaths around the globe. This includes efforts 1) to promote smoking cessation among oncology patients in the U.S. and Canada; 2) to implement tobacco control policies in Mexico and other Latin American countries; and 3) highlight research on nicotine focused policies to change the trajectory of cigarette use in different countries.

Tracy Smith, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Cancer Prevention and Control, Hollings Cancer Center
Medical University of South Carolina

James Thrasher, Ph.D., MA, MS
Professor, Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior
Arnold School of Public Health
University of South Carolina

Graham Warren M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Mary M. Gilbreth Endowed Chair of Clinical Oncology
Vice Chairman for Research in Radiation Oncology
Medical University of South Carolina

Wednesday, April 19

Global Health Debate: Should Gain of Function Research on Potential Pathogens be Allowed?

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This issue has been hotly contested since the global COVID-19 pandemic, with unproven speculation that at the Wuhan Institute of Virology they used gain of function techniques that generated COVID-19. Many also argue that without this type of research we will hamstring the research community’s capacity to develop therapeutics, vaccines, and better understand the risks of emerging infectious pathogens.

Paula Traktman, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Graduate Studies
Hirschmann Endowed Professor
Depts of Microbiology & Immunology
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Medical University of South Carolina

Patrick Flume, M.D.
Associate Vice President for Clinical Research
Powers-Huggins Endowed Chair for Cystic Fibrosis
Professor, Medicine and Pediatrics
Medical University of South Carolina

Palliative Care for Cancer Patients in India

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This session will focus on the landscape of palliative care for cancer patients in low-and middle-income countries and how it could be improved through research. Panelists will also discuss their active research study on developing a model for delivering home-based palliative care to cancer patients in the eastern region of India.

Moderator: Martina Mueller, Ph.D.
College of Nursing
Medical University of South Carolina

Kathleen Cartmell, Ph.D., MPH
Associate Professor
Department of Public Health Sciences
Clemson University

Gaurav Kumar, M.D.
Palliative Care Consultant
Department of Palliative Care and Psycho-Oncology
Tata Medical Center
Kolkata, India

Suparna Qanungo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director for Global Health
College of Nursing
Medical University of South Carolina

Thursday, April 20

Keynote: A Surgeon’s Journey from Community Health to Global Health

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Dr. Rodas will share his unique experience and perspective on the challenges in global healthcare delivery and global health education: featuring how remote and underserved populations’ struggles in healthcare inspired nonconventional solutions with robust community participation. This keynote will also highlight the importance of structured medical education for proper engagement in global health fostering sustainable experiences with equitable partnerships.

Edgar B. Rodas, M.D., FACS
Director, VCU Program for Global Surgery
Associate Professor, Acute Care Surgical Services
Virginia Commonwealth University

Friday, April 21

Advancing Equity for Vulnerable Populations Roundtable Discussion

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Join global experts from Bolivia, Ghana, India, The Philippines, and Uganda for a roundtable discussion on Advancing Equity for Vulnerable Populations. Child Family Health International (CFHI) medical directors will share their perspectives on advancing health equity in different contexts and highlight the challenges, barriers, and strategies implemented in their countries. Participate in this incredibly enriching space to learn about similarities and differences around this important topic and be able to draw from these for reflection and action.

Moderator: Dr. Juliana Araya

Panelists:

Dr. Geoffrey Anguyo, Medical Director - Kabale, Uganda
Dr. Joel Buenaventura, Medical Director - The Philippines
Dr. Cecilia Uribe, Medical Director - La Paz, Bolivia
Hema Pandey, Country Director - India
Dr. Charles Nwobu, Medical and Program Director - Ghana

Creative, Simple Solutions in the Field

Hosted by MUSC students, this workshop provideD attendees a hands-on experience in deploying innovative, low-cost solutions to deliver healthcare to patients in low-resource settings and in disaster response situations. Participants learnED about the importance of community engagement and education in promoting healthy behaviors and implementing these solutions effectively. Attendees will gain practical knowledge and skills that can be used to make a positive impact on the health of communities and to help save lives in situations where access to medical supplies and facilities is limited.