Healthy, Happy, and Hopeful in Tamale: A Summer Internship in Tamale, Ghana by Brittany Hubert

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Page 1: Healthy, Happy, and Hopeful in Tamale: A Summer Internship in Tamale, Ghana by Brittany Hubert

Healthy, Happy, and Hopeful in TamaleA Summer Internship in Tamale, Ghana

Brittany Hubert, University of Louisville 2014HISTORY AND GENERAL BACKGROUND:: Junior biology major at the University of Louisville with an interest in Public Health 2011 Enrichment trip – molecular biology research in an ecology/biology lab south of Paris, France Last Semester – searched for a dynamic and community-oriented occupation the health field and took interest in Public Health, specifically disease control 2012 Enrichment trip –searched for health care focused internships in a developing country in order to observe areas facing extreme challenges in their health care

• Found that the University of Louisville had many connections with Ghana in West Africa • Opportunity for a community-based internship with access to health care facilities presented itself in the form of a summer internship with the Sister Cities of Louisville (SCL)/Sister Cities of

Tamale (SCT)• Sister Cities of Tamale is located in Tamale, Ghana in the northern region of the country (see map)• Internship lasted 8 weeks and consisted of three separate projects oriented towards improving my understanding of both Ghanaian culture and health care

GOALS: Sister Cities: Acquire footage of interviews of local scholars sponsored by the Zo-Simli-Naa Scholarship and Aid Fund Personal: Gain insight into both the expectations of a career in public health and the types of jobs available in the health fieldProject 1: Interviewing beneficiaries of the Zo-Simli-Naa

Scholarship and Aid Fund

PROJECT BACKGROUND:• The Zo-Simli-Naa (“Chief of Friendship”) Scholarship and

Aid Fund was established in 1999 by Dr. Susan Herlin (Chief Zo-Simli-Naa) and SCT to fund the education of “brilliant but needy students” in Tamale

• The fund has sponsored over 250 students during 4 years of high school and the first year of university

MY TASK:• Interviewed ~50 past and present beneficiaries about• personal history, financial, and how their plans for the

future changed after receiving the aid.• Presently in process of editing videos to make one 5

minute video to show potential donors in America in order to increase the amount of funding available to qualified students

IMPRESSION:• Outside support and aid is severely limited • Brilliant students are prevented from providing their

community with needed skills due to unnecessary fees

Project 2: Teaching Integrated Science to Form 2 students at Zo-Simli-Naa Junior Secondary School

PROJECT BACKGROUND:• Junior Secondary School is comparable to late junior high

or early high school years• Form 2 is the second year of Junior Secondary School.• Integrated Sciences consists of Biology, Chemistry, and

PhysicsMY TASK:• Taught two Form 2 classes (~70 girls) three days a week.• Topics taught: Infections and disease; Heredity; and Food

and NutritionIMPRESSION:• More importance needs to be placed on gaining an

education• Schools need renovations to provide more ideal learning

environments• Educational system needs restructuring in order to allow

for the success of more students• More teachers are needed in primary and secondary

schools

Project 3: Visit and Observe Hospitals and Health Care Clinics

PROJECT BACKGROUND:• Used SCT relations with Tamale Ministry of Health to set-up

week long visits to three Child and Maternal Health Clinics in Tamale.

• Clinics offer free services to women who have children or are expecting

MY TASK:• Shadowed nurses in all departments of the clinics, including:

Registration, Immunizations, Family Planning, and Antenatal Health.

• Accompanied nurses to health talks at local primary schools (see photo above).

• Performed house visits and promoted visiting clinics• Visited and observed laboratories and wards at Tamale

Teaching HospitalIMPRESSION:• Better incentives should be offered to health care

professionals• The general public needs to be better informed of the

standards good health and its importance

Meeting with the former Vice President of Ghana

With Students from the Zo-Simli-Naa Girls JSS

Beneficiaries at the Tamale Islamic Senior Secondary School

OVERALL IMPACT: There are a number of obstacles preventing Ghana from attaining a higher standard of health

care including but not limited to: • Flaws in the education system• Lack of health care information to the general public• Economic discouragement for health care professionals

Discovered a passion for bettering quality of life through increased educational opportunities and adequate health care

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE:

I will gain more knowledge in the areas of public health including disease control and epidemiology.

2013 Enrichment project: Explore opportunities with an agency such as the CDC or WHO in order to further experience and knowledge in areas of public health, specifically epidemiology and disease control

Later: Teach public health at a tertiary institution

With the Chief Zo-Simli-Naa at the SCT annual Potluck