International Health Mentorship Program

Shortly after I arrived in Guyana, another intern suggested I become a health mentor and share my experience. I have two medical students that I am mentoring. Below is a description of the project as well as some resources that were sent out in an email and I thought I would share for those who are interested in health systems and global health. If you are a medical student or an international health professional of any kind, I recommend getting involved!

From http://ihmp.cfms.org/:

The International Health Mentorship Project (IHMP) is a Canada-wide project that began in November 2006. The project links experts in international health and development with medical students for the sake of communication, knowledge and network building. We believe that in order for future medical professionals to be most useful internationally, they must learn from those professionals who are experts in the international health sector. We believe that through education, health professionals in Canada can be more culturally sensitive, sustainable in their approach, and effective in global health.

From email by IHMP Resource Group:

“1. WHO: Health Systems. Found online at: http://www.who.int/topics/health_systems/en/ .

This is a great place to start. This site provides statistics, publications, general information, and related WHO links to topics in health systems. It provides a good foundation for grasping the broad realm that is information systems, and their importance in the effective delivery of healthcare.

2. WHO: Management for Health Services Delivery. Found online at: http://www.who.int/management/en/ .

The site provides a very brief and theoretical overview of health management systems and models. Directed at health management professionals, there are a number of modules, tools, topical resources, and current news updates on health management practices.

3. WHO Health Metrics Network and Global Atlas*. Found online at: http://www.who.int/healthmetrics/en/ , and http://www.who.int/globalatlas/default.asp*.

What are institutions and world leaders doing about environmental health issues? Check out this site for an overview and updates on some WHO lead projects.

4. Improving Health for the World's Poor: What Can Health Professionals Do?** Pages 11-18. Found online at: http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/PDFImprovinghealth/$FILE/improvinghealth.pdf.

Targeted at health professionals, this report discusses the health effects of both climate change and clean water. Each chapter concludes with some suggestions for action.

In addition to written resources, there are some multimedia clips online relating to healthcare systems. The following photoessays are found on the BBC website, and highlight the improvements, hope and resilience of healthcare systems in Kenya and Tanzania .

Found online at: http://www.who.int/features/africaworking/en/index.html ***”

* I really enjoyed exploring the Global Atlas site. With the click of a mouse, you can look at the HIV prevalence in adult incident TB cases or the gender distribution by occupation in health workforces. The stats are as up-to-date as is available.

** This article provided a snapshot of some health system and global concerns, including climate change, clean water and obesity. Each chapter was presented clearly and ended with a “what can you do” to make a change.

*** These photoessays were interesting to read/see because I know interns working in Rwanda and Tanzania, plus the electronic health information system is similar to what I am doing here, only a different approach.

When I get some more resources, I’ll be sure to share!!