Global Health Corps: Adapting & Evolving to Advance Health Equity

 

Dear friends,  The world has undergone seismic changes in recent years. A global pandemic, racial justice reckoning, and accelerating climate change have intersected with both incredible breakthroughs and heartbreaking setbacks in health. We know we urgently need more great health leaders who are empathetic and committed to equity; skilled at building trust and collaborating; and bold and innovative. And great leaders aren’t born — they’re nurtured early and often. That’s why, as you may have heard, we recently made the strategic decision to evolve our legacy placement-based fellowship in Africa to launch our Africa Leadership Accelerator. This model will build on the incredible foundation we’ve already laid in our 15 years of developing health leaders. Through this model, we’ll be able to reach more emerging leaders across Sub-Saharan Africa with our award-winning training, coaching and mentorship, and tight-knit network.  In the year ahead, we’ll also keep advancing our vision through our U.S. fellowship, our alumni program, and custom leadership and management trainings. And of course, we’ll continue to adapt and innovate in pursuit of our unwavering mission of mobilizing emerging leaders for health equity.  Read on for some exciting updates from our community!  Warmly, Heather Anderson CEO, Global Health Corps  P.S. A very special thank you to the many partners and applicants across Sub-Saharan who were hoping to work with us through our legacy program this year. We are grateful for your passion and hope you'll stay in touch to about other collaboration opportunities.

U.S. Fellowship Apps are now CLOSED! Pictured above: GHC's 2023-2024 fellowship cohort at Essex Woods. Thank you to all who applied for our 2024-2025 U.S. Fellowship! We received applications from emerging public health leaders across the country advancing health equity in issue areas like maternal health, sexual and reproductive health, and community health. Our team is hard at work selecting the next cohort, which will be announced in June. Here are a few highlights of what our 2023-2024 fellows have been up to since their September retreat:  Simone Snead was recently named one of Temple University's (her alma mater!) 30 Under 30 for her work advancing maternal health.  Emma Hunter was a featured speaker at the Women Making Waves conference in New Orleans.  Amira Iwuala penned a piece for Alliance to End Hunger's blog on the consequences of a felony ban on SNAP benefits.  DeMarre Richmond was spotlighted by the KFC Foundation as a featured scholarship recipient in honor of the foundation's 25th anniversary.  Up next, our 2023-2024 fellows will convene in San Antonio in May to close out their fellowship year and transition into our alumni community. The retreat will kick off with a public reception with health and business leaders in San Antonio. Fellows will connect and present case study projects and personal leadership narratives to the group.   She Leads: Women Shaping the Future of Health We celebrated International Women's Day in NYC at an event generously hosted by GHC supporter Mia Jung. This salon-style discussion featured a dynamic panel of women working to advance equity across the health sector who shared stories from the journeys that shaped them into the leaders they are today.  Pictured above — moderator and speakers, from left to right:  Heather Anderson, CEO of Global Health Corps  Kate Ryder, Founder & CEO of Maven Dr. Adaeze Enekwechi, Former Head of Health Programs at the White House under President Obama Kiera Kenney, MSW, GHC alumna, Program Director of the Health Federation of Philadelphia  Participatory Approaches to Community Health “As leaders, we have the responsibility to change lives in a participatory way. Populations of young people are often written off when they are just as bright, eager, and enthusiastic as anyone else.”  Last month, Walden University’s Dr. Michael Schwab joined our U.S. fellows for a special edition of their Leadership Academy series–a monthly session where the cohort convenes to learn from featured speakers. Dr. Schwab shared insights on community health, unpacking systems design, and the importance of seeking balance in leadership. Moderated by GHC alumna Sonya Soni, the discussion drove home the need for participatory, community-centered approaches to ensure lasting impact in advancing health in your communities. Walden University is part of Adtalem Global Education, whose Foundation is a dedicated supporter of our U.S. fellowship. We remain thankful to our partners at the Adtalem Global Education Foundation for tapping into their bench of public health experts to pass on wisdom to our next-gen health equity leaders. Special thanks to Sonya and Dr. Schwab for inspiring us to be bold in our pursuit of healthy communities for all!  Dispatches from the GHC Community In response to the recent cholera outbreak in Zambia, our local alumni formed the GHC Cholera Emergency Response, supporting local leaders with PCP distribution and providing prevention education.  Ugandan alumna Catherine Guntesse spoke at the annual Girls Summit Uganda advocating for an end to child marriage to address underlying health issues.  Texas-based fellow Paris Acosta (right) was featured in ProFellow about her journey to maternal health, becoming a mother and doula, and how being a GHC fellow supports her growth as a leader and public health professional.  Chisha Chola, 2023-2024 Zambian fellow placed in Malawi, documented impact stories for Amref Health Africa and WaterAid's campaign promoting WASH initiatives in rural communities.  GHC at Upcoming Events Clinton Global Initiative will be hosting GHC for an installment of their virtual Deeper Dive series on April 4th. U.S. Program Manager Hima Patel, U.S. fellow Simone Snead, and Betsy Fuller of Bloomberg Philanthropies will reflect on the impact and vision for our U.S. fellowship.  Will you be at WomenLift Health's Global Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on April 6th-8th? Reply and let us know! GHC alumni and our Senior Director of Communications and Development, Brittany Cesarini, will be attending and facilitating sessions. CEO Heather Anderson and Rwanda Country Director Jean René (uncle) Shema will be attending this year's Skoll World Forum April 9th-12th in Oxford, UK. Let us know if you'll be there!

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