[Pho Doan]

Question #1: What barriers exist to expansion of faculty development programming in LMIC (low and middle income) settings?

I believe that developing mutually respectful and trustworthy relationships with partners in LMIC settings is a significant barrier to expanding faculty development programming due to cultural differences, power dynamics, resource disparities, and previous negative experiences. Effective partnerships require understanding local customs, ensuring equitable resource distribution, involving local faculty in decision-making, and fostering long-term commitment. Transparent communication and aligning programs with local priorities are essential to avoid perceived inequalities and exploitation, and ultimately building trust and enhancing the program’s impact.

Question #2: Which habit of exemplary clinical teaching is translatable to education in LMIC (low and middle income) settings? Can you provide an example of effective implementation from your own experience?

In my opinion, staying practical in the context of the culture and resources of LMIC settings ensures educational content is relevant, feasible, and sustainable. By focusing on local health issues, using locally available materials, integrating culturally relevant practices, and involving local faculty and communities, educational programs become more engaging and applicable. This approach builds local capacity, fosters better student-teacher relationships, and strengthens community trust, leading to more effective and meaningful learning outcomes that address specific local challenges.

[Pho Doan]

Question 1: What additional elements would be necessary for universal health coverage to be effective?

According to the article, currently, most healthcare resources are allocated to tertiary and beyond care, which focuses on specialized, high-cost treatments for advanced diseases. Thus, in my opinion, shifting resources toward primary care is essential for making universal healthcare more effective because primary care emphasizes preventive measures, early intervention, and chronic disease management, which can prevent more severe health issues and reduce overall healthcare costs. Additionally, primary care enhances accessibility and equity, particularly in underserved areas, and fosters comprehensive, continuous care and better coordination of services. By investing in primary care, healthcare systems can improve health outcomes, promote healthier lifestyles, and achieve greater efficiency and sustainability.

Question 2: What actions could improve community health workers career prospects?

Currently, the most significant barrier to community health care’s career prospects is the low compensation rate. Thus, I believe that allocating more financial resources to increase their salaries can significantly improve their career prospects by attracting talented individuals, reducing turnover rates, and enhancing job satisfaction. Higher pay reflects the value of CHWs’ contributions, boosts morale, and provides economic stability, allowing them to focus on their work and pursue further education and career advancement opportunities. Additionally, well-compensated CHWs are more motivated and effective, leading to improved community health outcomes and creating a positive feedback loop that elevates the profession and strengthens healthcare services.

[Pho Doan]

Question 1: What actions can healthcare educators take to help their learners to reduce cross-cultural barriers?

In my opinion and according to the article, cross-cultural training in healthcare is crucial for reducing barriers and enhancing care quality. It ensures person-centred, coordinated care by tailoring plans to patients’ cultural backgrounds, creating a quality-focused culture that values diverse perspectives, and improving patient experiences through effective communication and empathy. Additionally, it promotes self-awareness among providers, helping them recognize and address their biases. Practical implementation includes interactive workshops, reflective exercises, guest speakers, and continuous education, enabling healthcare providers to deliver more effective, respectful, and person-centered care.

Question 2: What prevention interventions could best help reduce consequences of complex humanitarian emergencies resulting from wars?

Increasing humanitarian access and protection significantly reduces the consequences of complex humanitarian emergencies resulting from wars by ensuring the timely delivery of essential aid, safeguarding civilians, and providing critical healthcare. The accessible aids and resources prevent disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and educational disruptions, while also facilitating the restoration of livelihoods and promoting self-sufficiency. It also enhances coordination among humanitarian actors, upholds international humanitarian law, and ensures comprehensive and efficient aid delivery, ultimately reducing suffering and fostering long-term recovery and stability.

[Pho Doan]

Question 1: What actions are most important to improve global nutrition?

In my opinion, focusing on food systems and enhancing food security is crucial for improving nutrition. It ensures the availability and accessibility of a diverse range of nutritious foods, combating malnutrition, hunger, and diet-related diseases. Improved food systems lead to better overall health by providing essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Strong food systems create employment opportunities, boost local economies, and enhance people’s ability to purchase and consume healthy foods. They also increase resilience to crises like natural disasters and economic downturns, ensuring a stable food supply and consistent nutritional intake.

Question 2: In your opinion, what are today’s greatest obstacles to progress in global health?

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is emerging as the greatest barrier to global health progress due to their high prevalence and mortality. This factor is exacerbated due to the increase of aging population. Their chronic nature put a continuous strain on healthcare systems and leading to prolonged illness, disability, and reduced quality of life. The economic burden of NCDs is substantial, encompassing direct costs like medical care and medications and indirect costs such as lost productivity. NCDs disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, exacerbating health inequities due to limited access to healthcare and resources.

[Pho Doan]

Question 1: Which, in your opinion, are the two most powerful pathways to improving infant growth in lower income communities?

I believe that in poor-income nations, breastfeeding as well as education and peer support have the most powerful impact on improving infant growth. While breastfeeding provides essential nutrients and antibodies, protecting infants from malnutrition and infections that hinder growth, education equips mothers with knowledge on breastfeeding techniques and the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, ensuring infants receive adequate nutrition during critical developmental stages. Peer support offers emotional encouragement and practical advice, helping mothers overcome breastfeeding challenges and maintain breastfeeding practices. Together, these elements create a supportive environment that promotes sustained breastfeeding, leading to healthier, well-nourished infants and improved growth outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Question 2: In the context of India, what are potentially the most powerful interventions to broadly improve maternal health?

In my opinion, solving caste/ethnicity inequality is the most powerful intervention to improve maternal health. Caste/ethnicity is a unique social/cultural aspect of India. It has been having a long history and powerful cultural influence on every individual in India. In many ways, an individual’s caste can influence on the other social/economical factors such as education, income, career … Thus for pregnant women it also strongly influence on the family structure, health education and access to maternal medical care. Especially for those in “lower caste”, resources to adequate care can be severely hindered.
Solving caste and ethnicity inequality addresses the root causes of disparities in maternal health by ensuring equal access to healthcare, improving the quality of care, empowering marginalized women. These interventions create a holistic and sustainable improvement in maternal health outcomes in India. This comprehensive approach not only benefits individual women but also strengthens the overall healthcare system and promotes social justice.

[Pho Doan]

Question #1: From your perspective, why are people living in poverty most likely to suffer from TB, and how should this fact influence efforts to control the disease?

People living in poverty are more likely to suffer from tuberculosis due to overcrowded living conditions, malnutrition, limited access to healthcare, co-existing health conditions, lack of education, and insufficient resources for TB control. These factors create an environment where TB can easily spread and persist. Efforts to control TB should focus on improving living conditions, enhancing nutritional support, increasing access to healthcare, integrating health services.

Question #2: What, in your opinion, are two interventions that would be most effective against neglected tropical diseases?

In my opinion, large-scale treatment and prevention, along with improving drinking water sanitation and hygiene, are highly effective against neglected tropical diseases. Mass drug administration reduces disease prevalence and transmission, is cost-effective, prevents complications, and strengthens community health. Improved water sanitation and hygiene interrupt disease transmission pathways, provide sustainable long-term solutions, enhance overall health and boost general community’s immunity against other pathogens.

[Pho Doan]

Research Priorities for Global Food Security Under Extreme Events. Cell Press, 2022

Question #1: What system-wide changes, in your opinion, would most successfully increase world-wide food security?

I think that transforming food systems is a holistic approach that addresses the root causes of food insecurity. By enhancing agricultural productivity, reducing food loss and waste, ensuring equitable access, empowering farmers, promoting nutrition, implementing sustainable practices, and fostering international cooperation, we can build a resilient and sustainable food system that can provide adequate nutrition for the growing global population.

Measles in the 21st Century- Progress Toward Achieving and Sustaining Elimination. Journal of Infectious Disease, 2021

Question #2: What do you believe are the most substantial barriers to global measles elimination, and how can these be overcome?

In my opinion, misinformation eroding trust and confidence in vaccines is one of the most significant and sustainable barriers to measles elimination because it undermines public health efforts, reduces vaccination coverage, and perpetuates disease transmission.

Therefore, I believe that in order to overcome misinformation about vaccines requires a multifaceted approach that combines effective communication, education, community engagement, policy measures, and efforts to build trust. By addressing misinformation proactively and supporting evidence-based public health strategies, we can improve vaccine coverage, protect communities from measles, and move closer to the goal of measles elimination.

[Pho Doan]

My name í Pho Doan, upcoming OMS-2 at William Carey University. I worked as a medical assistant and Vietnamese medical interpreter and a phlebotomist at a major medical center in Tacoma, Washington. By participating in the Global Health Track, I aim to stay updated with global health trends, innovative practices, and diverse healthcare systems, thereby enhancing my ability to contribute meaningfully to healthcare initiatives worldwide. My goal is to establish a primary practice in the United States while also collaborating with global organizations to address healthcare disparities and promote health equity globally.

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