Study Abroad Trip to Kampala, Uganda
Program Description:
The program is aimed to provide an educational, applied, and cultural opportunity for up to 15 students interested in public health research and practice in the epidemiology of alcohol use and alcohol-related harm (including violence, injuries, and HIV) in Uganda. Students will be introduced to information about public health issues from a global perspective. Through mentoring and hands on experiential activities, students will gain invaluable knowledge and skills that will augment their academic preparations at GSU.
The program develops coursework around the global epidemiology of alcohol use, particularly in vulnerable populations. The course will place special emphasis on the structural drivers of alcohol use and alcohol-related harm including injuries, violence and HIV primarily among youth and young adults. Instructions will be provided by GSU professors and professors at Makerere University in Kampala, as well as by local Non-governmental Organizational partners who work in the alcohol prevention field or health promotion more broadly. Our key collaborator, the Makerere University is a flagship university in Eastern Africa. The university is considered highly prestigious and is very research active with substantial research funding from the U.S.
Course Description:
The course will present issues in contemporary alcohol epidemiology research and examine alcohol use and alcohol-related harm among vulnerable populations. The course will allow program participants to explore and understand these issues in a global context, particularly, as related to the Ugandan population in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, it will examine the intersection of three major epidemics (i.e., alcohol use, gender-based violence, and HIV), particularly among women, and appropriate prevention strategies and policy initiatives.
I will be using this trip as my practicum opportunity and will be conducting my own research outside of the group.
Practicum Title: A comparative analysis of traditional healers and Western-trained practitioners in the treatment of substance abuse in Kampala, Uganda
Proposed Dates: from 05/08/2016 through 05/31/2016
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Practicum Description: (Describe the nature and scope of the proposed project)
My practicum experience will be to utilize my MPH knowledge to conduct a small comparative research project in Kampala, Uganda aimed at understanding the impact of traditional healers and Western-trained practitioners in the treatment of substance use in Kampala.
The ratio of individuals to traditional healers in Uganda is 290:1 compared to 10,000:1 ratio for Western-trained practitioners in urban areas and 50,000:1 in rural areas. Roughly 80% of the population rely on traditional healers for a variety of reasons; they are more readily available, affordable and are accepted and trusted by the communities in which they live.
During the Spring Semester, I will conduct a literature review and annotated bibliography. Based on information gathered, I will create questions to ask hospital or rehabilitation personnel and traditional healers. Most questions asked will be the same, however, I reserve the right to tweak questions or add new ones as interviews progress. I would like to begin an e-mail correspondence with Mutaawe Rogers, Dr. Swahn’s close contact in Uganda. I would like to ask for his help identifying and contacting tradition healers in the Kampala. I have found it difficult to identify Traditional Healers via the internet and would like to set up interviews prior to departure. If necessary, I may have to voyage out in the first few day of the trip and organize times to visit and interview healer.
While in country, I will conduct an environmental scan (documented with pictures) of alcohol propaganda. I will look to see how alcohol is marketed and towards what populations propaganda is geared. I will also do a scan for informational bulletins describing signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse and available treatment options. I will visit two hospitals, Mulago Hospital (public) and International Hospital Kampala (private). Interviews will be conducted with both hospital personnel and patients (if allowed). Interviews with personnel will target policies regarding admittance and treatment of individuals who present with alcohol abuse related problems. Interviews with patients will focus on why they chose a public/private hospital. I want to visit a public and private hospital to account for all possible uses of western medicine to handle alcohol abuse and hear reasons why people visit either/or. I will also visit two substance abuse rehabilitation centers. Hospitals offer medicinal help in emergency situations but rehabilitation centers work with individuals who have identified that they have a problem and are seeking treatment. Hope and Beyond uses western medicine while Serenity Centre applies a holistic approach in treatment. I will conduct interviews with both personnel and patients (if allowed). Interviews with personnel will focus on policies while interviews with patients will be focused on personal beliefs, why they chose the specific facility and whether they have found it successful.
The data being collected will be qualitative. During interviews I will take notes and I will also record all interviews, if granted permission by interviewee. I will then transcribe all records and identify common themes in responses.
From this practicum experience I will have the opportunity to practice interviewing, conducting qualitative data analysis, and developing relationships with health care providers and community members. Gaining research experience in Africa is important to me because I would like to work in Africa conducting more research and tracking disease after I graduate.