Global Health
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about one in four children under age 18 in the United States has at least one foreign-born parent.1 Nearly 44 million people in the United States are immigrants, and more than 1 million arrive in the United States each year.2 It is increasingly likely that a child will come to a U.S. pediatrician with an illness more commonly seen in other countries. These children also bring their own language and cultural backgrounds. The globalization of society has brought an increasing appreciation of the borderless nature of health.
Pediatric training programs are working to respond to these demographic trends by offering cross-cultural training experiences. (Photo: Dr. Cynthia Krull, currently a general pediatrician at Children's Minnesota Hugo Clinic, participated in an elective rotation in Ghana as a senior pediatric resident at the University of Minnesota.)
With funding from the ABP Foundation, the ABP is committed to supporting pediatric trainees and practicing pediatricians through:
- Developing resources that allow physicians to provide care for the increasingly diverse population that exists in nearly every setting of the U.S.
- Partnering with other organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD), the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC), and the Academic Pediatric Association (APA)
ABP Foundation-Supported Projects
The ABP Foundation supports a targeted group of projects to improve the standards for global health training and increase opportunities.
Global Health Task Force
In 2013, the ABP formed the Global Health Task Force (GHTF) to develop a strategic plan for domestic and international efforts around global child health. The priorities identified for this group have blossomed into a robust collection of activities, resources and partnerships. A milestone for this group was the convening of a Pediatric Global Health Leadership Conference, co-sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which brought together ~50 leaders in global child health and graduate medical education to identify needs of trainees, trainers, and practicing pediatricians, as well as opportunities for partnership and collaboration. The momentum from this conference was sustained by involving participants in one or more work groups, each led by a member of the GHTF.
Global Health in Pediatric Education: An Implementation Guide for Program Directors
Educators have seen significant changes in the field of GH education over the past two decades, with calls for universal pre-departure preparation for GH electives, increased emphasis on stateside GH training, and awareness of the ethical issues pertaining to short-term GH experiences. Meeting the demands of applicants and stakeholders in GH education is difficult for graduate medical educators, particularly when some of these training interests fall outside of core curriculum requirements. The authors developed this Guide to help busy educators implement pediatric GH education — both stateside and internationally — as easily as possible, regardless of program size or budget. Resources include suggestions for GH competencies, strategies for integrating GH education into existing frameworks, free online curricula, adaptable templates for GH-related policies and procedures, comprehensive checklists, and more.
MOC Part 2 Self-Assessments
- Refugee and Immigrant Health Care (login required)
The Refugee and Immigrant Health Care Self-Assessment addresses a broad range of topics in refugee and immigrant health care for children. - Global Health Professionalism and Ethics (login required)
The Global Health Professionalism and Ethics Self-Assessment addresses a broad range of professional and ethical issues encountered when engaging in global health work.
ABP Foundation-Supported Publications
Pediatrics State-of-the-Art Review Series:
- Partnerships for Global Child Health
- Preparation for Working in Resource-Limited Settings
- The Collaborative Role of North American Departments of Pediatrics in Global Child Health
- Pediatricians and Global Health: Opportunities and Considerations for Meaningful Engagement
Pediatrics Global Health Monthly Features:
- Supporting Global Health at the Pediatric Department Level – Why and How
- Maintenance of Certification: You Can Make Your Global Health Work Count?
- Maximizing Impact: Evaluation in Global Child Health Education, Clinical Practice and Research (accepted for publication)
GHTF Presentations
"Global Child Health: A Necessity, Not an Option" Webinar
Dr. Sabrina Butteris, Dr. Nikki St Clair, Dr. Jonathan Klein, Dr. Maneesh Batra, and Dr. Chandy John — all members of the GHTF — presented a webinar to the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs in September 2016 to discuss why GH has become relevant for all Departments of Pediatrics, what needs to be done to prepare trainees and faculty to engage in GH work, what costs are associated with GH programs, and how different departments have approached funding these activities.
"Global Health Engagement by Practicing Pediatricians" Poster
Dr. Maneesh Batra of the GHTF presented a poster (PDF) at the 2019 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting, sharing the 2018 MOCA-Peds Survey results pertaining to global child health.
"Fellows Abroad: National Landscape of Global Health Opportunities in Pediatric Fellowships" Poster
Dr. Heather Crouse of the GHTF presented a poster (PDF) at the 2019 Association of Pediatric Program Directors meeting and the 2019 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting, sharing results from a cross-sectional survey distributed to all ACGME- and APA-Accredited fellowship programs.
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