August 2023 - This summer, six public health students travelled to Luweero, Uganda to complete malaria data collection and complete a community needs assessment alongside Ndejje University students. This was the university’s first student experience to East Africa.
Throughout their four weeks of data collection, Emma Evans, Marybeth Johnson, Jakub Kreuter, Heather Morrone, Kate Mulholland, and Alyssa Robb were split into groups of four to seven people. Ndejje University students had been completing mandatory field work as a part of their education and assisted UNCW students in the data collection process. Each group was assigned to a different village and were introduced to the village chairperson or their representative who made the students’ presence known to the rest of the village. While English is one of the primary official languages of Uganda, in rural villages, residents are more likely to speak local languages that require a translator. The survey given to residents contained about 80 questions that was collected from 106 different households.
Morrone described her experience as extremely busy. “Four weeks may seem like a long time to be away from home but there is so much work to complete within the four weeks that it goes by really quickly. The work was challenging yet rewarding,” she said.
According to the World Health Organization, Uganda has the world’s highest malaria incidence rate of 478 cases per 1,000 population per year. It is also the leading cause of sickness and death in Uganda and is responsible for up to 40 percent of all outpatient visits, 25 percent of hospital admissions and 14 percent of all hospital deaths. The malaria death rate in Uganda is estimated to be between 70,000 and 100,000 deaths per year; a toll that exceeds that of HIV/AIDS.
Kreuter explains that the time he spent conducting research was incredibly eye opening. “Being able to interact with all these incredibly nice people and get a more complete understanding of their culture was so impactful. One of the big ideas that my professor challenged us to reflect on was the idea of a “single story” which is a view someone forms of a place based on only one perspective. Many people have only one view of Africa as a dry, hot and poor continent. In reality, it is much more complicated. The people of Uganda have a rich culture and they are some of the kindest people I have ever met,” he said.
Kreuter aspires to work as an epidemiologist, collecting disease information in the field and using that data to recommend policy changes. “This trip seemed like a no brainer to me,” Kreuter said. “I will actually be returning next summer to complete my thesis for honors college. Having wanted to conduct fieldwork for a long time, being able to finally dip my toes in the water has been a really awesome experience.”
Morrone pointed out that the most rewarding aspect of this trip was being able to interact with the community and forming bonds with the Ndejje University students. “In fact, since returning, there are several people that still message me on a regular basis and we check up on each other quite often,” she said.
Dr. Michelle Cathorall, associate professor and public health program coordinator, says of the experience, “UNCW and Ndejje University students worked together on each aspect. They gave a brief research presentation at a symposium, and they gave a project presentation at the end to the faculty and students at Ndejje. They worked together and presented together. It is challenging and overwhelming work, but they make lifelong friends and gain invaluable field research, global health, and cultural experience.”
Last year, Dr. Cathorall and Dr. Sabrina Cherry, associate professor in the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences public health program, fostered a partnership between UNCW and Ndejje University, marking the university’s first partnership in East Africa. This resulted in two agreements that outline faculty exchange, student exchange, curriculum development, and other research opportunities. UNCW also supports up to two Ndejje students per year to spend up to a year taking public health classes at UNCW, while participating in the exchange.
Hawk's Eye View: Aldo Plata ’03
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January 31, 2023 - A couple of months into her freshman year, Kalyn Groncki's near-fatal case of COVID-19 also gave her what she now calls a new sense of purpose. She spent 23 days in the hospital. Among her care team were respiratory therapists Veronica Pittman and Cody Powell. Pittman and Powell not only helped her heal, they changed her life. After reading an article in UNCW Magazine that promoted the university’s new respiratory therapy program at the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences, Groncki immediately ripped out the page and taped it to the wall. “This is my goal,” she told herself. “This is what I want to do.” Read more about Groncki's story in this Novant Health NHRMC article.