Chronicles of my Ipas Practicum: Exploring Program Evidence & Climate Resilience

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Hello! I am excited to share with you the details of my summer practicum with Ipas. I started as Program Evidence Intern on May 15, so this is my first blog of the summer. I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences as I blog over the course of my practicum!

Selection Process: I was fortunate enough to be offered this internship with an organization I have long admired. To form connections at Ipas, I reached out to my now preceptor, Sally, during the Fall 2022 semester for an informational interview. During that conversation, Sally recommended I enroll in qualitative analysis coursework and informed me she would soon be looking for a summer intern. I highly recommend networking to my peers and incoming MPH candidates because it is the reason I landed this position, among others. As promised, Sally shared the internship application as soon as it was finalized. Soon after, I interviewed and was offered the position. Networking not only allowed me to make this connection that led me to acquiring my practicum, but also guided me to take a class on qualitative methods, which was highly marketable during my interview.

Company & Role: Ipas is a global organization that works across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to improve access to make safe abortion and contraception widely available, to connect people with vital information so they can access safe services, and to advocate for safe, legal abortion. By building resilient abortion and contraceptive ecosystems using a comprehensive approach across sectors, institutions, and communities, Ipas believes in a world where all people have the right and ability to determine their own sexuality and reproductive health. At Ipas, I work within the Technical Excellence department on the Program Evidence team, which is responsible for strategic guidance and decision-making to ensure evidence-based programming and continual learning. Including myself and my two preceptors, Sally and Val, there are nine people on this team. My role on this team is to partake in the qualitative analysis and dissemination of the project, “Assessing the resilience of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, communities, & individuals to climate change in Samburu County, Kenya.” This study measures climate resilience of the health system and communities impacted by climate crises.

Skill Development: Thus far, the majority of my time has been spent completing new hire trainings assigned by Human Resources and my preceptors to familiarize myself with Ipas and my role within the organization, respectively. This week, I will begin reviewing the study transcripts and summarizing the prevalent themes. By the end of this internship, I expect to further refine my skills in qualitative analysis and communication.

Networking & Professional Growth: There are a variety of individuals I will collaborate with in this role: my preceptors, the remainder of the Program Evidence team, the other Technical Excellence leads, and the other project staff based in Kenya. Outside of my team, I intend to network with other Ipas employees to grow my understanding of the opportunities and work being done at Ipas. As it so happens, Ipas is celebrating 50 years this year and a gala will take place on June 6, which I plan to attend in order to foster these connections. As the organization functions fully remotely, I am excited to meet my coworkers in person.

I cannot wait to share more with you at the end of my practicum experience! It has been a welcoming experience thus far, so I am optimistic and eager to see what there is in store for me.

– Caroline

Assessing Nutritional Status and Empowering the Community: My Experience in Ecuador

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Please note: All pictures shown in this blog have obtained permission for posting.

Join me on a heartfelt journey in Ecuador as I share one of the most impactful experiences from this summer. I had the incredible opportunity to be part of a medical and nutrition brigade in Canoa, where I actively engaged in initiatives that uplifted and empowered those in need. I will share the heartwarming and eye-opening experience of being part of a dedicated team of nutritionists and doctors who seek to improve the nutrition status of vulnerable populations. Our mission went beyond improving health; we aimed to address social determinants of health, provide culturally adapted nutrition education, and build trust within the community for future interactions.

Assessing Nutrition Status

Working alongside a team of passionate nutritionists, we assessed the nutritional status of approximately 240 individuals, including infants, children, teenagers, adults, and pregnant women in Canoa. Through the collection of anthropometric measurements and interactions with children and families, we gained valuable insights into the nutritional challenges faced by the community. We identified key factors such as economic inequalities, poverty, domestic abuse, lack of access to clean water, and other social determinants of health that were impacting the community’s well-being.

Empowering the Community through Education and Trust

Day 1: Me and the amazing team of nutritionists from La Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador.

In Canoa, we prioritized empowering the community through culturally adapted nutrition education and building trust. Through evidence-based strategies, workshops, counseling sessions, and community outreach programs, individuals in Canoa gained the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their health and nutrition, while respecting their cultural beliefs.

This experience reinforced the importance of data-driven decision-making and the transformative power of education and trust in empowering communities. It deepened my understanding of the impact targeted interventions can have on promoting positive health outcomes!

By empowering the community and building trust, we laid the foundation for sustainable change and a healthier future in Canoa.

Lessons Learned and Future Initiatives 

Giving a presentation on traffic light nutrition labeling to moms and children in Canoa, Manabí, Ecuador.

My role involved evaluating and analyzing the data collected. Based on the findings, we identified challenges such as malnutrition, stunted growth, and obesity in the community, particularly among teenagers. To address these issues effectively, I evaluated potential initiatives for implementation. One important strategy we considered was the involvement of promotoras de salud, or community health workers. Their cultural knowledge and trusted position within the community make them valuable in providing culturally adapted nutrition education, monitoring progress, and facilitating access to healthcare services. By incorporating promotoras de salud, we empower the community and create lasting change!

I feel incredibly grateful and fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with La Universidad San Francisco de Quito and learn alongside Caro Román and Mónica Villar this summer.

Day 2: Team of nutritionists in a school located in Canoa.

 

– Mili

Not An Ending but a Continuation…

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Hi! The practicum really flew by!

I am so glad and grateful to have spent the summer working with the University of North Carolina at Gillings Zambia Hub and Dr Stephanie Martin. The practicum focused on analyzing and disseminating data from a formative research project focused on infant care and feeding practices among families affected by Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Zambia.

The project had conducted qualitative research to examine the feasibility and acceptability of engaging male partners, grandmothers, and other family members to support HIV-positive mothers in Lusaka to practice recommended infant care and feeding practices, and women for continued antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. The practicum was a wonderful experience that combined my interest in maternal health, child health and Sub- Saharan Africa.

My role involved conducting quantitative analysis of the transcripts of the interviews conducted in Lusaka last summer. I worked using ATLAS.ti software to code the transcripts and create thematic summaries. Though I did not conduct the interviews, it was extremely rewarding to read the impact the education on ART adherence, infant feeding and care had on the study participants. There was marked improvements by the participants in infant health and increased confidence in their ability to care for their infants. Through the summaries, as a team we have been able to identify acceptable and feasible intervention components that will increase ART adherence of people living with HIV and family support with infant feeding and care. I also collaborated with the team to use the organization network analysis software to create descriptive data summaries of the demographics of the interview participants. My preceptor and team members were incredibly supportive in coaching and guiding me on how to use the various analysis software and they helped me work through the challenges of my learning process. This practicum provided me the opportunity to develop tangible skills and work in an interprofessional setting putting to practical use things I have learnt in class.

Before securing a practicum in the spring semester, I was very anxious about finding one and if it will be a good fit. I must say, I am happy with my practicum experience. There is still analysis to do, papers to write and dissemination to undertake on this research, this is a project I would like to be a part of till its completion. Because of this, I have decided to continue my practicum project as an independent study elective during the fall semester.

I genuinely appreciate my preceptors Dr Stephanie Martin and Tulani Matenga and the entire team for their support through out my practicum. I look forward to continuing work with them and providing positive impact in the lives of women living with HIV and HIV exposed-uninfected infants in Zambia and beyond.

– Eni