DGHI to Co-Host Maternal and Child Health Symposium at Duke

MACH Symposium image

Published September 15, 2015 under Research News

On Monday, September 28, the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) will host a maternal, adolescent and child health (MACH) symposium, "Transforming Global Maternal, Adolescent and Child Health: From Research Evidence to Practice and Policy," in partnership with the Center for Health Policy & Inequalities Research (CHPIR) and the Sanford School of Public Policy

The free event, which runs from 8:30am to 5:00pm at the Trent Semans Center for Health Education, will feature sessions presented by a variety of experts from within and beyond Duke to discuss critical MACH issues.

Keynotes from Gates Foundation, Guttmacher Institute and Duke

Keynote speakers for the event will include Mariam Claeson of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ann Starrs, President and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, and global health and public policy professor Gavin Yamey

“The symposium will shine a spotlight on both the extraordinary progress that has been made in recent years in improving the health of mothers, adolescents and children worldwide, and also the many challenges ahead,” said Yamey. “The event could not be timelier: it will be happening during the UN General Assembly, at which countries will be adopting the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I hope our symposium will make the case that research and the translation of evidence into practical action must be at the heart of the health SDG.”

Panels Will Address Technology, Mental Health and More

The Symposium will also feature several interactive panels, including:

  • Integrated Interventions
  • Adolescence: The Peak of Vulnerability
  • Social Innovation and Technology
  • Global Mental Health for MACH

According to public policy and global health professor Kathryn Whetten, this event is intended to bring researchers and policy makers to the same table and bridge the disconnect in the MACH conversation. “We’re trying to bring Duke researchers together with other global health practitioners, especially since this area is so rich in global health knowledge and resources,” she said. “We want policy makers, researchers and students to engage in discussion about how to translate MACH research knowledge into policy decisions.”

Students Are Invited to Present Their Research

Students who have conducted research in maternal, adolescent and child health are encouraged to apply to display a research poster during the Symposium and discuss their research with Symposium attendees. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis until Monday, September 21st. 

DGHI Is Expanding Our MACH Research Initiatives

The Symposium reflects DGHI’s increasing focus on maternal, adolescent and child health. DGHI recently awarded global health professors Melissa Watt and Jan Ostermann pilot grants for MACH programs in South Africa and Tanzania, respectively. Faculty and student MACH projects have been initiated in at least 16 countries, from Bangladesh to Haiti to Zambia.

Learn More and Register

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to engage with experts and colleagues on critical issues in maternal, adolescent and child health!

The symposium will shine a spotlight on both the extraordinary progress that has been made in recent years in improving the health of mothers, adolescents and children worldwide, and also the many challenges ahead.

Gavin Yamey, global health and public policy professor