Randy Kramer, DGHI Deputy Director, announced the winners of the 2014 Student Fieldwork Photo Contest last Wednesday night at the third Annual Global Health Showcase. This year Duke undergraduates and graduate students submitted over 70 photos to be judged by journalists, global health faculty and researchers, MScGH alumnus and student photographers. The photo entries were from all corners of the globe representing student projects ranging from obstetric fistula to occupational health to flu preparedness.
First place winner: Lauren Zalla
Her photo from Leogane, Haiti tells the story of the demanding work community health workers do on a daily basis to fill the gaps in access to healthcare. These two community health workers walk along the mountaintops conducting home visits to deliver health education, vaccines and checkups to children under five in the rural areas of Leogane.
Second place winner: Kristin Schroeder
Her photo shows a three year old boy receiving a blood transfusion as he is battling leukemia in Mwanza, Tanzania. The side effects of chemotherapy are the same worldwide, with frequent blood transfusions and antiobiotics as a central part of the supportive care he needs. The lack of IV access and availability of blood products can be a significant limitation for the successful treatment of pediatric cancer in low resource settings.
Third place winner tie: Libby MacFarlane and Kayla Stankevitz.
MacFarlane's photograph captures a focus group discussion (FGD) in Jumla, Nepal where Dalit women helped culturally-adapt the Environmental Distress Scale (EDS) to a Nepal context. The FGD was part of the Van Ommeren Instrument Validation Process which helps prepare instruments for transcultural research. The women commented on the on relevance, comprehensibility and acceptability of each question on the EDS and discussed how the environment in Jumla impacted their families and community.
The photo taken by Stankevitz gives the audience a glimpse into the life of a rubber tapper in Galle, Sri Lanka. The harsh working conditions are exemplified as this worker lacks personal protective equipment and must maintain this harmful posture, leading to chronic muscle pain. This picture shows the first stage in the long production process of rubber materials and reminds us of the working conditions of these laborers.
