Disease Control and Prevention

Mary Ajwang ’17 aided in capturing and documenting best practices for managing and containing Ebola and COVID-19 in Uganda, including community surveillance systems. This information will support the management of future pandemics and epidemics in Uganda and beyond.

The province of Isabela in Cagayan Valley, Philippines, was declared malaria-free. Razel Nikka Hao ’19, then Regional Director at the Cagayan Valley Center for Health Development (CVCHD), credited this achievement to strengthening border operations, setting up checkpoints, and establishing malaria diagnostic facilities in the endemic barangays.

A baby named Elvis made history as the first to receive a malaria vaccine in Burundi. Mario Jimenez ’24, Senior Country Manager at Gavi, described it as a powerful moment of hope, made possible by years of scientific research, cross-border collaboration, and strong national leadership. In this first phase, the vaccine is being administered to children aged 6 to 11 months across 25 districts in 9 high-burden provinces, marking a significant step in reducing child deaths and severe malaria cases.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic worsened social, economic, and health inequalities that mainly affected vulnerable populations, the free national COVID-19 vaccination campaign led by Jonatan Konfino ’18 in Quilmes, Argentina, was carried out with an equity focus, with no significant gaps observed between different socioeconomic levels.

Gilberto Lopez ’20 manages COVIDLatino, an award-winning health communication campaign that blends science and the arts to create effective, evidence-based, culturally tailored COVID-19 messages. Animations, explainer videos, and artwork deliver essential information in easy-to-understand formats to help Latinos stay informed and safe from COVID-19.

Maureen Milanga ’20 studied the future of HIV testing in eastern and southern Africa. One of her findings was that expanding HIV testing services increased the number of people with HIV who knew their status and accessed treatment. She also discovered that connecting individuals to prevention and treatment services and supporting their ongoing engagement in care is critically important.

Ifeanyi Nsofor ’19 leads VITAL, an HPV vaccination program in Nigeria focused on increasing uptake among 9-year-old girls. The initiative uses behavioral research, social media, pharmacist engagement, and government partnerships to boost awareness, improve access, and reduce cervical cancer rates.

Sara Selig ’17 co-authored a case study that detailed the efforts to equip the Pima County Health Department with a sophisticated COVID-19 Vaccines Solutions Dashboard. The study highlights key successes and challenges in processes and outcomes that can guide similar dashboard initiatives in other health departments.