Establishing a platform for the DASH Network to strengthen and facilitate knowledge exchange, transfer, translation, and utilization within and beyond the Network.
Today, 22nd May, marks World Preeclampsia Day, an important occasion to raise awareness about a serious condition that affects pregnant women worldwide. The theme for this year is "Predict, Prevent, Prevail," highlighting the crucial steps we can take to combat this condition.
The dissemination featured a stimulating panel discussion in which sited were a youth-led organization founder and leader; a seasoned mental health counsellor; and a renowned leading Professor of Psychiatry. The discussion brought forth the vital roles and need for capacity building among parents, teachers, and community health workers in promoting mental health among young people. Representatives from government bodies, universities, NGOs, and youth-led organizations emphasized the imperative for early intervention and prevention strategies to address mental health issues among young people.
AAPH collaborated with the University of Ghana, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Heidelberg Institute for Global Health in this assignment to conduct Stakeholder Consultation and Consensus Building on key mental health issues among youth, drivers of the same as well as Systemic Challenges, Opportunities, and Existing Networks.
The low-dose calcium supplementation (500mg/day) was as effective as the high-dose calcium supplementation (1500mg/day) in reducing the risk of preeclampsia and preterm birth. It is high time to revisit calcium supplementation guide for Tanzania and other LMICs to afford and implement routine calcium supplementation.
AAPH now poises in service as a catalytic agent for forging partnerships between local state and non-state actors as well as international like-minded entities facilitating data-driven policy imperative dialogues for the design and implementation of school-based, community-based and facility-based interventions to advance public health in sub-Sahara Africa. In commemoration of the World Health Day 2024, we reflect on our achievements, reaffirm our commitment, and invite partnerships aiming at building sustainable solutions and promoting health equity.
It is important to embrace the call to action for rare diseases by fostering research through public-private partnerships. Through collective efforts, we can illuminate the path towards a future where individuals with rare diseases and their families receive improved access to healthcare, education, and comprehensive policies, ensuring no one is left behind, #ForBetterPublicHealth.
At this meeting, members of the ARISE Network and distinguished stakeholders convened to discuss how to collectively move from ideas to action. The focus centered on advancing the recommendations from our collaborative work on doctoral public health training in Africa.
At the Annual Network Meetings for the DASH and ARISE-NUTRINT on January 22nd and 23rd 2024 respectively, the networks’ partners and collaborators presented and discussed the work that has been done in the past 12 months, key considerations for implementation, and agreed on a roadmap for the next 12 months. We we engaged with the implementing partners from Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso as well as collaborating partners from Germany, Serbia, Netherlands, Spain, and USA.
This strategic meeting provided an overview of ongoing projects promoting adolescent health and nutrition within and the ARISE Network and future initiatives to collectively pursue. The ARISE Network partners identified future directions for the Network to improve adolescent health and nutrition in SSA.