Interprofessional HIV global health project in Brazil

Winter 2017

Led by Isabel Rambob, DDS, UMB School of Dentistry

Students (school affiliation): Meagan Hayes (nursing), Breana McKinnon (medicine-public health)

Project summary

On a previous trip in January of 2015, three UMB students had the opportunity to shadow healthcare professionals of various fields in different clinics and hospitals in the city of Salvador as they treated HIV+ patients. The goal of the project was to provide graduate students of various educational backgrounds with an interprofessional perspective of healthcare and for the students to learn about the Brazilian model of handling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the city of Baltimore makes the topic at hand highly applicable. The program was extremely successful receiving remarkable feedback from the participants. Therefore the goal was to continue to develop this collaboration with our partners in Brazil and provide the opportunity to more interprofessional groups of UMB students.

From January 6-22, 2017 two students from the University of Maryland, Baltimore had the unique opportunity to participate in the interprofessional global health project in Salvador, Brazil. The purpose of the project was to offer UMB students an opportunity to study the Brazilian model of nursing, the differences and impacts of public versus private health care, and to investigate the Brazilian model for mitigating the HIV epidemic in an interprofessional setting. Students were required to take extensive notes regarding how the program functions, how Brazilian professionals work together, and compile those notes into a group report with their observations, concerns, and any recommendations they may have that could be implemented in outreach programs in Baltimore City. 

Studying the Brazilian health system and comparing it to that of the United States allowed the UMB students the opportunity to understand the importance of a country's health care system and the effects it has on its citizens. In one country, the government focuses on providing healthcare to the entire population, regardless of their circumstances. However in another, it is open to those who can afford it or fall within a certain criteria. Being in a location such as Brazil demonstrated the benefits that universal health care can provide. This is especially important when approaching an epidemic such as HIV/AIDS and including the holistic care that it requires. It is also important for society to realize that HIV does not have a single prevention or treatment and it should not be treated as such. Countries all over the world, should take advantage of the extensive knowledge and research that has been conducted about this disease. Regardless of the health care system, we should be unified in fighting this epidemic and ending HIV/AIDS.

Reflections

"This experience provided a great amount of insight into how Brazil's health care system functions from a micro level in hospital settings to a macro level as a country.  Because I found this experience so interesting my goal is to follow-up on the information I learned during this program and continue my educational experience in Brazil by completing my capstone project centered on HIV care at CEDAP.” - Breana McKinnon

"If it wasn’t for this trip, I would never had the chance to experience a different form of healthcare and I would of never had the chance to work and learn from some of the most intelligent and kindest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. HIV/AIDS is a global issue and it should be treated as such. We all have something to learn from each other and resources to be shared. I hope that I can take my new knowledge and my experiences from the city of Salvador, Brazil and implement it in my own little corner of the world.” - Megan Hayes

View the 2017 Brazil team project presentation.

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