Alanda Health

Are you standing at the crossroads of your academic journey and your future in Global/Public Health? 👩🎓 Fresh graduate eager to make your mark? 👨🎓 Final year student mapping out your career path? 🤔 Passionate about health but unsure where to start? We have exciting news for you! 🎓🌍 Join us for our free Guest Webinar:  A Panel of Possibilities: Career Options in Public and Global Health We've assembled a panel of senior and junior public and global health professionals to share their career paths, talk about what they like and dislike in their current roles, and provide us with invaluable insights garnered along their career journey. Discover what they love about their work, the challenges they face, and how they've navigated their paths to a fruitful career in Public and Global Health. 🔍 Explore diverse career options in public and global health ⚡ Gain practical insights into various roles and projects 💡 Learn about crucial next steps for your chosen career path 🕯 Ask panellists your burning questions 🌍 Expand your professional network 📅 Date: Wednesday, October 9th  ⏰ Time: 19:00 - 20:30 CET  ⏳ Duration: 90 minutes Don't miss this opportunity! Register now and mark your calendar. 🔗 Registration Link: https://lnkd.in/ettiPHYM Secure your spot today and take the first step towards a rewarding career in public and global health! #AlandaHealth  #PanelofPossibilities  #GlobalHealthCareers  #AlandaThriveCourse

In our “Have you met…?” series, we’re getting to know our team members here at Alanda a bit better by asking them three fun questions. Today, we’re introducing you to our new intern, Eaint! What is your favorite season? Either summer or spring! The warmth, the longer days, and the ability to be outside in the sun never fail to make me happy! What’s one productivity tool you can’t live without? My Notion calendar is the glue that holds my life together. Whether it's deadlines, meetings, or even a quick catch-up with friends, everything goes in there as a scheduled event, color-coded under work, school, or social plans. It’s been a lifesaver for staying organized and keeping me on track. What’s a common phrase that’s used where you live and what does it mean? I lived in Singapore for a year, where I learned Mandarin Chinese, and 加油 (jiāyóu) is one that comes to mind! Literally, it means to add fuel to something, like an engine or a vehicle, but more colloquially, it’s used as a term of encouragement to maintain one’s spirits or efforts towards something — to refuel your enthusiasm, so to speak!

Are we measuring what truly matters in public and global health? Understanding the distinctions between inputs, outputs, and outcomes is crucial for effective monitoring and evaluation. ➡ Inputs: These are the resources invested in a project—funding, personnel, infrastructure, and time or activities. For example, all the inputs required to build a waterhole or the funds allocated for a vaccination campaign. ⬅ Outputs: Outputs are the direct results of those inputs or activities—tangible products or services delivered. Examples include the completion of the waterhole, the number of vaccines administered, or the number of community health workers trained. 🔁 Outcomes: Outcomes are the short/medium-term changes or benefits resulting from those outputs.  For example, the completion of a vaccine campaign could lead to the outcome of increased vaccine acceptance in a community, while the completion of the waterhole results in more people accessing safe drinking water. ⬆ Impact or Higher level goals: Go beyond outcomes to measure the intended long-term changes in health made as a result of an intervention. They reflect the impact on health and well-being and are usually measured as changes in mortality, improved health or decreased disease.  For instance, a decrease in cholera prevalence (thanks to improved access to safe water), improved maternal health, or decreased mortality of young children thanks to improved vaccination coverage. By carefully tracking each stage—from inputs to impact—we can ensure that public health initiatives not only achieve their immediate goals but also lead to meaningful, long-term improvements in population health. Pro tips from Alanda! You can always add more levels to measure your goals if you need them (e.g. intermediate outputs or outcomes), or take out levels (for example, if your project is not long enough to measure impact). People in our field love to argue whether something should be called an output or an outcome. What matters the most is not what you call your different levels of results, but that the logic tying them together is solid. #PublicHealth #MonitoringAndEvaluation #GlobalHealth #ImpactEvaluation

Is it time to put Dengue on your radar? Dengue fever is causing serious problems in North and South America as we move through 2024. Because Dengue has been around for a while, not everyone is paying attention. Here’s what you should know: 🌎 Many countries are seeing more cases than usual, with some close to record numbers. Brazil, Peru, and Mexico are among the hardest hit, with cases rising rapidly. The United States, where the currently circulating serotype of Dengue is rare, has also recorded a large increase in cases.  ♨ Warmer temperatures, more rain and growing cities create perfect conditions for mosquitoes, increasing the chances of getting sick. 🤒 Be aware of symptoms like high fever, bad headaches, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash, and mild bleeding. See a doctor if you notice these. ❌ Use mosquito repellent, wear long sleeves, and get rid of standing water around your home where mosquitoes can breed. This outbreak shows how important it is to have strong health systems, good monitoring, and community action to stop the spread of this disease. You can do your part: Share key public health messages about dengue with your community. We all have a role to play! Questions about dengue? Let us know in the comments! #PublicHealth #DengueOutbreak #GlobalHealth #Americas #HealthCrisis

As I conclude my four-month internship with Alanda Health, I am reflecting on an incredible journey that has fueled my deep passion for public and global health. From the moment I discovered Alanda Health on LinkedIn, I knew I wanted to contribute to this organization whose mission aligned so closely with my own and whose work benefits communities across the globe. Fast forward a few months later, I am now proud to say I am officially an Alanda Health Alumna! 🎉 Throughout my internship at Alanda, I had the opportunity to: 🌍 Expand my knowledge and understanding of global and public health concepts 👥 Be mentored on educational avenues and career trajectories 📝 Strengthen my science communication skills 🔍 Work on global project evaluations from start to finish 🤝 Collaborate with a phenomenal and supportive remote team ✨ Assist in the screening and recruitment process for the next Alanda interns I want to extend my deepest thanks to Alanda’s founder and our team leader, Candela Iglesias Chiesa, MPH, PhD, for this amazing opportunity! Your continuous feedback, guidance, and words of wisdom have been invaluable. I am truly grateful for the experiences and skills I’ve developed at Alanda and look forward to implementing them in the next chapter of my journey in the field of public and global health! I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Julius Okanta and Sabine Donders for their unwavering support throughout this internship. Through our onboarding sessions and weekly meetings, I have gained valuable skills in project management and teamwork and have had my first experience working remotely with a global team! Lastly, a huge thank you to my fellow intern, Natalie Bauman! I am very fortunate to have had you as an intern partner and am proud of everything we accomplished together during our internship! Thank you to everyone at Alanda Health for making this such a rewarding and enjoyable experience. I am truly humbled to have had this opportunity and am excited to see the company grow and continue to make a positive impact in the global community! 🚀✨

After four months of interning for Alanda, it’s time for me to transition to a new role! I am happy to begin contributing to the team as a research assistant, and continuing to work on exciting projects. In the past four months, I have: 🌻 Grown out of my comfort zone by working with projects in different tactical areas than I had before 🗣 Refined my science communication skills 💪 Strengthened my remote time management skills 🖇 Learned great proposal writing skills ✅ Seen the evaluation process from start to finish 🤝 Participated in the recruitment and selection of new interns I would like to extend a big thank you to Candela Iglesias Chiesa, MPH, Phd, for providing helpful resources, for being a strong mentor, and for directing Alanda’s team with strong leadership. I would also like to thank Julius Okanta and Maria Mian for all of the wonderful collaboration over the last few months! I am looking forward to the months ahead as we continue to work as a team to provide quality evidence-based products that support those working to achieve global health equity. #GlobalHealth #PublicHealth #Team

Testing a new initiative or innovation? 🔍 Are you collecting the right evidence to prove that it works? 📝 Alanda’s 3E’s framework talks about how organizations working in global health can be more evidence-based, evidence-generating and evidence-sharing.🚀 Today we are talking about our second E: evidence-generating. 📋📊🗃 We see great initiatives or innovations in global health that unfortunately have not set up their projects in the right way to measure whether they work. ❗ Without clear, quantifiable indicators, we cannot accurately measure the progress of a project, its effectiveness and hopefully its impact as well. So what are some key points you can review to ensure you are collecting the right data to help you assess whether your intervention works? 🤔 🔁 Understand the relationship between objectives, results, and indicators. An objective is the goal (future-looking) e.g. “Improve knowledge and practices in disease prevention in community A.” A result is whether you achieved that objective (written in the past tense, as an accomplishment) e.g. “Knowledge and practices in disease prevention were improved in community A” An indicator is the way you will measure the result. E.g % improvement in average scores of knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) survey. ⁉ Remember: usually fuzzy objectives make for fuzzy indicators! 📄 Define Objectives Clearly: Ensure your project or intervention has clear objectives and that they are well aligned with the overall outcome/goal of the intervention. At Alanda, we supported a project aimed at fostering resilience and disaster preparedness in communities (overall objective). This involved: enhancing community and organizational disaster capacities (Objective 1), increasing access to health services (Objective 2), improving access to safe water and sanitation (Objective 3), and boosting knowledge and practices in disease prevention (Objective 4). 📏 Measure results at different levels: Our work typically begins with activities (e.g., distributing bednets), which lead to outputs (e.g., families receiving bednets), outcomes (e.g., family members using bednets), and impact (e.g., reduced malaria cases). We need to measure progress at each level as appropriate to gain comprehensive insights of the project. 🔢 Have quantitative indicators: Including quantitative indicators for each level in addition to qualitative data strengthens the measurement of project results and provides valuable information to donors and other organizations. Numbers, alongside stories, offer a compelling way to convey impact. 💡 Incorporating clear objectives, measuring results at multiple levels, and using quantitative indicators will ensure you gather the right data to effectively assess and demonstrate the success of your initiative, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes and more impactful interventions. What’s your best tip to ensure your project is generating strong evidence? 📝

Have you found yourself struggling to produce or obtain high-quality data?  In the world of public and global health, poor data quality can lead to misguided decisions, missed opportunities, and poor program outcomes. Here are some common issues and tips to keep your data in top shape: Inconsistent Data: Variations in data formats, units, or naming methods in data collection can lead to confusion and errors. For example, if there isn’t prior agreement on whether to measure height in centimeters or inches, the data may have errors. Solution: Standardize data entry processes and use data validation tools to check your data entry. Even a simple excel spreadsheet can be standardized with a set of possible answers for each variable. Missing Data: Incomplete records can skew analysis and lead to inaccurate insights. For example, if only 30 of 65 patients have their blood pressure taken, an accurate average blood pressure for the group cannot be analyzed. Solution: Implement mandatory fields in forms and regularly audit your datasets, include training on how minimise missing values and agree on a consistent way to analyze and present data with missing values. Duplicated Data: Repeated entries can inflate metrics and distort results. One common issue is double counting people who benefit from a project or program. For example, if a person is participating in a health outreach initiative and may also be receiving cash vouchers, both teams might count this person and it may be hard to figure out. Solution: Use deduplication tools and regularly clean your databases to check for dual participation. Outdated Data: Old data can be irrelevant or misleading, especially in the fast-moving area of health. For example, using old data sources  in one’s literature reviews or to inform your program planning can lead to misuse of information. Solution: Set up automatic updates where possible and periodically review data for relevancy. Human Error: Manual data entry is prone to mistakes that can reduce accuracy. For example, a simple typo can vastly change a value and lead to outliers that skew your data. Solution: Digitize data entry processes through the use of programs like KoboToolkit and ODK where possible and provide proper staff training. Ensuring high-quality data is essential for driving accurate insights and informed decisions. Alanda strives to provide clean, reliable analysis and can help your team to achieve seamless data collection practices. Let’s prioritize clean, reliable data for better outcomes! #DataQuality #DataManagement #PublicHealth #GlobalHealth #Analytics

How can we ensure our team’s efforts are effective and sustainable?  Often, one-off trainings may not lead to the desired results.  Instead, investing in long-term training for our staff and volunteers can be a better route: What can this look like? Some of our favorites are: Continued Training Sessions: Instead of an intensive one-week training, try regular training sessions. These allow team members to build on previous knowledge, continue practicing a new skill, and get updated on the latest developments in the field. The intervals between training sessions allow people to practice the new skill or apply the new knowledge. For example: four times a year, your Noncommunicable Disease projects team engages in a whole-day training, where they discuss their work and receive assignments to complete before the next session. Coached or supervised practice: When it comes to new skills, testing them out with a coach or supervisor who can provide immediate feedback has been shown to give great results, in everything from surgeons working in the operating room to Community Health Workers conducting household visits. While the term “supervision” can have negative connotations, this support can make all the difference if done correctly, so of course, training your supervisors on coaching methodologies is also critical! Peer-to-peer cross-checks: Nothing like a little bit of friendly competition to boost results. Peer-to-peer cross-checks have teams working on similar issues “supervise” each other based on a systematic list of issues. Looking for other people’s areas of opportunity is a great eye-opener to our own areas of opportunity! For example, labor room teams cross-check each other’s rooms and work based on a checklist of pre-established best practices, and then discuss the results and areas of opportunity. Communities of practice are all the rage these days and they allow people to gather with peers working on similar issues and exchange on best practices. It provides opportunities for brainstorming solutions, and also for growth and networking.  For example: a community of practice focused on what works in household visits carried out by Community Health Workers. Personalized Pathways: Tailored training plans that integrate seamlessly into daily work, allowing for practical and relevant skill development. Ex: sharing personal professional experiences from the field during training helps you to brainstorm new development goals for yourself, that are specific to your technical areas of interest. What are the benefits? Enhanced expertise and improved project outcomes. Greater job satisfaction and higher retention rates.  Stronger teamwork and motivation rates Long-term training is an investment not only in our teams but in the health of our communities.  Learn more about how we can help you set up effective and evidence-based training programs at alandahealth.com/services #PublicHealth #GlobalHealth #ContinuousLearning #HealthEquity 

Cases of Mpox are rising and the global health community is concerned. Here’s what you need to know: What is Mpox? Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, is caused by a virus related to the one responsible for smallpox, a disease that is now eradicated. Mpox is nowhere as alarming as smallpox, yet it can cause severe disease and death in a proportion of cases. Why the concern? In recent weeks, there have been increased reports of Mpox cases primarily in Africa, with some cases also reported in other global regions. On August 13, 2024, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has declared the Mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). What has changed? Mpox is spreading through two main variants Clade Ia: This outbreak is mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Mpox is endemic, and primarily affects children. Of the 7,851 reported cases, 39% are in children under 5, with 240 deaths (62% of total deaths). Clade Ib: Found mainly in Eastern DRC, this outbreak affects mostly adults. As of May 26, 2024, the DRC reported 7,851 Mpox cases with 384 deaths, resulting in a 4.9% fatality rate. What are the symptoms? The most characteristic symptom is a Mpox rash that starts as flat, discolored spots (macules), then develops into small, raised bumps (papules), turning into fluid-filled blisters (vesicles), which become pus-filled sores (pustules). Finally, the sores form hardened crusts (scabs) as they heal. How is Mpox spread (transmitted)?  From animal to human Mpox can be transmitted through direct contact with fluids, waste, or scratches/bites from infected animals like mice, rats and squirrels. Consuming infected animals is less common, but precautions should include cooking meat thoroughly. From human to human  Mpox spreads through skin-to-skin contact with rashes or scabs that are not healed, contact with bodily fluids like saliva or mucus, sexual contact involving rashes on genitals, and direct interactions like talking or kissing. How to prevent the spread of Mpox? Take precautionary measures, practice good hygiene and engage in safe sexual practice's. For long-term protection, vaccines are recommended for high-risk individuals, though supplies are limited in affected regions, such as African countries. What can you do? If you experience Mpox symptom's contact your local health center or physician. If you are a healthcare worker, ensure you understand symptoms, the modes of transmission and wear personal protective equipment. All of us, but especially those of us working in public health and science communication - educate ourselves and share information from trusted sources to combat stigma and misinformation. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have websites that you can visit for reliable information and updates (shared in the comments). What questions do you have about Mpox?  We’re happy to answer them!