141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

279862
Attaining health and literacy: Local and global challenges for women and youth

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 10:30 AM - 10:50 AM

Mardge H. Cohen, MD , Departments of Medicine/CORE Center at John H. Stroger Jr Hospital of Cook County, Cook County Health & Hospital System, Chicago, IL
Women and youth continue to face multiple challenges to improving their health and quality of life in resource poor countries as well as in resourced countries. This panel will describe projects and studies which address these challenges in Africa an the U.S. In Kigali, Rwanda, young mothers at an HIV clinic attend support groups to develop strategies to reduce stigma related to HIV, rape, and poor education. A second panelist will share results from a Rwandan study of children with and affected by HIV on the prevalence of depression, and other psychological problems. A literacy program which takes advantage of newer technologies (e-readers, smart phones, etc.) will be discussed as another strategy to improve the health and quality of life of children and their parents in Africa. A final panelist will discuss results from a study of adolescent daughters of women with HIV in Chicago in order to better understand and provide needed family services.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe challenges to youth and women to achieve literacy and health in Africa and in the U.S. that must be addressed to improve health and quality of life outcomes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have worked with women with HIV in Chicago and Rwanda and have been the principal investigator on federally funded grants investigating women and youth with HIV
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.