Training, Education, and Awareness of Cancer Healthcare
Welcome to Global TEACH: Quest for Global Health Equity
This student-led initiative puts them at the forefront of international learning, developing real-world solutions to enhance cancer awareness and health outcomes. Their learning will have a tangible impact, from the heart of Appalachia to the vibrant streets of Nigeria.
Students are embarking on a transformative 3-credit independent study over two semesters and join a dynamic cohort of students and faculty from Pitt Oakland, Pitt Johnstown, and Babcock University (Nigeria)!
Project Aim
The Global TEACH Project (Training Education and Awareness of Cancer Healthcare) aims to investigate cancer care disparities between Nigeria and the Appalachian region. This student-led initiative seeks to develop practical solutions to raise awareness and improve health outcomes in both regions.
Enrolled Students
The project involves 22 students.
Location
The project is conducted via Zoom, with students and partners based in both Nigeria and the United States.
Student Expectations
Students are expected to actively engage in all aspects of the project, including data collection, conducting focus group interviews, developing webinars, and creating cancer awareness campaigns. As part of this transnational, student-led initiative, they will collaborate to identify key disparities in cancer care and propose interventions, all while gaining valuable skills in research, communication, and public health leadership.
Global Academic Partnership (GAP)
To support the development and implementation of the Global TEACH Project, an academic partnership is established between the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, the Center for African Studies, the Office of Rural Health, and the Lakeshore Cancer Center in Nigeria. This initiative involves 22 participating students from Pitt Main, Pitt Johnstown, and Babcock University in Nigeria.
Context of Cancer Disparities
Despite the global decrease in cancer mortality rates, the Appalachian region and Nigeria continue to see higher death rates, especially among rural populations. The Global Cancer Observatory's alarming projection that cancer deaths in Africa south of the Sahara could double by 2030 underscores the urgency of the situation. Similarly, the U.S. Appalachian region has a 10% higher cancer mortality rate compared to the rest of the United States.
Many of these disparities are due to the lack of access to early screening and limited healthcare resources available in these regions of the world. By engaging in research that addresses both regions, universal solutions to decreasing cancer mortality can be developed. These solutions will address a broader range of social determinants of health, including economic status, educational attainment, and access to specialized healthcare services.
It is within this landscape that the Global TEACH Project plants its seeds of hope, nurtured by the vision of Dr. Abimbola Fapohunda, whose personal loss echoes the collective grief of countless families. Her mother, a health worker who nurtured life, faced her final days with courage but without the shield of early cancer detection.
About Dr. Abimbola Fapohunda
Dr. Fapohunda is a trained epidemiologist and health educator with over seventeen years’ experience of running her consulting company and working in public health, conducting needs assessments and program evaluation on the effectiveness of numerous community-based initiatives related to health disparities in both behavioral and physical health, including nutrition, smoking cessation, HIV/AIDS and oral health. She currently serves as one of the 2023/2024 Global Academic Partnership (GAP) Fellows. Funding provided by the University of Pittsburgh's Global Academic Partnership Grant (Global Studies Center and Office of the Provost).