News
The Fourth Annual Iowa Hunger Summit
Posted October 19th, 2010 by Des Moines University
The fourth annual Iowa Hunger Summit was held on Tuesday, October 13 as part of the esteemed World Food Prize symposium. The Heartland Global Health Consortium (HGHC) hosted a segment of the morning session entitled “Starving for Knowledge: Nutrition, Brain Development and Education”. Speakers were faculty and students of HGHC member institutions and included the following:
- Dr. Robert Mazur, PhD, Iowa State University: “African Perspective” (download presentation)
- Roberto Fernandez, MPH, OMS-II and Christopher Peluso, OMS-II, Des Moines University: “Starvation Beyond Food! Impact of Malnutrition on Neonatal and Childhood Neuro and Psychosocial Development: Implications for Global Public Health” (download presentation)
- Jennifer Hall, Ed.D. UNI, Founder , Over the Rainbow Health & Education Services; “Brazil perspective”
- Lindsay Zylstra, 4th year student, Central College: “The importance of maternal zinc supplementation to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes in Nepal” (download presentation)
2nd Annual Global Health Conference recap
Posted October 19th, 2010 by Des Moines University
The 2ndAnnual Heartland Global Health Consortium Conference took place on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Des Moines University. Over 100 faculty, staff, students and community attendees heard about the influence of agriculture on global health.
Co-keynote speakers were Paul Schickler, president, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. and Janey Thornton, Ph.D., secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, US Dep. Of Agriculture.
Other presenters at the conference included:
- Craig Just, Adjunct assistant professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iowa
“Global Health Engineering in Ghana” - Susan Roberts, J.D., M.S., R.D., Roberts Law Firm, PLC
“Looking at Health from a Food System Policy Perspective” - Matt Russel, State Food Policy Project Coordinator, Drake Agricultural Law Center
“Convergence of Sustainability, Marketing, and Awakening of the Consciousness Of Food” - Dr. Robert Mazur, Associate Director, CSRL and Professor, Sociology at ISU and Henry Musoke, Executive Director, Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns (VEDCO)
“The Sustainable Livelihoods Capacity Building Approach to Agriculture, Nutrition and Health in Uganda” (Download presentation)
A4H Making an Impact
Posted November 24th, 2009 by Des Moines University
The DMU global health dept., working with the World Health Organization, brought the Art for Health visual art exhibit to Central Iowa! This exhibit focuses on getting the message out about women’s health around the world. The exhibit strives to increase awareness and promote action toward improving sexual and reproductive health around the world. Paintings were displayed at consortium member colleges and the state capital for viewing. For more information about Art for Health, visit www.who.int/pmnch/activities/a4h_project/en.
Global Health conference held October 14
Posted November 24th, 2009 by Des Moines University
Approximately 125 faculty, students and community members attended the global health conference held on the DMU campus on Wednesday, October 14. This HGHC conference, which featured U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and several other speakers, was held in conjunction with Des Moines’ annual World Food Prize celebration and symposium.
“To help combat hunger around the world, the Unites States is working to share its expertise rather than just its bounty” explained Secretary Vilsack. He said the USDA is striving to enhance “food security” by taking its expertise in producing, storing, distributing and using food to countries around the world. In addition to helping the planet’s nearly one billion people who are malnourished, he said, these efforts “allow us to enhance America’s image around the world.” “That’s important, because to address issues like global warming, environmental protection and terrorism, we need partners,” he added. “America can’t do all that by itself.”
Another conference speaker was epidemiologist Dr. William Foege, senior fellow in the global health program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Former director of the Centers for Disease Control, Foege worked in the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s and led in accelerating childhood immunization in the 1980s; it is estimated that his work has saved over 122 million people’s lives worldwide. “Your real bosses are not the people who fill out your annual performance review – although you’ll have to pretend they are,” Foege advised students at the conference. “Your real bosses are the people living 300 years from now, because you’ll be preparing the world they’ll be living in.”
The Global Food Crisis
Posted October 12th, 2009 by Central College
7:30 pm, October 12, 2009
Vermeer Science Center Room 180
Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen is an agricultural economist and founder of the 2020 Vision Initiative, a comprehensive research and dissemination program on global food security. In 2001, Pinstrup Andersen was recipient of the World Food Prize. He has written over 300 books, articles, and papers and his 2001 book Seeds of Contention has been published in five languages. The late Norman Borlaug, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate noted Dr. Pinstrup-Andersen to be “one of the most influential economists and policy makers today” and “an outstanding spokesperson for effective economic policies for transforming agricultural production of food deficit nations”.
Sponsors: CGC, World Food Prize Institute
