International experts to join panel on global health

From left: Daniel Thera, advisor to the Ministry of Religion and Cultural Affairs of the government of Mali, and Ian Vickers, co-founder and chief executive officer of Global Partners in Hope.

Public health practitioners from Togo and Mali will be part of a six-person panel discussion on global health, Sept. 17, from noon to 1:30 p.m., in the College of Public Health, room 3013.

Each guest will speak for 10-15 minutes, after which Ali S. Khan, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the UNMC College of Public Health, will facilitate an interactive discussion. The event is hosted by the Center for Global Health and Development and the Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health in the College of Public Health. Free lunch will be provided to the first 50 attendees.

The panel includes:

  • Jaures Tcheou, an executive member of the board of Compassion NGO and Compassion Microfinance in Togo;
  • Daniel Thera, advisor to the Ministry of Religion and Cultural Affairs of the government of Mali;
  • Ian Vickers, co-founder and chief executive officer of Global Partners in Hope, Omaha;
  • Stephen Obaro, M.D., Ph.D., UNMC professor of pediatric infectious diseases and director of pediatric international research;
  • Danstan Bagenda, Ph.D., UNMC professor of epidemiology, College of Public Health; and
  • Ward Chambers, M.D., executive director, UNMC International Medical Education.

Tcheou, who has a background in finance and as a venture capitalist, will address the topic of sustainability in community development and the growing a micro-loan industry as it relates to community development in Togo.

Thera has a background as a Protestant leader and health care administrator. He will speak on the impact of infectious disease in Mali, West Africa, and what the country is doing to address the issues of infectious disease. Their visit is sponsored by the Global Partners in Hope.

Vickers has developed medical work and humanitarian assistance and personally led teams throughout the world. He been involved in non-profit organizations for the past 25 years and has founded non-profit organizations in the United States and Europe.

From 2:30 to 4 p.m., Tcheou, Thera and Vickers will meet UNMC students and faculty individually or in small groups to discuss research topics and other issues. For more information about these sessions, call Eleanor Rogan, Ph.D., 559-4095.

At 4:30 p.m., the three will hold a panel discussion in the Council Room of the Milo Bail Student Center, University of Nebraska-Omaha.

The panel discussion also can be viewed through a live video stream link here.

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