Public Health and Social Determinants in Ghana

Our program was centered on understanding the many social determinants of health that are in place in Accra, Ghana. We worked primarily out of the Princess Marie Louise Children's hospital in Accra, working with the various departments to understand the types of patients that they normally see and with what conditions they normally arrive. The doctors and staff at the hospital were very helpful in helping me gain understanding of the types of disease burden the hospital normally sees, which is much different than what you would see working in a U.S. hospital. The program also allowed us to visit and learn from the many public health offices of the government, as well as USAID and the WHO.

This experience really opened my eyes to what was possible in a global health field and inspired me to continue working towards a career in global health. It also allowed me to learn about the people and culture of Ghana, which was really enlightening as well. I would highly recommend the program to anyone who wants to learn more about social determinants and global health!