Global Health Partnerships During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives and Insights from International Partners

Global health partnerships (GHPs) have encountered many challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. New perspectives and insights are needed to guide GHPs when navigating current and future collaborations. This study aimed to understand perspectives and insights of internatio...

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Published inThe American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 105; no. 2; pp. 407 - 412
Main Authors McHenry, Megan S, Tam, Reena P, Nafiseh, Amira A, Etling, Mary Ann, Barnes, Adelaide E, Rule, Amy R L, Crouse, Heather L, Haq, Heather, Morris, Lee E, Murray, Brittany L, Umphrey, Lisa A, Keating, Elizabeth M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Institute of Tropical Medicine 01.08.2021
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
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Summary:Global health partnerships (GHPs) have encountered many challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. New perspectives and insights are needed to guide GHPs when navigating current and future collaborations. This study aimed to understand perspectives and insights of international partners regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted their GHPs with institutions in the United States. We performed a cross-sectional qualitative study conducted through virtual semi-structured interviews performed between June 12, 2020 and July 22, 2020. We queried academic institutions based in the United States to refer individuals from their corresponding international GHP organizations. We invited these individuals to participate in virtual interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed. We analyzed data qualitatively to identify themes. Eighty-four United States partners provided e-mail addresses for international partners. Ten individuals from these GHPs completed the interview. Participants reported overall positive experiences with their United States-based partners during the pandemic. The following themes emerged: imbalanced decision-making; worry about partnership continuity; opportunity to optimize communication within partnerships; interest in incorporating technology to facilitate engagement; and a desire for increased bilateral exchanges. Several challenges appeared to exist before COVID-19 and were highlighted by the pandemic. Most respondents were optimistic regarding the future of their GHPs. However, concerns were expressed regarding the implications of fewer in-person international experiences with United States trainees and the desire for stronger communication. Although our results do not represent the perspectives and insights of all GHPs, they provide considerations for the future. We urge institutions in the United States to re-examine and strive for equitable relationships with their international partners.
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Ethical approval: This study was approved by the Indiana University Institutional Review Board (#2005912027) as an exempt study.
Authors’ addresses: Megan S. McHenry, Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, E-mail: msuhl@iu.edu. Reena P. Tam, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, E-mail: reena.tam@hsc.utah.edu. Amira A. Nafiseh and Mary Ann Etling, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, E-mails: aanafise@iu.edu and maetling@iu.edu. Adelaide E. Barnes, Section of Hospital Medicine and the Pediatrics Residency Program, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, E-mail: barnesae@chop.edu. Amy R. L. Rule, Divisions of Hospital Medicine and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, E-mail: amy.long@cchmc.org. Heather L. Crouse, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Global Health Program, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, and PACHIMAKE Consortium in Malawi, E-mail: hlcrouse@texaschildrens.org. Heather Haq, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, E-mail: heather.haq@bcm.edu. Lee E. Morris, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital, Charlotte, NC, E-mail: lee.morris@atriumhealth.org. Brittany L. Murray, Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, E-mail: brittany.murray@emory.edu. Lisa A. Umphrey, Center for Global Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Denver, CO, E-mail: lisaaumphrey@gmail.com. Elizabeth M. Keating, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, E-mail: elizabeth.keating@hsc.utah.edu.
ISSN:0002-9637
1476-1645
DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.21-0156