Strengthening Global Nutrition Capacity through Effective Volunteer Programs

This product is free for GMIG members.

This webinar was presented live on December 9, 2020.

A critical problem in resource-scarce countries across the globe is the shortage of appropriately trained health-care providers. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the global shortage of health care providers will reach 18 million by 2030. The WHO’s 2020 Global Nutrition Report specifically identifies the need to expand and invest in the nutrition workforce as a priority action to achieve nutrition equity and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) is a United States-based non-profit that collaborates with over 80 universities and health institutions around the world to address this crisis. Since 1986, HVO’s mission has been to improve the quality and availability of health care in low-resource countries through teaching, training, and professional mentorship of the local health workforce. 

Through well designed volunteer management systems and mutually beneficial partnerships, HVO is able to deliver effective models of collaborative education that contribute sustainable solutions to strengthen health workforce capacity in resource-scarce countries. This presentation will provide an overview of HVO and focus broadly on the key characteristics of effective volunteers and programs. The presentation will outline traits and skills of successful volunteers, best practices in volunteer management and key indicators of how to establish and maintain successful international partnerships in education and capacity building. Finally, the presentation will discuss how HVO can apply and expand its organizational framework to build nutrition capacity within the global health work force and design more targeted nutrition education programs.

CPEU: 1
CPE Level: 1
Learning Need Codes: 1040, 1070, 4020
Performance Indicators: 9.3, 4.1.1, 12.3.3

Learning Objectives

1. Define cultural humility and how it applies to individual volunteers and program design. 
2. Identify traits, skills, and best practices in global health program management using critical and strategic thinking.
3. State how to effectively develop a nutrition education program taking into consideration the factors in low-resource environments

Speaker

April Pinner, MSPH, RD

April Pinner, MSPH, RD has worked in international development and health for over fourteen years. She has been employed at Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) since 2009 and currently serves as Director of Program Design and Evaluation. At HVO, a nonprofit organization committed to training health care providers in resource-scarce countries, Ms. Pinner is the lead member of the Program Team. Her responsibilities include: providing input, guidance, and support to program department staff; assisting with conceptualization and development of new initiatives that support the strategic direction of the organization; designing projects; and managing the organization’s program monitoring and evaluation systems. Ms. Pinner is actively working to expand HVO’s programming in nutrition and has conducted site assessments at pediatric facilities in Cambodia and Laos. In 2015, Ms. Pinner received her Masters of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and became credentialed as a Registered Dietitian. Prior to working at HVO, Ms. Pinner served for two years as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia.