Asset-Based Community Development as a Strategy for Developing Local Global Health Curricula

Area of Science:

• Global Health Education
• Pediatric Residency Training
• Health Equity

Background:

• Increasing number of US children have immigrant parents, highlighting the need for pediatricians to address health inequities.
• Globalization necessitates expanded educational strategies for local global health (LGH) to train globally minded pediatric residents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a pediatric global health residency curriculum at the University of Wisconsin.
• To address educational gaps in local global health (LGH) and enhance resident knowledge of health disparities affecting global community members.

Main Methods:

• Curriculum development based on asset-based community development (ABCD) principles.
• ABCD strategy, typically used in advocacy training, was applied to global health education.
• Established a community-academic partnership focused on building local capacity.

Main Results:

• The curriculum provided a foundation for a longitudinal LGH program.
• A community-academic partnership was formed, supported by a grant.
• Initiated a community-based postpartum support group for the local Latino population, emphasizing capacity building.

Conclusions:

• The developed curriculum, rooted in an ABCD model, can guide other programs in establishing LGH curricula.
• Focus on local partnerships and community capacity building is key for effective LGH education.