The Kansas African Studies Center (KASC) is accepting applications for the 2022 MAAAS Outreach Fellowship The fellowship provides $250 for travel, accommodation, and related costs of attendance at the annual meeting of the Mid-America Alliance for African Studies (MAAAS) at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS on October 21-22, 2022. Eligibility is open to educators at any level, but KASC will give preference to applications from teachers at K-12, community colleges, and federally designated Minority-Serving Institutions. Application deadline is Friday, October 14, 2022

Testimonials

I am a student in a doctoral program in Public Health at Capella University in Minnesota. My manuscript concentrates on Health Literacy [HL] in healthcare services access. My research topic is Culturally Competent Health Communication in Healthcare Systems in Accessing Quality Healthcare Services.  In this work, I assess the use of HL assessment tools in screening for comprehension and understanding of health information during encounters with Swahili-speaking Congo immigrants in the US with health professionals. The work takes the form of a systematic review and meta-analysis. I hope to assess the use of HL measurement tools in delivering quality healthcare services among Congo immigrants in the US, Europe, and other regions. The goal is to improve cultural-oriented health communication in achieving self-efficacy in disease management. Language barriers or low English proficiency among immigrants have affected effective healthcare delivery and resulted in health inequality. Health communication is essential in disease management and self-efficacy in community health. Multicultural interaction affects the indigenous health culture, creating a complex new culture. Comprehension and assimilation of health information make self-care management possible. 

As a Public Health professional, I am interested in improving health communication where low health literacy is an issue in the healthcare systems created by health cultural diversity. Bridging the gap in quality health communication, I intend to build my expertise in understanding the new health culture created by different cultures, especially among the African immigrant populations. Multicultural interactions can affect communities’ health, including language and understanding any health information required in self-care and disease management. Involving health sector stakeholders, and agencies that advocate for policies, guidelines, and funding that accommodates health promotion and health education undertakings, in identifying areas, where HL affects health education in disease prevention is vital. Identifying a standardized health literacy assessment tool that guides the interventions to be applied in communities with low HL, is essential in community health development. The projects, programs funding, and training health professionals in improving health literacy among immigrants with low English proficiency or those who do not use English as their primarylanguage are high-level undertakings in improving community health. By exploring interventions that have worked in other countries through evidence-based practice, I hope to improve the health of communities and reduce healthcare costs incurred through low HL.

My interest in attending the MAAAS conference was to network with other professionals interested in African health development locally and globally. MAAAS is a platform for career connections in meeting other professionals and students with the mind of self-empowerment. Research input in evidence-based practice and education in learning more about health and African cultural interactions; is great input in health management.