By Dr Tasnim Anwar
This blog is written by Foundation Year 1 doctor, Tasnim Anwar. In early summer 2021 she spent a week shadowing the CGHP team.
Tasnim is a British born Bangladeshi raised in London, UK. She is a junior doctor training in the East of England. She has an MSc in Global Mental Health with experience working with mothers and children in adversity in both the rural and urban slum settings in Bangladesh. She aims to develop her skills as a growing clinician and merge this into a career in global health to support disadvantaged populations.
I am a junior doctor in Cambridge desperate to gain work experience related to my wider career interest in global health. CGHP very warmly welcomed me and I was excited to learn about their work. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what they do is precisely in their name – Global Health Partnerships.
At their core, they are a dedicated team of four. Evelyn, their director, carries a wealth of knowledge and experience and uses this quality to inspire others. Their work ranges from creating media content, maintaining communications, liaising with their existing partnerships, welcoming prospective partnerships and fundraising. They also work hard to understand the needs of a developing country to facilitate relevant cost-effective healthcare projects.
Unfortunately, this summer, all health partnerships across the country have suffered cuts to essential funding, which had consequences for several partnership projects they had planned. Their determination to ensure hope is ever-present was evident in their response. For CGHP, the show still goes on. This unwavering attitude has increasing importance given the current global health climate existing in both conflict and the Covid-19 pandemic.
I learned about the sensitivities and complexities around both conflict and health, related to the Myanmar cause. I learned how they are also helping to set up the first cardiac and stroke unit in Sierra Leone. I learned how they have been helping a group of local plastic surgeons deliver life-changing treatment to a deprived population in Jordan. I also learned that they are facilitating the application process for the global health clinical fellowships in Cambridge!
I thought I could only engage in global health at a later stage in my career as I currently need to build my clinical experience. I was pleasantly surprised that through a health partnership I can contribute at any time!
Given my Bengali heritage, my understandings of the culture, the country and the language, I have previously managed 2 projects in Bangladesh. I would be keen to establish a health partnership with Bangladesh to allow for ongoing work as I continue my clinical training. Even in the face of a pandemic, or amidst decreased financial aid, there are ways to support healthcare needs across the globe, whether it’s through medical education (in-person or online) or by facilitating specialists to contribute.
If you see yourself being involved in global health in any capacity, I would highly recommend junior doctors attending a taster week to enrich themselves with their work. You will find that CGHP is a passionate and resilient group, a driving force mediating global healthcare delivery during turbulent times.
If you are interested in supporting CGHP, please follow the donate button below or contact the team.
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