Every year, the Eck Institute for Global Health’s Case Competition brings together students from multiple disciplines to develop innovative solutions for real-world health problems.
The 7th annual Case Competition, which was held on February 12, 2022, challenged Notre Dame students to think about obstetric violence- an issue that affects thousands of pregnant women around the world. Five teams of undergraduate and graduate students developed solutions to tackle the issue in Chiapas, Mexico.
The hypothetical prompt for the case provided teams with a $500,000 grant for a one-year plan to eliminate and prevent obstetric violence in Chiapas. Participants were required to present an overview of their budget allocation, an explanation of considered partnerships, and a strategy to evaluate the effect of their proposals. The case was released on January 31st, giving students approximately 11 days to prepare their presentations in consultation with faculty advisors. On the day of the competition, each team presented its solution to a panel of judges that was composed of Notre Dame faculty and staff.
Students took a holistic approach and recognized that empowering the affected population is critical to addressing the complexity of the case. Marian Botchway, Assistant Director of the Eck Institute for Global Health, recognized the students’ hard work and effort:
"I was impressed with the diversity of solutions to the case and the ways in which students were innovative, articulate, and discerning while responding to a sensitive and challenging issue that affects women's health.”
The winning team was comprised of Jake Harris, Isabella Henriquez, Mariama Dampha, Caroline Aey, and Meghan Ludke. In reflecting on the competition, Mariama shared, “It was fascinating to have dedicated quality time to analyze such an important problem and provide a groundbreaking strategy for addressing it. Through this case competition, I have realized that the change we really want to see in the Global health crisis is between us: let's work together and improve health for all.”
On March 19, Notre Dame's winning team competed at Emory University’s Global Health Case Competition, where 40 teams from over 15 countries presented their solutions for addressing environmental health disparities. Emory’s prompt challenged students to develop action plans to improve the health of one out of four groups of indigenous people: French Polynesia; Diné (Navajo); Rohingya; and Inuit populations.
The Global Health Case Competition gives students the opportunity to engage in some of the world’s most pressing issues and prepares them as future leaders. Those who are interested in learning more about the competition can visit https://globalhealth.nd.edu/education-training/undergraduate/global-health-case-competition/.
The Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame endeavors to promote research, training, and service for the advancement of health standards for all people. The institute recognizes health as a fundamental human right and aims to support those in developing countries who are disproportionately impacted by preventable diseases. To learn more about the institute, please visit globalhealth.nd.edu.
Contact:
Marian Botchway / Assistant Director
Eck Institute of Global Health / University of Notre Dame
mbotchwa@nd.edu / 574.631.1876