Dr. Priscilla Magrath and MPH student Lady Dorothy Elli from the Zuckerman College of Public Health visited our partner universities in Indonesia, the University of Indonesia and University Jenderal Soedirman, to build on our existing partnerships.

In May 2024, Dr. Priscilla Magrath and MPH student Lady Dorothy Elli, both from the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, visited two of our partner universities in Indonesia, the Universitas Indonesia (UI) in Jakarta and the Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (UNSOED) in Central Java, to build on our existing partnerships. Both universities already have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Dr. Magrath, a Medical Anthropologist and Senior Lecturer in the college who has worked extensively on public health in Indonesia, and Lady Dorothy Elli, an MPH student in Global Health, visited the two universities, gave public health presentations, and met with faculty, staff, and students. The visit served to strengthen the existing partnerships and helped expand collaboration with the University of Arizona on public health education and research.

Public Health Presentation

Dr. Magrath and Ms. Elli were invited to give guest lectures at both universities. They developed a presentation titled Understanding Health Beliefs and Values for Improved Health Communication and delivered this presentation on three occasions: twice at UNSOED with public health students and nursing students, and once at UI with medical students. The presentation, which drew on case studies from Indonesia, generated considerable interest and excitement. Each of the three highly interactive presentations were attended by roughly 100 students and faculty both on Zoom and in person.

During the visits, faculty demonstrated a high level of interest in collaborating to expand opportunities in global health through student exchanges, visiting professorships, and collaborative research from both universities.

Applied Practice Experience

The visit also laid the foundation for Lady Dorothy Elli’s Global Health MPH internship project “Assessing levels of stigma towards TB among Health Care Workers: A key component in managing the tuberculosis burden in Indonesia,” an assessment that she has been conducting since May 2024. This assessment will fulfil Ms. Elli’s Applied Practice Experience (APE) requirement for her MPH degree program.

Ms. Elli visited a local health department (Dinas Kesehatan), a local non-profit working on TB (Mentari Sehat Indonesia or MSI), and a village community engagement activity (Pageraji village) all located in the Banyumas region of Indonesia in Central Java.

• Dinas Kesehatan is the local health department responsible for overseeing public health initiatives and services. It works to improve community health through disease prevention, health education, and the implementation of healthcare programs, including efforts to control TB.
• Mentari Sehat Indonesia (MSI) is a non-governmental organization focused on improving public health in Indonesia. In the Banyumas region, MSI conducts community outreach programs to raise awareness about TB, promotes early detection and diagnosis, and supports TB patients through treatment adherence programs. Their efforts include training local health workers, providing educational resources, and facilitating access to medical care for TB patients.
• Desa Pageraji is a village located in the Banyumas region of Central Java, Indonesia. It is a rural area known for its agricultural activities and community-based living. A group of public health students delivered their final presentation on the importance of breastfeeding among mothers in Desa Pageraji. Dr. Magrath and Ms. Elli were invited to this community service event and were impressed by the students’ engaging presentation.

A rewarding visit

Dr. Magrath and Lady Dorothy Elli express their heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome they received at the universities and communities they visited, and they eagerly anticipate future collaborations. The Zuckerman College of Public Health and our Global Health Institute thank the leadership and faculty at both universities for their hospitality and continued partnership to advance our common global health goals. Together, we are building a healthier world!

UNSOED Public Health students lecture >  UNSOED Nursing students lecture >

Universitas Indonesia: Residents and lectures of the Community Medicine Department FMUI, who attended in-person.

UNSOED guest lecture for public health students with (in front, right to left): Members of the guest lecture committee and Dr. Siwi Wijayanti, Lady Elli, Dr. Priscilla Magrath, and Prof.Dr.sc.hum. Budi Aji, Dean of the faculty of health sciences.

UNSOED: guest lecture for nursing students: Lady Elli presenting case study of TB from Philippines.

UNSOED: guest lecture for nursing students: selected student participants.

UNSOED visit to local health department, Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Banyumas. Head of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Arif Burhanudin (4th from left), with his staff, Dr. Priscilla Magrath, and Lady Elli.

UNSOED community service visit to promote breastfeeding in Pageraji village, Cilongok, Banyumas. The photo shows participants, pregnant women, village head Sutono, SE, lecturers Siwi Pramatama, Leni Maryati, Dr. Arih Diyaning Intiasari, and Public Health students.