Building Momentum for Public Health
By Haley Newell
We are pleased to share highlights from the recent Conference on Adolescent Health in Sub-Saharan Africa (CAH-SSA) and Africa Research, Implementation Science, and Education (ARISE) Network meetings, held in June in Lagos, Nigeria.
The ARISE Network unites 22 leading institutions from 10 African countries, as well as partners in the United States and Germany. Founded in 2014 by Wafaie Fawzi, Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences and professor of nutrition, epidemiology, and global health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the ARISE Network has advanced public health research and training through strong collaborations to address health challenges across Africa. ARISE Network training initiatives have equipped thousands of students and researchers with the skills needed to drive future change in public health. Wafaie Fawzi, adjunct professor Till Baernighausen, and senior research and program coordinator Haley Newell of the Department of Global Health and Population recently traveled to Lagos to participate in network meetings, which brought together a diverse and dynamic group of academic leaders, policymakers, and public health professionals from across Africa and beyond.
Presentations were delivered by esteemed leaders, including professor Akin Abayomi, Honorable Commissioner of Health, Lagos State, Alli Balogun, Honorable Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, and senior faculty from the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos.
Throughout the week, participants engaged in a range of enriching activities, including:
- In-person training workshops for over 50 attendees on translating evidence to policy and exploring impact through quasi-experimental studies
- Poster sessions and oral abstract presentations from emerging and established researchers
- Interactive sessions with adolescents from Nigeria, who brought valuable perspectives and energy to the discussions
- Strategic principal investigator meetings to advance ARISE Network research, training, and policy initiatives, including new proposal development
Participants and presenters represented countries including Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Serbia, Spain, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States. The events fostered meaningful dialogue and reaffirmed a shared commitment to strengthening public health systems through collaborative research, capacity building, and education.
The reward of hard work is more work.
A quote echoed throughout the conference—“The reward of hard work is more work”—served as a humbling reminder that excellence is not a final destination but a call to greater responsibility and impact.
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