Goal! National School of Tropical Medicine project ties global health education to 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston

On June 12, the final day of the NSTM Summer Institute, the Goalkeepers of Global Health United group presented, “Facts & Misconceptions About Ebola & the New Strain.” The group first explained the cause of Ebola, a severe and often-fatal communicable disease, and how it can be spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Then it pivoted to prevention, education, and safety.

The Goalkeepers covered ways to prevent the infection and spread of disease, particularly the importance of proper handwashing. To make the information even more accessible to the public, the team created infographics and an Instagram page to post the information: @goal_keepers_of_global_health.

“With the FIFA World Cup games happening right here in Houston and people visiting from all over the world, we saw it as an opportunity not just develop a theme but to promote preventive measures and help protect people from many diseases, not just Ebola,” said Angela Moore, Goalkeepers team member and Health Information Technology student at Houston City College – Coleman College for Health Sciences (HCC Coleman College).

The members of this first-place group were Moore; Mahi Hirpara, Baylor University; and Leah De La Rosa, Texas A&M University.

NSTM is the only school of tropical medicine in the United States. It resides at Baylor College of Medicine and is headed by internationally recognized physician and scientist Dr. Peter Hotez. It addresses the most pressing tropical diseases that affect the world’s most poverty-stricken populations.

The intensive, two-week NTSM Summer Institute draws students from different higher education institutions and is designed to introduce healthcare and medical students to the field of tropical medicine, covering areas such as global health, epidemiology, and public health through lectures and labs

For the capstone, students must partner with other student participants and develop a digital poster board presentation that addresses an existing global disease and provide practical healthcare solutions.

This year, the last day of the NTSM Summer Institute was held at HCC Coleman College, located in the Texas Medical Center. Last year, five Coleman students participated in the prestigious summer institute, a first for students from a two-year college. Five College students again participated this year.

“At HCC Coleman College, we are deeply committed to creating immersive, real-world educational experiences for our students,” said Dr. Lutricia Harrison, president of HCC Coleman College. “Returning to the Tropical Medicine Summer Institute for a second consecutive year, and welcoming the program to our campus, is a testament to the caliber of our students and the power of the partnerships we have built. These experiences open doors and shape careers.”