Event

Boston University 2014 Student Fellows Present Work from the Field

Semuha and brother Muhammed play in the front yard of their shared home with cousins Rabi and Sadaam. Image by Selin Thomas. Turkey, 2014.

Ninty-nine percent of cervical cancer cases worldwide are caused by HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection with over 100 strains. In 2007, Uganda's Ministry of Health partnered with the international non-profit PATH to implement a pilot project testing the two different approaches to vaccinate girls against HPV. They determined that a school-based approach that offered vaccinations to girls in the Primary 4 grade was optimal. One trial took place in the Nakasongola District where Myriam goes to school. Image by Sascha Garrey. Uganda, 2014.

Monday, November 17, 2014 - 04:30pm EST (GMT -0500)

Pulitzer Center 2014 student fellows Sascha Garrey and Selin Thomas speak at Boston University on Monday, November 17, about their reporting experiences while in the field this summer.

Garrey focused on cervical cancer prevention and treatment in Uganda. In the U.S., the HPV vaccine and regular pap smears have almost stopped the pervasiveness of cervical cancer in its tracks. In Uganda, 40 percent of all cancers are attributed to cervical cancer and it is the leading cause of death of all cancers that affect Ugandan women.

Thomas interviewed Syrian refugees in Turkey, documenting people on the margins of the Syrian conflict. More and more Syrian civilians, who possess only what they have carried on their backs, and who will likely never be able to return to the homes from which they fled, seek refuge in neighboring countries and face extreme hardships due to a lack of basic resources. Nearly 3 million refugees are without adequate food, shelter and sanitation.

The discussion is co-sponsored by Boston University's Center for Global Health & Development, College of Communication and School of Public Health, in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center through our Campus Consortium partnership.

Monday, November 17
4:30 pm—6:00 pm
Boston University
College of Communication
640 Commonwealth Avenue
Room 209
Boston, MA 02215