In March 2019, the Emory Global Health Institute hosted its 8^th International Global Health Case Competition in Atlanta, GA. The competition brought multidisciplinary teams together from 30 universities and institutions worldwide to develop strategies to address a growing 21^st century global health issue.

The UT Southwestern Office of Global Health partnered with the UT Southwestern Medical School, UT Southwestern School of Health Professions, UT Dallas MBA Program and the UT Health School of Public Health MPH Program to form a team of six students that would represent the University of Texas system at the competition. This year’s case involved creating a tangible solution that focused on mitigating the effects of extreme weather events due to worsening climate change. Our team focused on informal settlements that occupy the costal border of Manila, the densely populated capital of the Philippines. The students were able to draw upon their diverse backgrounds – business, public health, and medicine – to create a multifaceted approach that addressed human health in the wake of a natural disaster, while also highlighting strategies to mitigate the long-term impact of climate change.

The team advanced to the final round, where they had the opportunity to present to esteemed judges from the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health, in addition to a large audience of other students. Two experienced mentors, Professor Patti Pagels, PA-C (UTSW School of Health Professions) and Dr. Ami Waters (Department of Pediatrics & Department of Internal Medicine) led the team through the competition with their rich and inspiring experiences in global health. The UT Southwestern team was able to take home the third place prize in this competition.

Authors:

Sumanth Reddy

Michelle King

Colette Dente

Sarvjeet Singh

Lauren Tien

OGH staff

Additional information is available on the EGHI website: http://globalhealth.emory.edu/what/student_programs/case_competitions/index.html