Malawi Stan Becker Bachelor's in Public Health Studies, School of Arts and Sciences In this study, we will investigate the following research questions: what is the ratio of households needed to visit to find one eligible couple for subsequent couple’s voluntary counseling and testing (CVCT) for HIV? What is the proportion, among eligible couples, of those who consent to participate in CVCT? Who did not consent to CVCT and what are their reasons for refusal? Clinical studies have shown that CVCT is a cost-effective way of preventing HIV and unwanted pregnancy. This study seeks to analyze how one can apply the clinical evidence to door-to-door services. The Framework Grant financed my contribution to a couple’s study in Blantyre, Malawi. Without the grant, I would never have been able to go to Malawi and work on the study. While there is always something to be said for dry knowledge on a subject, being able to travel and have a first-hand experience on the subject helped remind me that public health is not the academic subject that is presented in lectures, but rather a science for living, breathing people. During my trip, I gained valuable experience in conducting research, and made friends from both sides of the world that I will not soon forget. I thank the Center for Global Health again. Furthermore, the Center should rest assured that its investment was well placed because it has strengthened one more person’s commitment to global health.
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Dylan Cote
