{"id":1995,"date":"2025-08-06T15:54:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T19:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/cghe\/?p=1995"},"modified":"2025-09-08T16:32:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T20:32:02","slug":"how-can-we-add-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/cghe\/2025\/08\/06\/how-can-we-add-value\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can We Add Value?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"figi
[Photo courtesy of Dr. Sarah Matsunaga, MED'25, Fiji National University's School of Medicine Extension St Campus, featuring flags from around the Pacific]<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sarah Matsunaga, MED'25, Explores HIV-Related Health-Seeking Behaviors in Fiji: \u201cHow Can We Add Value?\u201d<\/h2>\n

By Dr. Sarah Matsunaga, MED'25<\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>
Photo courtesy of Sarah Matsunaga, MED'25<\/span>
A research meeting at The Grand Pacific Hotel, featuring (left to right) Christopher Lutukivuya, Dr. Sarah Matsunaga, MED'25, Nick Woo, Dr. Jioji Ravulo<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ni Sa Bula (Hello),
\nThrough Dartmouth's Center for Global Health Equity (CGHE) Co-designed, Community-based Internship (CCI), I had the opportunity to travel to Suva, Fiji, in March, to support research on health-seeking behaviors related to HIV. Just prior to the CGHE CCI, in 2024, I completed a Fulbright fellowship, where I led a project titled \"Adolescent Attitudes Towards Depression in Fiji.\" Analysis is still ongoing for this project, but through the CGHE CCI, I was able to finalize a few aspects of the project, bring on another advisor, and meet with researchers to consider how to disseminate the results once they are ready.<\/p>\n

For the CGHE CCI project, the research team included Dr. Jioji Ravulo and Dr. Litea Meo-Sewabu, professors of social work at The University of the South Pacific (USP); Nick Woo '20, a fellow Dartmouth alum and Fulbright Scholar; and local HIV advocates such as Christopher Lutukivuya.<\/p>\n

In the summer of 2023, Fiji's Ministry of Health reported that the country had the second-fastest growing HIV epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region. This region already represents the world's largest HIV burden outside of eastern and southern Africa. In a national broadcast, Health Minister Dr. Lalabalavu called for collaboration between Fijian academic and community partners to better understand stigma and discrimination to tackle the spread of HIV in Fiji. This call to action is visible throughout Suva, where banners line Laucala Bay Road, offering accurate information and personal stories of people living with HIV.<\/p>\n