Several of our MCH students attended the 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference, October 24-27, in-person or online. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.
By Fabiola Tarazona-Tubens, BS
Last year, I was given the opportunity to attend APHA 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was done virtually and even without being able to compare to in-person I can say it was an amazing experience. It was a bit daunting when I saw all the poster sessions, presentations, and MCH meetings that I wanted to attend at the same time. But through exhaustive research I was able to narrow my list down a little bit.
The hardest thing about attending online was the limited ability to network with other MCH peers and attend the Expo Hall using the interactive map. Even though I took advantage of the resources available to interact with others, online interaction is not the same as in-person interaction because you are not able to see the body language of the other person, exchange business cards or information about the school or company – you might miss little details.
On the other hand, this year was different because I got the opportunity to attend in-person and I co-presented the Birthing during COVID-19 toolkit: An emergency response to pregnancy and postpartum project, along with Tulane MCH alumni Kiara Cruz and Tonye Fohsta-Lynch. Most of the poster sessions I attended were related to MCH and medical care such as the impact of COVID-19 on MCH and telehealth services, and infant and child health. I also learned about initiatives targeting infant and maternal mortality, low birthweight and improving prenatal and postpartum care and medical care, disease screening, management, and screening.
The presentation at this year’s opening general session given by the speaker Ms. Heather McGhee was amazing and one of my favorites. I appreciated what she had to say about addressing inequality and the measures that need to be taken within the system and society, by providing several insights related to the racism that exists in the US.
Fabiola Tarazona-Tubens, BS, is a second-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in December 2021 and is deciding whether to pursue a career as a public health professional or a medical degree (Pediatrician-Neonatologist) after graduation. Her interests include reproductive health, medical care, and advocacy for racial and health disparities, particularly in minority populations such as Latino/Hispanic overcoming language barriers in the healthcare system, health equity, and child health. She also loves cooking Puerto Rican food, baking pastries, photography, dancing and reading.
