MPH student Monserrat Hinojosa participated in a UTMB School of Public and Population Health Global Student Experience in Peru.
Read here story below:
This past March, I spent four weeks in Lima, Peru, conducting research with La Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) at el Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt (IMTAvH), and the Tuberculosis Lab (Unidad de Investigacion en Tuberculosis) at UPCH. During this time, I also worked alongside the Peruvian CDC to develop a research protocol focused on observing comorbidities and clinical outcomes in pregnant patients with Dengue, while I also worked on ongoing tuberculosis studies.
My time at the Peruvian CDC and visiting an outside clinic provided me with a different perspective on Dengue reporting and surveillance. These visits offered me the chance to observe public health processes firsthand and gain perspectives that went beyond simple data interpretation. I was able to apply previous public health knowledge on my own, such as a windshield assessment when observing the different resources that were available in different districts and clinics, using a health policy perspective. Surveillance methods also varied across sites, with some sites relying on paper while others had limited access to the internet. Despite the barriers, everyone had a main goal - surveillance, health promotion, and disease prevention.
Living in Peru for a month was a truly unique experience. Beyond the amazing gastronomy, the people were very sweet and welcoming, and there was plenty of sightseeing - such as museums (Larco Museum, Huaca Pucllana Museum, etc.) and an incredible city with great shops. I shared an apartment with Emily, which gave us the flexibility to both cook at home and dine out - classic Peruvian food such as Ceviche, Lomo Saltado, Pollo a la Brasa, and others. We took a weekend trip to Huacachina and Paracas, where we were able to go sandboarding and saw sea lions!
Since Lima is a coastal city, we were near the beach at all times, and the district of Barranco, full of beautiful shops and art. At the end of my stay, I had some time to visit a few archaeological sites, which were culturally rich and a culinary adventure. Ultimately, this experience has reaffirmed my deep interest in global health and infectious diseases.
