Dear SOGH Members,
Welcome to the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Global Health website!
Since its founding in 1996, SOGH has grown to become one of the largest and most active Sections in the Academy with more than 1,000 members. By nature, we are an interdisciplinary Section committed to enhancing the health and well-being of children globally—particularly those living in low-resource settings—through impact-oriented education, advocacy, and service delivery.
I was honored to step into the SOGH Chair role in November 2022 and look forward to engaging with members through many activities throughout my term! As Chair, I endeavor to use my collaborative leadership style to grow our membership and engagement including expansion of trainee and international members, to continue to deliver dynamic educational programming and advocacy opportunities, and to bring a focus on equity across all our Section activities.
Our Section’s activities are dynamic and global in nature, with many opportunities for engagement and participation of our members. Core activities include educational programming around contemporary global health topics that matter to members at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition (NCE) as well as webinars throughout the year. Our NCE programming also includes an SOGH abstracts program as well as SOGHpix photography competition. We seek to bring important topics and diverse speakers to all of our educational programming. We also maintain a robust listserv to stay connected as a community of pediatricians and child health advocates working in global health spaces. We have a thoughtful approach to partnership and strive to amplify the work of and collaborate with other stakeholders in global child health. We provide a number of scholarships, including for members to attend the AAP Advocacy Conference with opportunities for mentored advocacy training in global health, as well as travel awards and scholarships for individuals from Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) to attend and present their work at the NCE. Annually, we select nominated individuals to be awarded for their lifetime contributions to advancing global child health. This award, the Hillman Olness Global Partner Award, was recently updated to include the co-nomination of an LMIC partner to give equal recognition and honor to our global partners. Our Section is active in the areas of Advocacy and Policy, with frequent engagement with the AAP Department of Federal Affairs. Our Section also provides input on policy statements and resolutions for the AAP Leadership Conference.
Please know that we are committed to growing and improving the Section to suit your interests and needs, and we are always open to feedback and suggestions.
Thank you,
Heather Haq, MD, MHS, FAAP
SOGH Chair