11: Humanitarian Aid Beyond Borders

Dr. Rasha Khoury is a physician in the Bronx, New York, with a focus on global maternal health. Dr. Khoury has completed six Doctors Without Borders surgical missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone. She also serves on the organization's U.S. board of directors.

In this episode, Dr. Khoury shares her experiences with Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian organization that provides medical aid where it's most needed. Doctors Without Borders is the recipient of the CDC Foundation's Fries Prize for Improving Health presented at the American Public Health Association annual meeting.

Key Takeaways:

[1:30] Dr. Khoury shares the principles of Doctors Without Borders.
[3:02] Dr. Rasha Khoury talks about her motivation to join Doctors Without Borders even though this implies potentially putting herself at risk.
[6:22] Dr. Khoury shares her experience during her first mission at Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak.
[10:06] Challenges faced when delivering children and caring for pregnant women in Khost, Afghanistan.
[13:30] Dr. Khoury shares a memorable story while working in Afghanistan.
[16:33] Dr. Khory talks about how her perspective changed now that she is on the organization’s U.S. board of directors.
[19:18] Dr. Khoury identifies herself as a field worker.
[21:18] Two destinations where Dr. Khoury hopes to do more field work.
[22:23] Dr. Khoury extends her advice to people with an interest in serving for Doctors Without Borders.
[23:53] The importance of seeking opportunities to work out of your comfort zone.
[24:56] The role of collaboration in improving the health of patients.
[29:28] Maintaining institutional memory through collaborative work.

Mentioned in This Episode:

CDC Foundation Answer this episode’s question: Have you ever worked in another country to help address a local health or humanitarian need? If so, share your experience with us. Just email your answer to [email protected] and you'll have the chance to win some CDC Foundation merchandise. For more information about this episode go to Contagious Conversations.