Rethinking Good Intentions - Hosted by the Centre for Global Health

This compelling play transports audiences to the rural villages of Sierra Leone, West Africa in the late 1970s and 1980s where Nancy worked as a community health nurse for five years. The play is filled with stories about Nancy’s initially blundered and then inspired encounters with village chiefs, traditional birth attendants, and subsistence farmers. Village experiences rattled Nancy’s cultural preconceptions, provoked her notions of social privilege, and forever deepened her global connections.

Nancy Edwards, BScN, MSc, PhD, FCAHS

Nancy Edwards is a Distinguished Professor and Professor Emeritus, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa. Dr. Edwards obtained her undergraduate nursing degree from the University of Windsor and completed graduate studies in epidemiology at McMaster University and McGill University. She is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Nancy has received numerous awards including three honorary doctoral degrees. Dr. Edwards’ clinical and research interests are in the fields of public and population health. She has conducted health services, policy, and clinical research both nationally and internationally. Her work in global health spanned four continents where she led both development-oriented and research-focused projects with a focus on maternal and child health and capacity-building.

Meet our Panelists!

Ronald Carshon – Marsh

Ronald is a 3rd year Doctor of Public Health candidate at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He obtained his first degree in Medicine in 2008 at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), Sierra Leone, and his Master of International Public Health degree at the University of Queensland, Australia. He holds postgraduate certificates in Health Systems Planning and Mortality Surveillance. Ronald worked as a medical officer in various hospitals in Sierra Leone, serving as the Medical Superintendent of the Koidu government hospital, Kono from 2014 to 2016. He led the case management pillar for the Ebola Viral Disease epidemic response during this time. As a result of his dedicated professional service to humanity, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Australia, awarded him the ‘Young Alumni Excellence Award 2016’. He also worked as the District Medical Officer (DMO) in two districts and served as the overall technical and surveillance lead for the COVID-19 response in Bo district from 2020 to 2021. He later served as the manager of the National Malaria Control Programme. Ronald has contributed significantly to mortality surveillance research and has published many articles on malaria, mortality surveillance and antimicrobial resistance.

Diana Kaliza

As a second-year MPH student specializing in Social and Behavioral Health Sciences at the University of Toronto, Diana is strongly passionate about community-centred and global health interventions. Her work predominantly focuses on women's health and infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. She has played a key role in collaborating with global partners to develop and support programs aimed at enhancing the professional development of faculty and women in leadership roles in Kenya and South Africa. Additionally, Diana has contributed to the design of educational programs tailored to address the specific needs of African communities in primary health care. Furthermore, she brings a background in program management, specifically in training primary care providers in maternal and newborn health and ensuring project success and compliance.

For any inquiries, please email [email protected].

Host or Publisher Centre for Global Health