Hosted at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration (SSA), Illinois, May 13, 2014

This  forum was devoted to innovative economic strengthening research dedicated to improving health, education, and well-being outcomes of vulnerable children, adolescents, families, and communities in low-resource settings, including children affected by HIV/AIDS and humanitarian disasters.

Conference Guide  |  Agenda

You can watch the opening remarks by Fred Ssewamala, Associate Professor in SSA and Director of the Columbia University International Center for Child Health and Asset Development; Robert Chaskin, Associate Professor in SSA; Deborah Gorman-Smith, Professor in SSA; and Neil Guterman, Dean and Mose and Sylvia Firestone Professor, SSA, below. The full schedule and videos of all sessions are linked below.
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‍Plenary Session 1

Keynote address: Creating a Future for Youth Locally and Globally: A Research Agenda to Address the Root Causes and Consequences of Poverty
Mary McKay, McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research

Featured Morning Speaker: Relationship between Education and Health Outcomes of Young People in Sub-Saharan AfricaJohn Santelli, Mailman School of Public Health

Morning Panel: Working with HIV-Positive Children and Adolescents in Sub-Saharan African: the Promise of Family Economic Strengthening. Or is There a Promise?
Chair: Alida Bouris
– Claude Mellins, Columbia University Medical Center of Psychology; New York State Psychiatric Institute
– Gertrude Nakigozi, Rakai Health Sciences Program, Rakai, Uganda
– Apollo Kivumbi, Columbia University International Center for Child Health & Asset Development, Masaka-Uganda Office

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Concurrent Session 1

Panel: Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Adolescents: Conceptual and Research Issues within the Context of Family Economic StrengtheningChair: Sarah Lyn Jones, University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Leyla Ismayilova, University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Tonbofa Ashimi, Edward Ekiyor & Co., Nigeria
Sanyukta Mathur, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Njeri Kagotho, Adelphi University School of Social Work

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Concurrent Session 2

Panel: Working with Children and Adolescents in Humanitarian Emergency Situations: Is there a role for Economic Strengthening Interventions?
Chair: Mark Canavera, Child Protection in Crisis Learning Network, Mailman School of Public Health
Abel Mwebembezi, Reach the Youth-Uganda, International Center for Child Health & Asset Development
Timothy Opobo, Child Fund Uganda
Eunice Muthengi, Population Council
Josh Chaffin, Women’s Refugee Commission

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Lunch Presentations

Panel: Issues in Economic Strengthening and Health Functioning Research for Children and Adolescents: Presentations from Research Centers
Chair: Gina M. Samuels, Associate Professor, SSA, University of Chicago
Lindsay Stark, Child Protection in Crisis (CPC) Network, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Olufunmilayo I. Olopade, Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics, The University of Chicago Medicine
Michael Sampson, Economic Policy Research Institute, South Africa
Li Zhou, Center for Social Development, Washington University

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Plenary Session II

Featured Afternoon Speaker: Economic Strengthening and Family Strengthening: the Bonnie and Clyde of HIV Prevention in South Africa?
Lucie Cluver, Oxford University, UK

Panel: Research Gaps in Structural Level Interventions for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Adolescents: Funding Institutions’ Perspective
Chair: Curtis McMillen. University of Chicago
Susannah Allison, National Institute of Mental Health
Jason Wolfe, USAID
Claude Mellins, University of Chicago

Panel: Financial Institutions and Research Institutions Partnerships to Address Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Youth’s Socio-Economic Status
Chair: Corrinne Ngurukie, Save the Children
Sylvia Nabakadde, Centenary Rural Development Bank-Uganda
Kasio Mutuku, Kenya Post Office Savings Bank-Kenya

Panel: Working with Low-Income Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Youth enrolled in Economic Strengthening Programs: Lessons from Field Impact Studies in East and Central Africa: Uganda, Kenya and Burundi
Chair: Proscovia Nabunya, University of Chicago
Juliette Seban, International Rescue Committee
Leyla Karimli, NYU and Columbia University

Closing Reflections: Lindsay Stark and Fred SsewamalaLindsay Stark, Child Protection in Crisis Learning Network, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Fred Ssewamala, SSA, University of Chicago