The name “Jon Snow” might ring a bell for fans of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, but for the John Snow, Inc. Research & Training Institute, saving lives and leading by example is standard operating procedure. Named after the 19th century English doctor John Snow, the JSI Research & Training Institute is dedicated to the promotion and improvement of global health as a nonprofit arm of John Snow, Inc.
John Snow, Inc. is one of the world’s leading public health research and consulting firms, providing consulting services for health solutions worldwide. JSI’s clients include the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Department of Defense (DOD), The World Bank, and The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI). JSI was founded in 1978 by Joel Lamstein and Norbert Hirschhorn; its namesake, Dr. John Snow, is considered to be the “father of public health” for his groundbreaking theories on cholera transmission and the study of disease and infection as a whole.
What JSI does for clients is simple: JSI analyzes environments and populations, providing custom programs for clients to achieve their goals in ways tailored for each specific context. For example, a water purification program in a rural region suffering drought would need a different structure from a hygiene education program in an overpopulated city neighborhood. Likewise, in a very traditional, religious country, family planning and reproductive health programs need to be tailored for sensitivity and cultural appropriateness.
JSI emphasizes collaboration with federal agencies, NGOs, other non-profits, and host-country experts to provide solutions of lasting change in communities and health systems. With programs focusing on as diverse topics as HIV education and treatment, information and communications technology, environment health, and family planning/reproductive health, JSI provides technical expertise for clients who need it.
1980 saw JSI’s first international project, a school health initiative in Tanzania funded by USAID. Today the Research & Training Institute and its workforce of over 2000 individuals provides services on every continent: from Albania to Cote d’Ivoire, and from Eritrea to Laos. Following in the footsteps of its namesake, the John Snow Research & Training Institute stands as a leading force for global health development.
– Naomi Doraisamy
Source: JSI
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