The Houston-Semipalatinsk Healthcare Partnership: A Lesson in Science Diplomacy

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dc.citation.journalTitleDialogues Across Health, Science, Humanities, and Archives
dc.citation.volumeNumber1
dc.contributor.authorShridharan, Rishi
dc.contributor.authorLaufman, Larry
dc.contributor.authorRozin, Sara
dc.contributor.authorWeinberg, Armin
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-16T12:43:18Z
dc.date.available2024-07-16T12:43:18Z
dc.date.issued2024-07
dc.description.abstractThe 1995–99 Houston-Semipalatinsk Healthcare Partnership (HSP) was an international collaboration between healthcare institutions in Houston, Texas, and Semey, Kazakhstan (previously called Semipalatinsk). This partnership was established to create a synergistic exchange that would address public health needs identified by Kazakh institutions and that would be self-sustaining. Semey was the primary site of Soviet-era atomic bomb testing for over forty years, exposing millions of people to sustained radiation. When the Soviet Union was dissolved, Semey’s healthcare infrastructure was insufficient to care for the existing population, let alone deal with the added health effects of low-dose radiation. To address these challenges, the HSP was established with funding through the American International Health Alliance (AIHA), under a cooperative agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Houston and Semey partners jointly formulated goals for healthcare reform and mobilized resources across institutions and governments. Through cultural, economic, educational, and technical exchange, the partnership afforded unique advantages as an international program of medical, scientific, and socioeconomic alliances. The many accomplishments of this partnership illustrate the efficacy of this collaborative approach and highlight the crucial need for government support of sustained programming to make transformative progress.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/117345
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.subject.keywordscience diplomacy
dc.subject.keywordhealth effects of radiation
dc.subject.keywordcancer
dc.subject.keywordinternational parternship
dc.subject.keywordsustainability
dc.titleThe Houston-Semipalatinsk Healthcare Partnership: A Lesson in Science Diplomacy
dc.typeJournal article
dc.type.dcmiText
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Volume 1: Radiation Effects and Events (Winter 2024)