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Global Health Seminar – Human Trafficking as a Global Public Health Issue
UGA College of Public Health
Global Health Institute
Spring Seminar Series
Human Trafficking as a Global Public Health Issue
Guest Speaker: David Okech, MSW, Ph.D., Georgia Athletics Association Professor of Human Trafficking Implementation Research, and Director, Center on Human Trafficking Research & Outreach (CenHTRO), School of Social Work, University of Georgia
Please join us for this hybrid seminar on Thursday, February 29 at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom. Everyone is welcome to attend! Contact Juliet Sekandi for additional information.
Abstract: Human trafficking is a social justice, human rights, criminal justice, and also a global public issue. The global health perspective on human trafficking is a recent development that has been postulated by medical and behavioral health personnel who are interested in the health effects of trafficking experience on victims. In addition, a public health approach has been suggested by some as a tool for preventing the problem by identifying drivers and facilitators of the problem and targeting the various systems in the community in order to reduce the prevalence of the problem. In this presentation, I use the work of the Center on Human Trafficking Research & Outreach (CenHTRO) to present the multi-faceted aspects of human trafficking and the research and intervention opportunities that are currently available.
Speaker Bio: David Okech is GA Athletic Association Professor of Human Trafficking Intervention Research at the UGA School of Social Work (SSW). He was director of the MSW Program (2014-20) and Global Engagement (2014-17) at the SSW and is currently director of CenHTRO. CenHTRO is conducting research in four countries in Africa. Dr. Okech’s other collaborations include developing statistical indicators for human trafficking research with the UN. He earned a PhD in Social Work from the University of Kansas in 2008.
