Newborn Nutrition Intern (Donor Human Milk Policy)

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PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world's most pressing heath challenges.

Our Primary Health Care (PHC) program leads several projects and partners with individuals, communities, civil society, governments, and the private sector to co-create solutions which aim to accelerate the development of multi-disciplinary, high-performing primary health care services. The program helps countries and multisectoral partners reimagine PHC through a people-centered approach that gives everyone a fair chance at health and protects against health threats. The PHC program is seeking an intern based in the United States. The work may be virtual or in-person depending upon the public health and PATH guidelines regarding the pandemic.

The Integrated Maternal and Child Health and Development (IMCHD) team, under PHC, applies effective, innovative approaches to broadening access to and use of key interventions that address the most pressing causes of maternal, newborn and child deaths, and poor nutritional status. Our approach includes: an emphasis on community-level action; a focus on improving the quality of existing health services, improving preventive and curative care across the continuum of care from facility to community level; a commitment to reaching underserved communities; a focus on working to understand and address barriers to high-quality care; and mobilization of social and political support to create and sustain an enabling environment for service delivery of key evidence-based interventions. This portfolio includes targeted efforts to strengthen systems of care for small and sick newborns as a core strategy to reduce neonatal mortality. In collaboration with local partners, we establish mother-centered models of care as comprehensive and integrated platforms to optimize feeding, nutrition, and well-being of this vulnerable population.

The intern will focus on supporting the Newborn Nutrition portfolio, specifically focusing on WHO Implementation Guidance for human milk banking (HMB), including developing guidance for selecting HMB models of care as well as donor human milk (DHM) classification. This work complements the ongoing WHO process for developing formal standards to inform the quality and safety of human milk banking; PATH serves as coordinator for that activity.

Learning objectives and goals of the internship:

The intern will learn PATH operations and systems, cross program priorities and global health areas of interest. The key learning objective is related to gaining expertise in the care for the small and sick newborn, human milk banking and donor human milk, newborn nutrition, maternal lactation, global nutrition, maternal and newborn nurturing care, peer support models, and enhanced community-based care.

Proposed activities for the internship:

The intern will support implementation guidance development; illustrative activities based on area of focus, include:

DHM classification guidance: (policy focus)

• Perform Scoping review of DHM classification, regulation, and policy as a product in different settings
• Perform stakeholder interviews/survey to capture exemplar classification of DHM for implementation considerations
• Support engagement with expert group at various stages of process
• Support drafting of implementation considerations for selecting different DHM classifications

The intern may also assist with cross-Newborn Nutrition programming, including developing manuscripts, concept notes, and communications related to other ongoing projects or business development.

Benefit to intern:

The intern will learn the operational structure of an international NGO. This includes PATH operations and systems, strategic prioritization, divisional collaborations, cross program priorities and global health areas of interest related to care for the small and sick newborn, maternal lactation support, and global nutrition. The intern will also gain valuable skills in landscaping and applying knowledge to global health practice, with an emphasis on implementation approaches for LMIC settings.

Skills and Experience:

Background and interest in global health, maternal/newborn health, and familiarity with early breastfeeding/newborn feeding or human milk or medical products of human origin, including human milk banking/donor human milk; Cross-program capability to work across teams.

Research and writing skills (for communication, proposal writing, manuscript writing, etc.).

Specific to:

DHM Classification guidance: (policy focus)

• Familiarity with classification and/or regulation of medical products of human origin (e.g., human milk, blood, tissues)
• Experience with global policy/regulation/standards for food and/or medical products of human origin

This internship will need 20-40 hours dedicated to it weekly and is remote-based. All Interns must be based in the US and currently enrolled at a university to be eligible.