COLLEGE PARK — December 6, 2011 — University of Maryland’s School of Public Health, Associate Professor in Global Health, Dr. Muhiuddin Haider and doctoral student Ms. Hoda Sana will discuss South Asian neonatal healthcare and neonatal healthcare improvement on Friday, December 9, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. at Optimal Solutions Group’s, LLC (Optimal’s) office in M Square Research Park in College Park, Maryland. Dr. Haider and Ms. Sana’s discussion is part of Optimal’s on-going Brown Bag lunch series.

Research shows nearly 75% of the neonatal deaths that take place in the world occur in South Asia. This has placed neonatal healthcare as a crucial issue in public health. This discussion will paint a global picture of neonatal health and the causes of this growing public health issue.  The presentation will also evaluate programs to improve neonatal health, and neonatal health in general within the South Asian region. The discussion will also examine the neonatal period of an infant's development and the importance of providing newborns with vaccines, treatments, and care necessary for their growth.

Currently, Dr. Haider is teaching graduate level courses in Global Health and he is also directing the Global Health certificate program through the Dean’s Office at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. His research interests include strategies of behavior change, application of social marketing tools and communications capacity building. His past experience also includes work in public health projects in several countries in Africa and Asia. Ms. Hoda Sana is currently pursuing her doctoral degree with a special focus on maternal health.

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Founded in 2000, Optimal Solutions Group, LLC is a non-partisan public policy research firm dedicated to rigorous and evidence-based research. Optimal's clients are local, state, and federal governments; non-governmental organizations; and corporations and foundations. Located in M Square Research Park, Optimal has grown quickly by building on a reputation of exceptional services and products. Our clients benefit from our innovations, value, and efficiency, which we have established through a robust technology-based infrastructure, uncompromising and documented quality-control procedures, and effective employee recruitment techniques. Optimal has four research centers: health, education, workforce development, and housing.

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