In this episode of The Better Samaritan Podcast, we’re joined by Allison Ruark, global public health professor and HIV/AIDS researcher, to talk about how global health, gender inequality, and foreign aid cuts all collide in real life.

We dig into what’s really going on behind the data, how U.S. policy changes are closing clinics across Africa, and why spiritual resilience matters just as much as medical care.

Allison offers both documented areas of concern and areas of hope—thanks to the next generation of passionate students stepping up.

Dive deeper into the discussion:

(5:04 ) Clarification - Dr. Ruark post-show clarified that, as of the recording of this episode, 80% of USAID/US grants have been cancelled, and 20% of grants are still operational. See here.

(6:12 ) Groups working with USAID say the government still has not paid what it owes for their work

scrippsnews.com/politics/president-trumps-first-100-days/groups-working-with-usaid-say-the-government-still-has-not-paid-what-it-owes-for-their-work

(26:08 ) Dr. Ruark’s research on behavioral interventions to prevent HIV

Further Reading from Dr. Allison Ruark

Books:

AIDS, Behavior, and Culture: Understanding Evidence-Based Prevention

Articles:

Increasing family planning access in Kenya through engagement of faith-based health facilities, religious leaders, and community health volunteers.

Oromia Joint Assessment on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), FoodInsecurity, and Effective GBV Response

 Monitoring & Evaluation for Multiple and Concurrent Partnerships (MCP) Programmes.

About Allison Ruark 

Dr. Ruark is a social epidemiologist with a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has worked at Wheaton College as an Assistant Professor since 2020 and is the theme coordinator for the Wheaton Aequitas Fellows Program in Global Public Health. She has particular expertise in behavioral HIV prevention, gender-based violence, and the impact of couple and family relationships on health. 

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This episode was produced by WildfireCreative 

Theme Song: “Turning Over Tables” by The Brilliance

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(Note to the listener: In this podcast, sometimes we'll host Evangelicals, and sometimes we won't. Learning how to “do good, better” involves listening to many perspectives with different insights and understanding. Sometimes, it will make us uncomfortable; sometimes, we'll agree, and sometimes, we won't. We think that's good. We want to listen for correction–especially in our blind spots.)

The Better Samaritan podcast is produced by the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College, which offers an M.A. in Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership and a Trauma Certificate. To learn more and apply, visit our website. Get your application fee to the HDL M.A. program waived with code TBS25.

Jamie Aten, Ph.D., and Kent Annan, M.Div., co-direct the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College and are the Co-Founders of Spiritual First Aid.

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