Naomi Schmeck is a graduate student in the Department of Global Health and Population. She has concentrations in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Child Protection. Her research focuses on the physical and psychological health impacts on children caused by U.S. immigration and detention policies. She is a volunteer caseworker with the ICRC, assisting and reconnecting families who have been separated due to armed conflict, international migration, or other emergencies. Her career goals are to implement child protection programs in refugee/IDP camps and detention centers, in order to improve health outcomes and promote the safety and well-being, of all children.
The project Naomi will be involved in with Socios En Salud focuses on strengthening the physical, nutritional, and emotional health of the mother-child pair during pregnancy and the first 24 months of the child’s life in Carabayllo, Peru. This will be done through educational interventions, community support, and generating income for pregnant women.