Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Gilbert Burnham, MD, PhD, MSc, is a physician who addesses humanitarian health problems in populations affected by natural disasters or conflicts.
Contact Info
Research Interests
Refugees; Disasters; International Health; Health Systems reconstruction post conflict; Community Health and Health Systems; Distance Education
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Dr. Gilbert M. Burnham a faculty member in the Center for Humanitarian Health at Johns Hopkins which he founded in 1998. He has extensive experience in emergency preparedness and response, particularly in humanitarian needs assessment, program planning, and evaluation that address the needs of vulnerable populations, and the development and implementation of training programs. He also has extensive experience in the development and evaluation of community-based health program planning and implementation, health information system development, management and analysis, and health system analysis. He has worked with numerous humanitarian and health development programs for multilateral and non-governmental organizations, regional health departments, ministries of health (national and district level), and communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Current activities include work with the health systems in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Select Publications
* Robinson C, Lee MK, Hill K, Burnham G. Rising mortality in North Korean households reported by migrants in China. Lancet,1999;354:291-295.. * Kalter HD, Houssain M, Burnham G, Khan NZ, Saha S, Ali MA, Black RB. Validation of caregiver interviews to diagnose common causes of severe perinatal and neonatal illness. Paediatirc and Perinatel Epidemiology, 1999;13:99-113. * Sheik M, Gutierrez M, Bolton P, Spiegel P, Thieren M, Burnham G. Deaths among humanitarian workers BMJ, 2000;321:166-8. * Kipp W, Kamugisha J, Jacobs P, Burnham G, Rubable T. Cost-sharing in Kabarole district, western Uganda: communities’ and health professionals perceptions about health financing. Journal of Health and Population in Developing Countries, 2000;2:30-38 * Seet B, Burnham G, Fatality trends in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, 1948-1998. JAMA. 2000;284:598-60. * Burnham G, Abdallah S. The Johns Hopkins and Red Cross / Red Crescent Public Health Guide for Emergencies. Johns Hopkins University, 2000.(book) * Spiegel, P. Sheik M, Burnham G. Accuracy of health information in 52 refugee camps. Disasters. 2001;25:72-80. * Kipp W, Kamugisha J, Jacobs P, Burnham G, Rubale T. User fees, health staff incentives and service utilization in Kabarole District, Uganda. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2001;79:1032-1037. * Robinson C, Len MK, Hill K, Hsu E, Burnham G. Demographic methods to assess food insecurity: A North Korean case study. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 2002;16:286-92 * VanRooyen M, Hansch S, Curtis D, Burnham G. Emerging issues and future needs in humanitarian assistance. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 2002;16:216-222. * Burnham G. Maternal Mortality among Afghan refugees. Editorial commentary, Lancet, 2002; 359: 639-40 * Burnham G, Rowley E, Ovberedjo MO. Quality Design: a planning methodology for the integration of refuge and local health services, West Nile Uganda. Disasters, 2003, 27:54-71. * Burnham G, Pariyo G, Galiwango E, Wabwire-Mangen F. Discontinuation of cost-sharing in. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2004;82:187-95. * Burnham G, Mbrathu, T. Delivery of Ivermectin. Tropical Medicine and International Health,2004;9:A26-A44. * Allan R, Burnham G. Medicine for Refugees. Lancet, 2003 Dec;362 Suppl:s34-5 * Karunakara U, Neuner F, Schauer M, Singh K, Hill K, Elbert T, Burnham G., Symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder amongst Sudanese nationals, refugees and Ugandan nationals in the West Nile. African Health Sciences,2004;4:83-93. * Waters H, Rehwinkel, JA, Burnham G. Economic Evaluation of Mectizan Distribution, Tropical Medicine and International Health, 2004;9:A66-A25. * Singh, K., Karunakara UK, Burnham G, and Hill KH. Forced Migration and Under-five Mortality: A Comparison of Refugees and Hosts in Northwestern Uganda and Southern Sudan. European Journal of Population. in press * Ahmet A, Edward A, Burnham G. Health indicators for mothers and children in rural Herat Province, Afghanistan. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2004;19:221-224. * Nsungwa-Sabitti J, Burnham G, Pariyo G, and the Uganda IMCI documentation team. Implementing the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) programme in Uganda Journal of Health and Population in Developing Countries, 5 Nov 2004, 1-15. * Doocy S, Norrell D, Burnham G. Credit program outcomes: coping capacity and nutritional status in the food insecure context of Ethiopia. Social Science and Medicine, 2005;60:2371-82. * Singh K, Karunakara U, Burnham G, Hill K. Using indirect methods to understand the impact of forced migration on ling-term under-five mortality. Journal of Biosocial Science, 2005 Nov;37(6):741-60. * Roberts L, Lafta R, Garfield R, Khudhairi J, Burnham G. Mortality before and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq: cluster sample survey. Lancet, 364:1857-64. * Pariyo G, Gouws E, Bryce J, Burnham G, Improving facility-based care for sick children in Uganda. Policy and Planning, 2005; Suppl 1:i58-i68 * Rowley E. Burnham G. Protracted Refugee Situations: Parallel Health Systems and Planning for the Integration of Services. Journal of Refugee Studies, May 2006. * Smith J, Burnham G. Conception and Death in Afghanistan. Editorial Commentary, Lancet 2005, Lancet. 2005,365:827-8. * Doocy S, Norrell D, Teffera S, Burnham G. Outcomes of an Ethiopian Microfinance Program and Management Actions to Improve Service. Journal of Microfinance, 2005;7:1-16.