Presentation description

In June 2025, I conducted a qualitative field study as an Undergraduate Global Health Researcher through the University of Utah Learning Abroad program in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. The project focused on exploring barriers to eye care in one of the most remote and high-altitude regions in the world, with villages situated between 12,000 and 14,500 feet in elevation.

I completed 17 semi-structured interviews and facilitated a 10-person focus group with residents from six villages, including Kibber, the highest motorable village in the world. The participant pool included approximately 75 individuals, over 60 percent of whom were women. Participants included ASHA health workers, Buddhist monks and nuns, and local families. The study examined environmental and systemic contributors to poor eye health, including chronic exposure to snow glare, ultraviolet radiation, agricultural dust, and limited access to trained ophthalmologists.

I documented cultural healing practices such as the use of manirilbu, a Tibetan herbal eye medicine, as well as saffron water, feather cleaning, and breast milk for eye irritation. I also participated in a Training of Trainers program focused on menstrual health education, supporting a cohort of 15 male village leaders to implement gender-inclusive community health strategies.

The findings are being developed into a visual and written research product for presentation at national undergraduate research conferences and are under consideration for publication. This project strengthened my skills in qualitative research, cross-cultural collaboration, and community-based health education in low-resource settings.