The American College Health Foundation’s (ACHF) A Guide for Travel Health Practices at Institutions of Higher Education will soon be available in Japanese, expanding access to the resource for higher education and health professionals in Japan.
Originally developed for U.S. colleges and universities, the guide provides practical information and recommendations to help institutions strengthen travel health practices and better prepare students for international experiences. The Japanese translation grew out of a longstanding relationship with the Japan University Health Association (JUHA) and a shared interest in making travel health resources more accessible across global higher education communities.
“This translation reflects what can happen when higher education professionals across countries share knowledge and learn from one another. We’re excited to make the Guide for Travel Health Practices more accessible to colleagues in Japan and to support our shared goal of helping students travel safely and return home healthy,” said Robyn Buchsbaum, ACHA’s Director of Strategic Partnerships.
Because the guide was originally developed for a U.S. higher education audience, the Japanese edition acknowledges that some recommendations and resources may need to be adapted to reflect differences in healthcare systems, policies, institutional practices, and cultural contexts. The goal is to provide a useful foundation that Japanese higher education professionals can apply within their own settings.
“The Guide for Travel Health Practices was written to be valuable to health care providers, health promotion professionals, students, faculty, administrators and parents,” said Michael Huey, MD, Chair of the Foundation Board or Directors and lead author of the guide. “The writing team spent a year on this project, and we are very excited to see that the guide will soon be available in another country and another languages.”
The guide has also helped advance broader conversations about equity in college travel health. Several members of the original project team later authored “Health Inequities and Marginalized Groups: An Overview for College Student Travelers and Travel Health Professionals,” published in the Journal of American College Health. The article builds on the guide to examine pre-travel preparation through a health equity lens, including considerations for students facing financial barriers, disabilities and preexisting health conditions, and other circumstances that can affect their travel experience. You can access the article for free through your ACHA membership by logging in here.
The Japanese-language edition is expected to be available later this year.
