Engaging In Global Health Conference: A Conceptual Analysis
Throughout the weekend at the Engaging in Global Health Conference, I learned many new things about the world, health issues, and even myself. I have always had a desire to help others, especially on a larger scale; I just didn’t quite know how. With the numerous speakers, readings, and group breakout sessions we had, I have had more exposure to new ideas and perspectives than I have ever had before in another course or personal life experience and was inspired in many different ways. During the conference, I was introduced to many ideas I had never heard of since I am new to global health. One idea that really made an impact on me however was the fact that no matter what I study or what I have for a future career, I can always find a way
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to apply it to global health. I love the idea that global health is so flexible because I have always been concerned about which educational path I should choose in order to incorporate it. When I heard about the global health studies program, I was very interested in many of the courses because I new they would fit perfectly with my major in Health Promotion and my interest in getting my Master of Public Health in Community and Behavioral Health. However, I was concerned that if I ever turned away from these degrees, I wouldn’t be able to explore global health as I would have with my knowledge in the health field through Health Promotion. Before the conference, I had never thought of an engineer or a historian being able to work in global health; however, Craig Just showed me the many ways engineers are very useful in providing clean water to communities in developing countries and constructing tools or products which purify polluted water. Also Dr. James Giblin surprised me by speaking about how he studied African History and was able to use that historical background information to understand their culture and as well as health practices they perform. By having knowledge of a different culture, it improves the services we can provide when helping those communities when they are in need. People with various educational backgrounds are important to the advancement and success of global health efforts as they each provide a different perspective or special skill to a project.
One of the presenters that intrigued me the most during the Engaging in Global Health Conference was Christine Petersen and her presentation of the idea of “One Health”.
Even though the concept of One Health is not new, I had never thought about considering the triad of health that she presented being the connections between humans, animals, and the environment and the ways each impact each other. During her speech, I was fascinated by her speech about the world of diseases, and she made one point that stood out to me: comparative medicine and research between human, animals and the environment is critical. Dr. Petersen highlighted her point with a few statistics showing the connections of diseases between animals and human telling us that 75-85% of all our emerging infectious diseases came from animals, therefore we should be watching the animals and their interactions with humans and the environment to predict possible future outbreaks of diseases and develop a way to stop them before they start. Her passion for finding these connections in her research of protozoa was very refreshing as she was very enthusiastic to be presenting these ideas of One …show more content…
Health.
Another speaker that really made an impact on me was Dr. James Giblin. His presentation was very inspiring to me because he was the first speaker that truly emphasized to me that you can study any subject or have any career and always find a connection to global health and combine it with your other interests. As a historian and anthropologist he had a vast amount of knowledge on African history and their culture which only advanced his interest and knowledge in the field of global health. A part of his presentation that really stuck out to me was his point about taking any opportunity to experience another culture. He shared about how he observed and participated in a culture unlike his own in Tanzania which caused a back and forth reflection on his own Western culture. He made another point about being fascinated by the various ways of how people understand matters of health and wellbeing in other cultures such as different understandings of what it is that makes a person ill and the therapeutic treatments to heal you or cure the illness. He also spoke about learning languages and how he did not believe he could learn another language and failed many times but succeeded in the end. I could relate to him as he spoke about his feelings towards language because I have always thought the same about myself. While listening to his speech, his words really inspired me to want to immerse myself into another culture as he did when he traveled abroad to Tanzania, and I am now interested in trying to learn another language to hopefully obtain a similar experience. The readings for the course were also very impactful on my perspective on global health. The first one I chose to read was the article titled “ITS Volunteers Develop Database for Medical Clinics in Haiti”. I really enjoyed this article because I have heard about Chris Buresh and the organization he co-founded called Community Health Initiative. I have always been interested in their work in Haiti and found it fascinating to hear about what great benefits Steve Yagla, Steve Bowers, and Ted Fitzgerald’s new technology system called TEBOW brought to their health clinics. Since the clinic had no formal or convenient way of recording patient information and medical history, the clinics struggled to provide sufficient follow-up care for patients (Behlke). Yagla, Bower, and Fitzgerald applied their skills of working with technology and the program FileMaker to help solve this issue by developing the TEBOW system to allow clinics to organize their information to help a greater number of patients and offer the best care they can provide (Behlke). This article really emphasized the point that no matter what career you have, there is always a way to incorporate global health. Another article I chose to read was titled “7 Worst International Aid Ideas”. This article was very eye opening to me because it discussed the issue of many Americans trying to help developing countries in ways that those countries don’t really need help, and in turn, adding to the problem. In the article the point that stood out to me the most was about the TOMS campaign. The creator of TOMS had good intentions of supplying shoes to people who do not have them in impoverished countries; however, this article points out that TOMS failed to realize that “Shoelessness, such as it is, is a symptom of a much bigger and more complex problem” (Stupart). The problem is poverty, not a matter of not having shoes or clothing. Author Richard Stupart suggests that the most valuable solution to a problem of poverty is to provide job opportunities, like having TOMS make the shoes in Africa, so that people in impoverished countries can have income to buy shoes or clothing and in turn stimulate their economy. I was very interested in this portion of the article because I have purchased TOMS in the past and thought this was a very beneficial organization in the African countries they donated to. I have come to realize however that although TOMS may be exciting children and families by giving them new shoes, they aren’t really helping to solve the bigger issue of poverty to get countries on their feet again. In the news, global health issues are everywhere and reach a wide range of topics.
The first news article I read was titled “UI Students Work to Develop Sustainable Toilet”, and I was fascinated by the work students are doing to provide solutions to sustainability issues in developing countries. I chose this article because I am very interested in the many ways myself, as a student, can offer up my skills to help a group of people in need. The article explains that through the course at the University of Iowa called Design for the Developing World, one group of students worked to create a toilet to “turn urine into fertilizer, compost feces, and use the roof as a rainwater collector” (Morin). This was very interesting for me to read about because the object of this course is to design an effective solution to a problem for a certain culture based on their own desires and means. In this case, they were designing a toilet for people of Kobriti, Ghana that could benefit their community in other ways besides serving as a regular toilet for community members to use. Also, I found it very interesting that although the course is offered through the College of Engineering, it is open to any students in any major that seeks an interest in the subject. The inclusion of students from various educational backgrounds really helps broaden views of others to add more depth to the project of building for the needs of that certain
community. The second news article I chose to read was “Monkey Malaria Creeps Closer to Being a Major Human Threat”. I chose this article because it talks about the idea “One-Health” that Christine Petersen spoke of in her presentation, and I find it very fascinating that we have the ability to predict new outbreaks of infectious diseases by looking at zoonotic diseases. Jason Beaubien writes that a form of malaria called Plasmodium knowlesi that is prevalent macaque monkeys in South East Asia is reaching human populations in Malaysia due to the increase of deforestation and expansion of palm oil plantations leading to more exposure to mosquitoes carrying the knowlesi parasite. A professor at Chan School of Public health at Harvard, Manoj Duraising, co-authored a paper over the topic and has stated, “There is growing concern that this simian parasite is adapting to infect humans more efficiently” and that they “thought that some of these [knowlesi] parasites might have a way of invading red blood cells and growing faster than other [knowlesi] parasites” (qtd. in Beaubien). The ability for this disease to become I new infectious disease that can be spread throughout the human race is very frightening to me, and I am impressed with the connections researchers have made to catch this emerging disease early enough to provide possible ways to prevent the spread before it begins. During the conference, I learned many new things about myself such as interests in exploring opportunities in Global Health that I did not think I had. First, I have realized I have a growing interest in the subject health education. After obtaining my Bachelor’s in Health Promotion and my Master of Public Health degree, I would like to have a career where I could provide comprehensive health education to populations here in the United States and eventually go abroad with my knowledge to teach children and adults about ways to be healthy in their own country. Since many cultures are different, I am intrigued by the challenge of catering a lecture on nutrition for example to fit their own dietary needs in their community and help them to learn healthy habits. Second, I have become very interested in traveling abroad whether it is to study, research, or work. Before, I never thought I would enjoy traveling to another country because I do not do well out of my comfort zone and going to a new and unfamiliar place scared me. Now I hope to be able to travel abroad to learn a new language and immerse myself in a culture that isn’t like my own. I am very fascinated by what the rest of the world has to offer.
The Engaging in Global Health Conference was very inspiring and opened my mind to many new possibilities and opportunities to make a difference for the betterment of our own country and abroad. With the exposure to new ideas through our speakers from various educational backgrounds, readings, and even other students in the class as they shared personal experiences with global health, I have become more equipped with ideas of opportunities to seek out as I pursue my passion in Global Health.
to apply it to global health. I love the idea that global health is so flexible because I have always been concerned about which educational path I should choose in order to incorporate it. When I heard about the global health studies program, I was very interested in many of the courses because I new they would fit perfectly with my major in Health Promotion and my interest in getting my Master of Public Health in Community and Behavioral Health. However, I was concerned that if I ever turned away from these degrees, I wouldn’t be able to explore global health as I would have with my knowledge in the health field through Health Promotion. Before the conference, I had never thought of an engineer or a historian being able to work in global health; however, Craig Just showed me the many ways engineers are very useful in providing clean water to communities in developing countries and constructing tools or products which purify polluted water. Also Dr. James Giblin surprised me by speaking about how he studied African History and was able to use that historical background information to understand their culture and as well as health practices they perform. By having knowledge of a different culture, it improves the services we can provide when helping those communities when they are in need. People with various educational backgrounds are important to the advancement and success of global health efforts as they each provide a different perspective or special skill to a project.
One of the presenters that intrigued me the most during the Engaging in Global Health Conference was Christine Petersen and her presentation of the idea of “One Health”.
Even though the concept of One Health is not new, I had never thought about considering the triad of health that she presented being the connections between humans, animals, and the environment and the ways each impact each other. During her speech, I was fascinated by her speech about the world of diseases, and she made one point that stood out to me: comparative medicine and research between human, animals and the environment is critical. Dr. Petersen highlighted her point with a few statistics showing the connections of diseases between animals and human telling us that 75-85% of all our emerging infectious diseases came from animals, therefore we should be watching the animals and their interactions with humans and the environment to predict possible future outbreaks of diseases and develop a way to stop them before they start. Her passion for finding these connections in her research of protozoa was very refreshing as she was very enthusiastic to be presenting these ideas of One …show more content…
Health.
Another speaker that really made an impact on me was Dr. James Giblin. His presentation was very inspiring to me because he was the first speaker that truly emphasized to me that you can study any subject or have any career and always find a connection to global health and combine it with your other interests. As a historian and anthropologist he had a vast amount of knowledge on African history and their culture which only advanced his interest and knowledge in the field of global health. A part of his presentation that really stuck out to me was his point about taking any opportunity to experience another culture. He shared about how he observed and participated in a culture unlike his own in Tanzania which caused a back and forth reflection on his own Western culture. He made another point about being fascinated by the various ways of how people understand matters of health and wellbeing in other cultures such as different understandings of what it is that makes a person ill and the therapeutic treatments to heal you or cure the illness. He also spoke about learning languages and how he did not believe he could learn another language and failed many times but succeeded in the end. I could relate to him as he spoke about his feelings towards language because I have always thought the same about myself. While listening to his speech, his words really inspired me to want to immerse myself into another culture as he did when he traveled abroad to Tanzania, and I am now interested in trying to learn another language to hopefully obtain a similar experience. The readings for the course were also very impactful on my perspective on global health. The first one I chose to read was the article titled “ITS Volunteers Develop Database for Medical Clinics in Haiti”. I really enjoyed this article because I have heard about Chris Buresh and the organization he co-founded called Community Health Initiative. I have always been interested in their work in Haiti and found it fascinating to hear about what great benefits Steve Yagla, Steve Bowers, and Ted Fitzgerald’s new technology system called TEBOW brought to their health clinics. Since the clinic had no formal or convenient way of recording patient information and medical history, the clinics struggled to provide sufficient follow-up care for patients (Behlke). Yagla, Bower, and Fitzgerald applied their skills of working with technology and the program FileMaker to help solve this issue by developing the TEBOW system to allow clinics to organize their information to help a greater number of patients and offer the best care they can provide (Behlke). This article really emphasized the point that no matter what career you have, there is always a way to incorporate global health. Another article I chose to read was titled “7 Worst International Aid Ideas”. This article was very eye opening to me because it discussed the issue of many Americans trying to help developing countries in ways that those countries don’t really need help, and in turn, adding to the problem. In the article the point that stood out to me the most was about the TOMS campaign. The creator of TOMS had good intentions of supplying shoes to people who do not have them in impoverished countries; however, this article points out that TOMS failed to realize that “Shoelessness, such as it is, is a symptom of a much bigger and more complex problem” (Stupart). The problem is poverty, not a matter of not having shoes or clothing. Author Richard Stupart suggests that the most valuable solution to a problem of poverty is to provide job opportunities, like having TOMS make the shoes in Africa, so that people in impoverished countries can have income to buy shoes or clothing and in turn stimulate their economy. I was very interested in this portion of the article because I have purchased TOMS in the past and thought this was a very beneficial organization in the African countries they donated to. I have come to realize however that although TOMS may be exciting children and families by giving them new shoes, they aren’t really helping to solve the bigger issue of poverty to get countries on their feet again. In the news, global health issues are everywhere and reach a wide range of topics.
The first news article I read was titled “UI Students Work to Develop Sustainable Toilet”, and I was fascinated by the work students are doing to provide solutions to sustainability issues in developing countries. I chose this article because I am very interested in the many ways myself, as a student, can offer up my skills to help a group of people in need. The article explains that through the course at the University of Iowa called Design for the Developing World, one group of students worked to create a toilet to “turn urine into fertilizer, compost feces, and use the roof as a rainwater collector” (Morin). This was very interesting for me to read about because the object of this course is to design an effective solution to a problem for a certain culture based on their own desires and means. In this case, they were designing a toilet for people of Kobriti, Ghana that could benefit their community in other ways besides serving as a regular toilet for community members to use. Also, I found it very interesting that although the course is offered through the College of Engineering, it is open to any students in any major that seeks an interest in the subject. The inclusion of students from various educational backgrounds really helps broaden views of others to add more depth to the project of building for the needs of that certain
community. The second news article I chose to read was “Monkey Malaria Creeps Closer to Being a Major Human Threat”. I chose this article because it talks about the idea “One-Health” that Christine Petersen spoke of in her presentation, and I find it very fascinating that we have the ability to predict new outbreaks of infectious diseases by looking at zoonotic diseases. Jason Beaubien writes that a form of malaria called Plasmodium knowlesi that is prevalent macaque monkeys in South East Asia is reaching human populations in Malaysia due to the increase of deforestation and expansion of palm oil plantations leading to more exposure to mosquitoes carrying the knowlesi parasite. A professor at Chan School of Public health at Harvard, Manoj Duraising, co-authored a paper over the topic and has stated, “There is growing concern that this simian parasite is adapting to infect humans more efficiently” and that they “thought that some of these [knowlesi] parasites might have a way of invading red blood cells and growing faster than other [knowlesi] parasites” (qtd. in Beaubien). The ability for this disease to become I new infectious disease that can be spread throughout the human race is very frightening to me, and I am impressed with the connections researchers have made to catch this emerging disease early enough to provide possible ways to prevent the spread before it begins. During the conference, I learned many new things about myself such as interests in exploring opportunities in Global Health that I did not think I had. First, I have realized I have a growing interest in the subject health education. After obtaining my Bachelor’s in Health Promotion and my Master of Public Health degree, I would like to have a career where I could provide comprehensive health education to populations here in the United States and eventually go abroad with my knowledge to teach children and adults about ways to be healthy in their own country. Since many cultures are different, I am intrigued by the challenge of catering a lecture on nutrition for example to fit their own dietary needs in their community and help them to learn healthy habits. Second, I have become very interested in traveling abroad whether it is to study, research, or work. Before, I never thought I would enjoy traveling to another country because I do not do well out of my comfort zone and going to a new and unfamiliar place scared me. Now I hope to be able to travel abroad to learn a new language and immerse myself in a culture that isn’t like my own. I am very fascinated by what the rest of the world has to offer.
The Engaging in Global Health Conference was very inspiring and opened my mind to many new possibilities and opportunities to make a difference for the betterment of our own country and abroad. With the exposure to new ideas through our speakers from various educational backgrounds, readings, and even other students in the class as they shared personal experiences with global health, I have become more equipped with ideas of opportunities to seek out as I pursue my passion in Global Health.