Last Thursday we talked about many aspects of environments great and small and how circumstances affect people's health. The case study regarding the inequities caused by access to enclosed bathroom facilities was extremely eye-opening and a simple luxury we definitely take for granted. In addition, the video illustrating what is happening to communities where there is no sanitation was horrific and it is an atrocity that situations like this still exist in today's world. I was very impressed that our discussion regarding proposed solutions kept leading back to renewable technologies and sustainability. My thoughts crept back to some issues of Dwell magazine (my favorite!) and examples of sustainable practices, mainly architectural, at work all over the world. By the way, I whole-heartedly recommend this publication. There is something about sustainability in every issue and it's printed on recycled paper. There have been some amazing articles about sustainable green houses built in various cities, architectural firms designing and building sustainable green modular homes, even some that can be retrofitted to protect against earthquakes, and sustainable green products like toilets and energy efficient appliances. What is great about many of these inventions is that they are extremely affordable and cut costs on bills in the long run as well. Unfortunately, technologies like these are moving slowly to catch on, but at least it shows that good things are coming out of private enterprise. So it made me think that it might be possible to get some of these "good" companies to impart their wisdom in order to work on solutions to the basic environmental problems and needs, which would only benefit their cause. This could help build economies and communities with better, sustainable futures as well as stimulate this kind of change and growth in developed nations by creating a new market. It seems like a great place to start considering these sustainable technologies have been proven to be cost-effective short and long-term which would inspire more research and bring more funding. Eventually, we could maybe even go beyond sustainability....
"Sustainability is just a minimum. If I asked you, 'How's your relationship with your wife?', and you said, 'Sustainable', I'd say, 'Oh, I'm so sorry for you!'" - Michael Braungart published in Dwell, Sept. 2006 issue, pg. 19
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Week 6 - The Power of Mental Health
The quote Dr. Shahi used in the beginning of his lecture on this day really struck home for me. "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." The Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddaharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.) Much like the simple phrase coined by Descartes: "I think therefore I am". Our world is created by thought that leads to action. Everything begins and ends in the mind. We are constantly absorbing and producing new experiences, reliving the past and contemplating the future both consciously and subconsciously. I have found it necessary to detach myself from situations in order to see them more clearly. In fact, yoga has really been my saving grace, an amazing practice which allows me to cultivate the art of living in the moment and releasing myself from my actions and reactions. At the end of each class on Wednesday nights, the whole class says a silent prayer lead by the instructor dedicating the practice to those people who need the strength and clarity and who don't have the luxury of doing yoga in a safe and amazing environment. This little reality check is always a welcome reminder of just how lucky we are to be empowered that way. If everyone had the chance to take a little respite from the ever spinning wheel of life, I think the world would be a much better place. However, so many people, as we have been discussing, don't even have the basic necessities such as clean water, sufficient food supply, or safe living situations that allow for time to reflect on philosophical notions. It is clear that these problems must be addressed so that good mental health can have a fighting chance. This is clearly laid out in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs which Dr. Shahi presented in his slides, and more than just needs, I believe they should be rights of every human being. The right to have the opportunity to have all of those things: Physiological well-being, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, Self-Actualization. And so when we examine these problems every week in class and whether they can be solved, I guess the answer is best described as the following:
- "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
- - Henry Ford (1863-1947)
- "I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth."
- - Umberto Eco
- "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
- - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Week 5 - Hunger, Obesity, Paradoxes and Vicious Cycles
One of our best class discussions yet came out of this week's case study analysis. While we ended up somewhat up in arms regarding the feasibility of certain strategies to eliminate hunger, I think one thing we might all finally agree on is that it is possible to accomplish this, no matter how big the hurdles. In addition, I feel like we clearly established why it is so important to do this. Hunger, poverty, and health status go hand in hand in hand. All of them have to be improved, and for any one to be ameliorated and sustained all of them have to move in that direction. So it is in fact quite a hurdle. However, we have seen and discussed that it is possible to stimulate local economies, perhaps even through local food production, and that educating the women in local communities can improve poverty levels, health status, and therefore reducing the number of hungry people. We have also talked a lot about the roles of private and public domains and how they fit and will fit in to solving the biggest problems. I am of the mind that when presented with an opportunity to improve life that is also beneficial in other ways, I and most people would not hesitate to take part. However, there are people who will most likely never make the right decision, and who don't really care to improve life, so how does one skirt that issue? This came up when we were talking about war and violence in developing countries that has created major road blocks to establishing stability and positive, progressive change. I am not sure there is an answer, and maybe there will never be complete peace, but I do think there is a balance (yes, that word again) that can be struck so that the majority of lives can exist in positive environments. So what does all this have to do with hunger? Well, I truly believe the saying, we are what we eat. If people are suffering from malnutrition and lack proper nutrients in their diet, or if they are obese because they are eating happy meals and can't control their urges, then of course they are going to be unhappy and that will translate to the world around them. This is happening on all ends of the spectrum, both in poor and rich, and a major cause of distress, disparities, and perhaps even eventually violent conflicts. What if we could commence the road to solving some of our major problems just by growing and eating better food? Maybe this is a key catalyst we have been looking for to balance out the yin and the yang....
Monday, February 5, 2007
Week 4 - Non-communicable Diseases and more
Last week we had some pretty memorable moments in class and the reading was epic, though interesting. One thing that I really enjoyed (I know, not another video commentary!) was the video on reversing diabetes naturally. Yet one more affirmation that solutions can be simple and rather inexpensive in the grand scheme of things. To watch those people change physically, mentally, and emotionally as a result of a complete diet overhaul was pretty amazing, and something I have been researching this week for my presentation this Thursday. Don't want to spoil too much! But perhaps solutions to our biggest problems can be really simple. It's changing the way we look at our challenges and obstacles that is the most immense hurdle.
We talked about strategies of focus to eliminate infectious diseases versus non-communicable diseases and what is most important, and I believe the answer is that is it all equally important because it is all part of a precarious balance we have to achieve. That is what nature does, when one thing gets out of control another comes to balance it out, moving in a continuous cycle. Our checks and balances system has been thrown way off. In any case, in response to Payam's comments about letting the private sector take care of the things we can easily change by shifting lifestyle patterns, I agree however the public sector has to be involved in steering the ideas and the monetary resources in the right direction. We need to create interest for investment, people need to have a personal connection with a given situation in order to want to be involved. During class I kept thinking about Google and how they have little perks at work to make being there less stressful and more enjoyable. They get a better product from their employees and they are extremely successful. So why can't other systems large and small do that as well? They can, they just need to know the why and how. When we can finally shift away from the non-communicable disease trend into healthier ways of living, people will be happier, more productive, and able to contribute something instead of sucking the system dry. There are other assets we have lost as a result of this trend aside from money.
We talked about strategies of focus to eliminate infectious diseases versus non-communicable diseases and what is most important, and I believe the answer is that is it all equally important because it is all part of a precarious balance we have to achieve. That is what nature does, when one thing gets out of control another comes to balance it out, moving in a continuous cycle. Our checks and balances system has been thrown way off. In any case, in response to Payam's comments about letting the private sector take care of the things we can easily change by shifting lifestyle patterns, I agree however the public sector has to be involved in steering the ideas and the monetary resources in the right direction. We need to create interest for investment, people need to have a personal connection with a given situation in order to want to be involved. During class I kept thinking about Google and how they have little perks at work to make being there less stressful and more enjoyable. They get a better product from their employees and they are extremely successful. So why can't other systems large and small do that as well? They can, they just need to know the why and how. When we can finally shift away from the non-communicable disease trend into healthier ways of living, people will be happier, more productive, and able to contribute something instead of sucking the system dry. There are other assets we have lost as a result of this trend aside from money.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Week 3 - Reflections
On Wednesday evening in a class of 65, my yoga teacher said: "Isn't it hilarious to think about the fact that most of the time we are all walking around with this protective armour on and so concerned about keeping it together, that we don't realize that we are all doing that same thing. What would happen if we tried the opposite, and cracked that shell open, realized that we all are coming from different experiences and often the same feelings. What would happen if we were all open to one another?" She made a wise observation, and I think this is something we would need to work towards in order to accomplish some of the goals we have discussed in class such as those laid out on the MDG video, as well as something as simple as working together more cohesively. Last night Dr. Shahi spoke of the corporate committee mind at work within large public health organizations and those people believing that their meetings were their work. All too often this happens in large governing bodies of all domains and that lack of productivity eventually leads to failure of the system. So how do we become effective in an environment racked with frenetic cycles of latent energy? Some corporations have fired the top heavy management, cleaned house of the nonproductive teams, and outsourced work to those who were capable of completing it quickly, cheaply, and with quality. This way the people who want the work get the work, and the company gets to make decisions without so many politics getting in the way. While this causes immediate problems in having to lay off a stagnant workforce and leaving people unemployed, it allows for the small independent groups to get a chance at making a name in the market place. And so continues a cycle of growth and innovation. Can we then somehow take this approach to improve organizational functions in public health? Since we often face bureaucratic roadblocks and dissension between fields, is there a way to form a smaller governing unit, that we can trust to make good decisions, that will work with the satellite unit within each country to address appropriate needs? I know there are networks out there like this already, but they all seem like they get too big and become burdened with bureaucracy. We were discussing this in class, but I was wondering if anyone might like to expand on it? The last frame of the video on AIDS orphans says it all: "You have one life, Do something." I feel like that is why we are in this class, and writing these blogs, and getting a masters in public health, because we want to do something.
In other thoughts...
The video on BRAC makes a good point in relation to our class last week and our studies in general. As Dr. Calderon said in class this week, "you can not solve health problems in a population by public health interventions alone". Efforts must be integrated, as we saw in the BRAC example. During her presentation, Mana mentioned taking a holistic approach to solving problems which make sense, and has become an underlying theme in our discussions - especially in relation to globalization. We can not just look at the symptoms of a population suffering from poverty driven diseases, we must look at the whole picture. A population, especially if it is a state of extreme poverty, can not progress or remove itself from its circumstances if the people are not in good health, they are not going to worry first about health when they have to worry about where their food is coming from or being shot for walking down the street at the wrong time. I admire these organizations who are going out and giving support in terms of "teaching a man to fish", rather than just "feeding him for one day".
And finally....The part of the case study that really caught my attention besides the fact that signs point to a major pandemic some time in the not too distant future, is how those people outside of the medical and public health world are really not prepared for something of such a large scale disaster. From what we have seen of the response to the major environmental disasters in the last few years, some energy obviously should be focused on educating people on what to expect and how to react as well as enabling a surveillance system as discussed in the Brillant Tedtalks video from the past week. I believe there would be major problems with managing population flow, keeping people from traveling and working, how do you keep the entire planet from infecting one another? Yes, telecommuting can work, and systems have become less expensive and easier to use, but I can't get over the fact that despite these advances in technology, many people just feel like they have to make personal appearances at work or the world will stop turning. Email and video conferencing may not be enough to get them to stay at home, even in the face of a pandemic for there is always a sense of invincibility. I guess I don't have a better answer right now, except that currently businesses are required to have safety procedures in place, and they are usually quite inadequate and lack current information. I guess we would have to go back to disseminating more information.
Hopefully I haven't completely typed myself in circles on this one....
In other thoughts...
The video on BRAC makes a good point in relation to our class last week and our studies in general. As Dr. Calderon said in class this week, "you can not solve health problems in a population by public health interventions alone". Efforts must be integrated, as we saw in the BRAC example. During her presentation, Mana mentioned taking a holistic approach to solving problems which make sense, and has become an underlying theme in our discussions - especially in relation to globalization. We can not just look at the symptoms of a population suffering from poverty driven diseases, we must look at the whole picture. A population, especially if it is a state of extreme poverty, can not progress or remove itself from its circumstances if the people are not in good health, they are not going to worry first about health when they have to worry about where their food is coming from or being shot for walking down the street at the wrong time. I admire these organizations who are going out and giving support in terms of "teaching a man to fish", rather than just "feeding him for one day".
And finally....The part of the case study that really caught my attention besides the fact that signs point to a major pandemic some time in the not too distant future, is how those people outside of the medical and public health world are really not prepared for something of such a large scale disaster. From what we have seen of the response to the major environmental disasters in the last few years, some energy obviously should be focused on educating people on what to expect and how to react as well as enabling a surveillance system as discussed in the Brillant Tedtalks video from the past week. I believe there would be major problems with managing population flow, keeping people from traveling and working, how do you keep the entire planet from infecting one another? Yes, telecommuting can work, and systems have become less expensive and easier to use, but I can't get over the fact that despite these advances in technology, many people just feel like they have to make personal appearances at work or the world will stop turning. Email and video conferencing may not be enough to get them to stay at home, even in the face of a pandemic for there is always a sense of invincibility. I guess I don't have a better answer right now, except that currently businesses are required to have safety procedures in place, and they are usually quite inadequate and lack current information. I guess we would have to go back to disseminating more information.
Hopefully I haven't completely typed myself in circles on this one....
Friday, January 19, 2007
Week 2 - Globalization
I was so exhausted by the end of the class, but by the time I got home, I couldn't sleep because there was just too much to think about! The main thing that struck me after reading, watching videos and listening to everyone in class, was that as Hans Rosling said we just need to get this information out in simple, accessible ways. There are so many misconceptions and vague ideas of reality masking truth that it is nearly impossible to discern one thing from another. All I can say is that I am glad I am taking this class to get some concrete clarity that I can share and work from.
The presentation given by Andrea Rios was really great for so many reasons (love Manu Chao!!), especially since I have often questioned the numbers and accusations of undocumented immigrants using social services made in the media and the actual direct impact this has on us. I was not surprised by what the article had to show, and hope that others outside or our class will take the time to read it as well (HealthCareUseAmongUndocumentedLatinoImmigrants.pdf ). All in all, it seems that everything comes back to education, in one form or another, to bring opportunities to those who need/deserve them and to work towards more level playing fields. From the first video on globalization we can see that sweat shops are not necessarily the evil corporation way of exploiting cheap labor but rather an economy builder for those who may not have any other means. In the case of the Nike factories in Taiwan, the workers were thankful for the opportunity to learn a new trade and make money they would never have a dream of earning on a farm. If the activists were successful in closing down those factories, what would happen to those workers? Where else would they start? On the other hand we see the example of Kerala, where things were working out and then globalization introduced relatively unnecessary luxuries that threw off the equilibrium of the economy. So in the end I think we have to come back to education to help enlighten us on where to find a balance.
The presentation given by Andrea Rios was really great for so many reasons (love Manu Chao!!), especially since I have often questioned the numbers and accusations of undocumented immigrants using social services made in the media and the actual direct impact this has on us. I was not surprised by what the article had to show, and hope that others outside or our class will take the time to read it as well (HealthCareUseAmongUndocumentedLatinoImmigrants.pdf ). All in all, it seems that everything comes back to education, in one form or another, to bring opportunities to those who need/deserve them and to work towards more level playing fields. From the first video on globalization we can see that sweat shops are not necessarily the evil corporation way of exploiting cheap labor but rather an economy builder for those who may not have any other means. In the case of the Nike factories in Taiwan, the workers were thankful for the opportunity to learn a new trade and make money they would never have a dream of earning on a farm. If the activists were successful in closing down those factories, what would happen to those workers? Where else would they start? On the other hand we see the example of Kerala, where things were working out and then globalization introduced relatively unnecessary luxuries that threw off the equilibrium of the economy. So in the end I think we have to come back to education to help enlighten us on where to find a balance.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Week 1 - The Big Picture
Last Thursday we met for our first class in Emerging Trends in Global Health and I was amazed at the energy and enthusiasm generated in the class. My thoughts on issues raised are as follows...
This was the first time I had seen some of the charts shown on the lecture slides and they really helped put things in perspective. I knew that there were deficiencies in some countries as far as population growth, but did not realize that on the whole the world population was actually moving towards equilibrium. I knew that chronic/non-communicable diseases had over-taken infectious diseases in global mortality rates, but the fact that they afflict 60% of the world's population is still astonishing to me and I realized that not many people outside our realm of global health realize this. In fact, during a discussion over the weekend with some friends i relayed this information and they were as amazed as I was. Just getting this kind of information out to "every day people" who may not dig for information past the MSN home page would improve global consciousness immensely. I liked the video for the Millennium Development Goals established by the WHO (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8153215241403626500&q=development+and+health&hl=en) and found it to be especially effective in broadcasting its message. It is important to set high goals, and while they may seem difficult to achieve given the context of the present world (perceived apathy, confusion of information), it would seem that this gives us even more of an incentive to strive for these accomplishments. Even in attaining these goals we would never be finished, for things keep on moving and changing. I am sure as goals are approached, new ones will always appear.
This was the first time I had seen some of the charts shown on the lecture slides and they really helped put things in perspective. I knew that there were deficiencies in some countries as far as population growth, but did not realize that on the whole the world population was actually moving towards equilibrium. I knew that chronic/non-communicable diseases had over-taken infectious diseases in global mortality rates, but the fact that they afflict 60% of the world's population is still astonishing to me and I realized that not many people outside our realm of global health realize this. In fact, during a discussion over the weekend with some friends i relayed this information and they were as amazed as I was. Just getting this kind of information out to "every day people" who may not dig for information past the MSN home page would improve global consciousness immensely. I liked the video for the Millennium Development Goals established by the WHO (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8153215241403626500&q=development+and+health&hl=en) and found it to be especially effective in broadcasting its message. It is important to set high goals, and while they may seem difficult to achieve given the context of the present world (perceived apathy, confusion of information), it would seem that this gives us even more of an incentive to strive for these accomplishments. Even in attaining these goals we would never be finished, for things keep on moving and changing. I am sure as goals are approached, new ones will always appear.
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