by Juliana Schifferes | May 31, 2023 | Blog
The month of May every year has been dubbed Healthy Vision Month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Related to the Healthy Vision Initiative, this month commemorates and brings to light the importance of healthy eyes. Eye health, regardless of whether one is born with intact vision or not, can have an intrinsic relationship to overall well-being, success and even brain health.
Do you have near-sightedness, far-sightedness or something more serious like glaucoma? Well, there is only one way to find out. An eye exam. According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health, US), 48 million people suffer from near- or farsightedness (or refractive errors); 3 million from glaucoma, approximately; 8 million from diabetic retinopathy (a complication from diabetes); and even more, implying a significant chunk of the population is at risk.
Barriers remain. Despite the wallet- and life-saving tendencies of eye exams to rule out dangers like untreated glaucoma, diabetes-induced blindness and near-blindness (legal blindness, often related to more common incidences like farsightedness and nearsightedness) the procedure is out of reach for many.
In many localities, a systemic lack of availability for eye care plagues towns and even nations, leading to disease and discomfort. While stereotypically this may occur in the developing world, it bears noting this takes place in the US as well.
With so many barriers to eye care around us, it bears noting what the social determinants of health are. The social determinants of health, in simplified form, are the conditions in which residents live, work and play. GHEP works to address the social determinants of health. One of these determinants is economic stability that enables healthcare access in the first place, another is the quality of healthcare.
Economic stability is exactly what it sounds like. Can one afford basic life essentials to survive and have a decent quality of life? Stability is not income-based, rather it is based on whether available resources correspond to current means. Translation? Economic stability depends on how much money you need to live the life you need–not the best life or the most ideal life, but the one where your health can still be supported.
Saving up for healthcare is not a problem of willpower. It is a problem of insurance. In the US, insurance is provided either through government or employer, and for people who do not have sufficient, or even any, insurance fall through the cracks. Amongst these populations are young people who are not yet at a state of employment that can provide for their needs.
Another issue that prevents access to good healthcare is simply logistical. Many doctors’ offices have long waiting lists to see patients, which means that many ill people, some of whom have multiple jobs, may miss narrow windows of opportunity for care. At the same time, eye exams at department stores exist for people without significant conditions and usually with the expectation that “patients” will become customers and buy eyeglasses.
As a young American, like those in my age group, I am fortunate in many ways. But in other ways, I envy many European nations where I could access healthcare subsidized or provided by the central government, such as the UK or Germany. I am just starting my career and experiencing what my world would like without insured healthcare, or healthcare with wide coverage in general. This includes the gallows humor joke about why dental and eye insurance are separate from regular insurance: “teeth and eyes aren’t part of the body!” Jokes aside, a sense of absurdity and callousness pervades the experiences of many Americans–as though they could pick and choose what body part falls ill first.
It is crucial to imagine a world where everyone could see clearly–literally–either in terms of their own personal health or policy needs. We only need a new pair of lenses to imagine the possibility of a health-driven, rather than paperwork- or profit-driven healthcare system. While doctors and insurance brokers deserve to earn a living, the welfare of their patients and the professionals who serve them should not approach a zero sum game in terms of profits and fees. But with worthy initiatives and caring stakeholders like you and I, change can become possible.
At GHEP, we are committed to making that world possible. We believe that if we support our Public Health 360 (PH360) burgeoning leaders, trainees in a program dedicated to the bridge between theory and academic practice, they will support structural and policy change in whatever field or nation they are working in.
Several of our graduates, in fact, are already making change; like Dr. Driss of Burundi, who manages community health workers in making community care accessible and affordable. While this appears far afield from policy change in the US, this relates to our training program’s strengths in imparting change globally and not just at our home base in the US.
You can join us as a changemaker and remedy injustice with us as a PH360 intern starting this summer. Join today and stand up to disparities home and abroad: https://globalhealthprojects.org/publichealth-360/.
Sources
Eye Disease Statistics. National Eye Institute. National Institutes of Health. Updated March 2014. Accessed May 26 2023. https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2019-04/NEI_Eye_Disease_Statistics_Factsheet_2014_V10.pdf
Healthy Vision Month. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated December 19 2022. Accessed May 20 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/healthyvisionmonth/index.htm
Social Determinants of Health: Economic Stability and SDOH. Updated June 2021. Accessed May 20 2023. https://www.cwla.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/SDOH-One-Pager-EconomicStability.pdf
by Juliana Schifferes | Mar 31, 2023 | Celebration, Blog
On March 31st, we celebrate Cesar Chavez Day. Cesar Chavez is a hero to many Americans in the labor movement. But who is he outside these circles? And why does it matter?
Cesar Chavez is one of the only Hispanic/Latino people nominated for a holiday or observance. While it is less than desirable that he is the only Hispanic person so honored, perhaps it also reflects the magnitude of his achievements.
According to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the largest federation of unions in the United States, Chavez was born and died in the place he lived to serve, the Western United States–specifically, he was born in Arizona. Then he served as a labor leader to unionize thousands of farm workers to fight against employer oppression across the country and passed away while visiting Arizona to negotiate a labor deal. Unionization is when workers or professionals join forces in order to form a larger organization (called a union) which is thereby used as a collective vehicle to negotiate, confront and bargain with employers when necessary.
As a powerful union leader, he led the unionization of an immense number of farm laborers. He was the chief organizer of the United Farm Workers, which challenged powerful grape-producing companies that exploited the working poor, especially manual laborers.
Why does this matter to employers? It teaches them to respect their employees, especially those least likely to have a place at the table. That is because they will demand a place at the table if they are denied one, and perhaps will take it for themselves.
This is not a negative. Instead it is an inevitability that the vulnerable will seek out equality, including forms of equality related to the conditions that they live or work in.
At GHEP, we believe that everyone is worthy of equal treatment. Human rights are fundamental and cannot be challenged. Therefore, as part of the social determinants of health (SDOH), we support the best living and working conditions for all people, socially and economically.
We also support the rights of workers across the world in numerous ways. For example, in our Public Health 360 class and for our employees, we welcome feedback and encourage work-life balance. This demonstrates how much we value the lessons from workers across the world and here at home. That there is dignity in work and the economic self-sufficiency that comes with work is at the heart of GHEP’s efforts on social determinants of health.
Why does GHEP care about Chavez, specific to our organization? He is a BIPOC hero to us, someone bent on supporting the least advantaged and raising them up to the level of power they deserve. And why should you care about Chavez?
Chavez is an example of a BIPOC individual in the limelight who has made a palpably and intensely felt difference in the world. He made sure heinous treatment against workers did not go unnoticed and was corrected.
Celebrate Cesar Chavez Day this March through several possible ways. Explore relevant legislation, such as focusing on the minimum wage or protections for workers in dangerous industries, and see how you can provide support. Check out your local unions and see if your work is relevant. Finally, consider donating to GHEP so we can continue to provide programs that support the community and keep the fires burning after Cesar Chavez. Change is possible!
by Juliana Schifferes | Mar 19, 2023 | News
We are excited to announce that the Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. (GHEP) has been admitted as a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA) based in The Hague, Netherlands, effective March 2023.
With this admission, GHEP Journals: the International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS (IJMA) and International Journal of Translational Medical Research and Public Health (IJTMRPH) join a cadre of journals published by organizations including scholar-led and professional publishers of books and journals, across varied geographies and disciplines, as well as infrastructure and other services.
OASPA is the international community for open-access publishing. It represents a diverse community of organizations engaged in open scholarship; OASPA works to encourage and enable open access as the predominant model of communication for scholarly outputs.
In her communication announcing GHEP’s membership approval, Lulu Stader, PhD, OASPA’s Membership Manager, said: “I am pleased to confirm that the Membership Committee has now approved the application as Scholar Publisher. Your membership is active immediately and your organization is now listed on our website as a member.”
OASPA is hallmarked as a trusted convenor of the broad, global spectrum of open-access stakeholders and a proven venue for productive collaboration.
OASPA membership means that GHEP Journals commit to adhere to meeting rigorous membership criteria, adhere to the organization’s code of conduct and bylaws, and comply with globally-accepted best practices for open-access journal publishing.
“GHEP is delighted to have been admitted to the prestigious organization,” said Dr. Romuladus Azuine, GHEP’s Executive Director. Right from our first day of publishing these two journals, GHEP has been committed to ensuring that its journals continue to grow in their impact and reach and in compliance with global open-access publishing standards, said Dr. Azuine, adding that “our authors should publish with our journals with the assurance that we will comply with international best practices.”
by Juliana Schifferes | Feb 21, 2023 | Blog, Celebration
Black History Month is every February. It is a time to celebrate the successes and triumphs of the African American community. This year’s celebration recognizes the great battle against repression and disenfranchisement that surrounds Black Americans from the distant past and up until the present day.
According to the History Channel, Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, grew out of “Negro History Week,” and was the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. The History Channel chronicles that since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
Accordingly, the 2023 Black History Month’s theme is “black resistance.”
Amanda Gorman, youth African American poet laureate in 2021, delivered a resounding and relevant address to the nation at the latest presidential inauguration of President Biden. One of her most crucial statements in her inauguration poem: “There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” Spreading knowledge and inaugurating positive new beginnings–becoming light and not forces for darkness–is the point of resistance. Resistance is not about aggression, though confrontation may sometimes be necessary. It is about supporting each other to create a distinctive force for change and to fight against the past.
Enough words! Let’s have some music (as musically attuned as Gorman’s words are). Janelle Monae, the unbelievably prolific African American soundtrack creator, fashion powerhouse, rapper and singer demonstrates she’s an intersectional double threat. Namely, she focuses on LGBTQ+ pride and the strength of her black identity. She is shaping a positive sense of identity for all. And in 2015, she released a song to say the names of black people who lost their lives to police, humanizing them as individuals rather than letting them be statistics (“Hell You Talmbout”).
But black culture is not just pop culture. Dr. Dorceta Taylor, an African American, put the concept of environmental racism on the map. Author of two (academic) blockbusters–The Rise of the American Conservation Movement and Toxic Communities–Dr. Taylor is a giant of the environmental field who has reshaped the environmentalist and environmental studies landscape. Why should this matter to you? Because environmental justice frames the conversation of nature access and environmental health as an equity and civil rights, rather than as a “color-blind,” issue.
Finally, politicians have made the fight against oppression practical ever since it became possible for black people to get elected (mostly after the heroic actions of the civil rights era). The fruit of centuries of efforts even yielded the ascendancy of an Indian American and African American Vice President, Kamala Harris. Senator Cory Booker, an African American, perhaps said it best: “Hope is the active conviction that despair will never have the last word.” And for Senator Booker and others like him, hope is a crucial part of resistance–an antidote against painful circumstances.
But other unsung heroes exist. Today, we would like to highlight GHEP’s Family Tree Adoption Program participants and diaper program recipients for their small resistance. Rather than sinking to circumstances, our diverse client population opts for hope in changing their lives. They implement environmental justice into their lives by planting trees and shrubs, while diaper recipients improve their well-being and their children’s by collecting diapers from our diaper bank.
We hope this post has brought you hope and energy to do good work that will benefit the community. Enjoy your celebrations. What are you doing for Black History Month? Drop us a note and let us know.
by Juliana Schifferes | Oct 18, 2022 | Blog
In the United States, October 31st is celebrated as Halloween. Halloween is a holiday where children and other celebrants participate in marking the entrance of spooky creatures into the real world either by seeking candy for the kids or parties for the young adults. It is a time when introverted adults will indulge in silly plotlines and adrenaline-pumping moments of terror via horror movies, while the more extroverted may dance at parties. People of all ages wear flamboyant costumes and share a certain degree of flair frowned upon elsewhere, either at the office or after hours. Finally, kids request candy at neighborhood homes or apartments via calling “trick or treat” in costume and receive candy at nearly every home, bringing home a bucketful. The holiday is thus a source of great delight and entertainment. During this period, we want to celebrate Halloween with the children and young at heart.
My go-to is the horror movie option. But for me, the scariest part of Halloween is not the horror films designed to commemorate the holiday, as much as I love a good B-movie or “jump scare” (a sudden surprise entrance of the villain or monster in the said genre). It’s the health effects of a sugary diet and our healthcare system’s difficulty in addressing them.
I’m not against candy per se–don’t get me wrong, I have a huge sweet tooth. But that has always gotten me into trouble. When I was a small kid–around six–I made a habit of secretly snacking on leftover Halloween candy while my parents weren’t looking and ended up getting four or more cavities. My mother knew I was afraid of the dentist, so she arranged for full anesthesia rather than topical numbing–so I wouldn’t experience anything particularly traumatic.
This isn’t particularly remarkable, is it? It is because of my family’s dental insurance. My mother was able to schedule surgery rather than put me in a frightening situation. It’s probable that some children would not have the ability to get surgery, or even possibly not have the cavities removed at all. Only 50.2% of Americans have dental insurance (CDC). Scary indeed. This means excruciating pain for millions despite living in the wealthiest country in the world.
As far as the normalization of a poor diet, the problem is not that tooth decay and diet-related diseases such as obesity are increasingly common alone. There’s no direct connection between Halloween candy and sugary diets in themselves. Many parents make candy a spectacle once a year (or near once-a-year), while others let children indulge at other points.
But normalizing the collection of candy while in costume, as fun as it is for children, is normalizing consuming vast amounts of processed carbohydrates. Its part of the well-dispersed impact sugar has on our eating habits. In fact, craving sweetness over nutritious diets is a national problem. In the U.S. alone, 40% of children are predicted to develop diabetes (Healthy Food America), often connected to socioeconomic disparities (CDC). In a related study on soda (another caloric good) Han and Powell demonstrated that socioeconomic status determined excess calorie consumption and thus obesity in children and adolescents. And this pattern of increasing obesity shows no sign of slowing across all groups, not just the most vulnerable.
After all this dire information, what can you do about it? You can opt-out of candy distribution and inculcate more healthy habits, such as giving out toys rather than treats. One example is glow-in-the-dark bracelets, which can help prevent pedestrian accidents as kids traverse neighborhoods after the sun sets (Berry and Beniaris). Another example is the traditionally suggested apples and raisins, which are sweet but guide young people towards healthier snacks rather than candies. Perhaps with your help, Halloween will be as wholesome, family-friendly, and fun as it absolutely should and can be.
Sources Cited
Berry E and Beniaris K. 26 Non-Candy Halloween Treats Kids Will Actually Want. Womansday.com. Updated October 5 2022. Accessed October 12 2022. https://www.womansday.com/life/a52496/non-candy-halloween-treats/
Han E and Powell L. Consumption Patterns of Sugar Sweetened Beverages in the United States. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013; 113(1): 43–53.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662243/. Accessed October 12 2022.
Healthy Food America. Sugar Advocacy Toolkit. Healthyfoodamerica.com. n.d. Accessed October 12 2022. https://www.healthyfoodamerica.org/sugartoolkit_overview#:~:text=More%20than%20half%20of%20Americans,percent%20of%20their%20total%20calories.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Regional Variation in Private Dental Coverage and Care Among Dentate Adults Aged 18–64 in the United States, 2014–2017. Published May 2019. Accessed October 17 2022.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db336.htm
Steirman B et al. National Health and Nutrition Survey 2017–March 2020 Prepandemic Data Files Development of Files and Prevalence Estimates for Selected Health Outcomes. Published June 14 2021. Accessed October 17 2022. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/106273
