by Team GHEP | Sep 20, 2015 | Blog
Editor’s Note: In a historical and widely-received encyclical, Pope Francis calls on a global preservation of the environment calling it our home that we ought not destroy. The contents of this encyclical transcend religion, ideology, and cultures and is worth sharing. In this encyclical, the Pontiff calls attention to three key programmatic linchpins of the Global Health and Education Projects, namely–education, environment, and health. We are humbled by this message will over the coming months share excerpts of the encyclical as it relates to our work in various communities in United States and around the world. We wish you a happy reading and look forward to reading your comments and feedback.
Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ by the Holy Father Pope Francis on Care of Our Common Home
“LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.
“The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Here I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share.
“Particular appreciation is owed to those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.
“I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. The worldwide ecological movement has already made considerable progress and led to the establishment of numerous organizations committed to raising awareness of these challenges. Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest. Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions. We require a new and universal solidarity.
“As the bishops of Southern Africa have stated: “Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation”. All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents.
“It is my hope that this Encyclical Letter, which is now added to the body of the Church’s social teaching, can help us to acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face. I will begin by briefly reviewing several aspects of the present ecological crisis, with the aim of drawing on the results of the best scientific research available today, letting them touch us deeply and provide a concrete foundation for the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows. I will then consider some principles drawn from the Judaeo-Christian tradition which can render our commitment to the environment more coherent. I will then attempt to get to the roots of the present situation, so as to consider not only its symptoms but also its deepest causes. This will help to provide an approach to ecology which respects our unique place as human beings in this world and our relationship to our surroundings. In light of this reflection, I will advance some broader proposals for dialogue and action which would involve each of us as individuals, and also affect international policy.
“Finally, convinced as I am that change is impossible without motivation and a process of education, I will offer some inspired guidelines for human development to be found in the treasure of Christian spiritual experience.”
Courtesy of the Holy See.
by Team GHEP | Sep 3, 2015 | Blog
Editor’s Note: In this Special Blog, we continue our series on the 4th of the 7 Great Achievements of Pediatric research. These achievements are brought to you courtesy of the fabulous work by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) under its new campaign 7 Great Achievements in Pediatric Research.
No. 4: Saving Premature Babies by Helping Them Breathe
Problem
Prematurity is the main cause of global death in newborn infants.
In the United States alone, 1 in 9 newborns is born prematurely, about 450,000 children a year. Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) is a life-threatening respiratory condition frequently diagnosed in premature newborns. Research showed that it develops when the immature lungs are unable to produce a compound known as surfactant in quantities needed for the infant to breathe.
Discovery
Studies demonstrated that instillation of surfactant to the lungs of premature animals reduced respiratory distress. Clinical trials of supplementary surfactant for newborns with RDS led to the medication’s approval by the FDA for widespread use in 1990.
Outcome
As a result of surfactant administration, newborn deaths from RDS have decreased by 41% between 1985-1991.
by Team GHEP | Sep 3, 2015 | Blog
Editor’s Note: In this Special Blog, we continue our series on the 3rd of the 7 achievements of Pediatric research. These achievements are brought to you courtesy of the fabulous work by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) under its new campaign 7 Great Achievements in Pediatric Research.
No. 3: Curing a Common Childhood Cancer
Problem
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common child- hood cancer. In the United States alone, about 2,900 children and adolescents are diagnosed with ALL each year. In 1975, a diagnosis of ALL often meant death in the near future. Only 60% of children under 15 years of age survived 5 years, and only 28% of 15-19 year-olds survived 5 years.
Discovery
Cancer research has led to the creation of various medications and treatments that destroy cancer cells.
Research into various combinations of medications to treat ALL has yielded the now standard protocol of induction chemotherapy, which consists of vincristine, L-asparaginase, and corticosteroid for a 2-3 year period.
Outcome
Because of the last 40 years of research, 90% of newly diagnosed ALL pediatric patients are expected to have greater than 5 year survival.
For more on these achievements, please visit AAP.ORG
by Team GHEP | Sep 3, 2015 | Blog
Editor’s Note: In this Blog, we continue our series on the 2nd of the 7 achievements of Pediatric research. These achievements are brought to you courtesy of the fabulous work by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) under its new campaign 7 Great Achievements in Pediatric Research.
Problem
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also referred to as “crib death,” occurs without warning and is associated with a sleep period. A diagnosis of SIDS is given when no explanation can found for the baby’s death after a complete postmortem investigation. SIDS is the leading cause of death for infants between 1 month and 1 year of age. In 1993 alone, nearly 4,700 U.S. infants died from SIDS.
Discovery
Research found that if infants were placed to sleep on their stomachs, their risk of dying from SIDS increased by at least two-fold.
Outcome
As a result, the “Back-to-Sleep” Campaign was initiated in 1994 by a collaboration between the National Institute of Child Health and Development, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration and SIDS groups.
The focus of the campaign was to en- courage parents to put their babies to sleep on their backs in order to reduce the risk of SIDS. The AAP Task Force on SIDS published a policy statement in 2005 encouraging the practice of “Back-to-Sleep” for all infants.
Research showed that between 1993 and 2010 the percent of infants placed to sleep on their backs increased from 17% to 73%. Following the initiation of the “Back-to-Sleep” campaign, the number of infants dying from SIDS has decreased to 2,063 per year as of 2010.
The launch of this campaign has led to the dissemination of information on hands-on strategies for preventing SIDS in our lovely little ones. Many self-help groups and websites are supporting families across the world to stem the tide of SIDS.
by Janna Murray | Jun 20, 2015 | Blog
Global health issues have a direct impact on U.S. domestic public health via its direct impact on medical care in the U.S. The more the connected the world becomes, the easier it is for disease to spread, thus increasing the potential for sickness. I believe that, s public health practitioners, we should be concerned with both domestic and global health as both are deeply intertwined.
PUBLIC HEALTH is a broad field that encompasses many disciplines. One of the major disciplines in public health, which has also identified as a core discipline, is the field of epidemiology. Epidemiology is concerned with the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in humans, particularly human populations. The discipline of epidemiology as it applies to public health has been around for many years, and has continued to evolve since its inception.
In a brief article by Dr. Jonathan Borak of Yale University entitled “5 Classic Articles in Public Health, five publications that had significant impacts on public health are discussed. The first article is a publication by Bradford Hill outlining criteria recommended to be used when establishing a causal relationship. Hill’s criteria for causation are well-known in the epidemiology world, any epidemiology student has inevitably had at least some exposure to it, and are thought to be especially important for observational epidemiological studies that try to establish a relationship between two conditions. The second article describes how the analysis of cancer mortality statistics was used to generate the multistage theory of cancer and is a perfect example of how surveillance, a common tool used in the public health epidemiology field, can be used to generate further hypotheses and give further insight into diseases.
Two other articles, one dealing with the effect of lead on children’s neurobehavioral function and the other dealing with the health effects of air pollution, exemplify how epidemiological studies help to shape public health policy and actions. The last article discussed was a review article that illuminated the importance of understanding the public’s perception of risk both in qualitative and quantitative terms when planning and promoting public health. All of these articles have had great public health impacts and are just a few of many that have contributed to the advancement of the field of public health and epidemiology.
Public health is also closely tied with global health. In the last decade global health has become increasingly important to the field of public health. Dr. Cindy Howard of the University of Minnesota presented, in here Introduction to Global Health, why global health is important: humanitarian reasons, equity reasons, the direct impact on U.S. healthcare, and the indirect economic and political impact. In terms of humanitarian reasons, many persons in underdeveloped countries, especially children, die from undernutrition, a health event that is easily preventable and is tied to a number of diseases and thus is of utmost concern to global health. Global health is also important because it can help address the differences in health equity.
It is widely known that there is a big difference in the quality of care and the resources for addressing healthcare and that some countries bear a bigger burden of disease than others. Global health issues also have a direct impact on U.S. domestic public health via its direct impact on medical care in the U.S. As outlined, the more the connected the world becomes, the easier it is for disease to spread, thus increasing the potential for sickness. The final reason for why global health matters is due to its impact on the economy in terms of the increasing cost of treating diseases and the role that adverse health conditions play in poverty and political instability. These are but only a few reasons why global health truly matters. As an emerging public health practitioner, I believe that, as public health practitioners, we should be concerned with both domestic and global health as both are deeply intertwined. I think all practitioners should understand and realize this connection in their work.
About the Author
Ms. Janna Murray is on a semester-long graduate internship with the Global Health and Education Projects, Inc., Washington, DC. She is a candidate for the Master’s of Public Health in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida, Florida, USA. While on internship with GHEP, Janna is working on a number of public health tasks and will be completing final project exploring Under-5 mortality in 57 low and middle-income countries of the world.
by Annie Vu | Jun 10, 2015 | Blog
An investment and interest in global health not only aligns with the core values of wanting to help others or creating a better future, it makes practical sense. We are reflections of our environment, and as the global landscape becomes more connected, our inter-dependence on each other becomes even worthier of consideration.
AFTER learning about Dr. Cindy Howard’s call to be invested in global health, and reading about Dr. Jonathan Borak’s recommendations for five classic public health articles, I feel reassured and inspired by my new internship at the Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. (GHEP). Moreover, I feel ever more challenged by the opportunities and roles that will be given to me as a future public health specialist. More often than naught, I feel very small and modest in my abilities to help others and be a part of the health care community. Perhaps I can take some comfort in knowing that because this is public health, it takes more than one person to make a significant impact. Rather, it is the combined effort of many humble experts and specialists . Rather it takes whole communities. In this way of thinking, global health requires a global effort that is as diverse as the people of our world. No one person or effort is enough, but every person and every effort has significance.
Dr. Howard asks us to consider reasons why we should be interested in global health. For me, global health is a natural extension of public health, which in itself, is an extension of personal health. When the world around us has improvements in health, it is likely that we each benefit as well. Thus, an investment and interest in global health not only aligns with the core values of wanting to help others or creating a better future, it makes practical sense. We are reflections of our environment, and as the global landscape becomes more connected, our inter-dependence on each other becomes even worthier of consideration.
While Dr. Howard’s presentation gives me a broader framework for thinking about public health matters, Dr. Jonathan Borak’s recommendations gives me deeper insight into the impact of the field. Similar to Dr. Borak, I am struck by the simplicity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness of all these studies. He highlights how solutions do not have to be great in complexity, but still impactful and effective. He also mentions how the public health experts should be the bridge between the “public” and the “experts”, and I could not agree more. I feel this is a core duty of this profession, and I hope that I will continue to be able to learn how to fulfill this duty as I advance through the profession. For now, the five models provided by Dr. Borak have already given me some good guidance and wisdom.
From Hill’s address to the Royal Society of Medicine, I have learned how understanding causation, rather than association will most likely lead to the most effective public health action. From the Armitrage and Doll study on “The Age Distribution of Cancer and a Multi-stage Theory of Carcinogenesis,” I am provided another example of the power of the epidemiology. From the elementary school absences and environmental pollution study (Ransom and Pope, 1992) and classroom performance vs. lead levels study (Needleman et al., 1979), I am reminded of public health’s impact on the environment, as well as the environment’s impact on public health. Finally, from Slovic’s study on the “Perception of Risk”, I am re-affirmed of the need for public health experts.
In sum, I found the above works to be insightful and inspirational. I am left pondering about my future work in public health, and the kinds of contributions I hope to make. I am also wondering what I can do now, as a student and scholar. What kinds of contributions can I bring to my internship at GHEP? What can I gain from my internship that I can bring to others?
About the Author
Quynh-Anh Vu (Annie) was a global health intern with the Global Health and Education Projects, Inc., Washington, DC, completing in March 2015. Annie was a candidate for a Masters in Public Health at San Jose State University, California, USA. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, earning a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Integrative Biology. She went on to study the optometric sciences and completed internships in the allied health sciences – namely optometry and pharmacy. As a young scholar, she was instilled with a love and passion for pursuing knowledge, and was taught that knowledge is power. Her greatest passion lies in the arts, languages, and medical sciences. She hopes that to one day, her work will empower others.
