First global health week educates campus

Imagine living on one dollar a day. That is the challenge the organizers of Tech's first Global Health Education Week, held Nov.6-9, extended to students to enlighten them of the difficulties faced by over two billion people around the world living in extreme to moderate poverty.

Organized by Tech's American Medical Students Association (AMSA), the week-long series of events is intended to increase awareness of problems in global health.

Accepting the dollar-a-day challenge meant that participants had to pledge to spend less than a dollar on food throughout a 24-hour period, all other expenses being discounted for simplicity-no mean feat for the average grande-mocha-frappuccino-sipping, pizza-delivery-ordering college student.

Even though a dollar in the U.S. counts for less than it does in other countries, the event organizers hope that "walking the talk" will make students more informed and sympathetic towards global health needs.

The connection between dire poverty and health? Just imagine how easily someone can stay healthy when they have barely enough to eat.

Nikhil Patil, the advocacy chair of AMSA and one of the organizers of the event, said that increasing student awareness is the main objective behind the event.

"We're all about educating students about global health issues. Even if just one person on campus listens to what's being said and becomes educated about the area, I'll consider this event a success," Patil said.

The dollar-a-day challenge is one of many events that took place around campus as part of the week. Other events, including lectures from public health professionals, development project leaders and industry leaders were lined up to shed light on evolving global health needs.

To that end, the organizers focused each day of the week on a different area of interest in public health. The first day of the event concentrated on infectious diseases.

"Avian flu is the next big thing. People are very concerned that an avian flu pandemic could kill more people than all previous epidemics ever [even in the U.S.]," Patil said.

Patil acknowledged that not all students would relate to the issues being advocated, but insisted that they are relevant to everyone.

"There are certainly challenges in reaching out to the student body, but everyone faces these issues. We really have to connect to students," Patil said.

"Compared to [urgent] humanitarian crises like Darfur, we see that the advocacy campaign is gaining momentum now [because of greater information propagation]. That's what we want do for global health here," Patil said.

The week ends with Action Day, which will be held tomorrow Nov. 11 to get interested students directly involved with public health initiatives through local service projects. Students can choose from sorting blood donation supplies at a Red Cross facility to tutoring elementary school children to gardening at the Carter Center. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up at www.move.gatech.edu/medical.