Global Health Week Recap

Global health week is back! This year was focusing on the Social Determinants of Health and the effects on global health. There were many events hosted by various organizations and each day was themed off of each of the pillars.

Day one, Social community and context. We were able to partake in a networking fair hosted by the Global Surgery Student Alliance, where surgeons around the nation came to speak to students regarding their career through global surgery.

Day two, Healthcare Access and Quality. We heard from our very own members Shynitha Pulluri and Hannah Anderson on their research over ACEs and its links to cancer biology! This research was done through Dr. Sanker’s Implications in Cancer Biology Research class. They spoke about the significant impact on cancer diagnosis, treatment, and severity caused by adverse childhood experiences.

Day three, Economic Stability. We heard about Our Community, Our Future which was about mental health efforts in the Waco community. OCOF is a local system of care that aims to meet the needs of children, adolescnets, and youg adults by providing School Based Mental Health services, Transition Age Youth services, and Youth Crisis Respite services. Their network serves six counties and is actively seeking student involvement!

Days four and five were over Education Access and Quality and Neighborhood and Built Environment respectively and we heard from many different organizations such as MEDS, AMWA, MAPS, and the Global Health Research Fellows.

Overall, we had a lot of fun exploring the different SODH and we cannot wait for the next global health week! 

Written by: Adhwaitha Nambiar