As every lecture goes by I get to think about the concept of “ emerging trends in global health” more deeply. Various points that are being brought up seems very interesting and motivating. One appealing method that is being used are the statistics and graphs that I am faced with in this class, which I have never heard or seen before. These numbers make me think deeply about who we are, how blessed we are, where we are coming from and probably why America/ Americans are hated in 3rd world countries. The fact that the whole global economic picture in 2002 consisted of about 33 trillion $ and more than 10 trillion located in US for less than 5% of world population; America’s business involves a staggering figure when compared to the rest of the world. I sometimes wish that I had more time to go over more data /statistics of underprivileged countries and be able to do research on the big issue of health/economic disparities.
I believe the world’s economic/health situation is so immersed in inequities that it will take accountants, economists, educators, public health professionals, policy makers, etc., many years to come up with a decent peaceful world with less inequalities.
As public health professionals, we should work together to eradicate inequities in health services. Globalization has worked in many instances to create greater inequalities between the rich and poor in many developing nations. Since globalization is inevitable, we need to change this effect by being better stewards of the earth and working toward a more equal distribution of the earth’s resources.
As I work on my paper topic, I am shocked to learn of the urgent need to mitigate the effects of global warming and the lack of initiative that the Bush administration has shown to do anything about it. Maybe with the changes in Congress, we will be able to join the rest of the world in stopping this horrendous threat. If nothing is done to alleviate it, the literature claims that it will be worse than a nuclear attack or even a terrorist attack. Because the U.S. is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases that drive global warming, we have an ethical and moral duty to be the leader in working toward solutions for alternative fuels and for investing in clean technology that will clean up the planet.
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6 comments:
i personally think that many americans are ignorant about the world around them. how many people do you know that once they pick up a newspaper go straight to the sports section and throw the rest in the trash can? i'm not staying i'm some worldly individual, i'm as guilty as most americans, but there needs to be a change in the US. the stats are mind blowing but they should be something we are all aware of.
Its unnerving that global warming is upon us yet little is being done. I too, wish that congress will act but ultimately, unless we demand a change, nothing will happen. I hope that statistics and the evidence will speak for itself but if not we need to find a creative way to make this issue front and center.
I agree, Liyan, the more and more I take the GHL classes, I feel like there is just so much to be done in the world and we really do need to work together. I am realizing people in government, those who run NGOs, and in the private sector, really do want to do "good" for the world. Unfortunately, pride gets in the way all too often. People always think they have the "best" idea that will solve whatever problem that is front of them, but what is unacceptable about this is that 100 other people believe they have the answer to this as well. I believe if we focus on the problems ahead and develop strategy, instead of reinventing the wheel, we could save a lot of time and money.
Agreed - the statistics and graphs presented in this class are eye-opening. Recognizing the tremendous disparities throughout the world has given me a more real sense of how blessed we truly are.
While I would like to think that the data would cause policy-makers to enact the sort of change necessary to address some of the gross disparities, I agree with islandkat (Katrina?), that it is our responsibility as citizens to speak out.
Re-stated, I think it is our responsibilty to be the voice for those who aren't in a position to speak for themselves.
Liyan, in our class on environmental epidemiology, the professor talked about how Greenland is a country severely affected by pollution effects, yet reaps none of the benefits of that productivity. People there have the highest measures of some toxic material. Like you said, the changing environment is a truly global issue and it's also a question of human rights, since not everyone has contributed equally to it but we're all going to suffer its effects.
I agree with your comment and I also look foward to read your paper.
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