E-Health: For those hard to reach places

             What did you do with that old brick phone you used to carry? The one that was only good for making calls or returning texts; before the iPhones and Androids entered our lives? If you’re like most people it’s probably sitting in a drawer somewhere or maybe it ended up at the local dump. Well it turns out that those “ancient” pieces of technology have more use than one would think and are even saving lives all over the world. The innovation of mobile health technology has been growing over the past couple decades and has made huge advances since its early days. The idea started as simple as websites for gaining information and has evolved into such innovations as video call centers where patients in rural areas can get expert advice via webcam from doctors and nurses across the world.

The Invisible Killer

Time is a critical factor in life. I wish if we can go back in time just to enjoy our life. Life that is very simple with no rush. Modern life style has significantly speed up our life. As a result of this life a great number of people rely too much on the use of chemicals in their daily life. Almost every product used today consists of many toxic chemicals that can lead to a life threatening diseases. Many countries are facing a number of health issues related to the use of chemicals. Scientists and researchers are doing a great job to prove how these chemicals are toxic and the way they affect humans. Theses toxic chemicals build up in human bodies and stay there for decades with no immediate side effect but their effect can be seen many years later. Certain chemicals may affect a certain organ in human bodies. For example, the uses of lead products affect the central nervous system. Illnesses like asthma, cancers, birth failings, weakened fertility, and learning disabilities are the most concern globally.

 Women and young children are the most vulnerable to diseases where the probability and level is several times higher than any other group. Some researchers have showed that due to the continuous use of chemicals the number of illnesses among societies had increased. For example, between 1973 and 1998 the number of breast cancer among women increased by about 40% (Howe et al., 2001). Another statistical research in the USA concluded that, the number of children diagnosed with cancer increased, from 11.5 cases per 100,000 children in 1975 to 14.8 per 100,000 children in 2004 (“Childhood Cancers,” ).

Chemicals can penetrate Human’s bodies through many ways. Penetration depends on many factors like exposure time, the physical and chemical properties of the chemical products, and the level of safety procedure followed. Skin and eye contact are the simplest way for chemicals to enter the body through the direct contact with skin or eye. Symptoms like burn or rash can appear immediately after the contact. Another route of entry is through the respiratory system. Inhalation of gases, vapor, particles, and aerosol travel to the bloodstreams through the lungs and cause serious problems. Asthma is one of the illnesses due to the use of chemicals. This is a concern in industrial cities where the level of air pollution is high. The last route that chemicals can enter the body is via ingesting contaminated food or beverage. Using pesticide on produce is a major concern all over the world. Since insecticides are poisonous to the living organisms, they are more likely to affect the health of humans.

Is there a solution?

            People should think carefully before they buy any product. As many household cleaners are toxic, the appropriate safety procedure should be followed prior to the use of these products. There are so many sources where people can know much about certain chemicals and the best way to deal with them. People can read at least the instruction on the back of the product or they can go online and try to educate themselves more about the use of chemicals or there are some material safety data sheets that give full details. Use the alternative to chemicals no matter how much do they cost. We can simply make homemade detergents that are not harmful to our health. Most of the raw materials like white vinegar and baking soda are available at almost every house. Regarding food, usually wash your produce very well and try to buy organic fruits and vegetables to minimize the chance of getting food poisonous.

References:

Childhood Cancers. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved December 6, 2013, from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/childhood

Howe, H. L., Wingo, P. A., Thun, M. J., Ries, L. A., Rosenberg, H. M., Feigal, E. G., & Edwards, B. K. (2001). Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer (1973 through 1998), featuring cancers with recent increasing trends. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 93(11), 824–842.

Free Energy - Team ∞

Introduction
 Free energy: myth or reality?  Is it something that can be readily available in the near future?  We all know we cannot get something for nothing.  What if we (team: Infinity) tell you that we already produce excess energy every day without noticing or doing anything to reclaim energy.  Every time we walk, talk, or think, energy is released.  What if, instead of releasing energy into nothingness, we could release it into confined media, were it could then be used as a free, clean, and renewable energy source?  Imagine- every motion that we make could be recovered in terms of electrical, thermal, or other useful energy.  Well, this idea is not new; in fact, the same principle is being applied to the braking system of hybrid cars.  When the driver pushes the brakes or decelerates, the energy used to stop the vehicle recharges the generator (with the generator shaft acting as a braking system by using its resistance to rotation; the more resistance, the more energy it needs to torque the shaft). This is not the only feasible application; we can take it even further (playgrounds, gyms, schools, etc.) thinking of anything that has motion.  On a global scale this could be part of the solution for the ever-rising problems of finding clean, renewable, and affordable sources of energy.

Comprehensive Rural Health Project

http://batteredsuitcases.wordpress.com/category/travels/

India holds just over 17 percent of the world’s population; that is about 1.2 billion residents dispersed throughout urban and rural areas. Acknowledged by both domestic and international aid organizations, programs have been developed to help alleviate some of the health disparities that are seen throughout this country. India has a very high infant mortality rate, in 2012; the rate was 44 deaths per 1,000 born. This is more than nine times that of the infant mortality rate for the United States, which were 6 per 1,000 births for 2012. Incidence of tuberculosis is very high in India as well: in 2012, India had 181 incidences cases of tuberculosis per 1,000 people, compared to just four cases in the United States. Another alarming fact about tuberculosis in India is that “In 2009, out of the estimated global annual incidence of 9.4 million TB cases, 2 million were estimated to have occurred in India, thus contributing to a fifth of the global burden of TB.”

Clean Water

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On July 21, 2012, the city of Portland had to shut off its water in seven districts, effecting hundreds of thousands of people including households and businesses. The reservoir in Washington Park that serves the west side of town had tested positive for E. coli and residents were notified promptly to boil their water before using for simple tasks such as brushing their teeth, washing their faces, preparing and cooking their food, and drinking. It was either this or going out and buying bottles of purified water. As Americans, we take advantage of the simplicities and convenience of life so naturally, the west side residents, like a manic herd, grabbed their credit cards and loaded their carts with as much purified water they could manage to carry, clearing shelves from hundreds of stores around the entire city of Portland. Now imagine an entire country with contaminated water....

Sleep Deprivation

Hey You Guys! 

Sleep Deprivation or sleep loss refers to “sleep of shorter duration than the average basal need of 7 to 8 hours per night” (Institute of Medicine 2006). As college students, most can relate to this sleep pattern and even see it as a normatively. Sleep Deprivation in college students is caused by a variety of different factors including schedule, stress, and social activities. College students are sometimes forced to make a class schedule that is outside what they have previously been accustomed too. Waking up to go to an early morning class, for someone who has previously been known as a night owl, can be difficult to get used to. The stress that comes with being a college student can greatly affect quality of sleep as well. A study in 2001 showed that 73% of students have occasional sleeping problems due to stress (Knowlden 2012) The stress that comes with being a college student cause some to lose sleep, but what about the stress that people in developing countries face every day? Are these sleep loss trends consistent globally or is this solely an American epidemic?

Maternal Health Innovations

Maternal Health Innovations

By Portlandia, Fall 2013

Although we live in a time where we are constantly making technological advances in medicine, most of the world has an alarming amount of women and infants dying from childbirth complications.  According to the World Health Organization(WHO), “every minute, at least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth.”  Based off of the current population, approximately “287,000 women are dying each year.” The infant mortality, like maternal mortality differs from country to country for example, according to The World Factbook, Afghanistan has a rate of 119 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the USA has only 6 deaths per 1000 live births. 

Social Media Anxiety

Social Media Anxiety
By The Wonders 

Globally, technology has seemed to have grown exponentially throughout the past century. Along with this major growth in technology Facebook was born. Many of us use Facebook to keep in contact with family, friends, and acquaintances but could it be possible that this new technology has done us harm? Yes and no.

Facebook makes keeping in contact with someone very easy for us but it might be too easy. Many people would rather text or message someone on Facebook than meet with them in real life. There is a big difference between talking out loud and writing a message. This seems to be making our face-to-face interactions more awkward because people aren’t used to communicating through speech. Facebook can make isolated individuals feel more isolated and very social people more social.

Many people religiously check their Facebook and it is these people that are at a higher risk for lower self esteem than those who rarely check their Facebook. The reason for why and how Facebook works to lower ones self esteem all has to do with the fact that people tend to compare themselves with their “friends.” The problem here is those of us who regularly post every positive thing (and no negatives) going on in our life. Whether it be a vacation, graduation, marriage, baby, new relationship, or some big life achievement. We try to keep any of the negatives off of our Facebook and lead everyone to believe that our life is perfect. By creating this false image of ourselves it leaves many of our acquaintances to compare themselves to us thus leading them to have lower self esteem.

Got Water?

Ethics Issues and the Privatization of Water PYTs

Lack of access to clean drinking water is a huge problem in global health that is the reason for many preventable health issues. The privatization of water is one of the main issues keeping residents of poor, underdeveloped countries from getting clean water. The privatizations of water drastically grew in the late 20th century when the World Bank and International Monetary Fund required countries that were pursuing aid to deregulate, abolish subsidies, and in some cases sell their infrastructure and water systems to private investors (worldsavvy.org). In the beginning, the idea of privatizing water was to make it more efficient and less corrupt. The private investors would have an incentive to build, upkeep, and upgrade these water facilities to make a profit (worldsavvy.org).  The governments that previously maintained the water supply had been doing a poor job in many countries. “Nowadays, politicians in Africa are generally more concerned with market efficiency, economic growth rates, productivity of financial capital and the security of the rich than they are about human rights and the security of the people.” Privatization programs are present today in many underdeveloped poor countries that seek aid and money from international institutions. Due to this, members within the communities that were refused a source of water were forced to turn on each other in order to try and gather water to survive.

Healthy Kids & Healthy Foods in School

Nutrition and food policy in the United States are hot-button topics in the political arena. Getting the right combination of policies, politicians, food services corporations, and regulations to converge and produce meaningful results is a seemingly Herculean task. Obesity is an overwhelming epidemic that is affecting 69.2% of Americans (Shields). The need to resolve the nutrition crisis is especially urgent when we consider that the negative health outcomes relating to food and nutrition are plaguing the youngest generation of Americans at such unprecedented rates.

In public schools the kinds of foods available to children and teens in large part have become increasingly less nutritious and have had toxic consequences physically, academically, and psychologically.  According to the CDC the rate of childhood obesity has almost tripled since 1980, with one out of six children now clinically obese. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period (Ogden,Carroll. 2010). What is to be done to resolve this? What kinds of foods should our schools serve at lunch time?

The Maquiladoras of Northern Mexico

Team Lucky

Photo Credit

When we think about health in the current industrial world, it becomes obvious that we cannot separate the study of human health from the study of human environment. We know that environmental pollution can compromise health, and that this pollution disproportionately affects those who live and work close to harmful toxic waste. A striking example of this inequality of working conditions are the maquiladoras in Northern Mexico. Maquiladoras are factories owned by foreign companies which exist in both Mexico and South America. They are located specifically in duty-free zones, known as Export Processing Zones (or EPZ’s), where companies do not have to pay taxes or provide the same wages to employees as they would domestically. Since the work is outsourced to Mexico, these companies can provide substandard working conditions on a scale which would be unheard of in the U.S., while at the same time spending less in transportation costs because their factories are located just across the border.

Noncommunicable Diseases by Team Get It

Noncommunicable Diseases

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide in low, middle, and high income countries (http://www.economist.com/node/21556393). NCDs include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and mental disorders. As a result of social detriments of health and globalization, present and future rates of NCDs are on the rise which poses concerns for global health, healthcare workers, and challenges for health care systems—particularly surrounding costs and financing. To combat the growing concern on NCDs, WHO (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs355/en/) has begun Global Action Plan (http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/en/index.html) which offers nine specific target goals to prevent, reduce, and address response to NCDs—these targets focus on controllable elements such as diet, limiting alcohol and tobacco use, and increasing physical activity as well as additional elements such as coverage of health care services, and reducing premature mortality.

Bangladesh: The True Cost of Cheap Commodities

Often times in developed countries such as the Unites States, we don’t stop to think of where or how the things we buy are made. We simply purchase  and enjoy, without thinking of the consequences. Companies, in turn, take our ignorance as freedom to do as they please. They move factories to developing countries where they pay workers little to nothing, avoid health code regulations, and take advantage of poor human rights laws. This is a global health issue and an inequity. Therefore it is important for us to consider these issues, not as their issues, but as  ours. An excellent way to do this is to consider the Millennium Development Goals. The two goals that are most relevant to the discussion of  cheap commodities are Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, as well as Promoting gender equality and empowering women (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/) When considering the scope of problems facing the global community, workers’ safety may not seem as pressing an issue as the HIV/AIDS epidemic or other high-profile health concerns. Yet, every human life is valuable and no violation of human rights and well being is insignificant. It is important to have a global perspective because what happens in developing countries is a reflection of how social determinants of health impact individuals as well as the global community. We all like paying $5 for a T-shirt, and turn a blind eye to it’s true cost.

Water Commoditization: Global Water Crisis

In absence of water, life ceases to exist. Water is our most valuable resource and is something that we as humans should treasure. An issue currently facing the global population is the depletion and exploitation of the world’s water resources. Currently, large global health inequity results from the fact that water is seen around the world as a commodity. Instead, water really should be viewed as a human right. Presently, water is considered by large companies as a means of making a profit. “Blue Gold” is a movie that explains the phenomena of privatization of water, and the negative impact or expense it has on countries involved.

The need for more Community Health Workers

The need for more Community Health Workers

                   

SOURCE 

"Although they share many of the same roles, CHWs are typically not volunteers; they are employees in the healthcare system. The growing need for personnel within the healthcare system who can provide medical and cultural translation, health education, information and referrals, intake and eligibility services, case management, and advocacy to diverse patient population has formalized the CHW position in many healthcare settings."

            ~Mary Beth Love, Kristen Gardner and Vicki Legion

Sustainable Urban Development in Curitiba, Brazil

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Curitiba, capital city of the Brazilian state of Parana, is often praised for leading the world in sustainable urban planning and presenting one of the highest HDI in Brazil. Curitiba’s secret? Mobility, sustainability, and identity. These are the three areas that cities need to focus on, according to Jamie Lerner, Mayor of Curitiba for over 20 years and Curibita’s urban planning champion. Among Lerner’s sustainable approaches are 52 square meters of national parks (New Internationalist). To maintain this much grass, goat herders are hired by the city to maintain the abundance of greenery found in Curitiba. Sustainability is also manifested in other areas of his city structure, some of which we examine below.

The Ignored Children of our Communities

Imagine you have kept a big secret for years. You’ve kept it tucked away from everyone’s view because you are petrified of what would happen if you told this secret. You are 14 years old and the world feels like one giant haunted roller coaster. But one day, you realize the secret is making you sick, and you cannot keep it hidden any longer. So you tell your parents – you are gay. The response you get is one of angry rejection and before you know it, you are thrown out of your childhood home, without any resources or anyone to turn to – no money, no family close by and no where to call home.

Childhood Obesity

Obesity:  One of the Most Disastrous Dilemmas Facing Children on the World Stage

It’s happening all around us, and some of us may not even realize the full extent to which it’s occurring. Children are losing enjoyable years of their lives, experiencing extreme disadvantages due to conditions outside their control. In extreme case children are dying each day due to deadly diseases that the Western world has seemingly forgotten about.

Human as Commodities: Human Trafficking & Slavery

http://www.ncjwbcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Hands-in-chains-help-me.jpg

Before we go on to discuss human trafficking in foreign countries, let us get this fact out of the way: As you’re reading this, people are being trafficked right here in the United States, here in Oregon. Yes you’ve read right!

Nutrition labels

I was taught how to read nutrition labels at a very young age. Not because my parents wanted me to know what percentage of nutrients my food contained, but because of my food allergies to peanuts and various other nut products. Knowing how to find different ingredients, on a food label, has actually saved my life on a few occasions. Reading nutrition labels has carried over to my adult years and I read them now to figure out what healthy and unhealthy ingredients my food contains. This gives me satisfaction knowing how to read them and knowing what percentage of different food groups I should be consuming. I know that many people feel intimidated by looking at the back of common food products because they don't know what exactly each ingredient is and how much of it they should be eating. I wanted to include a link to an FDA website that does a good job at breaking down a nutrition labels and how to read it. I hope this helps those that might not feel comfortable looking at these labels.

http://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/labelingnutrition/ucm274593.htm

Impact of Westernization on Developing Countries, an Environmental Focus

Unfair Trade Policies

Agriculture is often the economic driving force in developing countries and agricultural trade pits wealthy countries against poor countries, with policies affecting not only the health of developing countries, but their economic stability as well. 

Harrison Amukoyi, a local farmer in western Kenya, raises one dairy cow and several crops on two acres of land perched on a hillside. To sell milk, Mr. Amukoyi and his neighbors must compete with wealthy industrialized countries that offload their (cheaper) 

Source

subsidized milk on local markets, depressing the profits for Kenyan farmers. This unfair conflict happens throughout the developing world, further propelling impoverished conditions (Diao, et al., 2003). According to International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), protectionism (an economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, designed to encourage fair competition) and subsidies received by industrialized nations cost developing countries approximately US $24 billion annually in lost agricultural business. China, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand and India suffer the largest losses due to agricultural policies in developed countries, ranging from US $1.1 billion in India to about US $2.3 billion in China (Diao, et al., 2003). Of particular consequence is the “multiplier effect,” which economists named for the flow of jobs being lost in agriculture, spilling over to other job sectors. Not only are farmers affected by agriculture policies, but the jobs of people who rely on the farms are as well. In the above figure, cotton is "white gold" for families of Burkina Faso and the only cash crop from which they make their living. Increased competition globally has caused declining prices while the cost of inputs are rising and yields are decreasing. In other countries, yields are increasing, causing a productivity gap. 

Source

Responsibility for agricultural policies in developing countries lies in the European Union (EU), the United States and high-income countries in Asia, with more than half of the blame for total displacement falling on EU countries. In 2001 the U.S. government spent $3.4 billion to subsidize cotton, harming not only the cotton producing farms in Africa but U.S. taxpayers as well. People who reside in the rural areas tend to spend a majority of their income on food. Agricultural security is prominent, with cheaper imports increasing the amount people pay for food due to privately collected taxes that benefit primarily large-scale producers in industrialized nations, further eliminating production potential for local farmers.  Relieving countries of the overproduction of agricultural goods lies in decreasing reliance on industrialization and implementing neutral trade policies. Greater focus is needed on health investments, education, agricultural research, road development and land reform, access to clean water, improved communications, non-farm enterprises, and farmers’ organizations, as well as other forms of social capital for those marginalized and vulnerable (Diao, et al., 2003). 

The Cost of Industrialization

There is nothing quite like taking a long, deep breath of air. It would likely be less enjoyable if the air being inhaled contained sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, or other emitted pollutants. Yet this is the case for people in developing countries, who are facing very real environmental health repercussions as industrialization threatens the quality of air and water, releasing pollutants and hazardous waste byproducts. 

Environmental standards and regulations are practically nonexistent in developing countries, making them cheap and available dumping sites for wealthier developed nations. 

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This means that developing countries face inordinately greater challenges from hazardous industry and technology pollution shipped and transferred from developed countries because of relaxed environmental legislation. Small townships and rural areas become burdened with serious air and water pollution problems because of the lack of knowledge and resources. 

In a case study of air pollution effects on the health of 480 primary school children in Cubatao, Brazil- where large quantities of mixed pollutants were released from 23 industries, (steel mill, chemical industries, cement factory, fertilizer plants, etc.)- 55.3% of the children had decreased pulmonary functioning (Shiru, 2011). Though factories are providing jobs, highly toxic emissions and accidental releases of toxicants into the atmosphere are resulting in serious health risks for people in developing countries due to inadequate safety procedures and planning, lack of skilled technicians to maintain the facilities and difficulty in obtaining parts (Shiru, 2011).


Not So Eco-friendly E-Waste

All over the world printers, scanners and cell phones are being discarded as common trash without regard for the hazardous metals and toxins they contain. Electronic waste, commonly referred to as e-waste, is the fastest growing stream of municipal solid waste (MSW), but how it is disposed of is a serious concern. It is estimated that 20-50 million tons of e-waste are generated annually worldwide, ranging from cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions, desktops, laptops, computer monitors, liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, cell phones, keyboards, computer mice, printers and copiers. 

Due to a lack of environmental regulation and protection laws for workers, toxicants in e-waste cause air, dust, soil, and water contamination. Recycling activities allow gold, silver, copper, zinc, iron and tin to be recovered at a profit; however, the dismantling process can involve cutting, heating, burning and acid leaching which expose workers and residents in small town and village workshops to dangerous mixtures of pollutants and metals (Chen, et al., 2011). Electronic waste materials contain heavy metals, lead, mercury, cadmium and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which, when disposed of or recycled inappropriately or irresponsibly, can lead to severe health issues and developmental neurotoxicity.

Source

Children living in communities or villages in close proximity to e-waste dumping and processing sites are at particularly high risk of exposure, as they are at critical stages of neuronal growth. Recognized adverse effects include impaired cognitive function, behavioral disturbances, attention deficits, hyperactivity and conduct problems (as qtd. in Chen, et al., 2011). 

Many of the countries affected are within Asia. Taizhou, China has two e-waste sites containing high levels of PBDEs—a group of brominated flame-retardants used in electronic products to reduce flammability, and correlated with thyroid hormone disruption and memory impairment. Also, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which have been banned in product use since 1970, are known to affect neuropsychological functions in children, including cognition, visual-spatial function, memory, attention, and motor function (Chen et al., 2011). Pregnant women and nursing mothers are at higher risk if they grew up in recycling sites because their history of exposure is longer. Exposure to e-waste toxicants lasts a long time, therefore the cognitive and neurodevelopmental consequences are rarely temporary, particularly when a child is born and raised in or near an e-waste site. Wildlife is also affected by e-waste; in bodies of water methylmecury (MeHg) may occur in organic and inorganic forms and is the primary route of exposure in the general population. E-waste has emerged as a global environmental health issue and with few organizations tackling e-waste handling or using preventive measures to ensure it is discarded properly, much more research is needed. 


Toxic Stew in India

While most of us in the United States have access to clean drinking and bathing water, people in other parts of the world do not. In India, people are living with polluted water and soil due to all the industry that has come to the country from the developed world. The relaxed enforcement of pollution control has made it possible for these industries to dump their waste into the water supply rather than treating it first. 

Source

A prime example of what is getting dumped into the waterways is from the tannery industry. It is reported that in Hazaribagh, a city and municipality in the Indian state of Jharkhand, that tanneries dump an estimated 21,600 cubic meters of pollutants into the water system every day. In Hazaribagh alone, it is estimated that there are 150 tanneries ranging in size, employing anywhere from 8000 to 12,000 people (Human Rights Watch, 2012). Water pollutants comprise animal fats, hair and flesh, and contain hazardous chemicals such as sulfur, chromium, ammonium and other chemicals (Human Rights Watch, 2012). A study was done in 1997 that compared self-reported health problems in 112 households in Hazaribagh with those from 100 households in a neighboring community.

Source

The residents from Hazaribagh reported 31% more cases of skin diseases, 21% more cases of jaundice, 17% more cases of kidney-related disease, 15% more cases of diarrhea, and 10% more cases of fever than that of other neighborhoods (Human Rights Watch, 2012). The industrial pollution of Hazaribaghs's air, water and soil is causing illness among local residents and though there is public awareness, it hasn't led to any significant changes. 

Collaborative Efforts by PHE Group FourPlusOne: 

Danielle Ali-Cassim, Laurie Kerridge,  Patrick Tupper, Kayley Guay, Jessica Ngin.

Innovation in Global Health

Here is a fantastic story on NPR about the Gates Foundation's Grand Challenges Explorations. Three words: beef. tendon. condoms. What will they think of next?!

Education Accessibility

Hi, I'm Viktoria and I live in Vancouver. This being my first quarter at PSU and taking public health classes I have been really reflecting on my educational pursuits and the accessibility and opportunities that are available to me. After learning about the social determinants of health I became very aware of the importance of education and really started thinking about how different people have different levels of access to education. Being an out of state student means that I have to pay out of state tuition: which is more than 3 times the amount than in state tuition. PSU was pretty much my only choice for pursuing a public health career and being able to stay in Vancouver. I really started thinking about how people finance their education and how people living in poverty can even access education. It frustrates me that someone who is simply trying to accomplish their educational goals has such big obstacles in the way. I am blessed enough to be able to have this problem solved but I would assume that there are many people that are not so fortunate. It seems like people in poverty who want to attend school out of state are simply set up to fail in even attending it. They obviously won't have enough money to pay for school out of pocket and if they apply to financial aid and get the maximum amount they still won't have enough to cover their tuition bill. On top of that, the additional maximum federal student loans that they are allowed to take out are not enough to cover the cost of a 12 credit quarter.. they are left with taking out either a Parent Plus Loan or a private bank loan. A private bank loan would require them to get a cosigner- someone living in poverty would probably have a very hard time finding a person who has a good credit history and good credit to debt ratio who also trusts them enough to put their name down on such a document. If that person's parents don't qualify to be the cosigners (most people living in poverty don't) then that person has to go through a stressful experience of finding someone who does. A Parent Plus loan requires the parent to have a good credit history; also somewhat unlikely if they are living in poverty. I'm not saying this applies to everyone, but it is reasonable that this would happen. Now think about it? If you had to go through so much trouble would you still try to go to school? I really feel like out of state students living in poverty are set up to fail if they really want to pursue their educational goals. We wonder why we have such health disparities in impoverished communities and the answer is because we aren't doing much to help them succeed in the one thing that can change that- education.

Innovation in Aid: Give Directly

All members of the global health system are constantly trying to balance outcomes with cost.  Some recent innovation in how aid is provided to the world's most desperately poor people is producing surprising results.  A relatively new organization, Give Directly, has focused on identifying the poorest people in Kenya and then giving them a one-time gift of money with no strings attached.
The Economist has written a nice piece outlining the outcomes they have seen so far, with comparisons to other common aid structures.  It is well worth the time to read it!

Sugar Consumption

In my opinion one of the most compelling global health issues we are facing is sugar consumption. This issue is striking to me because of the fact that oftentimes it goes unnoticed how much added sugar can be present in foods we eat, and what is consumed on a daily basis. In an average human diet, marketing techniques in combination with lifestyle are large contributors in food choice. A lot of the consumed sugar can be accounted for in soda pop, and empty liquid calories, or candies. Even items such as vitamin water, which we perceive as a healthy alternative to soda, has roughly 13 grams per 8 oz glass, or 33 grams of sugar per 20 oz bottle. Another drink is saturated with sugar is Odwalla’s Original Superfood drink, which contains 37 grams of sugar per 12 oz bottle. This is equal to roughly 10 percent or of the contents being made up of sugar, which isn’t something you would expect from a drink typically thought of as being natural and healthy. Looking closer at the label you can also see that apple juice is listed as the first and main ingredient, which explains the sugar content. Apple juice ranks in as having 26 grams of sugar per 8 oz (http://www.odwalla.com/good-products/superfoods/original, http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm).

An Apple A Day Is Not Enough - Taylor Mali

"The Future Belongs To The Youth"

"Do you give a sh*t?"

Do you have a toilet at home? If yes, you are already luckier than 2.5 millions of people who don't. Now, imagine if you are one of those people. 

Imagine life without a toilet. [...]

Do you think you could survive? Do you think you could "give a sh*t" out in the open? What is the probability that you'll be spotted by say, your loved one or even a stranger? How would you feel? Have you ever thought about the true meaning of dignity? (WTD)

This is no laughing matter. Around 1.1 billion people in the world practice open defecation. “Without toilets illness and disease win. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under the age of five in the world…It kills more children than malaria, AIDS, and measles combined” (TD). 

For those who have access to a toilet, feel grateful, think global and be helpful. How?  

Save the day: November 19^th – World Toilet Day

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