I had the privilege of taking PM 546 Bioterrorism with the esteemed Dr. Marc Strassburg last semester, who was a member of the WHO team that eradicated smallpox with door to door surveillance and containment of the virus through a circle of immunizations around each case in India and Africa. Larry Brilliant's concept of an early detection system "INSTEDD" (video at: http://tedblog.typepad.com/tedblog/files/larrybrilliant.html ) which consists of web crawlers in various different languages, which would detect illness much sooner than the WHO, is a demonstration of the contribution of modern technology to Public Health as well as numerous other disciplines.
In the age of instantaneous communication, international travel, and re/emergence of infectious disease, the ability to detect and respond to emerging infections and epidemics through real time global surveillance via the internet is the necessary next step in the evolution of Public Health. H5N1 or Avian Flu has the capacity to spread faster than ever before because of increased international travel and globalization, as SARS demonstrated in 2003. As public health professionals we must be ready to combat pandemic influenza through All-Hazards Preparation, effective risk communication, and early detection/response. Technology like INSTEDD will be an invaluable tool in combatting the pandemic. And while, noble men like Drs. Strassburg and Brilliant helped eradicate smallpox by tackling each and every case in remote parts of the globe, we cannot possibly hope to combat re-emerging infections and new infectious disease without the sophisticated real time results and capacity that modern technology facilitates.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
First Impressions
I was thrilled when USC offered the Global Health Leadership and Management track for the MPH program and switched from Health Promotion and Education right away. I did so because I believe that the world is becoming a smaller community due to globalization and we must change and adapt in order to be relevant. I also appreciate the track and especially this class, Emerging Trends in Global Health, because I believe that it is current and dynamic and I have much to learn. I'm especially excited for the passion Dr. Shahi will bring to class given his experience in public health as well as the private sector.
As the demographic patterns continue to change, a great dichotomy emerges in the world, where we have disease from deprivation alongside disease from over-consumption. In order to achieve a balance we must work as a global community to bring about a change in the way we view health, because health is a capacity and it is the foundation for every human endeavor.
Millennium Development Goals
In order for the MDG to be achievable, a crucial prerequisite of meeting these goals for developing countries is the ability to build up their core public health functions. Policy and infrastructure must be in place and strengthened so that interventions will be managed efficiently with accountability and disseminated to those who need them most. Further, in order for these noble yet lofty goals to be achieved, governments, non-governnmental organizations, and the private sectors must work in synergy, because health and parity in health benefits everyone.
As the demographic patterns continue to change, a great dichotomy emerges in the world, where we have disease from deprivation alongside disease from over-consumption. In order to achieve a balance we must work as a global community to bring about a change in the way we view health, because health is a capacity and it is the foundation for every human endeavor.
Millennium Development Goals
In order for the MDG to be achievable, a crucial prerequisite of meeting these goals for developing countries is the ability to build up their core public health functions. Policy and infrastructure must be in place and strengthened so that interventions will be managed efficiently with accountability and disseminated to those who need them most. Further, in order for these noble yet lofty goals to be achieved, governments, non-governnmental organizations, and the private sectors must work in synergy, because health and parity in health benefits everyone.
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