The Global Health Toolkit

The Global Health Toolkit

A Global Health Resource for Medical Students around the World

Presented by the Think Global Initiative

Introduction The IFMSA Think Global International Team 2013-2014 is extremely proud to introduce the first Global Health Toolkit. This toolkit will serve as an introductory guide for any medical student interested in learning more about global health. The first section is an introduction to global health, with some background and definitions. The second section is filled with opportunities to learn and educate yourself and your colleagues. The third section provides some ideas on how to be a global health leader at home. We hope you find this toolkit informative and engaging!

What is global health?

Over the past few years, the definition of global health has been a subject of much debate, and there are many different interpretations of the term. In an increasingly interconnected world, a good understanding of global health is a crucial asset for the physician in training. One of the most commonly accepted definitions is: Global health is an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global health emphasises transnational health issues, determinants, and solutions; involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration; and is a synthesis of population-based prevention with individual-level clinical care.’

Koplan JP, Bond TC, Merson MH, Reddy KS, Rodriguez MH, et al. (2009) Towards a common definition of global health. Lancet 373: 1993–1995

Thus global health views health and health-related issues as concepts that know no political or geographical boundaries – concepts that unite us all. As Richard Horton (editor of the Lancet) recalls, “global health is about knowledge as a flame to ignite a social transformation in our world”.

Why is it relevant to medical students?

Global health is not just a specialty, but a perspective that asks us to look at health globally and socially. As medical students, our ability to become competent and compassionate physicians is rooted in how we understand our patients’ needs and causes of illness. Global health is a broad discipline that develops students’ understanding of the local, national and international determinants of health and healthcare delivery. It is about equity; a fairer society.

Global health is also unique in its ability to tie together everything from economy, politics, to human rights, law, and of course, health. It is diverse, but serves as an umbrella for many aspects that influence populations’ health, locally and globally. As future health professionals and leaders of the 21st century, these topics are crucial to us all.

Presented by the Think Global Initiative

Opportunities to Learn and Network

Opportunities to learn and network

Presented by the Think Global Initiative

Opportunities to Learn and Network This section will give you an overview of the diverse global health resources that exist, from monthly newsletters to conferences, online classes and must-read books. Take a glance at the variety of options and select what appeals to you the most!

Global Health Important Reports 

The Lancet

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World Health Organization

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United Nations

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World Bank

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Rio +20

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High Level Panel of Eminent Persons International Conference on Primary Health Care International Conference on Health Promotion Finland National Institute for Health and Welfare

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Global Health 2035: A World Converging within a generation Closing the Gap in a Generation Protecting Health from Climate Change Human Resources for Health Implementing a Health 2020 Vision United Nations Millennium Declaration Universal Declaration of Human Rights Turn Down the Heat The Future We Want A new Global Partnership Declaration of Alma Ata Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion Health in All Policies

Global Health Newsletters  Overseas Development Institute  Climate & Health Council  International Health Policies Newsletter  NCD Alliance  Partners in Health  World We Want  The Lancet  Harvard World Health News

 International Institute for Sustainable Development - Climate-L - Post-2015-L - Earth Negotiation Bulletin  Global Health Workforce alliance  The Guardian: Global Development  World Bank  Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

Presented by the Think Global Initiative

Global Health Library Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights and the New War on the Poor (2003)

by Paul Farmer

Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues (1999)

by Paul Farmer

An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action in the Twenty-first Century (2008)

by James Orbinski

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (2009)

by Nicholas D. Kristof

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (1997)

by Anne Fadiman

The End of Poverty (2005)

by Jeffrey D. Sachs

The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About it (2007)

by Paul Collier Development as Freedom (1999)

by Amartya Sen

Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (2008)

by Jeffrey D. Sachs

Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty (2011)

by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo

Presented by the Think Global Initiative

Chasing the Flame: Sergio Veiria de Mello and the Fight ot Save the World (2008)

by Samantha Power

Revolutionary Doctors: How Venezuela and Cuba are Changing the World’s Conception of Health Care (2011)

by Steve Brower Making Globalization Work (2006)

by Joseph E. Stiglitz

Global Health and International Relations (2012)

by Colin McInnes and Kelley Lee

Global Health 101 (2011)

by Richard Skolnik

The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality (2013)

by Angus Deaton

Understanding Global Health, 2nd edition (2013)

by William Markle, Melanie Ray Fisher, and Ray Smego

Health and Human Rights: A Reader (1999)

By Jonathan M. Mann, Michael A. Groden Sofia Gruskin and George J. Annas

The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone (2009)

By Richard Wilkinson and Katie Pickett

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is A Better Way For Africa

By Dambisa Moyo

Global Health Podcasts  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

 The Guardian: Global Development

Presented by the Think Global Initiative

Global Health Courses       

Vaccines,Coursera Introduction to Global Health Health for All Global Tuberculosis Global Health Overview The Dynamic of Infectious Diseases Global Diseases Control Policies

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Basic Science of Public Health Health and Society Globalization Challenges Major Depression in Public Health John Hopkins School of Public Health online opencourseware

Global Health Conferences Canadian Conference on Global Health (October, Canada) World Health Summit (October, Germany) World Health Assembly (May, Switzerland) GlobVac (Norway) International Conference on Global Health Challenges (November, Portugal) Prince Mahidol Award Conference (January, Thailand) Global Health & Innovation Conference, Unite for Sight (April, USA) Consortium of Universities for Global Health (April-May, USA) Global Forum on Human Resources for Health Many national member organisations host global health conferences, simulations and meetings on a regular basis; follow IFMSA-General servers to stay updated!

Global Health Summer Schools Summer Schools in Global Health Challenges (Denmark) Health & Globalization (Germany) Global Health & Human Rights (Geneva) Global Health Course at Imperial College London (UK) Challenges in Global Health (Utrecht) Bali International Summer School (Indonesia) Social Medicine Course (Haiti) Health and Migration (Belgium) Partners in Health Summer Internship Program (Boston)

Presented by the Think Global Initiative

Global Health At Home

Presented by the Think Global Initiative

Global Health at Home This section provides you with ideas to transform your energy into effective local actions, and realize the vision of a true global health leader.

Educate yourself and others: ● ● ● ● ●

Establish a standing committee on global health that runs parallel to other standing committees at your school; Join or start a Global Health Interest group; Run local and national campaigns on global health issues; Take some global health online courses with friends; Don’t hesitate to take extra-curricular classes in global health related fields.

Maximize your impact: ● ● ● ●

Organize global health conferences and lunch talks; Ask to incorporate global health teaching in the medical curriculum; Give and receive advocacy and diplomacy trainings; Start a monthly global health newsletter.

Network around the globe: ● ● ● ●

Send and prepare delegations to global health conferences and meetings; Get in touch with NGOs and others organizations involved in global health; Stay informed about global and international news; Never hesitate to grasp an opportunity when there is one.

Speak out: ● ● ● ●

Challenge injustice and prejudice; Blog about what you see, what you learn, and what shocks you; Use Facebook and Twitter to inform your friends about global health issues; Write open letters to your local newsletter.

Here’s a short list of national members organisations that do run global health related activities: AMSA-Australia, AMSA-Philippines, AMSA-USA, AssociaMed-Tunisia, bvmd-Germany, CFMSCanada, IFMSA-Brazil, IFMSA-Ecuador, IFMSA-Egypt, IFMSA-Quebec, IMCC-Denmark, Medsin-UK, NMSA-Norway, and many more. Contact them for ideas and input. Plus, don’t forget you can always connect with us here at Think Global for any kind of support!

About IFMSA Think Global Initiative

Think Global is an initiative project within the IFMSA. Its goal is to develop a network of young medical students who are empowered to act on global health issues on local, national, regional and international levels. It equips students with core knowledge and understanding of global health issues and skills to take action on these issues, so as to train global leaders and representatives for medical students worldwide. thinkglobal@ifmsa.org www.ifmsa.org

Copyright IFMSA, 2014

--- EDITORIAL TEAM --Claudel P-Desrosiers, Think Global Coordinator Ratika Srivastava, CFMS-Canada --- COLLABORATORS --Yassen Tcholakov, IFMSA-QuÊbec Magdalena Kirnbauer, AMSA-Austria Joshua O’Reilly, AMSA-Australia Larissa Tang, AMSAHK Anneleen Boel, BeMSA-Belgium Philipp Munzert, bmvd-Germany