Global Health Is a Cause We Can All Get Behind

November 27, 2017None of us can afford to ignore the plights of other countries.“What is IntraHealth anyway?”A woman asked this as she approached our booth at aState Employees Combined Campaign event this year, where people who want to donate to good causes can connect to the organizations behind them. At first, I was glad she asked.“IntraHealth International is a nonprofit based in Chapel Hill and our focus is on health workers,” I said. “We believe—”“Health workers in America?”“No,” I said, “our work is primarily international. We currently work in 31 countries in Africa, Asia, and Central Amer—”“And what are you doing for Americans?” she demanded. “Me, I’m all aboutus. If you were worried about keeping the US healthy instead of sending money off to wherever, maybe we wouldn ’t have so many problems.”Global public health is everyone ’s concern, or should be.I was shocked. She walked off before I could tell her that global public health is actually everyone ’s concern, or should be. None of us can afford to ignore the plights of other countries. The annual number of disease outbreaks around the globe has more than tripled since 1980 and increased air travel renders us all just one plane ride away from a worldwide outbreak.Much has been written about global pandemics and the need to prepare and take steps toward prevention. However, recent policy shifts and proposed cuts to the US foreign aid budget point away from a solution. Inste...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news