News Article
March 29, 2011
20+ Student Groups Gear Up for Global Health Week 2011
It’s one of the most anticipated global health events of the year at Duke. This year, more than 20 student groups teamed up to plan Global Health Week 2011, which will feature opportunities for the student body to get involved and learn about the world’s most pressing issues.
“Every year we strive to make Global Health Week bigger and better, and we have certainly accomplished that rich tradition again” said junior Braveen Ragunanthan, a public policy and global health certificate student and one of the lead organizers. “Building off of the relationships that were strengthened last year, a vibrant culture of partnerships has blossomed at Duke amongst the undergraduate health and global health student organizations.”
Global Health Week 2011 kicks off this Thursday with a lecture by Peter Mugyenyi, a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda, and the opportunity for students to live as refugees in “DISPLACED.” This event is designed to raise awareness of the millions of displaced people worldwide who lost their home, sense of community and livelihood. Each day of Global Health Week 2011 will be centered on a global health theme, such as preventive health, innovation and sustainability, chronic and infectious diseases, neglected issues and global health at home.
Since last year’s event hosted by the student-led Global Health Forum, the undergraduate group merged with the larger student umbrella organization Duke Partnership for Service (dPS) to become its largest sector – the Domestic and Global Health Branch. The move fostered even more involvement in Global Health Week from student groups within dPS, making this year’s marathon of events lasting longer than a week.
“We aimed to demonstrate how global health work is truly interdisciplinary,” said sophomore Julie Rivo, a Program II student in global health and a lead organizer. “The themes of each day invite students to think about common issues that directly affect them every day. Rounding out the series of events on April 8th, Global Health at Home: North Carolina reminds students that they can begin important work in their own neighborhood.”
Another highlight of Global Health Week 2011 will be a DGHI distinguished lecture on Thursday April 7th by Vikram Patel, a leader in the field of global mental health. The series of events will culminate with the North Carolina Global Health Case Competition on Saturday April 9th, in which students from Duke, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will work in teams to develop an innovative solution to a major global health issue.
As Ragunanthan puts it, Global Health Week is a student-driven expression of their passion for global health, and one of the most popular student-led events on campus.
“It is a celebration of global health in solidarity amongst the 20+ interdisciplinary student organizations on campus that are united together,” said Ragunanthan. “These organizations are the reason that Global Health Week is possible, and the students all across the university who make the event memorable every year.”