Global Change, Global Health Research Symposium

Friday May 8, 2009

University of California Berkeley  – Alumni Center

[notes taken during panelist discussions]

_DISEASE

Panelists :: Tomas Aragon, SPH Eva Harris, SPH Art Rheingold, SPH Lee Riley, SPH

Q: Was the H1N1 response an overreaction?

Image by eszter via Flickr

A: lots of uncertainty on the outset, but CDC let the schools go back after we found the symptoms were not so severe. Public health paradox! If public health works, then people will blame us for overreacting.

Suggestion: gap between perception and health professional reality

Q: How are we linked to the global community, via infectious diseases? And how can this stimulate other areas of global health and the environment?

A: Evidence-based links between Dengue and mosquito control in Nicaragua. This empowered people to do other things. The sum of those things improved health outcomes. Ex: microcredit linked to health, inverse linkage when health emergencies occurred but should be otherwise during non-emergencies. Need data for this for policy movement

Statement: Issue seems to be access to healthcare when the flu or other pandemics hit.

_VULNERABILITY

Panelist :: Jason Corburn, City Planning – Place Vulnerability

Image by sfcityscape via Flickr

Interactions between Built and Social environments. We need to look at the role of public institutions and public decision making. We do interventions for populations and not for places. Bring community members into research design is also important.

Q: what is the health impact of non-health interventions?

A: move from problem analysis to solution analysis. Track progress as we intervene. Look for WHO’s Health Impact Assessment. Move away from tracking symptoms towards interventions.

Panelist :: Malcolm Potts, UCB

In 2050 more people in slums in Africa than people in the US Family planning choices = listen to what women want Incentivise providers to do good/useful things Implications on rapid population growth lecture for classes Use of 3B cell phones to counter misinformation Young ideas and cross-discipline sharing… get out of your silos