So far, so good: The Fourth U.P. Global Health Course

After a two-year hiatus, six months of intensive preparations, and last-minute edge-of-chaos activities, we're very proud to have successfully conducted The Fourth U.P. Global Health Course at Silungan in Morong, Rizal last April 13 to 18, 2009.

The UP-GHC 4 has brought together 28 students studying in the health professions schools of the UP, UST, Ateneo, Emilio Aguinaldo College, FEU, St Louis-Baguio, and West Visayas State University, including two students from Australia. Through marathon sessions last week, the UP-GHC 4 endeavored to re-focus their education towards a preferential option for the underserved as we talked about topics that our respective university curricula hardly touch: topics like globalization, the current financial crisis, war and health, culture and health, health and the environment, the use of ICT, urban agriculture, among others.

UP-GHC 4 faculty members came from the deep bench of the UP College of Medicine, as well as equally engaging resource persons like Sonny Africa from the IBON Foundation and Professor Giovanni Tapang, PhD of the UP National Institute of Physics who talked about the advocacy against the re-opening of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

The UP-GHC 4's student coordinator, Angela Wee, as well the student facilitators Bev Ho, Rom Imperio, Venjune Tansiongco, Renzo Guinto, Tina Langit, Micko Perez, Myx Caampued, and VJ Mercado all ensured that the course had the correct balance of youthful perspective, practicality, and fun.

The course may have ended, but our work towards making quality healthcare available to those most in need have just began. Welcome to the wonderful world of public health work Nikka, Jam, Leeo, Ginger, Jackie A, Jackie M, Mitch, Yen, Myk, Paul, Peter, Migs, Omar, Jessica, Kim, Kevin, Leslie, Danni, David P, David C, Dana, Angel, Nery, Jopapz, Nicole, Ezra, Jim, and Dalvie!