Looking for life, destroying life: Why should you care about global health?

Last semester,I wrote a column that explored the pitfalls of the American healthcare system while simultaneously taking Global Health (CH-0056), a course offered by the Department of Community Health. After taking this class, my understanding of health was fundamentally altered. It might seem rather obvious that health is a universal issue; however, the diseases that are most prevalent across the world are often neglected, even forgotten.

The interconnectedness of global communities has brought to light common issues — one of which is inequality. But inequality in health is the cruelest form. In fact, the sheer price tag of healthcare for populations in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) actually pushes them below the poverty line. However, global health issues that affect LMICs rarely make headlines.

As I moved through the curriculum of CH-0056, I realized common themes between American and international health: Healthcare systems have the most adverse effects on the poor, access is incumbent on privilege and poor health has negative effects on every aspect of a person’s life. So, if these are issues that transcend American borders, why, then, do we largely ignore these concerns for LMICs, where the disease burden is more punishing?

In this column, I strive to address this discrepancy in knowledge by paying heed to topics such as neglected tropical diseases, communicable diseases, water, sanitation and hygiene and social influencers of health in LMICs. The title — “Looking for life, destroying life” — is a famous Haitian proverb that describes a woman looking to sell mangoes to keep her family alive. In seeking out her livelihood, she falls off the mango truck and dies. Her plight can be attributed to her socialization. Neglected disease is often caused by social factors. When poor people look for life amidst terrible odds, their pursuits are typically futile, even destroyed.

So, the question becomes: Why should you care? In the current globalized world, communicable disease is a threat to everyone, including you. As people travel and meet, the spread of disease is inevitable. Not only does disease know no borders, but it also is becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Diseases like tuberculosis, which was once treatable, are now becoming multi-drug resistant. Antibiotics like penicillin that we depend on are no longer the 'wonder drugs' that can cure any and all infections.

Additionally, I truly believe that a healthier world is a better world. When people can contribute to society without being afraid of hospital bills, faulty healthcare infrastructure and sickness, economies can flourish. Health should be a human right, but it most definitely is not. In so many ways, we put less value on the lives of poor people. Global health is a start in paying attention to the people who need it the most. I thank you all in advance for exploring this side of health with me. I hope to not only educate myself but also spread some awareness about life outside the Tufts bubble that traps us all.