Creativity: A Prerequisite for Addressing Global Health Issues

Last night's class on Environment, Sustainability and Global Health left me with the same feeling that I leave with on most nights: "There's so much to do and only one me!" Thankfully, I have some pretty awesome classmates who will add to the workforce of professionals who are also dedicated to making a difference in global health.

However, even with that knowledge, often I have a heavy heart regarding the health and well-being of our global neighbors, especially the poor and disenfranchised. I want to speak for those who have no voice, bring clean water and food to those who go without, and empower women and girls so that they may have the tools to improve the lives of their families and communities.

I received an email from a friend this morning and it inspired me to shift my paradigm. I know that I can't do it alone, but instead of having a heavy heart about it, I can creatively unite with others to make a difference.

Here's the email text:

Be Creative

Creativity is not reserved just for those who engage in artistic pursuits. In every life, in every situation, there are opportunities to be creative.

Being creative means acknowledging that there are many possibilities beyond the obvious. Being creative means having the courage to consider doing things in a way that's different than the way they've always been done.

Creativity gives you the ability to solve multiple problems with a single course of action. Creativity transforms weakness into strength, and builds value where there was none before.

Imagine the possibility of a connection between things that don't appear to be connected, and creativity will start to take hold. Look at life from a new perspective, and it will further nourish your creativity.

Creativity refuses to accept limits. And as such, with sufficient creativity you can move beyond any obstacle.

There is always room for improvement, and there is always a place for beauty, for achievement, for fulfillment. Be creative, and you'll continue to add richness to life (and might I add:) and change the world.

Shifting the Paradigm for Global Mental Health

Consider the following. We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others' activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others. - The Dalai Lama

The topic of discussion this week was Mental Health. This subject is fascinating to me and has been since I took psychology as an undergrad. However, because of stigma and discrimination, we often sweep the subject under the rug. The funny thing is that the issue is so big, we just keep tripping over the rug. If we invested more in mental health and well being, we could invest less in other health care services since we would be addressing many of the issues that cause people to engage in risky and self-destructive behavior. Just think of all the good that could be achieved if we focused on happiness and emotional well being instead of all of the sickness that is primarily caused by our own actions.

Is it possible to shift the paradigm for global mental health to change the future course of obviously related problems such as alcoholism, drug addiction and domestic violence; and the not-so obviously related problems like, obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes?

Spread the Word

“There’s enough on this planet for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed.”
Mahatma Gandhi

This was one of the quotes from Dr. Shahi’s February 8th lecture, and it pretty much sums up my take home message for the night.

The Millennium Development Goals are as follows:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development.

One of the discussion questions for the class centered on how we as a global community can meet these goals. Thinking about this took me back to my January 25th posting, Shifting Paradigm Starts With You and Me. One of the most important things that you and I can do is spread the word about the goals. We must get others thinking and talking about the goals in order to affect policy and bring greater attention to help change the lives of the more than 850 million people in the world who go hungry everyday and the 1.1 billion who live on less than $1 a day.

I know that I paid little attention to the Millennium Development Goals until I began the MPH program at USC. There are many, many others out there who have never heard of them and have never thought of them. Let’s all do our part and spread the word!

Correcting the Course

Our February 1 class left me with a thought I can't seem to get out of my head. The United States is a leader and we can do so much to lead the way in helping developing countries avoid some of the tragic health consequences we face in our nation today as a result of our lifestyles. The evidence is clear that others are following in our path with growing rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and other life-threatening ailments that can be greatly reduced by changing the way we live our lives. We know the problems, but we can't seem to reverse the trends. Is it possible for us to shift the paradigm in the US and stand as a lighthouse to the world and prevent others from crashing on the perilous shores that all too often lie just beyond "developed nation" status?