Youth Newsletter

 Issue #1

Friday 01 October 2021

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your involvement with the Medical Students Association in India?

I am an intern doctor working in India, and I am also pursuing my MSc in Public Health through LSHTM, University of London. I work with a number of organisations and youth networks on issues of public health importance. One such organisation is the Medical Students Association of India (MSAI). It is the largest medical students organisation in the country comprising over 20,000 medical students from across India. I recently finished my term in office as the President of MSAI where I led the organisation to a grassroots impact of helping over 100,000 people in India and abroad through a number of activities, projects and workshops, over a year.

Q: Why is it important for youth to be involved in this discussion, 'Health Inequalities in the Era of Climate Change'?

The biggest challenges facing human life in the 21st century are health and climate change. Young people like myself make up about half the world's population, and we are the generation that's going to face the harshest repercussions of climate change if we don't act fast. Being involved in discussions and action, especially for us, isn't really an 'option' anymore. It's a necessity and a moral responsibility.

Further, it's now clear that youth across the world deeply care about climate and health and have a tremendous role to play in furthering this agenda. And if that's not a good enough reason to have more young people involved, what is?

Q: How does the climate crisis exacerbate health inequalities, and what are the impacts on the health sector?

Climate change has an undeniable negative impact on health inequities and health, at large. Be it through the unusual change in patterns of spread and intensity of infectious diseases like vector-borne Malaria or Dengue, or through the direct health impacts of extreme weather events, climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable groups (e.g. people living in poverty, groups unable to access appropriate health care and health information) in turn worsening health inequities.

The effects of climate change on the health sector are impossible to deny in changing patterns of vector-borne diseases (dengue rapidly spreading to global north countries due to temperature changes facilitating mosquito breeding), health risks due to extreme weather events, rising incidence of non-communicable diseases like allergies, asthma, cancers etc. 

Q: What would you say to other young people that want to get involved in their communities and beyond?

From educating yourself or teaching a friend about health and climate change to demanding change in legislation, there are a million ways to act. And as long as you're willing to take the first step, it's never too late to start, and no start is ever 'too small'.

A Time of Crises: Health Inequalities in the Era of Climate Change

Chaired by Sir Andrew Haines, Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, including Kai Saunders, UK Youth Climate Coalition, and Dr Poorvaprabha Patil, president of Medical Students Association India.

WHO, in collaboration with partners, organised an event that brought together young people from around the world who are passionate about addressing the interlinkages between climate change and human health.

Youth facing the climate and health emergencies: Integrated Action for Climate, Health and Intergenerational Equity

EVENT: Promoting Transparency to Counter Disinformation & Build Trust

Cohosted by WHO's Infodemic Management Team, Office of the Envoy on Technology, UN Department of Global Communications, UNDP, UN Global Pulse and UNESCO. 

This follow-up side session to the 2020 United Nations General Assembly focused on listening to Member States, civil society organizations, and companies to learn about the biggest challenges they face in countering disinformation while upholding freedom of expression and identify solutions for improved cross-collaboration.

It highlights key learnings, shared considerations, best practices, and recommendations that emerged out of the inter-agency work (throughout the UN system) over the past 12 months.

BLOG: Putting young people at the forefront of our common agenda

Launched at the 'Unlock the Future' high-level virtual event at the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, the Global Youth Mobilization and other youth-focused international organisations are proud to sign a new declaration that will build a coalition with and for young people and future generations.

Budding health care professionals are invited to participate in realistic simulations of the World Health Assembly that will be organized by the World Federation of United Nations Associations from 5-14 November 2021 in partnership with Justus Liebig University in Giessen and the American University of Beirut.
 

Students working towards a degree in medicine, nursing and public health will negotiate a text on promoting the health of refugees and migrants and the 2020 Agenda and on the global agenda on health, environment and climate change. High schools from different countries around the world will participate in a separate simulation of the WHA that will focus on drafting and adopting a  resolution on strengthening infodemic management.

This experience not only engages youth in the work of WHO but teaches the diplomatic skills used by real diplomats to reach consensus during informal consultations.