Vector Volume 11 Issue 2 - 2017

Ultimately, the conference epitomised the power of public
health to draw connections to unseen patterns of disease,
highlighted hidden societal inequalities and served as a
platform for marginalised or underserved populations to have
a say. Backed by epidemiology and evidence based medicine,
public health brings ugly truths to the forefront of discussion
and ‘has a duty to speak truth to power’.
I’m immensely grateful to have attended as a volunteer and
to have met such an inspiring network of public health leaders
and fellow peers. As a student, I highly recommend attending
as a volunteer, especially as you gain unprecedented access
to event organisers and plenary speakers. Hope to see you at
the 16th WCPH in Rome 2020!
A Delegate’s Perspective - Michael Wu
Michael is a second year medical student and current Chair
of GlobalHOME at the University of Sydney with a burning
passion for health that disregards borders. Like Helena, he
dreams of working all over the world with MSF. His heroes include
inspirational figures such as Dr Catherine Hamlin. He also enjoys
sunsets and hummus.
The most palpable feeling one senses at a gathering of
minds tackling the most complex social health issues in the
world is that of positivity. Despite the clear adversity, there is
a strong belief that we have the tools and allies needed to
succeed in our agendas.
As anyone that is interested in optimising health outcomes
and promoting medical equity, the words “World Congress
of Public Health” instantly caught my attention when I first
heard them. The WCPH was a melting pot of inspiration,
edgy research and health reform superstars from all over the
world. This gathering does not come cheap but it also comes
only once every 2-4 years and can be anywhere in the world.
It was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.
To pay for my privilege to be a fly on the wall I sought
the assistance of the University. Unfortunately, the Sydney
Medical Program only sets aside funds for conferences if you
are a presenter, however, the Sydney University Postgraduate
Association was more than happy to hear me out. All I had
to do was attend a general meeting, provide background
information on the event and my interest and how this can
benefit their interests then prepare an “ask”. They saw fit
to offer me a grant for $480 to subsidise my registration in
exchange for sharing what I learnt with their Women’s Officer
and Environmental Officer.
This year, the University of Sydney’s Global Health
Society - GlobalHOME - committed to numerous key areas
of interest, including climate change and the impact on
Healthcare. The plenaries for the WCPH not only had this,
but also talks about Female Genital Mutilation, First Nations
people, Non-Communicable Disease and Tobacco Control.
These were talks dedicated to some of the most difficult
healthcare issues today, and WCPH would see some of the
greatest minds gather to discuss them. With Plain Packaging
2.0, we may start seeing cigarettes marked along their length
with the cost to your life expectancy. There was research
on the resiliency of health care systems in warzones. One
researcher working on his PhD had just returned from Eritrea
to add to his pool of data from nine other countries into which
he had ventured during active fighting.
As a student, it is a little daunting to attend a professional
conference out of your direct field but all you need is an
interest and passion. I made many connections and took
home plenty of key messages. I would encourage anyone
looking to attend a professional conference to do so
and to not be fazed by a lack of scholarship availability. It
would be worthwhile approaching your student council or
representative organisation and present to them to secure a
bursary of your own making.
A Presenter’s Perspective - Michael Au
Michael is a fourth year medical student at James Cook
University. He is committed towards the promotion of human rights,
social justice, and health equity. His interests lie in refugee and
maternal health, health systems and the social determinants of
health. He is currently completing research investigating refugee
health systems in Far North Queensland.
Although there is much to celebrate in public health, Dr
Margaret Chan at the conference described “new challenges
of unprecedented complexities” facing the world in the areas
of antibiotic resistance, obesity and chronic diseases. These
issues are intertwined with social, political and cultural issues
which make them increasingly difficult to address.
The status quo is not enough and there is still so much to be
achieved in public health. However, many students, including
myself, fall into the trap of complacency towards the state
of affairs in global health. As Australian students, we view
the rest of the world through the lens of a developed country,
distorted by daily privileges which we take for granted. The
solution? A continual pursuit for truth and information with a
high degree of scientific scepticism. This was just one of the
few gems I gathered from this conference.
With the support of the Royal Australasian College of
Physicians (RACP), I was fortunate to be given full registration
and travel assistance to attend the WCPH as a John Snow
Scholar. The scholarship gave me the opportunity to present
research which I had completed as a medical student, entitled
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