Vector Issue 10 - 2009

The Global Health Conference:
Challenging the world after Brisbane
Meg Scott Deputy Convenor GHC 2009
www.ghn.amsa.org.au
As I think back over the 4 days of the
Global Health Conference 2009 (GHC),
certain events and lessons I learned remind
me to do more with my life and challenge my
world!
Our biggest achievement, the event we
put the most blood, sweat and tears into
was challenge day. The 10 station, half-day
workshop challenged the delegates to work
through various situations one might come
up against in an overseas medical aid situation.
Delegates planned a refugee camp and
were marked on the appropriateness of their
toilet selection, as well as deciding how many
farms they would have. Groups got to try
talking their way into a prisoner of war camp
past cheeky guards, and the guards were
also marked on their ability to stick to their
guns. The triage station allowed the clinical
years delegates to shine, using their ability
to interpret vital signs to save many a paper
doll life. We made nutritional food packs, delivered
babies (and placentas) in emergency
situations, learned about the difficulties in
communicating with non-English speaking
patients, allocated sparse resources to those
who needed it the most, and perhaps most
importantly, enjoyed the Brisbane sunshine!
The inspiring opening plenary from Dr.
Sujit taught me a couple of things. One, if
you want to add prestige to a product, print
the label in English; if the people can’t read
it, they’ll want it more. Two, having nothing
is no excuse; start where you are and
the financial support will come. There is no
reason why one person can’t start making
a difference in the community. Personally,
I was amazed at how easy Dr. Sujit made it
all sound! Starting at a farm, negotiating the
use of a barn for a clinic, to shortly thereafter
running numerous hospitals and schools! He
definitely challenged my idea that one needs
money to make a difference.
Tania Major continued the unintended
theme to get out there and start doing, with
her challenging Australians’ attitudes towards
the Indigenous population. She spoke of her
work increasing awareness of Indigenous
issues, which she has been doing for the
majority of her life. She reminded us that
whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, we
are all Australian, and we must look after
our own. We all know of the 17 year age
gap between the two populations, and the
barriers towards proper healthcare for those
in remote communities are not new. Tania
showed us that grassroots action is vital in
making a change. As Tania so eloquently
stated, “just fucking do it!”
Carolyn Hardy showed us what has been
done so far in combating HIV/AIDS, and we
are sadly nowhere near meeting the Millennium
Development Goal. Again we were
shown how to challenge the problems in
bringing healthcare to those who need it,
and how to overcome these obstacles. Carolyn
spoke of the potential for conducting HIV
tests remotely via mobile phone and picture
texts! With unbelievable solutions like this
in the works, I was reminded to look outside
the box for solutions to decade-old problems.
Dr. Nick Coatsworth gave me wanderlust
recounting his missions with MSF to such
places as Darfur and the Sudan. He also
spoke of getting in there and working at a
grassroots level and somehow managed to
make immunising hundreds of children a day
for 4 weeks straight sound exciting! He’s definitely
an inspiration for all medical students,
showing us that it is possible to have a life,
train in a specialty and work overseas all at
once.
Gabi Hollows, on behalf of the Fred
Hollows Foundation (FHF), taught us that
enthusiasm is enough; that having passion
for a cause will make things happen. She
also reminded us of the need for medical
aid in Australia. Sure, while the FHF now
have clinics and factories all over the world,
Fred Hollows’ work started in rural/remote
Australia, and Gabi reminded us we cannot
overlook our own country. Also, what struck
me from the Fred Hollows story was that one
persons’ passion and hard work can continue
indefinitely.
After all that energy spent learning
and inspiring, I wouldn’t have
thought anyone had enough energy
for a party, but boy, was I wrong!
Perhaps the memory burned into my
mind the most was the monkey dancing
with the genie, or was it seeing 2
sumo wrestlers trying to get onto a
bus? Check out the pictures on our
website to decide for yourself…
Thank you everyone for coming
to Brisbane, for participating so fully
in the program (both day and night!),
and for challenging yourself and your
peers to do more and be more. I look
forward to seeing you in Hobart for
GHC 2010 and hearing about how you
have challenged your world this year.
Left: The GHC is a ‘hands-on’ event.
Far left and above left: Dr Sujit inspires
the audience to make a difference. Images:
www.amsa.org.au/ghc09
16 vector november 2009