Define Forward

Lara Yuan | To me, defining forward means requiring humility, understanding, collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking from government, academia and the private sector for future success in global health.

Anirudh Kumar | To me, defining forward means partnership. Tangible, actionable change in the world of global health can’t happen without the concerted efforts of the private sector, public sector, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and communities at large. Trust in each other and mutual investment in a single vision is what underlies true progress in solving complex problems such as malaria eradication or the growing global burden of non-communicable diseases.

Karen Lin | I’m so excited to take part in the GBCHealth Conference and Awards Dinner this year as a Social Media Corps member. Over the course of the conference, I’ll be covering three sessions: The Business of Health Diplomacy, MDG Health Alliance – A Plan for Driving Progress, and Social Health: The Future of Disease Awareness, Prevention and Treatment. During these two days, I hope to gain a better understanding of the connection between the private sector and global health, and to learn as much as I can from the many leaders and visionaries  who will be present.

I am currently a sophomore studying biology and economics at Rutgers University. This past year, I served as the External Director of Communications for the GlobeMed chapter at Rutgers University, which suits me well, given my love for social media and my ever growing interest in global health. When I’m not Tweeting about global health, I enjoy learning, watching cooking shows, visiting museums and traveling. I am passionate about travel because it ties together human connection, different cultures and history.

While I hope to attend medical school one day, this past year has truly refocused my outlook on healthcare to a more global view. Global health is so important — I believe it is the cornerstone, part of the strong foundation every country needs.

Learn more about Karen here and be sure to follow her at @karen_lin

Meghan Johnson | I was so excited to learn that I had been selected as one of the 2012 GBCHealth Social Media Corps members! I first read about the opportunity on my university’s listserv and it immediately piqued my interest. I’ll admit that I hadn’t heard of GBCHealth before, but a little googling told me that it is a hub for private sector engagement on some of the world’s most pressing global health issues, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and diabetes.

As a public health and food policy student, my studies and field experiences have often led me to conclude that any progress we make to improve health is going to be a product of cooperation, compromise and collaboration across sectors. In public health, we like to refer to stakeholders as being separated into “silos.” We often talk about opportunities for collaboration across silos, yet we do a poor job of capitalizing on these opportunities. To me, the GBCHealth Annual Conference is as a perfect forum to facilitate meaningful dialogue among diverse stakeholders from different silos who have the power to create change.

At the GBCHealth Conference in May, I will be responsible for Tweeting, blogging and collecting video clips and photos during two sessions. The first is a luncheon featuring Muhtar Kent, the Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company (who is also a Co-Chair and Board member of GBCHealth) and the second is a session about addressing non communicable diseases like diabetes in South Africa and beyond. This session, with its roots in nutrition, will look at how the private sector can help promote good health and address chronic diseases like diabetes. Both of these sessions will provide insights into how the public health community can encourage companies to improve the healthfulness of their products, change promotion or marketing practices that target youth and create opportunities to collaborate with the private sector to create cross-sector health initiatives. It’s important to keep the big picture in mind when thinking of solutions: we’re creating a healthier future for the next generation. And we’re not going to do it alone.

About me: I am finishing a dual degree master’s program at Tufts University, earning a Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Policy and a Master of Public Health. I’m fascinated by the ways science and policy intertwine to determine the availability and quality of food; and how it’s distributed and marketed. Choosing what foods to eat is a personal decision, but I believe everyone deserves to have access to affordable, safe and healthy foods. What we eat impacts our health and the way we feel; I see our food system as being the root of our health as a planet.

Learn more about Meghan here and be sure to follow her @EatLessMoveM0re