Global Health is Local Health: Connecting Global Health to the Health of Minnesota
Social determination of health—the conditions in which we live, work, and play—are universal. Or global in this case.
Social forces such as systemic racism, unfair economic systems, marginalization, and maldistribution of power shape access to adequate housing, employment, education, food, and water in ways that translate into the health inequities we witness in our communities, no matter where we live.
Global health champions around the world work to decrease these inequities to improve the health of all—and not just around the world, but also locally. They take the frameworks of global health and apply it to a local context to improve the health of communities in Minnesota.
During session 2 of the University of Minnesota’s Mini Medical School: A Focus on Global Health, a group of global health experts working in local contexts will discuss the intersection of global and local health, the social determination of health, and global health considerations in Minnesota.
Photo caption: Learners in the Global-Local course discussing the three P's of our course (Personal, Praxis, Partnership), which are central to effective Global-Local work. Most individuals in the photograph are part of the BRIIDGE program, which prepares international medical graduates for successful entry into MN-base residency programs. Photo courtesy of Jnanendra V.
Upon completing this module, participants should be able to:
- Engage in critical thinking about how the frameworks of global health and the social determination of health can help understand health inequities and interventions locally in Minnesota
- Identify examples of global-local health initiatives and organizations that are working in the local Minnesota community
- Express the importance of mutual partnership building to health initiatives
- Reflect on their own personal connection to global, local, and community health
Topics in this module:
- Understanding the intersection of global and local health
- The social determination of health
- Global health in Minnesota: refugee and immigrant health
- Partnership building: Minnesotan health interventions, organizations, and movements