Prior to this class, I could rattle off the names of infectious diseases and plagues, but I could not tell you much else. I could have told you how HIV was spread and the conditions that made cholera so prominent, but in my mind, and in my past learning, diseases such as these were studied in the context of isolated regions or periods. This class has opened up my eyes to the study of infectious diseases, and the realization that they are so much more than anything I had learned before.
Although I do my best to keep up with humanitarian crisis as an International studies major, not much of our class discussion is devoted to global health issues. While we talk about refugee crisis and camps that line borders in regions of conflict, we seldom consider the conditions as precursors to an epidemic. While we talk about the way women’s roles have changed an improved, we do not site their leading role in combating disease spread as found in India with the campaign against cholera. While we talk about the growing presence and strategic use of technology, we do not study its projected use in the case of health education. For something that touches so many lives, so deeply, it is astonishing how easy it is to overlook and avoid conversation regarding it.
While the sections on the plague were the most informative and frightening, the cholera and HIV sections were my favorite. The cholera chapter was fascinating because of the public education that was taking place in teaching areas how to avoid contraction of the disease. These are easy practices to put in place, and ones I was very motivated to support across the world in whatever way I can. The HIV section was also incredibly interesting because it is one of the more popular diseases, in that you hear a lot about it socially. To now have studied the scientific side of the disease, I can piece together all the other bits of knowledge I had on it previously and better understand the illness. I also really enjoyed the documentary that articulated how different countries handled/addressed the HIV crisis. It was fascinating to see the way different morals and cultures produced a variation of responses from the health sector on working to cure the disease. It shows that there is a lot countries can do to learn from each other and emphasizes the importance of international communication.
Perhaps is it true that I left class, on more occasions than not, a bit more paranoid than when I entered. This is because my eyes were opened to the easy in which diseases can spread, and with a growing number of drug resistant strands, the dangerous amount of time it historically took doctors to find a treatment, or in some cases a cure. The learning of this semester has made me a more conscious member of society, eager to uphold clean personal practices, and a more motivated advocate for the health sector. As I aspire to one day work for the government, I am glad to have had the learning of this class as it has ingrained in me a greater appreciation for the health sector where I support the ample donation and allotment of funds. Such funds will help for the quick reaction when diseases begin to spread, but also hopefully create greater preemptive measures and practices that can protect the population from such terrible outbreaks from occurring again.
Thank you for a great class this semester!