Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), the Faculty of Public Health at the Mahidol University, the Kanagawa University of Human Services, and the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies jointly organized the Global Health Education Program(G-HEP) 2018.

Dates:
Saturday, August 25 – Monday, September 3

Schedule:
Saturday, August 25
Orientation・Lectures [Tokyo]

Monday, August 26 – Sunday, September 2
Orientation・Lectures・Field Work・Group Work・Presentations [Thai]

Program Details:
The G-HEP 2018 program brought together students and young professionals from Japan and Thailand to focus on the health issues associated with aging that face both countries. By sharing experiences and knowledge with each other and proposing innovative business/policy-centered solutions to the pressing issues in Thailand, the program also served as an opportunity for participants to begin thinking about their roles and responsibilities as future leaders in global health.

On the first day of the program in Tokyo, participants learned interactively about the efforts being taken to tackle the social and cultural health issues associated with aging in Thailand, the concerns and views arising from actual activities, and the communication that is necessary in the field. Participants also acquired both micro and macro knowledge about the trends and potential consequences of demographic transitions in the Asia Pacific Region as well as transitions occuring in healthcare human resources.

After traveling to Thailand and joining local students from Mahidol University and Chulalongkorn University, participants shared Japan’s ageing initiatives with local university students. Participants also learned via lectures and field work about Thailand’s healthcare system and its response to ageing. During field work, participants visited not only Bangkok but also Nakhon Ratchasima, the largest city in Isan, a northeastern region of Thailand. In addition to learning about primary care initiatives at community health centers and hospitals, participants actually visited elderly people’s homes to interview families and caregivers about issues related to long-term care.

On the final day, as a culmination of the learning that took place, participants selected what they felt to be the most critical concerns associated with aging in Thailand and proposed innovative solutions including business system ideas as well as health policy improvements.

Participants:
11 young professionals from various backgrounds including not only medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing, but also agriculture, nutrition, and economics.

Co-Organizers:
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University
Kanagawa University of Human Services
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)

Contact:
HGPI:
Hiroko Nishimoto / Joji Sugawara