Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), the Faculty of Public Health at Mahidol University, and the Kanagawa University of Human Services Graduate School of Health Innovation jointly organized and held the 2020 Global Health Education Program (G-HEP).

 

 

 

 

Dates
Sunday, February 2, 2020 to Saturday, February 8, 2020.

Program schedule
February 2 (Sun)
Travel from Tokyo to Bangkok; Orientation; Lectures

February 3 (Mon) to February 8 (Sat)
Fieldwork; Group work; Presentations

February 8 (Sat)
Return to Japan

 

Program details
Together with 25 international students from Mahidol University’s Faculty of Public Health, participants visited healthcare facilities, community health centers, and similar institutions in Chanthaburi Province and Chonburi Province near the Thai-Cambodia border. There, they explored the themes of migrant health, travel medicine, and border health and innovation to identify and assess health challenges associated with migration and travel facing the region. The goal of these activities was to jointly develop solutions to said challenges through technological and social innovation.

On the first day of the program, the participants from Japan attended a lecture on the healthcare systems in Thailand and viewed student presentations to prepare for the fieldwork.

On the second day, they joined international students attending Mahidol University to travel to Chonburi Province and Chanthaburi Province, where they visited organizations like local medical institutions, disease prevention centers, and organizations or local community representatives aiming to implement sustainable farming practices.

At the organizations visited, the participants attended lectures from the leaders of each organization. Questions from the students were proactively encouraged. During the field inspection, participants observed the state of healthcare provision at hospitals, integrated approaches to health taken at organic farms and nursery schools, and people actively commuting across the Cambodian border to identify challenges and gather best practices that should be implemented. They held hearings with staff members or volunteers actively working in the region as well as with local residents.

On the final day, they invited people from the areas visited during fieldwork to give presentations that compiled the information gathered to share the lessons they learned. They also compared the challenges shared with their own countries to examine and deepen understanding towards healthcare policies and challenges in Thailand and abroad.

 

Participants
Nine young professionals from various fields including medicine, dentistry, nursing, nutrition, public health, and international development.

Co-organizers
Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
Faculty of Public Health of Mahidol University
Kanagawa University of Human Services, School of Health Innovation

Contact
Health and Global Policy Institute
info@hgpi.org (Arima)