NEWS & INFORMATION

Conferences 2007-2008

INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE STUDENT INTEREST GROUP (IMSIG)

IMSIG
The International Medicine Student Interest Group (IMSIG) promotes global medicine by fostering awareness of international health issues, helping students to find international medical travel opportunities, and sponsoring a lunch-time speaker series of physicians involved with international health.

Contact:
Samatha Nadella - samntha.nadella@usc.edu
Rebecca Schatsky - rebecca.shatsky@gmail.com
Dave Larson - dmlarson@usc.edu
George Lim - george.lim@usc.edu

A special thank you to the outgoing IMSIG officers: Adrian Castro, Trevor Crowell, Rey Hamidi, and Kate Talbert for their outstanding leadership and sincere commitment to expand KSOM global reach.

IMSIG is a student run interest group to keep KSOM student informed of global health programs and to help support those interested in “going global”.

STUDENT WHITE PAPERS FROM THEIR GLOBAL HEALTH EXPERIENCES

Stduents are required to submit a paper after participation in the Global Health Program. The Paper or Powerpoint slide should detail as much infomation regarding the experience as possible, and include objectives, summary, and conclusion indicating if objectives were met.

“Tanzania 2006” by Bethany Fleming

“Integrative Medicine in Northern India, A Practical Understanding” by Sidharth Anand

"East Africa-2006" by Kameelah Phillips

"Primary Health Care and Family Planning in the Islamic Republic of Iran" by Hajar Kadiva

“GLOBAL EYE” INTERESTING GLOBAL HEALTH NEWS

Global AIDS Alliance
On March 16, after hearing from numerous constituents across the US, the US Senate passed an amendment to add $566 million to the total Foreign Operations Budget. The amendment stated the added funding should be used to increase the US contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund is the world’s leading mechanism in the fight to battle these three diseases, which together kill 6 million people a year. Tuberculosis is the biggest killer of people living with AIDS, yet the United States' bilateral anti-TB program is small. The Global Fund, however, provides two-thirds of all TB funding. It also provides more than half of all financing to address malaria, a major killer of children, in addition to one quarter of all donor HIV/AIDS spending. "The US Senate is showing how the US can challenge other donors to do their part in the fight against disease," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance. "Only with this kind of leadership do we have any hope of persuading other nations to participate in a truly effective, global fight against disease threats."

China: New Guidelines on Tackling HIV/AIDS Crisis
China has issued its first detailed policy guidelines on dealing with its exploding HIV/AIDS epidemic, including requiring local governments to offer free drugs and testing. The cabinet issued a statute on the prevention and control of AIDS which spells out the responsibilities of governments at all levels and the rights of carriers. Most importantly, international experts said, the government now requires free testing be provided to anyone who wants it and that their identities be protected- a significant step forward in stopping the spread of the disease.

Those who seek testing should be given tests for free and no department could reveal carriers' identities or personal information without their permission, according to the guidelines on the website. Local governments above the county level must provide free anti-HIV/AIDS drugs for rural AIDS patients and underprivileged urban patients, according to the guidelines. Localities must also offer free treatment and consultations on prevention of mother-baby infection to pregnant women and new mothers. While some heavily infected areas already provide free drugs and treatment, it was still not a nationwide practice. Discrimination against HIV carriers or AIDS patients in school, employment and other areas is banned, according to the regulations. AIDS orphans should receive free tuition and be exempt from paying fees, including the cost of books, while those officials who cause the disease to spread in any way will be punished, the guidelines say. The rules went into effect as of March 1.

"Educating Doctors for World Health"
If one word comes to define the 21st century,it is likely to be globalisation. Pernicious market capitalism or a welcome economic, social, and political force? The answer remains elusive but, certainly, globalisation is bringing previously buried problems in world affairs to the attention of a concerned western public. That attention is creating important institutional change. More »

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