Global Health Specialist
Global health is the understanding of health care in an international and interdisciplinary context. It includes the study, research, and practice of medicine with a focus on improving health and health care equity for populations worldwide. Global health initiatives take into account both medical and non-medical disciplines, such as epidemiology, sociology, economic disparities, public policy, environmental factors, cultural studies, etc.
This is highly linked with the 7 stars of a pharmacist, where research is mentioned as crucial to be able to achieve the daily roles of advancing human health care. Nowadays, health care is no longer seen in one dimension. Moreover, determinants of health care are vaster than just the pathophysiology and pharmacology that we are mostly versed with.
These will go as far as Income and social status, Employment and working conditions, Education and literacy, Childhood experiences, Physical environments, Social supports and coping skills, Healthy behaviours, Access to health services to mention but a few.
Pharmacists therefore need to undertake global health as a specialization in their quest to be part of the Universal Health Coverage agenda, which does not only look at the disease but also the determinants of health. Global health encompasses all these.
Kickbush defines global health as: ‘those health issues that transcend national boundaries and governments and call for actions on the global forces that determine the health of people’
With the current globalization, Healthcare has also been included in the rapid movement of parts of different life aspects. Therefore, learning and understanding healthcare at different geographical spectrum is paramount in the 21st Century.
Leadership plays a central role in promoting and improving Health Care. This is one of the 7 stars of a pharmacist and to me personally it’s a passion. Global health clarifies “Health Leadership and health policy” to a better extent that you all need to know.
Highlighting some careers in global health that pharmacists can be successful in include; policy development, health systems administration and management, education, research, community outreach, community healthcare planning, infectious disease management, program planning and evaluation. Employers include local health agencies, hospitals, government, the private and non-profit sectors, as well as non-governmental organizations to mention but a few.
Specific Career Examples in Global Health:
• Global Health Policy Analyst
• Health Systems Planner
• Clinic manager/administration – community health
• Health educator/health promoter – chronic diseases, communicable diseases, maternal/child wellbeing
• Health researcher
• Community health worker
• Community development – environmental health, sustainable water, housing
• Information specialist
• Systems integration specialist
With the back ground in Pharmacy, Pharmacists have shown success in these careers than any other profession. Unfortunately, there are still few pharmacists in global health, reason why we have few pharmacists at the policy and leadership levels but the few are successful in global health due to the suitability of the background with the subject area.
Ask me again Is global health a relevant specialization for a pharmacist? And my answer is Yes Yes Yes
Pharmacist Beingana Geofrey
Global Health Specialist