By Lucy Eum, Resident, Dalhousie Department of Medicine and Outreach Assistant, Office of Community Partnerships and Global Health
As we begin a new academic year we wanted to highlight our amazing team. I sat down with Elise Sammons, Manager of Global and Planetary Health and here is what she had to say.
Q: Please describe your work in 6 words.
A: Health for the planet and people everywhere. I went with seven words! Hope that’s okay.
Q: Why do you do this work?
A: I believe we should be working toward a healthier world for everyone. The health of the planet and people everywhere is so interconnected so it’s important for physicians and healthcare professionals to think about health globally and on a planetary level. It’s so important for students to start learning now about the role that healthcare professionals can play in helping to address global health inequities and injustices and in contributing to the transition to more sustainable healthcare system. I love having the chance to work with students who are passionate about these issues and with those who are interested in learning more. It’s also a very collaborative area where I get to work with a lot of partners within and beyond the university and I love having the chance to work in that way.
Q: What is the biggest challenge in your work?
A: Global health and planetary health are both really complex and large areas of study and it can be a challenge to know where to focus my energy and how to best make a difference. It can sometimes also be a challenge to know how to best support students to learn more about these areas when they also face the challenge of very full and demanding schedules and course requirements.
To find out more about about Elise’s work please visit our website.