17-March-2024

I watched another TED-talk by Leana Wen, about how public health could solve urban problems today. One such problem is a food desert, where food options are limited with limited access to groceries and basic goods. 1 of 3 African Americans in Baltimore live in food deserts, losing access to food when the local grocery stores burned down. No one knew what to do; there wasn’t a guidebook you could read to find a solution. Some people questioned whether to do anything at all, asking whether it was possible to make a strong impact. Leana states that “the currency of inequality (in Baltimore) is years of life”. She herself had financial struggles growing up, as she lived in Los Angeles with immigrant parents who were fighting to make ends meet. Inequality left a mark on people all around her. Classmates who were gun violence victims, or neighbors who died due to disease and poverty. This experience provoked her into wanting to be a doctor who never turned people away. Studies show that even though 97% of healthcare costs are spent in the hospital, only 10% of what determines a person’s life expectancy depends on hospital care. Another point is brought up: If the currency of inequality is years of life, then the opposite of poverty is health. Baltimore had one of the worst Infant Mortality Rates in the US in 2009. Many babies were being born when their countries were in the middle of fighting war. A program was started by healthcare teams, called “Be More For Healthy Babies”, where various healthcare workers and employees would visit pregnant women and educate them about safe pregnancy habits. Within four years, Baltimore reached the lowest IMR it’s ever had. The ultimate power of public health is treating now rather than later. Investing in children’s health can do wonders for a country’s stability. Many of these helpful methods are used for another growing issue: drug addiction. Poor drug addicts can’t afford help and they have a “moral failing”. A citywide solution was established on saving lives, where people started ensuring that the right medicine gets into the hands of every resident fair and square. Following this, a phone line was made for people to reach out to experts for help or questions about addiction. I think it’s fascinating that many government officials, such as police, were taught how to help addicts too. It maximizes the amount of help available. Another method taken into place was creating safe streets, where over 880 criminal acts were taken care of right then and there. The efficiency and effectiveness of solutions like this are what contribute to a healthy city. I didn’t know that public health had this much impact on how a city thrives and functions, but it astonishes me at how much power public health can have over the whole world.