Five on Friday: Planetary Health Edition

Fri, 04/20/2018 | by Claire Hutkins Seda

MCN Five on Friday - Earth Day

What are you doing for Earth Day? Planetary health and mobile population health go hand-in-hand. “Climate refugees” are on the rise; and of course climate destabilization affects vulnerable populations the most. Mobile agricultural workers, in rural areas, with poor quality housing, working out-of-doors, and with little access to health care, are highly vulnerable to a significant weather event -- and those events are increasing under climate change. As the climate changes, people are already having to move to escape crop failure, water scarcity, and sea-level rise. A new World Bank report estimates that 143 million people will soon be on the move because of climate change. Read National Geographic’s recent article (shared by Candace) on the report to learn more. Here in the US, agricultural worker advocacy groups made the connection between environmental and occupational health with a message to the EPA’s Scott Pruitt: Don’t gut worker protection standards for agricultural workers. You can join the call on UFW’s site -- a great way to celebrate Earth Day. Here are some other recommended reads from MCN staff.

In A Puerto Rican Mountain Town, Hope Ebbs As The Hardship Continues

Jillian, Director of Education and Communication, shared an NPR piece that focused on MCN’s close partners in Puerto Rico, Hospital General Castaner.

TB is back and politicians bicker rather than do something -- Here we go again

Ed, Co-Chief Medical Officer, shared an op-ed from Dr. Paula Fujiwara on Fox News: “TB is back and politicians bicker rather than do something -- Here we go again.”

MigraCam

Del, Director of Emerging Issues and International Projects, shared the ACLU Texas MigraCam, “a Smartphone app designed to help people living in immigrant communities notify their family members and friends if detained in a raid or traffic stop.”

U.S. healthcare needs a revamp, says CWA panelists

Claire, Writer and Editor, shared an article that mentions MCN’s Del Garcia during her recent panel discussions on health inequity and other hot topics at the Conference on World Affairs at the University of Colorado, Boulder.