April 12, 2023

From April 3-9, 2023, the Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH) community observed National Public Health Week (NPHW) by volunteering, hosting student-led events on relevant public health topics, and facilitating a training on Narcan use.

NPHW is an initiative led by the American Public Health Association (APHA). The theme that was selected for this year was "Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health." APHA also outlined daily themes:

• Community (Monday)
• Violence Prevention (Tuesday)
• Reproductive and Sexual Health (Wednesday)
• Mental Health (Thursday)
• Rural Health (Friday)
• Accessibility (Saturday)
• Food and Nutrition (Sunday)

Student-led public health organizations at Dornsife including the Delta Omega Public Health Honorary Society, Maternal and Child Health Student Organization (MCHSO), Maternal and Child Health Peer Health Educators, DSPH Student Government Organization, and DSPH Undergraduate Student Government Organization each organized events during NPHW.

On Wednesday, members of Delta Omega volunteered at MANNA (Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance) whose mission is to provide nutrition to improve health for people with serious illnesses who need nourishment to heal. By providing medically tailored meals and nutrition education, they empower people to improve their health and quality of life. The volunteer experience included prepping produce and packaging meals for MANNA’s clients.

On Thursday, members of the Dornsife Student Government Organization (SGO) partnered with Students for Sensible Drug Policy’s (SSDP) Drexel chapter to host a free Narcan Training. In addition to learning how to use this life-saving tool, participants learned about the SSDP, which is a global youth-powered grassroots organization devoted to ending the War on Drugs.

Also on Thursday, the MCHSO, MCH Peer Health Educators, and Dornsife SGO came together, in-person and virtually, to co-host a screening of the film Aftershock. This acclaimed film exposes the disproportionate number of Black women failed each year by the U.S. maternal health system. The screening was followed by a discussion led by Aasta Mehta, MD, MPP, Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Community Health and Prevention and Medical Officer of Women’s Health at the Division of Maternal and Child Health at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

On Friday, the USGO and the Drexel Indigenous Students of the Americas (DISA) co-hosted a conversation on Native American health disparities. Participants also learned about DISA’s mission to bring social awareness of Indigenous students to the Drexel community and ways to get involved. This coincided with APHA’s rural health themed day.

Members of the DSPH community also took part in APHA’s activities including virtual yoga and their annual Twitter chat which was open to all.

Next year, NPHW will kick off on April 1, 2024.