Armed with optimism and working wherever we are, each of us can meaningfully tackle global health problems, said Benjamin Crookston, a BYU public health professor and associate dean in the College of Life Sciences, in Tuesday’s forum address.
“You might ask yourself, ‘How can I get involved? or ‘How can I reach those in the most vulnerable situations in the world?’ Mother Theresa said, ‘I cannot change the world alone, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’” Crookston explained that we, like Mother Theresa, can take individual action “to create consequential ripples across the waters of our local and global communities.”
To believe we can make a difference, we need a more hopeful outlook on the world than the doomsday narrative usually offered in today’s media soundbites. Crookston painted a more balanced picture of the world’s state by sharing several positive trends from the past few decades.
For example, childhood deaths worldwide have been reduced by over 60% since 1990; in the same period, global maternal mortality has dropped by almost half. The world has seen an 80% reduction in people living in extreme poverty since the 1960s. And since 2004, HIV deaths have declined by more than two-thirds, malaria deaths by about one-third and tobacco use by around 30%.
“These health statistics combined provide a hopeful view of the health of the world, contrary to the gloom that many may be persuaded to hold,” he said.
Many problems do remain, however. For example, over 700 million people still live in extreme poverty, and over 100 million children suffer from undernutrition. Even though these challenges are global, Crookston argued, we can address them whether we travel far or stay at home.
“Just as you pedal a bicycle pushing on both pedals to maximize momentum, addressing issues domestically while also focusing on global concerns provides the greatest returns,” he said. “Where we work is not nearly as important as how we work to address inequalities and serve those in greatest need. Our own circumstances, expertise and resources will guide us in determining our location.”
Crookston offered five actions we can take from where we are to improve global health.
First, choose to love. Citing the Savior’s admonishment to care for “the least of these” among us, Crookston said that “love is particularly powerful when it opens our eyes to see those living in the margins of our local and global societies, those who spend much of life unseen.”
He shared a story of how a young man in his neighborhood showed love to his family by bringing a birthday gift each year to his teenage daughter, who has special needs.
“His gift was a reminder to me that beyond bednets, medicines and vaccines, the real gift we give others who are wading through difficult times is the gift of love, letting them know that we see them, we value them, we are better because of them and we are grateful to share part of their journey.”
Second, choose to understand global health, so you can make informed choices. Referencing BYU’s slogan “Enter to learn; go forth to serve,” Crookston encouraged listeners to learn through books, podcasts and whatever fields they study. He noted that when “disciplines work together, uniting their respective strengths,” they accomplish the most.
Third, choose to change yourself. Global health initiatives often focus on getting people to improve their behaviors, such as by eating better foods or washing their hands more frequently, but we need to first ensure that we are modeling that behavior.
“When we have put in the effort to improve ourselves, whether we are working to strengthen our own physical and emotional health or mending a relationship, we operate with more empathy and confidence in our efforts to help others progress.”
Fourth, choose to support organizations and people working in healthcare and development. We can make small donations “to put resources in the hands of those best positioned to do good” when our responsibilities or lack of expertise prevent us from giving our entire attention to global health.
Finally, choose to participate, beginning locally. “Don’t wait until the conditions are just right to serve,” Crookston said. “Find your own opportunities, recognizing that no act of service should be dismissed because it is too small, too typical or too unlikely to be posted about on social media.”
Crookston concluded with his hope that the audience would be inspired to act to improve global health. “As we continue to put our shoulder to the wheel to climb the mountains that remain, let us push together knowing that we never truly push alone when we are involved in a good cause.”
