Hobart hosts innovative medical student training workshops, including on ‘greatest threat global health’ – climate change
30 June 2010
Two major workshops are being held this week in the lead up to the Australian Medical Students’ Association Global Health Conference in Hobart, for Australian and international medical students.
Think Global is an initiative of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations and looks at Climate Change and how it affects health.
The Workshop Co-ordinator, Western Australian medical student Nick Watts said that the Think Global workshop promotes the idea of advocacy to participants, teaching them both about the facts of climate change and how they can make a practical difference by running advocacy campaigns and raising awareness in their local communities.
“Climate change is the biggest threat to global health in the 21st century, so it is really important work that we are doing with the Think Global workshops.
We give delegates the tools to make a difference in this important area, and then it’s up to them to take it on,” he said.
AMSA President Ross Roberts-Thomson said that AMSA recognises the threat of climate change and the huge ramifications it holds for health, and want to see more action on climate change on a local, national and international level.
“AMSA’s ‘Code Green’ Advocacy Campaign hopes to demonstrate that climate change and health are inseparable, and that it is impossible to advocate for better health without simultaneously advocating for meaningful action on climate change,” he said.
The Training New Trainers (TNT) workshop will teach 20 students to better manage their own student organisations.
The Australian Medical Students’ Association Global Health Conference will be held in Hobart from 1 July to 4 July 2010 and will be followed by the Australian Medical Students’ Association National Convention from 4 July to 11 July 2010.
For more information about AMSA’s ‘Code Green’ Advocacy Campaign, visit http://www.amsa.org.au/climate
