04/13/2020
Meet Hanh-Dung Dao! She is a student in the Hudson College of Public Health, where she serves as the president of the Epidemiologic Research Student Association. In the midst of a unique health situation, Hanh-Dung shared her thoughts about public health.
HSC Student Affairs: How has COVID-19 shaped your view of public health?
Hanh-Dung Dao: COVID-19 has emphasized three aspects of public health that may normally be overlooked: how health is interconnected, how the marginalized have worse outcomes, and how health communication and promotion is vital during times of stress and disorder.
This virus has had a global impact in a very short period of time. This emphasizes how individual health is global health and requires interdisciplinary solutions. Slowing the spread of the virus requires breaking out of our silos and working together.
People of low income, racial and ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities already face a variety of systematic barriers to health. COVID-19 disproportionately impacts these groups and exacerbate the existing health disparity.
To quote the CDC: “The right message at the right time from the right person can save lives.” As health professionals, our responsibility does not stop at what we have been trained to do, but is also to communicate and educate our friends and family outside of the health field.
