This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.
This entry is by Sophia Simon, COL ’19
As a hub for international organizations and governance, Geneva, Switzerland was the ideal setting for me to explore global health this summer. Surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Alps and Lake Geneva, I had the opportunity to intern at the International Center for Migration Health and Development (ICMHD), a non-profit which focuses on research, training, situation assessments, and policy recommendations. When I first arrived at ICMHD, I couldn’t help but be surprised by the family feel of the organization. Daily, the group cooked and ate lunch together, fostering an incredibly welcoming and open environment. My coworkers were all dedicated to tackling global health and migration issues head on, and their commitment has further fueled my interest in public health.
While we all worked as a close-knit team, our responsibilities ranged between a broad spectrum of topics which impact migrant health. Just before I started my internship, the Italian Ministry of Health had commissioned ICMHD to produce a set of reports for an upcoming G7 meeting on the relationship between climate change, health, and migration, ultimately aiming to spur policy change in G7 members. As the greatest upcoming threat to health, climate change and health are inherently related. Meanwhile, the environmental phenomena will also result in drastic population shifts within and between nations, with corresponding health consequences. Because the topic is so multifaceted, I have long been interested in the intersections between environment and health. I became a part of the team working on the climate reports, and was ultimately responsible for a 60-page report on climate change and health policy.
I first began my research by considering the most substantial impacts of environmental change on health, ranging from increased infectious disease risk to increased mortality from extreme weather. I was blown away by what I was reading, and found myself frequently doubting what the future of the human population would look like over the next century. While I was doing my initial research in June, the US announced plans to pull out of the Paris Agreement, which inspired me to delve deeper into policies related to climate change-induced health problems. I focused on international and national climate legislation, and evaluated common barriers facing climate legislation as well as climate adaptation measures with respect to health. I continued to develop the report with policy recommendations for governments to follow in response to a variety of climate change and health issues. Not only did I love what I was working on, but throughout the summer I was fortunate to participate in meetings on greater public health and migrant health issues, including the sexual health of migrants, diabetes and tuberculosis risk, and the health of children left behind.
Working at ICMHD was an incredible learning experience for me, increasing my exposure to a field in which I hope to have a career someday. As a Biology major, researching the policy aspects of health provided me with invaluable experience which I might not see within the classroom. I am beyond grateful to Career Services for making this opportunity a reality.
