Harrisburg, PA - The Wolf Administration Wednesday discussed the importance of public health in Pennsylvania and its role in the modern, global world with students from the Penn State Global Health Exchange Program.
“In our dynamic, universal society, public health decisions made on a local and state level can have major ramifications internationally,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “We are committed to improving public health in Pennsylvania and providing education on its importance. Sitting down with international students to discuss public health topics in Pennsylvania provides insight that our concerns here in the U.S. are similar to those in their home countries.”
Department of Health officials informed students about important health priorities across the commonwealth, including the opioid crisis, Lyme disease, medical marijuana, childhood obesity, and emergency preparedness.
The Penn State Global Health Exchange Program is hosted by the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine. Students from Taiwan Medical University, China Medical University, and the University of West Indies-Cave Hill in Barbados also toured the department and met with state policymakers.
In its third year, the program is a collaboration between Penn State and international academic institutions to help understand public health issues globally. The program’s goal is to establish a two-way educational opportunity that provides a framework in which students explore public health issues from a global perspective.
One of the Department of Health’s core goals is to work collaboratively with state partners to develop an effective public health system that promotes the optimal health of its citizens.
Additional information on the importance of public health can be found on the Department of Health’s website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACT: Nate Wardle, 717-787-1783 or RA-DHPressOffice@pa.gov
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Click here for pictures and video of the event.