Who We Are

Global Health Forum (GHF) was founded in January of 2007 to address and educate students about serious global health issues. The suffering of people around the world was, and continues to be, an issue in need of intense discussion and action.

Our mission is to empower ourselves and community members to improve global health through raising awareness, cultivating partnerships, and pressuring political initiative.

Core Values
1) Social responsibility
2) Self-initiative
3) Sustainability
4) Interdisciplinary Collaborations

Board and Staff Members

What We Do

Swarthmore College’s Global Health Forum invites you to attend The Global Health Project:  A Conference for Student Collaboration, to be held on Friday March 18th and Saturday March 19th at Swarthmore College.

At this conference, We strive to increase the effectiveness of student global health organizations though conversation and collaboration. We aim to establish relationships on which we can build in the future to help further the goals of participating groups. There will be an opportunity for each participating group to present its work to the collective conference. Through workshops, lectures, and student presentations we will learn who we are, how we can work together, and what we plan to accomplish in the field of global health.

Keynote Speakers

Jennifer Staple-Clark, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Unite for Sight. Jennifer founded Unite For Sight in her dorm room while a sophomore at Yale University in fall 2000. With Jennifer’s leadership and vision, Unite For Sight is now a leading global health delivery organization that provides cost-effective care to the world’s poorest people. By investing human and financial resources into the social ventures of eye clinics in developing countries, Unite For Sight has provided eye care to more than 1,100,000 people living in extreme poverty, including more than 40,000 sight-restoring surgeries. Jennifer is also the recipient of the American Institute of Public Service’s 2009 National Jefferson Award For Public Service, which is regarded as the “Nobel Prize” for public service. In 2007, Jennifer was awarded a BRICK Award, which honors and funds change-makers who identify problems and do something to change the world, and has been dubbed by CNN as “the Oscars of youth service awards.”

Registration

Click here to fill out the registration form

Please RSVP by February 1, 2011

Minus Malaria Initiative

The purpose of Global Health Forum’s current initiative, entitled “Minus Malaria”, is to educate and inspire college students to become agents of change in the fight to eradicate malaria and other infectious diseases. To this end, we aim to create a nationwide anti-malaria movement driven by a network of educated and empowered students, a movement that will at once foster a national consciousness of the issues surrounding malaria and enhance the efficacy of our disease eradication efforts. Our vision is to establish a network of college student groups whose anti-malaria initiatives—including education, fundraising, and generating malaria awareness—make malaria and other global health issues prominent in the media and in people’s minds. Because institutions of higher education shape the intellectual culture of a nation, our initiative has the potential to foster greater national action in the struggle against malaria.

The first focus of our campaign will be to inspire students from other college campuses to become involved in eradicating malaria, thereby engaging them in a unified effort to create social change. Because of the diversity of college campuses in terms of backgrounds and interests, we can achieve multifaceted engagement surrounding the issue of malaria. The malaria epidemic is relevant not only to those interested in a career in medicine, but also to future economists, sociologists, activists, and policy makers. Through intense networking at other colleges, we foresee the creation of a unified effort of individuals interested in diverse disciplines but united in their passion to fight malaria. Why Malaria?

Community Crocs Collection-Spring 2009

At the Global Health Forum, we are starting a low-tech, low-cost initiative in the Delaware County area that will improve the health and quality of life of people living in Malawi. Studies have found that basic footwear improves hygiene and lowers rates of infections. Infections like the disease tungiasis thrive in areas where people walk around barefoot. These infections can greatly increase the risk of secondary infections, like tetanus, which can be lethal. Working together with SolesUnited and Crocs, Inc. the Global Health Forum is seeking to donate footwear that will greatly benefit people in this community.

GHF in action! (photos)

Who We’ve Worked With

Global Minimum- During the Spring semester of 2010, GHF organized a fundraiser Variety Show that featured a variety of campus and Tri-Co performing groups.  All proceeds from this fundraiser were donated to Global Minimum for the purchase and distribution of bed nets in Sierra Leone.

Tim Klein-  In partnership with Americans for Informed Democracy, GHF organized a screening of Tim Klein’s film What Are We Doing Here? on Swarthmore’s campus, which was followed by a discussion  with the filmmaker of the issues of foreign aid in Africa that the film explored.

The Swarthmore College Coalition for a Free Haiti- GHF partnered with CFFH to organize a pancake breakfast fundraiser whose proceeds were donated to Partners in Health.

Falling Whistles-  GHF hosted a lecture on and discussion of the war in Congo and the involvement of child soldiers led by Sean Carasso, the founder of this non-profit that rehabilitates and advocates for children who have been affected by the war in Congo.

If You are Interested in Partnering…