“Emergence of ecological medicine” 「生態醫學的興起」

On January 07, 2011, within the framework of the “Global Health in practice” Forums, Prof. Bruno WALTHER, Research Fellow, Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute (TESRI) and Assistant Professor for Environmental Science, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University gave a unique lecture entitled “Emergence of ecological medicine” at Taipei Medical University.

This talk presented an introduction to ecological medicine, a discipline which has recently been gaining more and more ground because scientists have realized that interdisciplinary approaches are important in ensuring public health in the emerging environmental age, when globalization, diminishing resources and environmental crises create new and unprecedented challenges to medical research and practice.

Prof. Walther also discussed on new approaches to (1) how human well-being depends on healthy and functional ecosystems, (2) how ecology and evolution can help in understanding and combating emerging diseases and tackle global health issues, and (3) how medical practice can decrease its own environmental footprint.

Finally, he underlined how ecological Medicine invites the biomedical community, ecologists and individuals who are concerned for individual, public and ecosystem health to learn from each other and to embrace a balanced, ecological approach to sustaining health.

Prof. Walther's presentation: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BwxiA_OBopmCOGI3MmM3MDMtNTQyMS00OTdmLWIzNjgtZmViMzI0NGI1MGY3&hl=en&authkey=CMyjrsEJ

“Public Health from an International Perspective” 從國際看公共衛生

On December 10, 2010, within the framework of the “Global Health in practice” Forums, Prof. Peter CHANG, Dean, International Office, TMU gave a unique lecture entitled ‘Public Health from an International Perspective" at Taipei Medical University.

Starting from the idea that “every citizen is one global citizen” and that “public health issues have moved to central stage of global issues”, Prof. Peter CHANG presented the main health-related international topics from 2000 to today involving (MDGs announcement in 2000, SARS in 2003 or the Tsunami in 2004).

Then he focused on Millennium Development goals and their achievement so far and gave the audience his own point of view and what are the main challenges before 2015.

Using his own experience of Health attaché, he proposed an assessment of the WHO annual Review and of its main objectives for next year: urban planning essential for health, multi-drug resistance, harmful use of alcohol, health system strengthening, etc…

Finally, he recommended to develop more partnerships between sectors and cross-border, to adopt better approaches and new technologies to improve global health and paraphrased Prof. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, Nobel Laureate in medicine (2008) in saying that “ there is always hope I science and in human being if we can work closely together”.

Prof. Peter CHANG's presentation: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BwxiA_OBopmCY2NkMjExZjEtYTY5OC00ODRjLTgxNzEtZjNjM2UxNjNiNzA3&hl=en&authkey=COzN2_YM