We recently saw the launch of the Public Health Society (PHS) at Trinity, a new society dedicated to engage and educate the College community on matters concerning the discourse surrounding public health. The launch of the society was announced on Twitter by Nazeefah Laher, a medicine student at Trinity.
Announcing the launch on Twitter, Nazeefah tweeted that she was “thrilled to officially launch the Trinity Public Health Society” and that “so much hard work has gone into creating this society and I’m very thankful to the amazing students who have supported these efforts”.
Laher included a document in her tweet, detailing the aims and objectives of PHS, as well upcoming events to be held. According to the document, the PHS aims to “provide tools and support for public health education” and to “engage the TCD community in public health discourse in order to foster an interest in public health”.
It detailed that the aim of the society is to not only be accessible for medical or health care students, but for any students who may be interested in educating themselves on health, and hence share knowledge about health.
Speaking to Trinity News, Laher stated: “The objective of starting the Trinity Public Health Society was to engage the TCD community in public health discourse and foster productive discussions about issues that have a direct impact on our lives.”
Laher discussed: “Our scope is broad, but our vision is clear. Public health is rooted in advocacy and centred at the intersection of health and social justice.”
Laher explained to Trinity News how the pandemic has led to a broader appreciation for public health. “The dual pandemic of Covid-19 and racism has shown us just how important public health is in keeping our global communities healthy, safe, and thriving.”
“Public health is not just limited to Covid-19. It’s about protecting the health of entire populations and this means more than infectious disease or access to health care.”
She discussed the role of PHS in advocating for diversity through the conversation of public health, expressing much emphasis on the point that “public health is rooted in advocacy and centred at the intersection of health and social justice”.
She explained: “It aims to address the inequities that are pervasive in our society. Income inequality, gender inequities, racial inequities, homophobia, etc.”
Continuing she said: “It’s fundamental to everything we do… I think with Covid-19 people get a small sense of just how important it is.”
TCD Societies tweeted that the Central Societies Committee (CSC) has “provisionally recognised” the @trinityphs which “aims to engage the Trinity community in public health discourse in order to foster an interest in public health, provide tools, resources, and a platform for discussions around public health in all its forms”.
