Public Health in China: As China’s astounding economic growth has grabbed the attention of the international community, so has its growing list of urgent public health problems. Though Chinese and international organizations have taken commendable steps to try to meet these challenges, diseases caused by poor air and water quality, epidemics like SARS and avian flu, and the vast (yet unknown) number of HIV cases increasingly threaten the welfare of China’s 1.billion people.

The Project: Through first-hand observation and structured activities alongside professional NGO workers and healthcare providers, the group works together to develop a comprehensive understanding of some of China’s most serious health problems. Public health in China is a complex field and the solutions can often seem out of reach. Participants are challenged to learn about the many players involved and the issues that are sometimes below the surface, such as transparency of health records and the stigma surrounding those infected with HIV/AIDS. Time is also reserved for students to discover the basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine and for morning Tai Chi practice.

Beijing and Shanghai: How has China’s recent economic boom affected the urban environment? As the country prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, its cities are subject to a high degree of international scrutiny for their water use practices, air quality, and opaque business deals that can result in harmful goods sent abroad. While taking time to enjoy the ancient and modern marvels of China’s major cultural and economic centers, students develop an insider’s perspective on China’s urban environment and key public health concerns through in-depth observation and discussion with local and international public health organizations.

Yunnan: After an initial week in Beijing and before arriving in Shanghai, the group flies to the program’s base in Southwestern China’s Yunnan Province. With nearly half of the country’s 56 ethnic groups represented, as well as extraordinary biodiversity, tropical cloud forests, and towering 6000 meter peaks, Yunnan is one of China’s most rewarding places to travel. Unfortunately, the region has been severely affected by the country’s most critical public health challenges. Here the emphasis of the group’s research shifts from environmental issues to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. The group spends much of its time in Kunming City, the provincial capital, learning about current methods of treatment while observing how traditional practices such as, Tai Chi, herbal medicine, and acupuncture, are integrated into modern health care. Participants also travel to the countryside where, in many cases, victims of infectious disease and pollution have little means for dealing with such problems.

Off the Beaten Track: On two occasions during the program, participants embark on challenging hikes through some of the most breathtaking terrain that China has to offer. The group experiences the dramatic setting of the Great Wall of China, traveling over a remote and untouched portion of the wall, and then spends the night in a local family’s courtyard home. Participants also take an overnight hike into the Tibetan Plateau in western Yunnan Province. Staying in villages inhabited by ethnic minorities, students have an opportunity to experience rural mountain life in the context of public health.