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So let's talk about levering the power of public health...

How important are civic engagement and politics in elevating the power and practice of public health?

It\u2019s still sad how it took us a pandemic for people to recognize that we really should be thinking about the importance of public health. That COVID-19 pandemic\u2014that is what happens when we don\u2019t have a great structure, especially on a national level.

We should be taking action hand-in-hand, for as today\u2019s guest said, public health is ingrained in all that we do in life. Unfortunately, here we are, forgetting its importance as soon as things got \u201cwell\u201d with us.

But we don\u2019t want that to go on, that\u2019s why I invited Leela Ramachandran. She is a Research Associate for the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts and an Elected School Committee Member at Acton Boxborough Regional School District. Through experiences in research and projects, she realized her passion for dismantling systems of oppression, centering historically marginalized populations, and decolonizing the field of public health.

Join us as we learn how we can take part in this initiative and hopefully create a better version of both the world and ourselves.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Recognize how important the role of civic engagement and politics are in relation to public health;
• Understand the power of your network/s in helping activate people\u2019s eagerness to take action for a better world; and
• Gain insights from Leela\u2019s experiences and tips on how you can take part in putting the power of public health & advocacy into mainstream

\u201cIt\u2019s important to find the ways that you can contribute. There are plenty of ways to do things; you just have to want to do it and find the thing that works for you.\u201d\u2013 Leela Ramachandran

Notable Quotes:

\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d be the physician that I am today without my public health degree.\u201d \u2013 Dr. Berry Pierre

\u201cAll this is public health, and that\u2019s why I love public health so much. It\u2019s so ingrained in every profession; everything that we do in our lives is somehow related to public health\u2026 I just think public health is one of the most important things that you could do. And it\u2019s not just like a job; for me, it\u2019s perspective.\u201d \u2013 Leela Ramachandran

\u201cWe\u2019re important when we matter when it\u2019s a national crisis\u2014international, actually\u2014and then all of a sudden, it\u2019s kind of forgotten about even though the public health duties do not end.\u201d \u2013 Leela Ramachandran

\u201cIn this beautiful, capitalist country that we live in, money talks and money does things, and money allows you and affords you the opportunity to implement really good public health programs; lack thereof can be detrimental. And so, oftentimes, public health depends on policy, funding, our work.\u201d \u2013 Leela Ramachandran

\u201cI am not the world\u2019s best expert at international policies and politics, but other people are\u2026 I think it\u2019s just doing what you can in circles of influence. I can\u2019t get the whole town to care, but if I can get five of my friends to care like each one teaches one, then they can go get their friends to come on. It\u2019s really about who\u2019s in your network, who can you pull into this, and who they\u2019re affecting.\u201d \u2013 Leela Ramachandran

\u201cIn a world that really overwhelms you, you have to pick something and just go for it. And if not\u2019s working, that\u2019s fine; it doesn\u2019t have to be perfect on the first run.\u201d \u2013 Leela Ramachandran

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Links/Resources

• Leela's Email: leelapublichealth@gmail.com
• Leela's TikTok