Media Release
Udupi, May 29: Nineteen students from the USA interested in studying the challenges of the Indian public health issues and its solutions are on a month-long visit to the department of Public Health at the Manipal University.
They have made several field visits including trips to the primary community health centers and hospitals in Udupi district to study the
various governmental programs for the health and well-being of women, children and patients suffering from communicable diseases such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis.
The students also conducted a study of the occupational health hazards faced by fisherwomen and the cashew factory workers in the area. These field visits were directed by Dr Ramachandra Kamath, head of the department of Public Health.
This is the second such trip to Manipal by the American students led by Dr H N Nagaraja, chair of Biostatistics, Ohio State University (OSU). This formal exchange began with a Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2013 by Dr Michael Bisesi, senior associate dean, OSU College of Public Health and Dr H Vinod Bhat, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Manipal University.
The two institutions held a joint workshop on occupational and environmental health in December 2013. Collaborative research activities between the Public Health faculty from MU and OSU are investigating the Indian Environmental and Occupational Health issues.