Resistance and Resilience as a Public Health Approach

By Lucia Lari-Zuniga, University of Washington

Hello! My name is Lucia Lari-Zuniga, I am a junior at the University of Washington majoring in Health Studies and minoring in Health Promotion and Communication. My focus is on health advocacy and efficient promotion of it. I am passionate about ensuring that we all get to experience the same quality of life. In my free time I enjoy volunteering with local community clinics, listening to music and spending time outside with my family and friends. 

Growing up in Peru, I was consistently around real-life examples of health and social disparities; it was difficult to accept that not everybody had the same reality as mine, especially other kids my age. I remember walking past a woman asking for help to purchase her child’s needed medicine outside of a pharmacy; it is examples like this one that have shaped me into someone who wants to fight for health equality and against transforming healthcare into a profitable business system. 

After graduation, I plan on volunteering with a global health organization and further develop my understanding of the world and the people that reside there through a health and medicine lens. Professionally, I hope to apply the skills I have been and will be acquiring in projects that aim to bridge the health inequity gap in a public and global scale. 

This summer, I am joining a cohort of University of Washington students on a study abroad opportunity in Ireland where we will be learning about how the country’s history, politics and policies, arts and culture have influenced current approaches of health promotion, advocacy and social justice. This will be happening through workshops led by local professionals, field visits and personal, critical reflection. Ireland is a country that has lived through years of oppression, cultural erasure and injustice; the aftermath of it has left Ireland with many social problems and public health crises. Currently, national programs are focusing on community-based and community-led approaches to the problems and crises, and the results are prosperous. 

An example of a public health and community-based/led initiative they have taken is called “Social Prescribing,” which is a program that pairs individuals with issues like chronic stress, depression, loneliness and other lifestyle-related concerns with community workers. This is a long-term partnership that works together to create a plan catered to the individual’s needs and wants with the hopes to improve their overall wellbeing, support long-term positive lifestyle changes and build social connections with the community holistically, as this program does not rely on traditional medical treatment. 

This type of initiative is not only innovative but also effective. So then a question arises: why haven’t other countries adopted this approach? 

During my study abroad, I will be trying to answer this question and focus on the U.S. What can I take away from this experience and how will I be able to apply what I have learned in my community back home in Washington? I will be answering these questions via an e-portfolio that will be built throughout my travel, based solely on the workshops, field experiences and critical thinking.

I am excited to take you all with me during this amazing and wholesome journey!

_{(Picture: me giving a presentation on a public health program led by Washington’s DOH, held at the UW campus’ Student Showcase)}