In order to motivate the general public to take an interest in public health, the Graduate School of Public Health sends our faculty to give lectures at study sessions held at schools and companies. The word “public health” can be a little difficult to understand, and some people may feel that it is something distant and unrelated to their lives, but our faculty explain in an easy-to-understand way how it is actually connected to all aspects of people's lives.
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On October 10th 2024, three faculty members gave lectures at the headquarters of MSD K.K. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) on the theme of Considering people's health and society from the perspective of public health.

First, Dr. Sachiko Ohde, professor of Epidemiology gave an overview of public health, touching on the common points between the purpose of MSD K.K. and public health. She then talked about how to discern reliable information based on the level of evidence, in the midst of the many health-related information sources available these days. Next Dr. Kazunari Onishi, Associate Professor of Environmental Health, talked about the concept of One Health, which states that human health is closely linked to animals and the natural environment, and that true health can only be achieved by maintaining a comprehensive state of good health in all areas. He also emphasized the importance of improving people's health literacy so that they are not misled by the health-related information they see in the media and on social networking sites. Dr. Junko Yasuoka, professor of Global Health explained that global health is research and activities aimed at correcting health disparities that transcend national borders, and that various international organizations are working together to solve issues across the globe, including developing countries, based on the basic principle of “no one left behind”. She also introduced global health education at St. Luke's.

Over 200 people attended lectures in part one, both in person and online. In part two, we gave an overview of the curriculum and other aspects of the Graduate School of Public Health and held an individual consultation session and for those interested in the school.

Comments from participants (Excerpts)

・Thanks to being able to attend lectures by experts in various fields, I have become very interested in public health.

・The lecture started with an explanation of the basic concepts of health and public health, which helped deepen our understanding. The lecturers also used examples that were familiar to us, such as COVID-19, which helped us to think about the topic in terms of things that are close to us.

・I was frustrated to see that even people close to me, such as my family and friends, were being influenced by health-related information in the media and on social networking sites. I was grateful to receive lectures from experts on why this happens.

Thank you to everyone who participated. We will continue to hold Off-Campus Lectures so that more people can learn about the importance of public health.
Please feel free to contact us at [sph@luke.ac.jp] if you are interested.