Use of a photography exhibit to raise awareness of the public health impact of the war in Iraq

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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

4157.0: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 1:20 PM

Abstract #156579

Use of a photography exhibit to raise awareness of the public health impact of the war in Iraq

Nancy E. Dockter, MPH, CHES¹, M. Kate Stewart, MD, MPH¹, John F. Coffin, AB, MAT², Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, AB³, Kael Alford, BA, MA⁴, Thorne Anderson, MA⁵, Rita R. Leistner, MA⁶, and Zoran Bursac, PhD⁷. (1) Office of Community-Based Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, 4301 West Markham Street, Slot 820, Little Rock, AR 72205, (501) 526-6625, stewartmaryk@uams.edu, (2) Development and Alumni Affairs, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St., Mail Slot 716, Little Rock, AR 72205, (3) freelance, 304 Baghdad Street, Baghdad, Iraq, (4) Represented by Panos Pictures, 1325 McLendon Ave., Apt. 1, Atlanta, GA 30307, (5) Freelance Photographer, Columbusstraat 10-3, Amsterdam, Netherlands, (6) Represented by Redux Pictures, 116 East 16th St., New York, NY 10029, (7) College of Medicine and Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Slot 781, Little Rock, AR 72205

This presentation describes how a college of public health used photography and evidence-based information to co-create with the photographers, an exhibit to educate the public on the impacts of the Iraq war on public health. APHA's policy statements opposing the war helped garner support for the innovative project shown in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health (UAMS COPH) and Philander Smith College, a private, historically black institution. The primary local sponsor for the shows was the Arkansas Coalition for Peace and Justice, an advocacy organization which partnered with the two academic institutions to broaden exposure to the traveling 61-photo exhibit, “Unembedded: Four Independent Photojournalists on the War in Iraq.” The photographs include thought-provoking images of Iraqis and present a perspective that has had limited representation in the mainstream U.S. media. Accompanying text panels, researched and written at the UAMS COPH, include data on civilian casualties; the war's impact on the natural environment, physical infrastructure, health care system, and health status of Iraqis; and long-term effects on U.S. troops and their families as well as the US economy. Findings from an exit survey of exhibit viewers will be reported to describe the extent text panels were read; how much the information expanded understanding of the war's impact on public health; whether they would recommend it to a friend; whether they are a health/public health student or professional; and an open-ended request for reactions to the exhibit.

Learning Objectives:

Describe how APHA policy statements can be used to gain support for programs or raise awareness about public health issues.
List three public health effects of the war in Iraq.
Discuss the value of combining statistical information with photography in an educational intervention.

Keywords: Iraq, War

Related Web page: www.unembedded.net

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

War and Public Health: Part 2

The 135th APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of APHA