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Abstract #166075

Jeremiah D. Simmons, BA, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85724, (520) 626-9672, sioux52@email.arizona.edu and Selena Ortiz, BA, Center for Health Equality, Project EXPORT, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman School of Public Health, 1295 N. Martin Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85724.

Through a unique collaboration between the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the Mexican American Studies Department at The University of Arizona, Project EXPORT fellows organized a Social Justice in Health Symposium to address politics, social justice and human rights in the Southwest. Bringing together multidisciplinary groups of students, faculty and staff throughout the university, the symposium allowed for the exchange of critical analysis about how policies, social injustice and human rights impacts health outcomes and increased awareness and understanding about the importance of partnering public health efforts within other disciplines (e.g. education, business, media, housing, economics, etc.).

Recognizing that policies and the social determinants of health are not mutually exclusive, the symposium emphasized the need for public health to develop a multidisciplinary framework where communities benefit from public health efforts and policies that foster human rights such as access to safe and affordable housing, quality education, and an ability to economically provide for oneself and their families. When these issues are addressed through justice-based and cross-sectoral approaches, then a truly fair and equitable state of health can be realized.

With over 130 attendees, the symposium included three morning sessions: Promoting Social Justice through the Lens of Media; Fairness, Equality and the Educational System; and Social Justice in the Built and Natural Environment. The afternoon session included three main sections: Diverse Perspectives in the Southwest Community; Community Empowerment, Geographic Location, Occupation and Environment as Social Determinants and Creating Change through Student Involvement and Service Learning.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Identify five examples how cross-sectoral partnerships can effectively address health disparities in the Southwest.
• 2. Construct three systematic approaches that students, faculty and the community can implement to address how social inequality harms and improves the public’s health.
• 3. Describe five techniques to think like an activist and integrate advocacy into your academic, professional and personal life.
• 4. List five indicators that link a person’s health to politics, social justice and human rights.

Keywords: Social Justice, Policy/Policy Development

Related Web page: www.publichealth.arizona.edu/News/NewsReleases/SocialJusticeSymposium.aspx

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.