Public Health Brigade Overview
What is a Public Health Brigade?
Public Health Brigade volunteers empower under resourced communities in the developing world to decrease life threatening diseases by improving home infrastructure and providing public health education. Working side-by-side with community members, volunteers improve the overall infrastructure within the home through the construction of five projects: eco-stoves, latrines, water storage units, showers, and concrete floors. The five projects were chosen based on observations of medical brigade patient records, which illustrated high levels of respiratory, chagas and other preventable diseases caused by poor in-home health infrastructure, as well as student input and observations. Between brigades the in-country team provides follow-up to ensure the maintenance of the structures and work to find funding that will complement the health goals of the community to perpetuate future construction.
Volunteers do not need prior experience in building to participate in Public Health Brigades. Before the brigade, volunteers will be provided with video tutorials and manuals on the building techniques for the four projects and once on the ground, trained brigade coordinators will train students on how to build each type of project. Throughout the brigade, volunteers work alongside the trained coordinators who will guide during the building process.
Brigade Length & Location
Global Brigades offers 7 day Public Health Brigades throughout the year in Honduras. Student volunteers can get involved with an upcoming Public Health Brigade by joining a local student chapter on their college campus or creating a new chapter and recruiting a group of students.
At ASU, Public Health Week takes place in the second week of the Global Medical Brigades Trip.
Public Health Brigade volunteers empower under resourced communities in the developing world to decrease life threatening diseases by improving home infrastructure and providing public health education. Working side-by-side with community members, volunteers improve the overall infrastructure within the home through the construction of five projects: eco-stoves, latrines, water storage units, showers, and concrete floors. The five projects were chosen based on observations of medical brigade patient records, which illustrated high levels of respiratory, chagas and other preventable diseases caused by poor in-home health infrastructure, as well as student input and observations. Between brigades the in-country team provides follow-up to ensure the maintenance of the structures and work to find funding that will complement the health goals of the community to perpetuate future construction.
Volunteers do not need prior experience in building to participate in Public Health Brigades. Before the brigade, volunteers will be provided with video tutorials and manuals on the building techniques for the four projects and once on the ground, trained brigade coordinators will train students on how to build each type of project. Throughout the brigade, volunteers work alongside the trained coordinators who will guide during the building process.
Brigade Length & Location
Global Brigades offers 7 day Public Health Brigades throughout the year in Honduras. Student volunteers can get involved with an upcoming Public Health Brigade by joining a local student chapter on their college campus or creating a new chapter and recruiting a group of students.
At ASU, Public Health Week takes place in the second week of the Global Medical Brigades Trip.