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SCOPH: Standing Committee on Public Health

Activities

Currently, SCOPH is represented in 1 medical faculty in Lebanon, the American University of Beirut (Full member).

The local committee in A.U.B. works to promote public health and awareness about health issues among the Lebanese population through the activities, projects, and campaigns that the members undertake.

Fundraising Activities:
The primary purpose of fundraising is to help fund our activities and projects throughout the year. Ideas for fundraising activities include:

• Annual Fundraising Movie Projection at Issam Fares Hall - American University of Beirut

• Coordination with other LeMSIC fundraisers

Annual Pediatrics Party
As a tradition carried by SCOPH every year, the committee organizes an entertaining party at the American University of Beirut - Medical Center in the pediatric ward and the Saint Jude Research Center for Children Cancer at around Christmas time, where the children are entertained with music, singing, and dancing, as well as gifts distributed by the members.

The aim of this event is to help alleviate the pain of these patients, make their stay in the hospital easier and more comfortable, and simply draw a smile on the faces of sick children!

Stop-Smoking Campaign:
Anti Tobacco is one of the biggest working groups within IFMSA-SCOPH. LeMSIC is taking part in that movement, and is playing an important role in the fight against tobacco.

SCOPH launched 5 years ago an Anti-Smoking campaign targeting university students and school pupils. The campaign comprised lectures and seminars, booths, and distribution of promotional items. The last activity in this series took place in May, the international anti-smoking month, on the campus of the American University of Beirut, in AUB-Outdoors. A stand was prepared with posters and important information about the health hazards of smoking. T-shirts, pins, and informative fliers and brochures were also distributed.

31st of May - the World No Tobacco Day.

LeMSIC as a whole, and SCOPH in particular are striving to educate university students about the hazards of smoking to oneself and to others, and to stress the role of medical students and doctors as role models for the rest of the population.

Public Awareness Campaigns
SCOPH is launching serial public awareness campaigns targeting public health issues through presentations in the community, at schools, and at universities. There are two phases in this process and all members are encouraged to participate in both aspects:

• Committees will be organized to prepare presentations on public health issues (ex. stress, hygiene, smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, immunizations, etc.) These presentations aim to be as creative as possible with extensive multimedia as well as possible skits or other effective means of presentation.

• The second phase is actual presentations at different schools by groups of around 6-8 students per school contacted.

Diabetes Awareness Campaign:
Knowing that public awareness and primary and secondary prevention are the primary concern of public health, SCOPH organized a diabetes awareness campaign ('Life isn't a box of chocolate') during the month of November which is the international month of diabetes. The subcommittee organizing this campaign distributed gray ribbons during the day of the event and a lecture was given by Dr. Sami Azar (Endocrinologist) in the West Hall - American University of Beirut, about prevention of the disease and its complications. Blood Dextrose levels of over 500 AUB students were taken by the committee members all over the campus during that day.

Teddy Bear Hospital
SCOPH will be launching the "Teddy Bear Hospital" project in collaboration with the World Health Organization, with the aim to help children overcome their fears concerning health care workers and hospital environment, in a playful and non-threatening way. The project, which has been operated in more than 12 countries including Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan and Malta, involves medical students, pharmacy, nursing, and psychology students.

"The topical center lays in the meeting between child and future doctor. Aim of every medical work should not only be the treatment, but also the building of a solid foundation of confidence between the doctor and his little patient. We want to show the children, that illness and the fight against it is part of everyday-life and does not necessarily have to be experienced as threatening or frightening."

The "Teddy Bear Hospital" (TBH) is a Public Health project for 3-7 year old children, who act as the parents of their sick teddy bear or doll. Trained medical students act as teddy doctors and do the examinations and treatments for the dolls.

Organ and Tissue Donation Campaign
Have you ever given any thought to how many people are on waiting lists for an organ transplant, or how many transplants were actually done in a year or sadly enough how many of those waiting, died waiting? Read More.

World Health Day