MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The state of public health in Shelby County is a major area of concern for some at the University of Memphis.
That’s why one dean is addressing the issue firsthand, starting with the county’s youngest demographic.
Dr. Ashish Joshi is always on the move. He is the dean of the University of Memphis School of Public Health, and he is on a mission.
“God asked me to be here. So, I came here,” Joshi said.
Dr. Joshi has been in Memphis for three years, and he quickly realized the school of public health could fulfill a need he saw in the community. He says the focus needs to start with the youth.
“The first thing that came to my mind was ok, we need to educate the young population here on public health,” Joshi said.
That’s why the school introduced public health clubs in high schools across Shelby County.
Dr. Joshi says when people think of public health, they often only associate it with diseases and illnesses, but Dr. Joshi says he wants to break down the definition even further to establish and address the root causes of said illnesses.
“Hopelessness. That is a public health thing. If someone is not feeling hopeful, that means they’re not going to eat properly. They’re not going to sleep properly,” Joshi said. “So, if they’re not going to eat properly and they’re not going to sleep properly, they’re going to become more sick.”
Students and staff go to different high schools, teaching kids about the various areas of public health through workshops and other activities.
In the process, Dr. Joshi says they are also fostering the next generation of public health leaders and community advocates.
“We frame our public health activities to ensure that as they go along, they’re able to solve and address those problems through these solutions,” Joshi said.
Dr. Joshi says he wants the school of public health to be an engine of social and economic change, not just in the city of Memphis but across the world.
“I think it’s a kind of more understanding where the gaps are, where the root causes are, and then focusing on those root causes and making them a priority in the school of public health,” he said.
Dr. Joshi says he wants to expand the health clubs to schools across the region.
To learn more about the University of Memphis School of Public Health and its new initiative, visit here.
