ASIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS'
ASSOCIATION HONG KONG
(AMSAHK)
Model WHO 2023
The Asian Medical Students Association Hong Kong (AMSAHK) and the Hong Kong Society of Community Medicine (HKSCM) launched the Model WHO Workshops to immerse participants in an authentic WHO conference experience, while empowering them with skills relevant to those interested in global health. The workshops involved capacity-building sessions on global health governance and writing briefing papers. Activities in the simulated WHO meeting included country and stakeholder presentations, working group meetings, closed-door discussions, and elevator pitches in corridors.
We also want to say a big thank you to Dr. Sam Li, Dr. Darwin Mak, and Dr. Edmund Fong for taking the time out of their busy schedule to help facilitate this event!
Recap
On day 1, AMSAHK alumni Dr. Sam Li gave our participants a crash course in global health governance, giving us an insight into international law, the functions of the WHO, and how public health policy works on an international level. Afterwards, Dr. Darwin Mak taught us how to write concise and informative briefing papers, a skill that is essential to succeeding as a public health specialist.
For day 2, Dr. KH Kung shared with the participants his experience of joining WHO events. It was very inspiring to see how public health doctors not only contribute to the health of their local community but also to the global health worldwide.
On our third and final day, we had our model WHO conference. Delegates got the chance to represent notable international NGOs as well as countries from the Western Pacific region of the WHO. Throughout the day, the enthusiasm of the participants was apparent through their well-researched presentations, passionate speeches, and deep questions. This event taught us medical students a lot about the workings of the WHO and deepened our insight into how public health policy can be used to address the mental health crisis. Special thanks to Dr. Sam Li, Dr. Darwin Mak, and Dr. Edmund Fong for freeing up their busy schedule to help facilitate this event!