What types of public health projects can interns get involved in? Can they create their own?
This varies by length of stay, intern interest, and local initiatives currently underway. Interns have created their own projects, ranging from nutrition education to water source quality surveys. Other interns have joined forces with local groups, coordinating training sessions for community health volunteers and monitoring volunteers as they conduct household surveys and check-ins regarding health issues identified by the community as being of most concern. In one Spanish-speaking community of recent immigrants to the island from the mainland, health issues of most concern involve the health of children under 5 years old (i.e. diarrhea and dehydration, nutrition, vaccinations, infections). In another primarily islander community, health issues of most concern are hypertension and diabetes.
