Interning at Centre for Migration, Health, and Development
Written by Noor Mchallah
I have always been interested in the journeys that migrants take and the circumstances that cause them to take such journeys, and I would say much of that is attributed to my own life experiences. My life changed drastically when I moved from Beirut, Lebanon to Florida, US when I was merely 8 years old with my mother. The cultural shock affected me greatly, and I began questioning much of my own identity at such a young age. Things that were so familiar to me were suddenly removed from my life, resulting in a difficult adjustment period. As I grew older, I wanted to learn more about the magnitude of migration globally as it was something very close to me. Once I was a student at Boston University, I chose to major in International Relations to learn as much as possible about humanitarian crises, populations affected, and conflicts within and between countries.
As I continued my undergraduate career, I stumbled upon public health and became increasingly intrigued in the discipline. I decided to minor in public health and eventually applied to study abroad in Geneva, Switzerland in an immersive program focused on the principles and the controversies of international health. There were several papers and projects that I worked on that were incredibly insightful including an analysis of Sweden’s health system, the impact of climate change on Malaria, the plight of malnourished children in Yemen, and the intersection of human rights and health. Through each of these assignments, I looked at how migrants and refugees are impacted to understand the complex challenges they endure which encourage them to migrate in the first place - along with the conditions they face once in the host country.
With Dr. Manuel Carballo, an epidemiologist and Executive Director of the ICMHD.
With WHO he worked in a number of countries and in 1980 led WHO's first international collaborative study on breast feeding and the impact of breast-milk substitutes on infant and maternal health.
This past semester, I interned at the International Centre for Migration, Heath, and Development where I worked on a research report on immunization rates among migrant and refugee children. Ultimately, the report highlighted key issues including barriers to immunization, the current diseases addressed by immunization and its impact on various communicable diseases, health challenges that children face beyond infectious diseases, immunization programmes in North America and Europe, and the history of immunization dating back to the smallpox vaccine. By conducting a great deal of research, I was exposed to a wide range of information regarding the benefits and aid - or lack thereof - provided to child migrants and refugees in host countries. I also examined migration trends globally, diving into projections for future migration movements and the grave impact of climate change. My supervisor, Dr. Manuel Carballo, was a highly accomplished professional in the field who has had a great deal of experience in the realm of migration and health. He told me about many of his experiences and accomplishments, which only strengthened my interest in the field. A year ago, I interned at the International Institute of New England where I worked directly with refugees and immigrants. I taught ESOL classes and tutored individuals one-on-one to help them improve their English, and many of the students discussed their migration journeys with me. Similarly, I have volunteered with the Citizenship Hub at BU where I work directly with Syrian refugees and help them prepare for the US Citizenship Exam. Each of these experiences has been beneficial in demonstrating the different ways you can help individuals who have moved to a new country, on both a personal and impersonal level.
In the long-run, I hope to manage programs for refugee and migrant children across the world, aiming to improve their health and overall quality of life.
