The Edinburgh Alumni Event Gatherings in Nairobi, Kenya have taken shape, thanks to Kate Stewart.

Event full of Multi-Disciplinary elites

Last year in April, I attended the alumni gathering event at Poolside, International Livestock and Research Institute (ILRI), Kabete, Kenya. The event was organized by Kate Stewart, the Global Alumni Officer.

I was happy to learn that apart from alumni, there were also friends and collaborators that had been invited and were being hosted by Professor Geoff Simm, Assistant Principal and Director of the Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of Edinburgh reception.

Chloe Kippen, Director of College Advancement, and Professor Alan Duncan, Visiting Professor of Livestock & Development at the Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems and Principal Livestock Scientist at ILRI, also joined us.

New friends, New connections

This was a great chance for me to catch up with friends, and to meet University representatives and also make new connections over informal drinks and canapés.

Benard and Amanda during the alumni gathering at ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya in April 2023.

I also had the opportunity to hear about developments at the University and key partnerships in the region, including the Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action, (which had the aim of bringing together leading research and humanitarian agencies in a bid to help stop climate shocks resulting in hunger in vulnerable livestock farming communities).

Family Medicine versus Food Security and Climate Change

I would think that this would be a gathering like any other, while travelling to the venue, but the lessons I learnt that evening made me think about the role of Family Medicine Physicians in environmental sustainability and tackling climate change. From what I gathered, it is time for physicians to champion the race towards advocacy and campaign for the best environmental health practices and climate change.

The role of Family Physicians in tackling Food Security and Climate Change

According to Bhagratie & Lyengar (2021), food security is a growing concern over the years and climate changes impact food production and delivery systems. In fact, continued impact on the environment has created even more imbalance and this can subsequently exacerbate food inequities further.

From the health perspective however, it is encouraging to realize that Family Medicine Physicians are aware of the role that proper nutrition plays in the health of patients. This awareness would perhaps be affirmed by an emphasis that poor access to nutritious foods poses deleterious effects on the health and wellbeing of a population. Since Family Physicians are at the forefront of this interface, they are required to join the campaign on advocacy for food production, changes in food delivery systems, as well as advocacy for better resources to combat the undeniable pangs of climate change.

Benard Chinua.

References

Bhagratie, J., & Lyengar, B. (2021). Food Insecurity, Climate Change and role of Physicians. Journal of Applied Research on Children 12(1) [online]. Available at: https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol12/iss1/9/ (Accessed 01/03/2024).