LETTER FROM THE EDITORS...

By Basim Khan

The theme of this issue of Global Pulse is Poverty and Health - a topic so broad and complicated that it makes us wonder how we can make an appreciable impact in alleviating its global burden. Before reflecting on how we as healthcare professionals are uniquely poised to make such an impact, allow me to paint a global picture: Almost 2.5 billion people live in poverty and one billion of them live in severe poverty. Every day is a struggle for survival, literally. Not only are they chronically hungry, but they lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, medical care, education, and even shelter in some cases. They are locked out of development, victims of a self-perpetuating cycle of death and destitute.

We, as healthcare professionals, are uniquely poised to take on this challenge.

The cornerstone of effective public health, policy, advocacy, non-profit, investigative, clinical or any other poverty alleviation effort is a real understanding of the human consequences of poverty at an individual level. The importance of perspective cannot be overstated. Indeed, healthcare workers are the ones who witness poverty in its rawest form as it manifests through disease and death. We see the drug abuser that suffers from AIDS, the alcoholic who stumbles into the ER, and the homeless man confronting schizophrenia. Such perspective is valuable and it compels and empowers us to make a difference.

On another note, consider the unprecedented economic prosperity currently enjoyed by much of the developed world. The technological innovations of the last century have enhanced our lives by advancing communication, transportation, commerce, agriculture, and yes, medicine. It has also empowered us, as individuals, to make a difference like never before. We can communicate through the internet, raise awareness through mass media, and treat disease through new drugs with unprecedented efficacy. Given our current resources, each one of us can affect change for the poor through a variety of avenues from clinical practice to public health work.

Our aim is to make Global Pulse a resource in your endeavors to affect such change. We hope that the perspectives shared in the following pages are insightful and inspire you to work with the poor in your community and even abroad. We have also included information on how you can become more involved with the issues that our contributors address. Our "Act Now" boxes will become an increasingly visible and important feature with each issue. Finally, we encourage you to get in touch with the editors and authors to exchange perspectives and ideas related to your public service pursuits.

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