Global Health Narratives: A Reader for Youth

A young boy suffering from epilepsy in Nepal seeks treatment from traditional healers and western medicine. A young girl in a Tijuana slum observes the role pollution plays in the health of her community. A teenager in Atlanta is the only member of his family not infected with HIV and is learning to deal with the stigma of the disease.

This collection of unique narratives told from the perspectives of young people from around the world serves as a valuable educational tool, providing youth with a context for understanding global health, not just in a physiological sense, but from psychological and sociological perspectives as well. Representing six geographical regions and twenty-three countries, these stories address chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and epilepsy; infectious diseases like HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and typhoid; and mental and behavioral health issues such as depression, eating disorders, and smoking cessation.

These stories, along with ones that illustrate the environmental, political, and socio-cultural health factors that affect young people and their communities every day, are sure to spark debate and stimulate discussions in classrooms, community centers, and at dinner tables around the world. To assist in leading the conversations, Mendenhall has established a website: www.ghn4c.org/, to which she invites all teachers and parents.

Ages 12 and up.