UB to celebrate National Public Health Week

A step challenge and free community training on the opioid-overdose medication naloxone highlight the offerings planned as part of the School of Public Health and Health Professions’ annual celebration of National Public Health Week.

The celebration features a week’s worth of events, talks and yoga classes — all free and open to community members — in addition to the month-long Step Challenge. The celebration is centered on recognizing the contributions of public health while highlighting issues that are important to improving the nation’s health.

“National Public Health Week is one time each year when we join others across the country to recognize the many ways the field of public health and our national public health system directly impacts our lives,” says Jean Wactawski-Wende, dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions.

“As public health professionals, we promote the power of prevention and work toward achieving health equity in our communities,” Wactawski-Wende adds.

UB’s 2018 Step Challenge runs from April 1-30. It continues to get bigger each year, as more members of the university community and the public sign on to join the month-long challenge either in teams or individually. This year’s challenge, which is being partially sponsored by Whole Foods, aims to reach 300 million steps collectively.

This will be the third year for the Step Challenge at UB. Last year’s event saw more than 1,700 people combine for more than 300 million steps. Participants are eligible to win various weekly prizes, including iPads and yoga mats.

UB is hosting the naloxone training session on April 4 in collaboration with the Erie County Department of Health. Naloxone — more commonly known by its brand name Narcan — is administered to people who have overdosed on opioids, such as prescription drugs like oxycodone, Vicodin and hydrocodone, which are prescribed to treat pain, as well as non-prescription drugs like heroin.

“Opioid overdose has become a leading cause of death in the U.S., and has led to a public health crisis locally and nationally,” says Kim Krytus, director of MPH initiatives in the School of Public Health and Health Professions. “Administering naloxone in the event of an overdose can help to prevent death, and is a critical response to this crisis.”

The training will show participants how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose, as well as how to properly administer naloxone. Attendees who successfully complete the training will be given a kit containing two doses of naloxone.

In addition, two yoga classes will be offered:

• Vinyasa yoga led by 2011 School of Social Work alumna Elise Pogorzelski from 5:30-6:30 p.m. April 3 in 403 Hayes Hall.
• Hatha yoga led by Mary Dedrick, director of clinical education in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. April 4 in 125 Kimball Tower.

Register online for one or both yoga classes.

Other National Public Health Week events at UB include:

• A brown bag seminar titled “Social and Behavioral Factors to Help Us Become a Healthier (and Happier) Nation,” presented by Gary Giovino, chair of the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior. The talk will take place from noon to 1 p.m. April 2 in 144 Farber Hall, South Campus.
• A talk titled “The Health Effects of Cannabis” presented by Lorraine Collins, associate dean for research and professor of community health and health behavior. The talk takes place from noon-1 p.m. April 5 in 180 Farber Hall.
• A screening of “Bending the Arc,” an acclaimed documentary on the global health movement, as part of Global Health Day. The film follows the doctors and activists that founded Partners in Health, on the ground in Haiti, Peru and Rwanda, in their fight for universal health equity and the right to health for all. The screening will be held from 3-5 p.m. April 6 in the Screening Room in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.

More information on National Public Health Week at UB is available on the SPHHP website.