The Oxford Global Health Group is an enthusiastic, student-run society that aims to promote interest in international health issues, and raise money for various medical charities.

The society was created in 2004, starting with a World AIDS Day event which included speeches from the co-discoverers of HIV and the International President of Medecins Sans Frontieres. Since then, OGHG has organised annual conferences for World AIDS, TB and Malaria Day.

In addition, OGHG regularly invites speakers to talk to our members on a wide range of global health topics. These small group masterclasses take the form of a short talk followed by a lively and informal discussion.

•  Tropical medicine
•  Disaster and relief medicine
•  Practising medicine and surgery in the developing world
•  Social and economical problems contributing to global healthcare inequalities

This year will also see masterclasses in which members will be taught practical tropical skills.

In the past, OGHG has raised funds for:

•  Oxford Homeless Medical Fund, which provides medical services to homeless people in Oxford who do not have access to a regular GP
• Tanzanear, a charity founded by Mr Freeland, Consultant Paediatric ENT Surgeon at the JR Hospital in Oxford, which sponsors schools for deaf children in Moshi, Tanzania

Currently, we are supporting SAFER (Social Aid For the Elimination of Rape), a Canadian NGO which aims to provide medical supplies, equipment and expertise to address the immediate medical needs of sexual violence survivors in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Past fundraising events have included the highly successful "Food for thought" dinner: an evening of food and entertainment that highlights global inequalities in wealth by serving an indulgent three course meal to 20% of the guests while the rest eat vegetable curry!

OGHG is part of the national association Medsin (Medical Students International Network) and as such works in conjunction with other UK-based universities to educate and act upon health inequalities in local and international communities. Oxford hosted the 2008 Medsin Conference last March; this was a resounding success, with hundreds of students gathering from all over the UK to enjoy two days’ worth of lectures, debates and workshops! Speakers included Prof. Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and Edward Scott Jr, Founder of the Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, TB and Malaria.

2008 also saw the first ever OGHG Careers’ Fair. This brought together speakers with experience of working in the Third World, and gave students and young doctors the opportunity to meet them and ask for advice. Again, this was a great success and we are already planning another careers’ fair for March 2009.

We are also currently in the process of establishing a Resource Library which will be at the disposal of all OGHG members. It will be a growing collection of books, journals, DVDs and leaflets which members can borrow free of charge. As with all other OGHG projects, members’ requests and suggestions will guide us and we will always try to address them.

Finally, we would like to thank you for taking the time to visit the OGHG website. We are always on the look-out for new, enthusiastic people who share our interest in Global Health, and so if you would like to be involved, however much, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

The 2008/2009 OGHG Committee