GRMR, community
Chanelle Rahbany
The True Meaning of GRMR

If someone were to ask me on the spot what Gators for Refugee Medical Relief (GRMR) is all about, I'd say we support refugee families through donations, tutoring, workshops, and by making a difference in Gainesville and beyond. But if you were to ask me what GRMR truly means to me, it would go much deeper—it's a community, a family. Joining GRMR as a freshman was more than just a step toward helping refugee families; it was becoming part of a team where every single person, especially the board of directors, is so genuinely passionate about making an impact. We’re not just volunteers—we're teammates and leaders, all driven by the same mission. 

Current Events, Refugee Issues
Emma Martin
Haitian Refugees and their Mistreatment in the ...

Haitian refugees have been forced to seek asylum from frequent natural disasters, political insecurity and government corruption since the 1960s. There is little financial and medical support for earthquake victims, furthermore, the nation fails to enforce proper safety standards on buildings. The US is home to “852,000 Haitian immigrants…more than triple [the amount from] 1990 and double the number in 2000,” (Carabota, Feb. 2024). Since the assassination of President Jovenal Moise in 2021, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has placed Haiti on a high-risk emergency watchlist (2024). Half the population has since required severe humanitarian aid, with 90% impoverished from sudden earthquakes (IRC, 2024). Despite international support efforts, namely UNICEF and the UN, many of these agencies fail to raise appropriate funds for disaster relief. Haiti’s government is influenced majorly by gang authority/affiliation, but not in the way that Latin American countries are subject to cartel influence.

Education, Refugee Issues, Healthcare
Krishna Kakani
Refugees and Disease: Forced Displacement and ...

Access to proper healthcare and medical treatment has become a hot topic in the past few years. Prices to visit a doctor have skyrocketed, certain medical procedures and become politicized, and the Covid-19 pandemic has many in fear about future outbreaks and what that could mean for the healthcare system. According to the UNHRC, the top three leading causes of morbidity among refugees are malaria, upper, and lower respiratory tract infections (Rabat). The importance of healthcare in forcefully displaced populations must become a higher priority as they not only impact communities of refugees but can also have lasting global impacts.

Refugee Issues, Education, Music
Katie Natour
Seeking Refuge in Music

For people all over the world, music is a commonality that brings comfort, unites communities, helps keep cultural identities alive, and promotes advocacy. In the midst of turmoil and uncertainty, music can serve as a constant source of hope and familiarity for displaced people.

Current Events, Refugee Issues
Chanelle Rahbany
Tragedy in Gaza: Advocacy and Aid for ...

Gators for Refugee Medical Relief (GRMR) aims to inform and educate its members, the University of Florida, and the greater community concerning refugees and advocacy for their struggles and hardships. With the looming conflict and war in the Gaza Strip, we aim to detail the number of Palestinian refugees in the area, the many difficulties they face, and ways for others to assist.

Healthcare

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Refugees and the COVID Vaccine

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Refugees and the COVID Vaccine

Today, over a year since COVID-19 patient zero turned our global reality upside down, many of us are eagerly squinting to see the light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel. Thanks to the spectacular efforts of scientists around the world, we are in the initial stages of a vaccination program. Finally, it feels like the beginning of the end.

But for many refugee populations, this beacon of hope is little more than a cruel reminder of their status as the world’s have-nots. In perhaps one of the most blatant examples of large-scale disregard for refugee health, Colombia announced that it will not provide vaccines to Venezuelan refugees in the country without formal status. This puts just shy of one million people in a perilous position. Experts agree that this policy is both an ethical and epidemiological disaster. Marianne Menjivar, Colombia director for the International Rescue Committee, summarized the issues well when she explained that “We can’t beat Covid anywhere until we beat it everywhere, among all populations, especially those most vulnerable.” Such a massive community of unvaccinated individuals, especially one that already faces exceptional hardship in maintaining total social distancing and getting access to healthcare and adequate sanitation, can only spell trouble for the greater Colombian population. Leaving refugees out of the vaccination rollout picture is simply not an acceptable option. In fact, some have…

Mental Health Issues Affecting Refugees

Mental Health Issues Affecting Refugees

Refugees face exceedingly difficult circumstances and experience trauma in their home countries before and during the process of migration, in refugee camps, and during resettlement. These psychological stressors greatly increase the risk of suffering from numerous mental health issues. The traumatic events experienced vary widely but can include social upheaval, sexual violence, witnessing or experiencing murder and genocide, loss of loved ones, fear over lack of safety, and food or resource insecurity, among other events. In addition to experiencing trauma, the risk of mental health issues is also increased by the delayed asylum application process, detention, and a loss of culture and support.

Up to half of the world’s refugees are in “protracted” situations, meaning unstable and insecure situations like dense urban areas or refugee camps, which contributes to both the incidence of psychological stressors for these refugees, as well as the lack of access to proper care. Recent studies have shown that the post-migration environment that refugees are in can exasperate mental health problems. Conditions of adversity, prolonged detention, insecure residency, the refugee determination process, restricted access to services, and lack of employment or educational opportunities can compound the effects of past traumas.

The most common mental health diagnoses in refugee populations are…

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Why Does Voting Matter in Considering Global Health? 

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Why Does Voting Matter in Considering Global Health? 

As the election date draws nearer, it’s important to understand the full scope of how important your vote is. Not only does it directly affect our country, but it also creates a domino effect on a global scale as well – this being global health. It’s no hidden fact that politics play an essential role in international aid reliefs. Political power has been used since the beginning of global health and has continued its reign over international aid relief efforts since the Lyndon B. Johnson presidency to the Trump administration…

3 Book Recommendations for Future Health Care Professionals

3 Book Recommendations for Future Health Care Professionals

Often when it comes to students who are in a STEM-related field, such as the health sciences, they find themselves clinging onto science and cringing at the humanities. This can turn out to be inefficient, ineffective, and ultimately inhibitive for future health care professionals. When working in a field that involves direct contact with patients, you need to remember that they are people first, and people often share universal themes that are explained or best represented through the humanities. Taking the time to be able to read literature, or watch a film or play and be able to analyze it or find parts that you can relate to can prove to be a key factor in helping you develop the skills necessary to understand and communicate with others.

Aside from exposing yourself to the humanities to gain better analytical and interpretive skills, by not pursuing a holistic and more well-rounded education, you’re also unintentionally missing out on a lot of good books. Books that educate you, challenge you, or inspire you.

Here are three of my top recommendations for students considering…