Citizen Science and the Future of Global Health

Science is reserved for people in white lab coats with expensive degrees and sophisticated equipment, right? Wrong. Citizen scientists are ordinary people who participate in science through data collection, scientific study participation or even just support of scientific projects or endeavors. Citizen scientists play a critical role in the healthcare and research worlds and should be empowered to contribute however they can.

The U.S. is in the middle of a big push to get more children interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This is particularly important for solving the STEM career gender gap.

By letting children be part of everyday data collection or talking about scientific and global health issues, we can foster the creation of a new generation of dedicated traditional and citizen scientists who understand that global health challenges are our collective challenges and we can all take part in solving them.

Global health threats are our common enemy. While citizen scientists have been around for centuries, in this new era of research and technology amid ever-increasing health crises, we should all feel empowered to participate in shaping the future of global health.

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