What inspired your interest in Planetary Health?

My interest in Planetary Health began when I witnessed how climate disasters devastate maternal health access in the Philippines. While working with World Vision Korea, a pregnant mother told me, "I have to walk for over an hour through muddy paths and cross a river in sweltering heat and thick humidity just to visit the health station." Typhoons had destroyed the local health facility, and poverty made transportation impossible. Watching mothers risk their lives in extreme heat just for basic prenatal care showed me how environmental changes and health inequities are completely intertwined. We partnered with community health workers and local transportation providers to establish mobile health visits and free transport services. Seeing prenatal care attendance increase taught me that addressing Planetary Health challenges requires community-based solutions that build local resilience and empower vulnerable populations.

Tell us about your Planetary Health work at JHU

During my MHS in Environmental Health Engineering at Hopkins, I worked on a community-based water and sanitation intervention in Tasso Island, Sierra Leone, through my Applied Environmental Health course. This project fundamentally shaped how I understand environmental health interventions. Initially, I thought we'd focus on technical solutions like installing water tanks or rainwater systems. But the real work was ensuring residents led decision-making processes rather than simply receiving external solutions. We had to deeply understand their culture and daily realities to create interventions that actually fit their lives. This experience taught me that Planetary Health solutions only succeed when communities shape and own them. I learned that effective interventions require genuine partnership where communities drive the process. That principle now guides my research approach.

What excites you about the future of Planetary Health?

As I pursue my PhD in nursing, what excites me most is how we can transform Planetary Health through true interdisciplinary partnerships. Climate scientists provide critical data on rising temperatures and extreme weather patterns. Healthcare providers contribute understanding of cultural beliefs, daily realities, and social barriers that shape whether vulnerable communities adopt protective behaviors. For example, we see why an elderly person might avoid using air conditioning despite heat warnings, or how traditional cooling practices intersect with medical recommendations. When climate researchers and healthcare practitioners collaborate from the start, we create solutions that are both scientifically rigorous and genuinely accessible to communities. My hope for the future is bringing climate scientists, nurses, community health workers, and local residents to the same table to co-create interventions. This kind of partnership can develop solutions that truly protect those most at risk while respecting their lived experiences and cultural contexts.

More about Jiwon Jang: 

Read some of Jiwon's work:

• Baltimore falls short in accommodating disabilities - The Baltimore Sun (English)

• [미국] 극한 폭염 대응을 위한 기후 회복력 강화 전략" (A Strategy to Enhance Climate Resilience in Response to Extreme Heat) - Global Policy Insights (Korean)