International Project　【Philippines】
World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office
Saki Narita　[D2]
(Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Global Health Policy)

Overview of my internship:
　 I completed my internship in Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion Unit of WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) in Manila, the Philippines. The Western Pacific Region is one of the six regions of the WHO, and is home to more than a quarter of the world’s population from 37 Member States and areas including Japan. I have been interested in how WHO approaches prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) from country to global level. As WPRO is in a unique position to work closely with each Member State towards the achievement of WHO’s global health mission, it was my first choice for internship.
　 During the 3-month assignment, I worked on a desk review of cancer policies in the Western Pacific Region, development and editing of NCD training course and education manuals, preparations and drafting reports for workshops in four different countries, as well as other ongoing activities in the Unit. I also had several occasions to present about the NCD prevention and control activities to groups of Japanese medical and nursing students who were visiting WPRO. At the end of my internship, I had the honor of visiting Vietnam as a part of the Joint Mission of the UN Interagency Task Force on NCDs. I was able to closely observe how UN agencies such as WHO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, and FAO, work in collaboration with the government of Vietnam as well as other international organizations like World Bank and NCD Alliance to address the emerging burden of NCDs in a feasible and sustainable manner. By gaining a glimpse of WHO’s work, I re-acknowledged the significance of communication and negotiation skills, which does not necessarily mean an ability to speak a common language but rather a capacity to speak in a ‘language’ that your audience understands and captures their attention. It wouldn’t have been possible to experience the work of WHO, which I used to only read, and learn the competencies that are required for nternational civil servant, among many other things, if I didn’t have this opportunity.
　 I feel deeply blessed for the opportunity to be involved in various activities in and outside the Unit, and to be a part of the wonderful team who not only kindly and patiently taught me their work but also made my stay in the Philippines unforgettable. Last but certainly not least, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to GSDM for giving me this opportunity, and especially to professors of the international project committee and staff of administration office for their kind support throughout my international project.
　
Message for fellow students:
　 If you are planning on doing an internship as your international project, I would like to recommend you to review your research schedule carefully before you leave, as you are likely to be working full-time once you start your assignment. It might be also helpful to check your supervisor’s schedule in host institution since they may be away on business or holiday during your internship. If you are thinking of getting into an internship at WPRO, security might be something you are concerned of. Living in Manila certainly required me to be more alert and vigilant about things I had never thought in Japan, but at the same time, it has made me become conscious of what I take for granted. I wish your international project will be a wonderful experience of a lifetime.