World Health Organization

Veeral Mehta, Director

Class Year: 2016

Concentration: Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Hometown: New York City

Favorite Place: London

Favorite Food: Nachos

Favorite MUN moment: Representing the United States on the Security Council during my senior year in high school.

Why did you choose these topics?  I have a keen interest in global health and am particularly interested in some of the moral and ethical questions raised by new biotechnologies.

Any advice for new delegates: Don’t be afraid to speak up in committee. Model UN is a great opportunity to refine your public speaking skills and also a wonderful platform for developing one’s own opinions on important world issues. However, also remember to listen carefully to your fellow delegates since the ultimate goal of MUN is to reach a consensus. Finally, make new friends and prepare for a fun weekend!

You should come to HMUN because…  no other high school conference compares!

A Letter From Your Director

Dear Delegates,

My name is Veeral Mehta, and I am truly honored to welcome you to the World Health Organization (WHO) at HMUN 204. Model UN was a tremendous part of my high school career and I hope to offer all of you an exciting and intellectually rewarding MUN experience.

I am a sophomore at Harvard College studying Organismic and Evolutionary Biology with a secondary in Economics. I am especially interested in the structures of healthcare systems in both the developing and developed world. Additionally, I’m also fascinated by biotechnology research particularly stem cell research. At Harvard, I spend the bulk of my extracurricular life as a member of the International Relations Council (IRC), the Harvard Undergraduate Global Health Forum, and the JFK Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics. In my free time, I enjoy both watching sports (especially basketball and tennis) and playing them.

I’m really looking forward to getting to know all of you, and I’m sure that you will bring diverse perspectives and ideas to our committee.

Best,

Veeral Mehta, Director

World Health Organization

Email Veeral at who@harvardmun.org

Topic Area Summaries

Topic Area A: The Illegal Organ Trade

Conservative estimates suggest that each year 15,000 kidneys are illegally trafficked. A global increase in the frequency of kidney disease and a dwindling supply of viable kidneys in Western nations coupled with the forces of globalization have led to a burgeoning illegal organ trade in developing nations. Without an international consensus on the issue it is reasonable to forecast that the black market will only continue to expand, as it is much easier for traffickers today than in the past. The topic of the illegal organ trade is of great importance and although the United Nations has broached the issue on more than one occasion the situation continues to worsen.

The illegal organ trade raises important economic, social, and cultural questions. Since the majority of the trafficking occurs in developing nations some argue that the trade exaggerates the polarization between the global north and global south. Furthermore, at the root of the issue is the question of how do we as a society deal with the moral question of selling one’s body. Do you we as humans have complete autonomy over our bodies and thus can the authority to sell parts of the? The answer to such moral questions will be culture specific although individual states have proposed legislation the global nature of the trade requires that the international community reach some consensus.

As delegates to the World Health Organization you will be faced with the responsibility to counter the illegal organ trade and also to grapple with the underlying question of morality in order to develop a framework for how the global community can address this pressing issue.

Topic Area B: Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa

Approximately 90 to 95% of malaria related deaths occur in Sub-Saharan African. Each year hundreds of thousands of children in the region die due to fatal mosquito bites. The scope of the problem is incomparable to any other in global health. The prevalence of Malaria on the continent is a consequence of a variety of factors and in order to resolve the problem multiple issues must be addressed as once.

This issue is of great importance and even despite previous UN efforts the situation is largely unchanged. This issue has marred the region and resolving the malaria crisis will also help to strengthen the economic futures of the states. The real challenge here is  how to equip nations to prevent malaria, diagnose it early, effectively distribute medications and other preventative, and also to build a more effective permanent health care system.