Ready to be a part of a lasting change to bring sufficient medical treatment and health care resources to communities around the world? There are many ways to jump in and get your hands dirty as a public health volunteer abroad.

Step one is to decide if you want to volunteer abroad in public health through a program focused on eradicating a specific illness (such as AIDS, ebola, or malaria) or if you want to focus on advocating for local hospitals and doctors within a community or area that lacks proper resources to ensure public health. Though public health volunteering abroad can include everything from building a stable healthcare system to educating children on basic hygiene practices to assisting with the development of better technology for healthcare professionals.

Some of the most popular public health volunteer opportunities abroad revolve around HIV/AIDS education and prevention, which aim to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in various at-risk populations. Educating locals on hygiene best practices, supporting poverty-stricken communities, and eliminating the stigma associated with those who are infected with the disease are all chief aims of these programs.

Every year, millions of children under the age of five die from illnesses and diseases that could have been treated with proper health care services and medical resources. Choosing a public health volunteer placement focused on educating and helping needy or disadvantaged children guarantees smiles and laughs (though it can also sometimes be heartbreaking) and the satisfaction of brightening a child’s day.

It is also possible to work as a public health volunteer in health clinics or hospitals, where you can share your skills with local medical professionals or serve patients’ needs. Building a stable healthcare system is of utmost importance in developing nations and volunteers can help educate locals on new technologies, practices, and treatments that they may otherwise not have access too.

You don’t necessarily need medical experience to become a public health volunteer abroad; more importantly, all public health volunteers should have a desire to serve communities through education and outreach programs. Public health volunteer opportunities range in language from a few weeks to a few years. However, considering the likelihood of volunteers working with vulnerable populations, volunteers must show a real commitment to their volunteer work; therefore, it is recommended that public health volunteering occur for longer periods of time in order for volunteers to make a true impact.