Dr. Nazmi explains the principle that health is a human right and should never be compromised. Health is not a privilege that can only be afforded by a few. The power of making this change is in the hands of people. Aydin Nazmi is an epidemiologist and professor at California Polytechnic State University where he currently serves as Presidential Faculty Fellow to COVID-19 Response and Preparedness. His research focuses on food systems, public health equity, and policy as cornerstones for social justice. He is a leading voice in the California Higher Education Basic Needs Alliance, an intersegmental collaboration focused on improving basic needs and food equity for the 3.2 million California college students. Dr. Nazmi graduated from UC Davis and served in the US Peace Corps as a public health specialist in the islands of Micronesia before studying urban community health in Caracas, Venezuela. His master’s research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine earned him a prestigious Wellcome Trust international doctoral fellowship to study life course epidemiology at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx