Global Health Week Program

A key signature event as part of McGill’s Bicentennial celebrations is Global Health Week, a hybrid event running from May 16th to 20th, 2022.

Built around the overarching theme ‘Providing Solutions to Global Challenges’, Global Health Week will include activities and events that showcase McGill University as a Canadian centre of excellence for ground-breaking global health research, advocacy and training and the home of the next generation of leaders in the field.

 

Registration CLOSED for Global Health Week. Join in online, using the links below!

 

Monday, May 16th

Global Health Week Kickoff – COVID-19 Vaccines: Science vs Antiscience

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Venue: Faculty Club Ballroom

Format: In person and online (hybrid), open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/FR5FAV5qAFw

Event Description:

  • Globally we are seeing a mixed picture vaccinating the U.S. and the world against COVID-19, with some progress containing the delta variant in the US, but failing to control widespread transmission in Africa and Latin America. Will explore progress to date with the US vaccination program, what we can expect towards the end of 2021 into 2022, and how we advance vaccinations globally.  Will discuss new options for accelerating a low-cost “people’s vaccine” for COVID-19.  Also the impact of a rising and shifting antivaccine movement, which is also globalizing. Will discuss how we both address vaccine equity and a rising an aggressive globalizing anti-science empire.
Dr. Peter Hotez

Speakers:

Dr. Peter J. Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine

  • Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD, is Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he is also the Co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development. Dr. Hotez is an internationally recognized physician-scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development. In 2022, Dr. Hotez and his colleague Maria Elena Bottazzi, PhD, were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their work to develop and distribute a low-cost COVID-19 vaccine to people of the world without patent limitation.

Moderated by Madhukar Pai, Associate Director, McGill International TB Centre, McGill University

  • Dr. Pai is a Canada Research Chair in Translational Epidemiology & Global Health in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University and the Associate Director of the McGill International TB Centre. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. His research program is focused on using translational epidemiology and implementation science to enhance tuberculosis care and control, so that products, knowledge and policies can translate into saved lives. He has coordinated multiple courses and workshops on epidemiology, modeling, systematic reviews and meta-analysis around the world.

 

Realizing human rights for persons with disabilities: A global perspective

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Venue: Online

Format: Online only, open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/xSLBfcfAXjU

Event Description:

  • The rights of persons with disabilities have been an object of concern for decades. Important advancements have been made towards the establishment and implementation of disability rights at international and national levels. Yet, numerous obstacles continue to exist for persons with disabilities globally. This event will involve an engaged conversation about the advancements that have been made, the obstacles that continue to be faced, and pathways towards realizing disability rights. Presented by the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy (SPOT) Global Health Rehabilitation Initiative (GHRI).

Speakers:

  • Martha Moreira, PhD, Analista de Gestão em Saúde da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Fernandes Figueira, Departamento de Ensino
  • Keiko Shikako, PhD, Associated Professor & Canada Research Chair in Childhood Disabilities: Participation and Knowledge Translation, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University
  • Sebastien Jodoin, PhD, Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair in Human Rights, Health, and the Environment, Faculty of Law, McGill University
  • Moderator: Raphael Lencucha, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University

 

Tuesday, May 17th

Careers in Global and Public Health

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Venue: McGill Faculty Club Ballroom (3450 McTavish St.)

Format: In person only, McGill Students only

Event Description:

  • Wondering what you can do with a career in global health or public health? This event will be an opportunity for students to meet professionals from a wide range of careers and backgrounds tied to global and public health, make connections, and learn something new. Also, breakfast will be served! Presented by McGill Global Health Programs.

 

McGill Journal of Global Health – 2022 Publication Launch

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Venue: McGill Faculty Club Ballroom (3450 McTavish St.)

Format: In-person only, open to the public

Event Description:

  • Join the McGill Journal of Global Health and its editorial board at the launch of their 2022 publication! This is an opportunity to discover more about the academic activities of the journal, the editorial team and hear from authors and the McGill community featured the 2022 publication. This event is a jointly presented by the McGill Journal of Global Health and McGill Global Health Programs.

 

Communicating Global Health Research and Countering Misinformation

Time: 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Venue: McGill Faculty Club Ballroom (3450 McTavish St.) and online

Format: In person and online (hybrid), open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/EcSsI2iPCBE

Event Description:

  • This event will be a panel of diverse and influential writers in global health from the US, India and South Africa speaking on challenges and opportunities in communicating global health research and advocacy to the public. The session will focus on: a) how the writers got inspired and what motivates them; b) the challenges they have faced as science communicators; and c) advice on how to write (or use other mediums) effectively in science communication. This event is jointly organized by McGill Global Health Programs, the McGill Global Health Perspectives blog and the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.

Speakers:

  • Amy Maxmen, Senior Reporter, Nature: Amy is an award-winning science writer who covers the entanglements of evolution, medicine, science policy and of the people behind research. Her stories appear in Wired, National Geographic and The New York Times, among other outlets. She’s currently based in California as a senior reporter at Nature. Amy completed her doctoral degree in evolutionary biology at Harvard University.
  • Banjot Kaur, Senior Journalist (Health and Science), The Wire – India: Banjot is a senior health journalist based in India. She has over 12 years of science and health journalism experience. She has worked with The Times of India, the largest English daily newspaper of India and Down To Earth–a health, science and environment publication. Banjot is currently a senior journalist at The Wire, India covering science and health.
  • Laura López González, Independent Journalist: Laura is an award-winning journalist who covers the intersection of science, policy and people from Johannesburg, South Africa. She has headed up the editorial operations of South Africa’s health news outlets. Her work often focuses on inequality and access to medicines and has appeared in outlets such as Al Jazeera, Devex, the Guardian and others. Laura is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and has a masters from the University of Chicago.
  • Moderator: Shashika Bandara, PhD Candidate, Dept of Family Medicine, McGill University: Shashika is a doctoral student focusing on health policy and governance at McGill University. He was formerly a policy associate at the Center for Policy Impact in Global Health at the Duke Global Health Institute. Currently, he is the Editor-in-Chief of the McGill Global Health Perspectives.

 

Decolonizing Global Health: Student Perspectives

Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Venue: McGill Faculty Club Ballroom (3450 McTavish St.)

Format: Hybrid event – Registration to in-person component open to McGill Students only, and online attendance open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/EcSsI2iPCBE

Event Description:

  • Students engaged in global health education and research at McGill University come from many disciplinary backgrounds. Many are familiar with the concept “decolonization of global health” and its importance for the field; However, students are often at a loss to articulate what it entails. This is a speed-networking-style event by students, for students who are interested in global health research and practice, to exchange their ideas and learnings on what constitutes decolonization of global health. In a moderated exercise, students will get the chance to speak to their peers and answer prompts on what decolonizing global health actually looks like. This event is jointly presented by the Canadian Association for Global Health (CAGH) McGill student chapter and McGill Global Health Programs.

 

Global Child Health Speaker Sessions: State of Children’s Health Globally

Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Venue: Online

Format: Online only, open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/oJ1h1LdDPuQ

Event Description:

  • First of two speaker sessions organized by the Global Child Health Program during Global Health Week, highlighting important issues related to the health and well-being of children living in resource-limited settings.

Speaker:

  • Dr. Lona Mwenda, pediatrician: Dr. Mwenda is a pediatrician with fellowship training in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. She completed her medical degree at the University of Zambia, her pediatric residency at the University of Cape Town and her fellowship at McGill University. Dr. Mwenda previously worked as a pediatrician in Namibia and has collaborated with UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and non-governmental organizations on projects related to newborn care and pediatric malnutrition, resuscitation and HIV. She is currently working as a pediatrician in Newfoundland and is a board member of the Global Alliance of Zambian Healthcare Professionals Inc.

 

Wednesday, May 18th

Lasting Legacy of the McGill-Ethiopia Community Health Project

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Venue: McGill Faculty Club Ballroom (3450 McTavish St.)

Format: In-person and online (hybrid), open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/nMPglYzTl-Q

Event Description:

  • This panel discussion will reflect upon the legacy and impact of the McGill-Ethiopia Community Health Project, which was carried out in several phasis in the 1980s-1990s. The event will feature an expert panel of global health researchers who were closely involved in the project. The event will begin with the debut screening of a 5-minute mini-documentary encapsulating the Ethiopia Community Health Project. This event is presented by McGill Health Programs.

Speakers:

  • Dr. Abdulaziz Addus Adish, Regional Director and Nutrition Adviser (Africa), Nutrition International
  • Dr. Richard Cruess, Dean Emeritus, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
  • Dr. Joyce Pickering, Professor, General Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
  • Dr. David Zakus, Professor, University of Toronto
  • Moderator: Dr. Charles Larson, Interim Director, Global Health Programs, McGill University

 

Unlocking the Potential Towards Healthy Food Systems

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Venue: McGill Centennial Center Ballroom, MacDonald Campus (21111 Lakeshore Road)

Format: In-person and online (hybrid), open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/AHdSyOSM1GE

Event Description:

  • McGill’s Margaret A Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) in affiliation with McGill’s Global Health Community is organizing a mini-symposium as part of Global Health Week. The theme is “Unlocking the Potential Towards Healthy Food Systems” to stimulate collaboration for the synthesis of affordable and effective strategies towards the improvement of food system’s sustainable practices, based on tracking the social, economic, and environmental drivers for global health and well-being. This event will encourage alliances among different affiliates to create collaborative solutions for top issues spanning humanitarian crisis, colonization, climate change, health inequalities, socio-economic disparities, poor governance and unaffordability of nutritious food supply.

Speakers:

  • Maureen Rose, Senior Faculty Lecturer, School of Human Nutrition, McGill University
  • Colleen Thorpe, Executive Director, Equiterre
  • Richard Veenstra, Executive Director, Mission Inclusion
  • Donald Smith, Distinguished James McGill Professor, Department of Plant Science, McGill University
  • Moderator: Dr. Patrick Cortbaoui, Managing Director, Margaret A Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security

 

Neglected zoonotic diseases: A call for integrated interventions

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Venue: Online

Format: Online only, open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/1GQ7sYT0Dr4

Event Description:

  • Neglected zoonotic diseases are a subset of the neglected tropical diseases. Addressing this group of diseases requires collaborative, cross-sectoral efforts of human and animal health systems and a multidisciplinary approach that considers the complexities of the ecosystems where humans and animals coexist. Improving quality of patient care and infection control will require moving these zoonotic diseases into mainstream clinical medicine and public health with a One Health approach. This event is presented by the J.D. MacLean Centre for Tropical Diseases.

 

Celebratory Launch of the Global Oncology Program

Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Venue: McGill Faculty Club Ballroom (3450 McTavish St.) and online

Format: In person and online (hybrid), open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/eCjSglwTf2o

Event Description:

  • Please join us in the launch of the Global Oncology Program. Our members represent a broad range of cancer-related specialties and will showcase their collaborative initiatives in research, teaching, service, and knowledge dissemination

 

Victor Dzau and Ruth Cooper-Dzau Distinguished Lecture in Global and Population Health

Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Venue: McGill Faculty Club Ballroom (3450 McTavish St.) and online

Format: In person and online (hybrid), open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/yUMDVBLbaUc

Event Description:

  • Join us in welcoming Agnes Binagwaho, Vice Chancellor of The University of Global Health Equity, as the speaker for the 2022 Victor Dzau and Ruth Cooper-Dzau Distinguished Lecture in Global and Population Health. In 2018, the School of Population and Global Health launched the Victor Dzau and Ruth Cooper-Dzau Distinguished Lecture in Global and Population Health. The School is extremely grateful to both Dr. Dzau and Mrs. Cooper-Dzau for endowing this important and impactful lectureship. We gather on a yearly basis to celebrate the change-makers in global and population health and aim to recognize outstanding leaders, while celebrating the scholarship that underscores the field’s commitment to education, research, and service to our local and global communities.

Speakers:

Prof. Agnes Binagwaho

  • Agnes Binagwaho

    Prof. Agnes Binagwaho is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity, an initiative of Partners In Health focused on changing the way health care is delivered around the world by training the next generation of global health professionals to deliver more equitable, quality health services for all. She is a Rwandan pediatrician who has served the health sector in various high-level government positions, first as the Executive Secretary of Rwanda’s National AIDS Control Commission, then as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, and then for five years as Minister of Health. She is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard and serves as Senior Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization and is a member of the United States National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. With over 150 peer-reviewed publications, her research interests include health equity and human rights, implementation science, and improving care delivery systems.

Thursday, May 19th

Global Perspectives on Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons Learned from COVID-19

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Venue: Online

Format: Online only, open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/zzvxy_BClOE

Event Description:

  • With the cautious optimism that the COVID-19 pandemic, after more than two years of rampaging every corner of our society, may soon come to end and become an endemic, we begin to look back and digest what have learned, to better prepare us for future pandemics at the global scale. This symposium will highlight the unpredictable trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 evolution, comparison of various strategies from different countries to contain COVID-19, and the concept that a pandemic will never end until all people who are affected have equal access to treatments, vaccines and other crucial mitigation tools, a painful experience we have learned from other pandemics including HIV/AIDS and TB. This event is presented by the McGill Centre for Viral Diseases.

Speakers:

  • Was the elimination approach to COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 in Australia and NZ the right approach? Yes.
  • Tony Blakely, Professor of Epidemiology at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
  • Covid-19: a pandemic of inequities
    • Madhukar Pai, Professor of Epidemiology & Global Health at McGill University, Associate Director of the McGill International TB Centre
  • The molecular epidemiology of the origin and future of COVID-19
    • Joel Wertheim, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at the University of California San Diego
  • Panel Discussion:
    • Panelists: Drs Catherine Hankins, Marc-André Langlois, Madhukar Pai, Joel Wertheim, Marina Klein

 

Building global partnerships in supporting surgical capacity in LMICs

Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Venue: McGill Faculty Club Ballroom (3450 McTavish St.) and online

Format: In person and online (hybrid)

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/8aO3FPEu2tE

Event Description:

  • This session will focus on the importance of strong partnerships in further enhancing surgical capacity, including emergency and trauma care in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We will have discussions with our partnerships including students, discussing how these partnerships, and local leadership have contributed to improved regional surgical capacity. Presented by the McGill Centre for Global Surgery.

Speakers:

  • Senegal: building surgical workforce in Senegal
    • Ibrahim Konate, General and Colorectal Surgeon, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Université Gaston Berger, Saint-Louis, Sénégal
  • Tanzania: Understanding trauma epidemiology in Tanzania
    • Victoria Munthali, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  • Palestine: Trauma training in Palestine
    • Dina Nasser, Public Health Nurse, Health Advisor, AHA training Center Coordinator at Juzoor for Health and Social Development, Ramallah, Palestine
  • Mongolia: Student involvement in global surgery
    • Anudari Zorigbaatar, Medical student ‘22, McGill University
  • Ukraine: simulation, and developing trauma systems in Ukraine
    • Vitaliy Krylyuk, Emergency physician, Director of Disaster Training Centre, Kyiv Hospital for Emergency Medicine (KHEM), Kiev, Ukraine
  • Nepal: Improving emergency care in rural Nepal
    • Samjhana Basnet, Emergency Physician, Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University, Nepal
    • and/or Sanu Krishna Shrestha, Emergency Physician, Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University, Nepal
  • Moderators: Dan Deckelbaum and Tarek Razek

 

SPGH Forum – Nurturing Leadership for Health: Are Universities Stepping Up?

Time: 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Hotel Omni Mont-Royal, Salle de Coubertin, (1050 Sherbrooke St. W) and online

Format: In person and online (hybrid)

If you are planning to attend the event virtually, please join here. Webinar ID: 848 9265 8107

Event Description:

  • Public health crises are becoming increasingly complex. The COVID-19 pandemic is indicative of a broader set of acute and chronic threats to health, health equity and well-being in the 21st century. In the face of these challenges, a high premium is being placed on leadership for health that spans the local to global and stretches across sectors and public-private divides. Through a focus on hot topic issues and animated by thought leaders, this forum will consider how fit-for-purpose leadership for health can be nurtured more effectively though health professional training.
  • Light refreshments will be served following the event.
Julio Frenk

Keynote speakers:

The Co-Chairs of the Lancet Commission on Health Professionals for a New Century:

  • Julio Frenk, President of the University of Miami
  • Lincoln Chen, President Emeritus of the China Medical Board

Panelists:

  • Agnes Binagwaho, Vice Chancellor, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda
  • Colleen Flood, Director, Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Ottawa
  • Richard Massé, Conseiller médical stratégique, Cabinet du directeur national de santé publique et sous-ministre, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
  • Andrew Nevin, Partner and Chief Economist, PwC Nigeria
  • Francis Omaswa, Director, African Center for Global Health and Social Transformation Uganda
  • Ariel Pablos-Mendez, Professor of Medicine, Columbia University and former Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID

    Lincoln Chen
  • André Picard, Journalist and Columnist for the Globe and Mail
  • Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)
  • Samir Shaheen-Hussain, Pediatric Emergency Physician and Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, McGill University
  • Gail Tomblin Murphy, Vice-President, Research, Innovation & Discovery and Chief Nurse Executive, Nova Scotia Health
  • Fatoumata Traore, President, Foundation for Health and Environment, Mali
  • Hiba Zafran, Assistant Professor, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, McGill University

Moderators:

  • Victor Dzau, President of the National Academy of Medicine, USA
  • Tim Evans, Director, School of Population and Global Health, McGill University

 

 

Global Child Health Speaker Session: Caring and advocating for refugee claimant children in Quebec

Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Venue: Online

Format: Online only, open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/KRJxBjRJwuQ

Event Description:

  • Second of two speaker sessions organized by the Global Child Health Program during Global Health Week, highlighting important issues related to the health and well-being of children living in resource-limited settings.

Speakers:

Dr. Gillian Morantz, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, McGill University

  • Dr. Morantz has been an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at McGill University since 2012. She completed her residency training in Pediatrics and a Fellowship in Social Pediatrics at McGill University in 2010. She undertook a Masters of Public Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and an Academic General Pediatric Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto in 2010-2012. She is the co-Director of McGill University’s Social Pediatrics and Global Child Health Programs. She currently works at the Montreal Children’s Hospital including the multicultural clinic, the Centre Atlas (Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Côte des Neiges), the CLSC Côte des Neiges, and the Batshaw clinic for children in foster care. Her clinical and research work primarily involves children who are new to Canada, as well as children with developmental and social vulnerabilities.

 

Friday, May 20th

TB Centre Seminar: Taking disease severity into account: stratified medicine in tuberculosis

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Venue: Online

Format: Online only, open to the public

Although registration for this event is now closed, you can watch the live online broadcast of the event via the following link: https://youtu.be/LTiFtJ8Cwzw

Event Description:

  • TB is not a uniform clinical entity. One-size-fits-all approaches in current tuberculosis (TB) regimen development efforts place otherwise efficacious drugs and regimens at risk of being abandoned due to the inability to cure the more severe phenotypes of pulmonary TB. Consequently, this impedes the identification of new TB regimens that would otherwise be maximally curative if used with greater precision. Using individual-level data pooled from Phase 3 clinical trial (N > 7000) out team has developed algorithmic tools to estimate the risk for unfavorable TB treatment outcomes. Our tools can now be used to optimize treatment duration and drug dose of rifamycin-containing regimens for each patient phenotype. Furthermore, we have developed clinical trial simulation tools and innovative clinical trial designs that can optimize success of novel regimens in the late-stage development. Presented by the McGill International TB Centre.

Speaker:

Dr. Rada Savic, Professor of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, UCSF

  • Dr. Savic’s research uses computational methods to study the dynamic interplay between disease progression, treatment regimen, and drug and biomarker response across relevant scales (molecule, cell, tissue, organ & whole body) to determine causal links underlying variability in (safety and efficacy) clinical outcomes. By integrating multi-scale, and multi-level clinical data, Dr. Savic aims to determine the right dose, schedule, and treatment duration of various therapies, potentially bringing novel, precise and personalized treatment options to patients with unmet need more quickly.