Welcome to the Global Health Strategic Group newsletter,
Your bi-monthly peek at what is happening behind the scenes in the field of global health, with trending news, upcoming events, funding opportunities and more! Read on to find out what researchers across all disciplines of global health research have been up to in recent months. We look forward to staying connected with you!
One of the RRSPQ's objectives is to promote the exchange and utilisation of knowledge among and by the various actors in the population health network. To this end, we would like to invite all members of the RRSPQ to share their publications or activities (conferences, webinars, etc). These will be advertised on the RRSPQ website and the network’s social media accounts, insofar as they are relevant to population health research and ideally relating to the specific themes of the strategic groupings.
Global Health News
Ebola vaccination begins in North
Kivu A cluster of cases of Ebola have emerged in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent weeks, with 44 reported and 17 confirmed cases. This marks the country's second outbreak of Ebola this year, following an outbreak in the country's Equateur province earlier this year. In response to this, the Ministry of Public Health has announced the launch of an Ebola vaccination program targeting high risk populations in the region of North Kivu. “Vaccines are an important tool in the fight against Ebola. This is why it has been a priority to move them rapidly into place to begin protecting our health workers and the affected population,” said Dr Oly Ilunga, Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The WHO has provided the country with assistance in establishing the supply chain for the vaccines and supporting the deployment of the program.
Health officials have warned that many parts of Canada are at an increasing risk of Lyme disease due to the growth of blacklegged tick populations throughout the country. As compared to the year 2016, where 992 cases were reported, 2017 saw over 1,400 cases of Lyme disease - a record high number expected to keep growing. The expansion of the tick population in provinces including Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Manitoba has been attributed to changes brought on by global warming which have caused for the bugs to migrate North from the United States. Residents of these provinces have been urged to take the necessary precautions to avoid bites from infected ticks.
A new joint report by the OECD, World Health Organization and World Bank indicates that poor quality health services - including inaccurate diagnosis, medication errors, inappropriate or unnecessary treatment, inadequate or unsafe clinical facilities or practices, and providers lacking adequate training and expertise - largely impede on global progress towards achieving better health. Although this effect was noted in countries of all income levels, the situation is aggravated in low- and middle-income countries. “Without quality health services, universal health coverage will remain an empty promise,” said OECD Secretary-General Ángel Gurría. “The economic and social benefits are clear and we need to see a much stronger focus on investing in and improving quality to create trust in health services and give everyone access to high-quality, people-centred health services.”
Malfunctions in water networks due to poor maintenance have deprived over 3 million individuals of a steady water supply in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. In the midst of an economic crisis, the country has dealt with hyperinflation, malnutrition and emigration in recent years. Residents of Caracas have now reported a slew of health problems resulting from this lack of a clean water supply, including skin and stomach issues. In addition, operations at the Central Venezuelan University hospital, one of the biggest public hospitals in Caracas, are being postponed or canceled due to hygiene concerns. Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez has announced a plan to fix these issues and re-establish the water supply, but has not provided further details.
This yearly Expo presents opportunities to volunteer, study, work or live overseas in more than 100 countries! Participants will be able to connect with a wide range of organizations involved in all kinds of international endeavours and gain knowledge from inspiring speakers (including the founder of MSF Canada, Richard Heinzl) as well as panels and workshops. Many of the organizations present and central topics addressed will focus on global health. Best of all, registration is free!
Academics Without Borders will be hosting the upcoming international conference, Reaching Across Borders, Building a Better World, in Montreal. This conference will delve into the role of Canadian post-secondary institutions and academia in social innovation, cross-country collaboration, global development, and the economic and social well-being of all the world's citizens. The opening keynote address will by given by Louise Fréchette, former Deputy General of the UN and Chair of the CARE International Supervisory Board & Council.
This one-day conference marks the 7th edition of the Action Global Health Network conference at the University of Ottawa. Current and future leaders of all academic levels, stakeholders, and passionate individuals from a diversity of backgrounds are invited to attend in order to stimulate discussion, inspire action, facilitate networking and challenge perceptions about local and international global health and development issues. This conference will feature several keynote speakers and workshops as well as opportunities to network, a research symposium and a film screening of 'Bending the Arc'.
EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 14, 2018
In collaboration with the Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH) and Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research (CCGHR), the student and young professional (SYP) group will host the Global Health Student and Young Professional Summit (GHSYPs Summit) as a pre-conference to the 24th Canadian Conference on Global Health. This conference will seek to provide a transformative learning space for students and young professionals involved in the field of global health to explore and evaluate change at the individual, organizational, and systemic levels.
The Canadian Conference on Global Health brings together practitioners, researchers, educators, students, policy makers and community mobilizers from more than 30 countries to share their knowledge and experience in global health. This year, the conference will focus on the theme of Fragile Environments and Global Health with the particular aim of examining the drivers of change in fragile environments. Subthemes will include the advancement of women and children’s health and rights, the politics of global health, SDGs and intersectoral collaboration for health, facilitating the humanitarian-development-health nexus, the social and economic inclusion of populations at risk, and Indigenous populations.
EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 20, 2018
The CIC 2018 conference will bring together experts from across Canada and around the world to share and learn about immunization research, programs and practice, and policy innovations. This will be an important venue for discussing the recurrence and emergence of infectious diseases that are posing challenges for public health at all levels, especially in light of recent occurrences of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.
EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 28, 2018
The ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence has announced the 14th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting. This conference will convene Arctic researchers, Inuit, First Nations, Métis and Northern Community representatives, government and non-government organizations, students, and industry stakeholders in order to discuss the rapid changes and related consequences currently being experienced by Canada's North as a result of climate change, industrialization and modernization.
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: September 7, 2018 EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION DEADLINE: November 7, 2018
This year, the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research is being held in Liverpool! This event aims to convene the global community to share and apply knowledge in order to strengthen health systems worldwide. Organized by Health Systems Global (HSG) and a consortium of UK organizations led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the theme for 2018 is “Advancing Health Systems for All in the SDG Era”.
The World Health Summit is among the world’s most prominent forums for addressing global health issues, bringing together key leaders from academia, politics, civil society, and the private sector. Among this year’s central topics are The Sustainable Development Goals: Health in All Policies and The Digital Healthcare Revolution.
When: October 24-27, 2018 Where: the Hague, Netherlands
This four-day scientific programme will unite researchers, global advocates, civil society, scientists, healthcare professionals and students involved in all aspects of lung health, drawing together 4000 delegates from 100 countries. The conference will focus on accelerating towards the scale-up of scientific, social and political innovations and promoting a political accountability and a human rights approach within the global response to lung health.
Although women comprise as much as 75% of the health workforce in many countries, they hold only 8 of 24 World Health Organization executive board positions. This two-day conference hosted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine aims to highlight emerging and established women leaders in the field of global health to combat the lack of diversity and representation of women in global health leadership positions. Women from universities, nonprofits, governments, industry and other sectors from across the world are invited to participate in this movement to achieve greater gender equity in global health. Spaces are limited, so apply now!
The Global Health Strategic Group of the RRSPQ is pleased to announce the launch of this year's competition to support researchers in encouraging new collaborations among researchers from different domains interfacing with global health. The goal of this competition is to catalyze new avenues of interdisciplinary research in global health. Consult the event announcement above for all the requirements and access to the application form!
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded to highly deserving postdoctoral applicants by three of Canada’s federal granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The program’s emphasis is on the synergy between applicants and host institutions and dictates that applicants must complete their application in full collaboration with a proposed host institution.
The John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award aims to provide recognition to the world`s top scientists in global health research. Gairdner invites the scientific community to nominate qualified scientists with science-focused accomplishments in any branch of global health. The nominee’s contributions will then be assessed based on the information supplied by the nominating parties.
Under the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS, this funding opportunity will focus solely on coordinated HIV research, seeking to ensure that focused teams (that may work in areas of higher risk) as well as large more expansive teams (that will bring together experts from different disciplines working collaboratively on a number of inter-related research projects under a unified program of research) have the opportunity to extend their innovative research and training efforts. To ensure that large teams are well positioned not only to generate important new knowledge but to also apply it in a timely fashion, their programs must include a strong core of basic scientists and clinical investigators. These teams must discuss training plans in order to build further capacity for HIV research and stimulate innovative approaches. They must also consider the relevance of their work to people living with HIV and the ethical implications of this work and, therefore, must include relevant stakeholders in the oversight of the program of research.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 6, 2018
Québec's most recent publications in global health
Université de Montréal
Religion and spirituality as predictors of patient-reported outcomes in adults with congenital heart disease around the globe.
Moons P, Luyckx K, Dezutter J, Kovacs AH, Thomet C, Budts W, Enomoto J, Sluman MA, Yang HL, Jackson JL, Khairy P, Subramanyan R, Alday L, Eriksen K, Dellborg M, Berghammer M, Johansson B, Mackie AS, Menahem S, Caruana M, Veldtman G, Soufi A, Fernandes SM, White K, Callus E, Kutty S, Apers S; APPROACH-IS Consortium; International Society for Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ISACHD).
Welcome to the Students' Corner! This space is dedicated to the research, publications, experiences and work of students of Québec Universities, and can also serve as a platform to publicize events and activities organized by students in the realm of global health. We welcome submissions from any students who would like to contribute and see their material posted in our upcoming issues! If you are interested, get in touch with us via the RS-Santé mondiale email linked at the top and bottom of the newsletter.
The Global Health Strategic Group of the RRSPQ is pleased to announce a competition designed to support Québec graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows in the dissemination of their global health research results. The goal of this competition is to provide students with funding to allow them to return to their study sites in order to disseminate the results of their research at these locations. Consult the event announcement above for all the requirements and to access the application form!
The CIHR Doctoral Research Awards consist of two programs designed to provide recognition and support to students pursuing a doctoral degree in a health-related field in Canada or abroad: the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships Doctoral Awards (CGS-D) and the Doctoral Foreign Study Award (DFSA). All applicants are expected to have an exceptionally high potential for future research achievement and productivity. In addition, CIHR funds have been specifically designated for the priority area of Research in First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit Health (see the Fall 2018 Priority Announcement).
The Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (CGS-MSFSS) program supports high-caliber Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences abroad. By accessing international scientific research and training, CGS-MSFSS recipients will contribute to strengthening the potential for collaboration between Canadian institutions and other research institutions outside of Canada. This foreign study supplements program is available to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who hold a Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Alexander Graham Bell, or Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) at the master's or doctoral level, or a Vanier CGS at the doctoral level.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 10, 2018 (2nd intake)
What have you been up to? Send us news of recent projects or accomplishments to be featured in this newsletter!
