When: Thursday, January 26, 2023 | 8:00 am – 1:30 pm PST
Where: In-person at the Chan Centre for Family Health Education, BC Children's Hospital & Virtual
On behalf of the Centre for International and Child Health (CICH) at BC Children's Hospital and the BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre, we present to you the 5th Annual Global Health Conference.
The Global Health Conference is an annual event bringing together a community of students, trainees, clinicians, researchers, and faculty from across health professions and disciplines to share knowledge.
We hope that you will join us for a conversation on "Global Equity and Cancer Control" with conference co-Chairs Dr. Gina Ogilvie and Dr. Caron Strahlendorf. The conference will host a wide range of speakers from around the world, giving us the opportunity to re-examine cancer control from a global equity lens with a particular focus on the global cancer burden on children and women.
Registration is now open: https://bit.ly/GHC23
In-person tickets: $5 - $10
Virtual tickets: $0 - $10
Click here to watch the recording from last years SOLD OUT conference.
Are you conducting research in global health? We are currently accepting submissions to share your research at the conference!
The Global Health Conference will showcase your 2-minute pre-recorded videos at the event. We welcome presentations by all - including clinicians, researchers, and industry professionals. However, only trainees will be eligible for an award.
Learn more and submit your application here: https://bit.ly/GHCPosters
As part of the 5th Annual Global Health Conference, BC Children's Hospital's Centre for International Child Health and BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre are hosting an in-person trainee event entitled Diverse experiences: Pathways through Global Health.
When: Thursday, January 26, 2023 | 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm PST
Where: In-person at the Chieng Family Atrium, BC Children's Hospital
Trainees will have the opportunity to participate in small group discussions with mentors to explore a variety of pathways to working in global health and different ways of making an impact. The break-out sessions will cover a range of topics and trainees will be able to attend two sessions of their choice.
Register here: https://bit.ly/GHCTrainee
This is a free event for trainees!
Dr. Simon Sutcliffe
Dr. Simon Sutcliffe (MD, FRCP, FRCP(C), FRCR) is a clinical oncologist (non-practicing), having been President & CEO of Princess Margaret Hospital/Ontario Cancer Institute (1994-1996) and the BC Cancer Agency (2000- 2009). He is currently the President of Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration, a non-profit Society and charitable foundation - a volunteer organization bridging the disparities in cancer control between the two worlds of the higher and lesser-resourced world.
He is an Adjunct Clinical Professor (UBC) and an Associate Scientist (BC Cancer Research Centre) and serves on a number of clinical and scientific advisory committees. He enjoys people, travel, music, global cuisine and particularly values imagination and innovation in all endeavours.
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, M.D., is the director of the St. Jude Global program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and an executive vice president within the organization. He is also the chair of the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine and holds the Four Stars of Chicago Endowed Chair in International Pediatric Research. Rodriguez-Galindo led an institutional effort to become the first World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer. As part of this partnership, WHO and St. Jude are collaborating with other organizations on the Global Initiative in Childhood Cancer.
In addition to his global work, Dr. Rodriguez-Galindo's clinical research has focused in retinoblastoma, bone sarcomas, histiocytic disorders and rare childhood cancers, and has been the primary investigator of several clinical studies at St. Jude and Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer Center. Dr. Rodriguez-Galindo is the Chair of the Rare Tumors Committee at the Children's Oncology Group (COG) and the primary investigator of COG studies for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, and recurrent malignant germ cell tumors. He is also the past-President of the Histiocyte Society and co-PI of the frontline LCH-IV study.
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a larger burden of cancer mortality than high-income countries (HICs), with as many as 70% of cancer deaths occurring in LMICs[i]. Despite major breakthroughs in cancer care, the variation in treatment availability between countries of different income levels is significant; comprehensive treatment is available in more than 90% of high-income countries but less than 15% of low-income countries[ii]. Cancer has become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in LMICs, with disparities spanning the entire cancer care continuum, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care.
For childhood cancer, the WHO estimates that close to nine in ten children with cancer live in LMICs where survival rates are less then 30%, compared to 80% in high-income countries[iii]. LMICs also see millions of cases of breast and cervical cancer each year, but cancer research is heavily skewed towards HICs. This is problematic inasmuch as recommendations and protocols based on research conducted in HICs may not be practical or even possible in LMICs.
There is some skepticism about how realistic it is to provide comprehensive cancer care in resource-constrained countries. However, global health leaders have advocated that this position is analogous to the unfounded arguments of twenty years ago that HIV treatment could not be provided in LMICs. Through funding, research and advocacy life-saving treatments for infectious diseases, such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria resulted in a large reduction in global infectious disease mortality. These successes have shown a pathway to confront the evolving cancer burden and in recent years global cancer control has been a growing priority for the WHO and governments globally.
On Thursday, January 26th, 2023 we hope that you will join us for a conversation on "Global Equity and Cancer Control" at our 5th annual global health conference with conference co-Chairs Dr. Gina Ogilvie and Dr. Caron Strahlendorf. The conference will host a wide-range of speakers from around the world, giving us the opportunity to re-examine cancer control from a global equity lens with a particular focus on the global cancer burden on children and women. The conference is being hosted by the Centre for International Child Health at BC Children's Hospital and the BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre.
[i] Shah SC, Kayamba V, Peek RM Jr, Heimburger D. Cancer Control in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Is It Time to Consider Screening? J Glob Oncol. 2019 Mar;5:1-8. doi: 10.1200/JGO.18.00200. PMID: 30908147; PMCID: PMC6452918
[ii] World Health Organization, World Cancer Day: Closing the Care Gap https://www.who.int/news/item/03-02-2022-world-cancer-day-closing-the-care-gap
[iii] World Health Organization, Improving the Childhood Cancer Care Rate https://www.who.int/activities/improving-childhood-cancer-cure-rate
