Announcing CUGH Virtual Week: Global Health Webinar Series
Sept 30 – Oct 3, 2024
The Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Virtual Week, a dynamic series of webinars from Monday, Sept 30 to Thursday, Oct 3, 2024. This event will feature insightful discussions on a range of pressing issues in global health, bringing together experts from around the world.
Open to both CUGH members and the public, this is a unique opportunity to engage with thought leaders and explore innovative solutions to global health challenges.
Review the session lineup and register for the webinars that interest you. Don’t forget to share this with your network!
Monday, September 30th
Morning: 9:00 – 11:30 AM ET
VW1: An Inclusive, Integrated Strategy for Capitalizing NCDs: The Women’s Cancer Case Study
Register for VW1
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) represent a significant global health burden. These diseases account for over 70% of all deaths worldwide, with a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many NCDs require investments across the continuum of care- from diagnostics to definitive management. Despite their impact on health systems and economies, financing for NCD prevention and treatment remains inadequate. A comprehensive approach to financing with creative utilization of all sources of capital are crucial to address the funding gap and ensure sustainable health outcomes.
VW2: Essential WHO learning for health emergencies: Lessons for future pandemics and emergency events
Register for VW2
This session will examine the key takeaways from WHO’s online learning response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the OpenWHO.org learning platform grow from 160 000 enrolments in January 2020 to nearly 9 million enrolments today. It will explore how WHO is incorporating pandemic lessons to prepare learning systems for major health events and the next pandemic, and will introduce new WHO implementation guidance on emergencies capacity-building – Approaches for just-in-time learning response to health events. In addition, the webinar will provide representatives from the Consortium of Universities for Global Health’s Capacity Building Committee with the opportunity to present their experiences and solutions to strengthen global health.
Afternoon: 1:00 – 3:30 PM ET
VW3: How can we think more clearly about the “public health system” in the era of UHC?
Register for VW3
The COVID-19 pandemic initially seemed like a crisis that public health agencies were equipped to handle—a standard infectious disease outbreak. However, it quickly became apparent that the pandemic was far more complex, with its rapid spread, mutability, and prolonged duration requiring the involvement of various societal sectors, including schools, businesses, political entities, and elderly care facilities. Public health agencies faced unprecedented challenges, exposing significant limitations in their preparedness and capacity to collaborate effectively with other organizations.
Countries responded to these challenges in diverse ways, but the pandemic universally highlighted the shortcomings in the public health system’s structure and scope. This session will delve into these critical issues, examining the widely cited “essential public health functions” and the challenges of integrating public health with broader clinical care systems. Speakers will share experiences from nations across the income spectrum, underscoring the urgent need for clearer strategies to strengthen public health for future crises.
Tuesday, October 1st
Morning: 9:00 – 11:30 AM ET
VW4: Global strategy and action plan for integrated emergency, critical and operative care : WHO Consultation
Register for VW4
Integrated emergency, critical and operative care (ECO) is key to a comprehensive primary health care approach and essential to ensure the health needs of people are met across the life course without undue delay. The World Health Assembly (WHA) has stressed the importance of ECO in resolution 76.2 (2023) “Integrated ECO for universal health coverage and protection from health emergencies” and decision EB154(6) (2024) on development of a global strategy and action plan (GSAP) for integrated ECO, 2026–2035.
WHO is conducting consultations to gather input on key actions to implement the ECO resolution and inform the GSAP. At the CUGH Virtual Global Health Week, WHO is inviting all participants to a large group discussion and real-time polling on possible ECO actions.
Afternoon: 1:00 – 3:30 PM ET
VW5: CUGH Young Professionals Network: What it is and how it serves early-career global health professionals
Register for VW5
We present the CUGH Young Professionals Network. This network is in response to the expressed interest in many early-career global health (GH) practitioners and students for a way to network worldwide. Its purpose is to provide a global network where students and young global health professionals can connect, share interests, advice, and opportunities. In this session, we will give a brief overview of the network and how it plans to serve early-career GH professionals. Also, in the spirit of sharing advice and interests, our session’s speakers will share about their professional journeys, and provide resources and insights they found helpful for starting a career in global health. Our speakers bring a wide variety of experience, bringing unique perspectives from students/trainees as well as from a late-career GH professional.
Wednesday, October 2nd
Morning: 9:00 – 11:30 AM ET
VW6: Climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss: Innovations to address this triple threat to planetary health
Register for VW6
The health effects of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss (the “triple planetary crisis”) are serious and worsening – requiring urgent action from our network. In the lead up to three international summits on climate, biodiversity, and plastic pollution, education and research have vital roles to play in advocating for a healthier future. Through presentations, case studies, and a case competition, the session will provide tools to empower the health sector and academic institutions to have a voice in shaping planetary health policy and programs at national and global levels.
Afternoon: 1:00 – 3:30 PM ET
VW7: Politics and Diplomacy for Health
Register for VW7
In recent decades, health diplomacy has contributed to some of the most critical global health achievements, including the sharp increase in resources for health at the beginning of the 21st century and the reduction of child and maternal mortality.
A better understanding of the political economy of health can make prevention and intervention efforts for improved health outcomes more efficient, effective and successful. The COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent reminder that health requires engagement from health professionals, businesses, citizens, diplomats, and politicians alike. The present geo-political environment faces us with new and sometimes more difficult challenges.
This session will provide an introduction to health diplomacy as a strategy and tool for successfully navigating in the regional and global political contexts for health. The results from interviews focusing on the need for further capacity building for health diplomacy will be presented as well as ongoing efforts to increase learning opportunities across the world.
The session will also provide an opportunity to discuss health diplomacy in practice with both a senior health diplomat and an emerging leader.
Thursday, October 3rd
Morning: 9:00 – 11:30 AM ET
VW8: Preparedness, Response, and Resilience: Strengthening Global Health Operations During the times of Crisis
Register for VW8
Panelists will explore the critical theme of risk assessment in strengthening global health operations during times of crisis. Addressing three key subcategories: Preparedness, Response, and Resilience. In Preparedness, panelists will examine how to build capacity through infrastructure, workforce training, and policy frameworks, with insights into security operations in LMICs. The Response segment will delve into rapid crisis actions, coordination, decision-making under duress, and reflection on lessons learned. Finally, Resilience will highlight sustainable healthcare systems, community involvement, and mental health support, fostering global health systems capable of enduring future challenges.
Afternoon: 1:00 – 3:30 PM ET
VW9: Teaching the Global Burden of Disease
Register for VW9
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project is the largest and most comprehensive effort to quantify health status across places and over time so that health systems can be improved and health disparities can be eliminated. This satellite session co-hosted by the CUGH Global Health Educators Community (GHECo, like “gecko”), Teach Global Health (teachglobalhealth.org), and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) will introduce key GBD terminology, methods, and results; demonstrate GBD Compare and other web-based data visualizations (healthdata.org); and discuss strategies for teaching students how to use GBD tools to analyze, compare, and interpret health data from every country in the world.