Global Health eNEWS                  Jan. 2016

Do you want a place to connect with other UBC members interested in Global Health? Do you have a question that you'd like to ask an expert? Then look no further because there is a new UBC specific online network coming your way! This private network (CWL password protected) for UBC students, physicians, residents, researchers, and staff will be the connection point you've been missing! More than merely a discussion forum, it is an expert-led thematic platform that connects you to other members working in global health research, education, field work and more.

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The UBC Global Health Conference (GHC) is an annual event that had its greatly successful inauguration as a historic UBC Centennial Event on October 17, 2015.

Now contribution to shaping the GHC 2016 has started being called for. 

Learn more on the summary of the GHC 2015 and the outlook of the GHC 2016.

When: Thu. Jan. 28 10am-4pm

Where: The Nest, lower atrium, 6133 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC

What: UBC Friends of MSF (Doctors without Borders) in collaboration with other UBC clubs, presents a mock refugee camp to demonstrate the basic needs of refugees and the obstacles they face along their journey. This interactive mock camp will feature different stations focusing on medical, first-aid, infrastructural, nutritional, educational, and cultural and language translation needs that you as a “refugee” can visit.

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Date: Friday, February 5th, 2016 at 6 pm Pacific Time
Location: MSAC Hardwick Hall, 2750 Heather Street, Vancouver, BC

Our speaker, Bjorn Stime, the PhD student at SPPH, will facilitate a fun exercise, Vision Village, which provides a creative opportunity to imagine - through drawing and mapping on paper in groups - the Utopian worlds that we're all working toward in our global health work. It also provides an opportunity for in-depth discussion on the themes of sustainable development, colonialism & hegemony, and autonomy vs. paternalism.

Look at a complete list and schedule of the GHI workshops.

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Mental Illness Network for Destigmatization (MIND) will officially be launching MIND Speaks Up on Feb. 1st, 2016, a website dedicated to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health issues that causes so many to struggle in silence. It will feature videos of members of the UBC community — students, faculty, and staff — sharing their personal experiences with mental health and illness. These stories will show others that there is hope, they are not alone, and things will get better.

You are very welcome to join and share your stories, if you are interested.

Learn more on this initiative and how to participate

Maternal-newborn health outcomes for India fall well behind benchmarks suggested by the World Health Organization, making attention to improving the health disparities both a national and international priority. The Canada-India Maternal-Infant Health Collaborative (CIMIHC) was founded in February 2015 by Dr. Farah Shroff, Professor at the UBC, along with Dr. Meena Som, Health Officer for UNICEF. They have since gathered many collaborators from across Canada and India, with the goal of improving maternal-newborn outcomes at a community level and in response to local priorities through local values. The Collaborative has inaugurated the Healthy Maa project in the Indian state of Odisha.

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As Syrian refugees begin to arrive in Canada, several organizations and leaders in refugee care have compiled useful resources for providing care and support to refugees. 

Learn more on the compiled list.

It’s usually diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, or Ebola that get most of the global health headlines. Mental illness is the leading cause of disability worldwide, but it remains one of the world’s most neglected diseases. The majority of those affected live in low-income countries, where as many as three-quarters of people don’t receive any treatment at all. Many of these countries have weak policies and laws protecting the rights of people with mental illnesses, if rules exist at all. In 2015, UBC School of Journalism's International Reporting Program went to Togo, Benin, Jordan, and India to look at how some countries are addressing this major health challenge and coming up with creative solutions to bring mental illness out of the shadows.

Learn more on the project.

Date: November 14–18, 2016

Location: The Vancouver Convention Centre

Brief Intro: At the 4th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, questions will be confronted on how health systems can absorb shocks, respond to emerging needs and take advantage of new opportunities in the face of emerging challenges.

Individual Abstract Submission: Closing date - March 20, 2016

Early-bird Registration: Opening date - March 31, 2016

Learn more about this upcoming symposium.