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09/11/2010

By Stephen Horn, host of Global Health TV and CEO, WebsEdge

Well I’m writing this coming back from the Canadian Conference on Global Health in Ottawa, and what an interesting conference it’s been. We’ve been broadcasting Global Health TV at the event and have been lucky enough to meet some great people there.

Obviously lots of topics to get our teeth into. For the event we produced films from all around the world and in Ottawa we managed to interview government officials and NGOs from several countries.   Being the first major conference after September’s UN review on the Millennium Development Goals there was lots of soul searching into progress fighting the major diseases.

But two issues really captured my attention in Ottawa. I was particularly struck by the focus on equity. Now many of you will know that the Canadian Society for International Health - the organizers of this week’s event - already work very closely on this issue with the World Health Organisation.

But for me it was a new way of looking at things. When you consider progress on fighting a disease - HIV/AIDS for example - or look at health provision in a particular country, don’t focus on the average. Don’t ask yourself are we saving more lives or raising living standards, ask yourself what we’re doing for the poorest 10% in that society. Because the truth is that even whilst we’re making progress overall it is often the poorest and most vulnerable we’re letting down.

I was also taken by the focus on, and passion for, Pathways to Global Health. There was recognition at the conference that in many ways global health as a discipline is driven by the passion of students and, whilst this is a good thing, if the young people aren’t able to chart a route through they’ll become disillusioned and give up. So a new focus has been placed on helping students to plot their course towards a successful career and to agree a set of protocols to enable them to work effectively overseas.  

So lots of enthusiasm and a passion to get things done. And perhaps even more impressive a specific set of goals for next year’s meeting. See you in Montreal!

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IFTIKHAR AHMAD  10:07 on 20 September 2011

Here in Pakistan, we are working to sketch out a National Health System for Pakistan. We in our socio-Economic circumstances are developing a NHS that will be replicable in the third world. We had a Seminar on our initial thoughts. It was well accepted and got good coverage in the naitonal Media. I am very happy to find you on web. Global Health TV is a source of inspiration, knowledge and sharing. I am happy to have people of my breed here. I along with my organization in Pakistan "Sustainable Development Policy Institute' will be part of the GH TV from now on. Regards Iftikhar Ahmad