2024 News
As part of the Global Clinical Research Pathways Project, the Academy of Medical Sciences, one of the National Academies of the United Kingdom, in collaboration with the National Academy of Medicine of Brazil and the National Academy of Sciences of Brazil, has developed the Workshop: Clinical Research Pathways Latin America. This workshop will establish a global working group focused on clinical research pathways in various regions across the Global South. This session is based in Latin America and will unite researchers from The Global Health Network Latin America and the Caribbean and other practice communities, such as AI4GH, with representation of Dr. Bryain Maradiaga, including participants from Honduras, Colombia, and Peru.
The workshop, scheduled for December 10 and 11, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will emphasize enhancing institutional capacity to support and empower clinical research professionals. It will also facilitate knowledge sharing on solutions among participants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The workshop will spotlight four main working groups: Infrastructure, Training Opportunities, Funding for Research Career Development, and Research Governance. It aims to gather data on the current landscape of clinical researchers' academic careers, identify challenges, formulate recommendations, and create proposals. This initiative is poised to advance the leadership in research that LAC promotes, with active involvement from health professionals at the School Hospital and partner institutions.
The IX Congress of the Central American and Caribbean Association of Infectology (ACENCAI) will occur from December 10 to 12, 2024, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Organized by the Central American Infectious Disease Association, this event is a platform for presenting and discussing the latest advancements in infectious diseases. The Honduran Society of Infectious Diseases (SHEI) oversees the organization of this ninth iteration of the congress. It will be held in a hybrid format, allowing in-person and virtual participation.
The Global Health Network, represented by the Artificial Intelligence for Global Health Research (AI4GH) community of practice, will contribute to the congress by presenting a poster in the experience category titled: “Driving AI and Infectious Disease Education Projects Through Virtual Workshops for a Global Community of Practice.” This poster will showcase webinars, workshops, and newsletters organized by AI4GH research, highlighting metrics demonstrating how these tailored activities address the community's needs, enhance participant engagement, and strengthen active membership.
The Global Health Network Honduras was also actively involved in building the capacity of the attendees through various activities and poster presentations, which you can read about on their news page.
If you wish to view the poster and further information regarding the event, please click on the highlighted words, and it will be re-directed to the desired information: .
AI4GH is excited to share that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has become a founding partner of the AI4GH initiative, bolstering the joint commitment to advancing responsible AI in global health. As the UK government’s international development and diplomacy agency, the FCDO focuses on alleviating global poverty, enhancing health systems, and fostering sustainable development. Their support will allow AI4GH to broaden its initiatives in capacity building, policy creation, and knowledge dissemination, ensuring that AI-driven health solutions are ethical, inclusive, and effective for communities around the globe.
A Shared Vision for Global Health Equity: AI4D-AI4GH and FCDO align on key priorities, including:
- Strengthening AI for healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
- Fostering ethical AI development and governance
- Building local expertise through capacity-strengthening initiatives
- Promoting inclusive, equitable access to AI-driven healthcare solutions
This partnership marks a significant step toward ensuring that AI technologies are designed and deployed to benefit all communities, particularly those in underserved regions.
Learn more about FCDO’s work: FCDO Website.
Researchers, partners, and IDRC-supported staff will attend the Eighth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Nagasaki, Japan, from November 18 to 22, 2024.
The symposium's theme is “Building Just and Sustainable Health Systems: Centering People and Protecting the Planet.” The focus is making data and evidence available and accessible for action by health actors and decision-makers to make health services more accessible, especially to vulnerable populations, and enhance prevention and control efforts for global health threats.
Bridging the gap: From AI innovations to health care transformation in low- and middle-income countries
Wednesday, November 20 | 2:10 PM - 5:40 PM (JST) | Venue: Room 101 (B), Dejima Messe Nagasaki Convention Center
In this workshop, IDRC Senior Program Specialist Chaitali Sinha, Cintia Cejas from the Center for Implementation and Innovation in Health Policies (Argentina), Noor Rakhshani from Precision Health Consultants (Pakistan), and Elizabeth Oseku from the Infectious Diseases Institute (Uganda) will co-moderate a panel highlighting the following projects:
- Innovation hub in Latin America and the Caribbean on using artificial intelligence to improve sexual, reproductive, and maternal health represented by Adolfo Rubenstein, Center for Implementation and Innovation in Health Policies, Argentina
- Responsive and responsible artificial intelligence for improving sexual, reproductive, and maternal health in South Asia represented by Mohammed Imran, Precision Health Consultants (PHC), Pakistan
- Innovation hub in the Middle East and North Africa on using artificial intelligence to improve sexual, reproductive, and maternal health represented by Nadine Sabra, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
- Innovation hub on artificial intelligence for sexual, reproductive, and maternal health in Africa represented by Elizabeth Oseku
- Supporting responsible AI for global health represented by Peiling Yap, HealthAI, Switzerland
- Enhancing the impact of artificial intelligence for global health through knowledge sharing and translation represented by Trudie Lang, The Global Health Network, UK
- Artificial Intelligence applications to support epidemic and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response represented by Jude Kong, University of Toronto, Canada
The aim is to present and discuss the progress and challenges of low‐ and middle-income countries regarding artificial intelligence (AI) research and implementation in health. It will include reflections on real cases and the presentation of ongoing projects supported by the AI for Global Health (AI4GH) initiative.
Navigating responsible AI for equitable and just health systems in the Global South
Thursday, November 21 | 11:40 AM - 1:10 PM (JST) | Venue: Room 110, Dejima Messe Nagasaki Convention Center center
IDRC-supported researchers involved in the AI4GH initiative will discuss the opportunities and challenges of developing responsible AI tools. Insights from teams across the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Africa, and Asia will shape the discussion. Moderated by Mohammed Imran from PHC, the session will showcase real-world examples such as:
- Jacaranda Health, on how a scaled AI-enabled system can help strengthen respectful and quality maternal and newborn health (represented by Anneka Wickramanayake).
- The Global South AI for Pandemic & Epidemic Preparedness and Response (AI4PEP), on developing localized AI-enabled solutions to strengthen health system responses to climate change and other drivers of disease outbreaks (represented by Jude Kong).
- Four regional innovation hubs focused on using AI-enabled solutions to improve sexual, reproductive, and maternal health outcomes across the Global South – in Africa, represented by Elizabeth Oseku, LAC represented by Cintia Cejas; the Middle East, represented by Nour El Arnaout and Asia, represented by Mohammad Imran.
AI4GH: Achievements, Lessons Learned, and Way Forward
Thursday, November 21 | 14:00-16:00 (JST) | Venue: Kapiteinskamer I and II, Hilton Hotel
IDRC will host this session, which will involve AI4GH's co-funders, UK International Development, and speakers from the different projects and innovation hubs that comprise AI4GH. Other IDRC grantees from various regions and Global Health Network members will be in Nagasaki to discuss their research activities.
Learn and read more about the conference here.
Webinar: A regional overview: evidence, challenges, and opportunities
Due to the community's interest in sexual reproductive health and Rights (SRMR) and/ or Gender-Based Violence (GBV) topics, we are pleased to invite you to our new free webinar from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) series, “Thriving in safety: advancing adolescent health and rights & ending gender-based violence in Central and West Africa.”
As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, the IDRC invests in high-quality research in low—and middle-income countries, shares knowledge with researchers and policymakers to increase its uptake and use, and mobilizes global alliances to build a more sustainable and inclusive world. The series is designed to provide a platform for knowledge exchange, showcase experiences, and foster dialogue on effective policies and practices and multi-stakeholder engagement to tackle GBV and advance adolescent SRHR in Central and West Africa.
The first webinar, A regional overview: evidence, challenges, and opportunities
Date: Thursday, June 27th, 2024, from 8-9:30 AM EDT / 12-1:30 PM GMT.
The discussion will be hosted in English and French, and simultaneous interpretation will be provided.
Empowering Communities- Innovative Approaches to AI Health Research and Engagement
CLIAS-CIIPS continues to explore how technological innovations, information, and artificial intelligence
are improving the exercise of sexual, reproductive, and maternal health rights in the region.
By joining the webinar Innovation and Artificial Intelligence for Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal Health and Rights, you will gain insights from leading specialists who will address and analyze the challenges associated with these innovations. This knowledge will equip you with a deeper understanding of the impact of technological advancements on sexual, reproductive, and maternal health and rights.
Speakers:
- Gabriela Perrotta-Technical consultant in sexual and reproductive health at CLIAS
- Luis Mainero-Information technology in CLAP/SMR-PAHO/WHO
- Denise Zavala-CLIAS-CIIPS-IECS researcher
- Ramon Torre Cañal-Associate Director of Programs in Latin America and Director of the IDEA Initiative at Planned Parenthood Global.
- Moderated by Analía López, technical consultant in health and gender systems- CLIAS. CIIPS-IECS researcher.
IEEE 37th International Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems (CBMS) 2024
Mark your calendars for the upcoming premier medical informatics and biomedical informatics conference! It will take place from June 26th to 28th in Guadalajara, Mexico, and will be hosted at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara. The conference welcomes in-person and online presentations, providing academic and industrial scientists a platform to exchange ideas and technologies. The event features keynote talks, tutorials by leading experts, and technical sessions covering various topics, including active and healthy aging systems, big data analytics in healthcare, medical robotics, and more. Don't miss the chance to publish your research in the conference proceedings by IEEEXplore! If you have something valuable to contribute to the research areas outlined in the Call for Papers, submit your contributions now and be part of this exciting conference.
If you wish to read more about this conference, please visit their website.
CLIAS: 2nd Call for Proposals
CLIAS has launched a call for Artificial Intelligence projects in Reproductive and maternal sexual health. The call's bases are now available! The Center for Artificial Intelligence and Health for Latin America and the Caribbean (CLIAS) aims to support the development and dissemination of responsible AI solutions that improve access, care, and quality of sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable populations.
The document contains detailed information about the types of projects that will be accepted, the thematic areas, the amounts available for financing, and the requirements for presenting proposals. It also includes the deadlines for submitting projects.
It is important to remember two upcoming dates:
- There will be an informative talk about the call on March 13 at 2 p.m. (ARG)
- The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is April 3rd.
Sign up for the informative talk. Are you intrigued by the AI4GH initiative and CIIPS-CLIAS project? If so, click on their names to be redirected to their web pages.
The Global Health Network LAC Honduras
The Global Health Network works across all aspects of health research, conducting various activities aimed at training skills and strengthening research systems of institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Africa, and Asia. The Global Health Network works with a team of regional coordinators worldwide to organize activities for researchers and health professionals within their health centers and institutions.
The Revista Médica Hondureña had an active participation in the National Medical Congress (Congreso Médico Nacional, COMENAC) 2023 held in Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras. The Revista editorial board handed out copies of the journal and The Global Health Network LAC and REDe promotional materials (pens, folders, lanyards, and postcards) to the attendees. This activity aimed to shine a much-needed spotlight on collaborative work across regions, entice knowledge transfer and propel high-standard research.
You can watch an informative video to delve deeper into LAC's activities. Learn more about The Global Health Network Latin America and the Caribbean and catalyze this initiative.
The International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2024 – Collaboration Beyond Boundaries.
Academia, industry, policy, and civil society representatives are cordially invited to attend the International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2024. The conference will be held physically in Oxford, UK, and virtually from July 1st to 2nd, 2024.
The conference theme, "Collaboration Beyond Boundaries," will explore how researchers can unite across geography, discipline, and sector to expedite practical solutions to global pandemic threats. Delegates are encouraged to bring their perspectives and innovative approaches to tackle the most pressing research questions in pandemic sciences 2024. The conference will showcase the value of multidisciplinary and multisectoral collaborations.
The Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford will host the International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2024.
If you wish to read more about the conference, redirect to the official website and register to attend.
IDEAL Conference 2024
April 2024
Mark your calendars for the IDEAL 2024 Conference on Wednesday, 3rd, and Thursday, April 4th, 2024. Hosted at the prestigious Royal Society of Medicine in London. Welcome to a groundbreaking event dedicated to advancing safe and innovative surgical practices globally. This year's conference, presented by the IDEAL Collaboration, delves deep into Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Global Surgery, and Education, offering a dynamic platform for experts to exchange methodological research and real-world evaluations. Join international thought leaders for thought-provoking keynotes and explore the latest developments in the field.
Abstract submissions are open, providing a chance to contribute to BMJ Surgery, Interventions, & Health Technologies. With coffee, lunch, and evening receptions, this conference promises both professional insight and networking opportunities. Don't miss out—register now to secure your spot and shape the future of surgical innovation! #IDEAL2024 #SurgicalInnovation #GlobalHealth
Dive into the IDEAL conference website to submit an abstract, register, and learn more about the event!