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Theme
Workshop Descriptions
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Plenary and Special Sessions
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Plenary 1: Wed. May 27, 9-10:30 am
TRANSFORMATIONS:
DISCOVERING NEW STRATEGIES USING PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES
The technology evolution is sparking a health-care revolution. The rapid adoption of mobile technology throughout the world, with more than 4 billion mobile phones alone, has resulted in a leapfrogging over the digital divide. Those in remote and resource-poor settings, without the infrastructure to support wired technology, now have the same access to information and communications as those on the other side of the divide. The potential to transform the way we work, teach, learn and connect, one-to-one or one-to-many, is enormous. In the global health field, mHealth – the use of mobile devices to gather health data and to increase access to and dissemination of health information and services – has just begun to tap into this potential. In this session, we’ll explore the concept of technology transformation – adapting available technology to solve problems – and highlight the adaption and adoption of mHealth solutions throughout the world.
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Plenary 2: Thu, May 28, 8:30-9:35 am
Special Presentation: 9:35-10:15am
THE EHEALTH BLUEPRINT:
BUILDING THE FOUNDATION FOR INTEGRATED HEALTH SYSTEMS
 All builders know they are lost without an architect, and all architects realize they are only visionaries without a builder. Building stronger health systems – to increase access, affordability and quality in the most poorly resourced settings – requires both the architect and the builders to come up with a blueprint for success. In eHealth, these roles may be filled by the community health worker and the technology developer. Today, eHealth – health-care practices that are supported by electronic processes and communication, such as electronic medical records, telemedicine, health informatics, health knowledge management, and mobile health technologies – is providing solutions to challenges within health systems throughout the developing world. In this session, we will explore how to leverage the advantages of eHealth to strengthen and transform health systems, increasing access, affordability and quality of health-care services. We will also examine the tools and partnerships required to integrate eHealth solutions into an efficient and effective system.
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Plenary 3: Fri, May 29, 12:45-2:15 pm
AT THE ROOT OF THE SOLUTION:
VACCINE INTRODUCTION PRESENT AND FUTURE - CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Luncheon made possible by an unrestricted grant from GSK.
 A proven strategy, vaccines have already accomplished so much. With many new vaccines for public health being introduced and new technological and scientific breakthroughs, it is a new era for vaccines. Despite the tremendous potential of vaccines to save millions of lives, now and in the future, there are still technical, social, economic and practical barriers that limit delivery and uptake of vaccines. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) estimates that it takes 15 years for new vaccines to reach developing nations. How do we accelerate and ensure sustainable vaccine introduction, delivery and uptake now and in the future? In this session, we will examine and evaluate the challenges, opportunities and potential solutions to ensuring existing and new vaccines are available, while at the same time strategizing for future vaccines. We will look at the multidisciplinary approach required to meet these challenges, with the goal of maximizing our current and at the same time preparing for our future inventory of vaccines.
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Plenary 4: Fri, May 29, 4:30-6 pm
TEARING DOWN THE WALL:
FORGING DEEPER COMMITMENTS TO GLOBAL HEALTH
After a decade of substantial growth in global health programs and the explosion of new initiatives and donor commitments, stakeholder expectations and partnerships have changed significantly. Global conditions have changed substantially, too. In this final plenary session, we will examine progress we have made as a global health community, emerging challenges and changing benchmarks of success, and where we need to rethink approaches to achieve better outcomes in the world’s poorest communities. We’ll discuss how headway gained on the UN Millennium Development Goals and financial commitments made by public and private global health stakeholders can be secured and advanced in a changing global environment.
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Special Session 1: Wed, May 27, 11 am-12:30 pm
THE BIG CHOICE:
THE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES OF OPEN SOURCE TECHNOLOGY
 As we enter into a new age of information sharing, we are faced with dilemmas and strategic decision-making incurred when implementing new technology. Software, technology platforms, data and content are freely accessible via what is termed “open source.” The goal of open source technology is high-quality, reliable, flexible, and low-cost technology, allowing the customer to use, change and improve it. This choice of open source technology is clearly influenced by the cost benefits, particularly in remote and low-resource settings, but will open source technology truly meet the needs of the user? Is open source technology secure? How do we insure standards and interoperability? In this session, we will explore the concept of “open health,” presenting the pros and cons of open source technologies for health. We will examine the organic growth and the progress made on open source initiatives, and the necessary coordination of local, regional and global expertise to attain a comprehensive approach to health information strengthening across the health sector and beyond.
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Special Session 2: Wed, May 27, 2:30-4:15 pm
SUCCESS STORIES:
IMPLEMENTING HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS AT THE COUNTRY LEVEL
An integrated and functional health information system (HIS) provides access to accurate information upon which health-care workers and facility administrators, decision-makers and community leaders can make sound decisions. Electronic medical records, data sets for key indicators of public health performance, decision support systems, information and communications technologies for surveillance and/or monitoring health programs – all of these components and more comprise the HIS. Each country is faced with unique challenges to integrating various components into a functional HIS. In this session, we examine the success stories of implementing health information systems at the country level in different regions around the world, and how the initiatives may be replicated in other countries.
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