On Tuesday, the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Montreal, Canada was concluded. The event with more than 80 speakers and 700 international experts from all health-related sectors made a joint call to action.
At the closing ceremony the M8 Alliance, the World Health Summit’s academic think tank, issued a declaration calling for joint action of health experts and stakeholders worldwide.
Hélène Boisjoly, WHS International President/Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal.
“We must prepare ourselves to confront numerous health challenges. With this in mind, the Regional Meeting of the World Health Summit sets forth solutions. The message is clear: interdisciplinarity is key and health professionals, public authorities, community groups, and civil society must work hand in hand in order to give our fellow citizens a world where they can thrive and be healthy,” stated Hélène Boisjoly, World Health Summit International President and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal.
Key demands of the M8 Alliance Declaration:
- New Frontiers in Medical Treatments
”We are living in a globalized world that is increasingly generating more diverse societies. This new reality must be taken into account by focusing on inclusive approaches.” - Health and Healthcare Benefits for Different Populations
”In pluralistic societies, it is essential to accept and promote leadership, as well as to engage communities involved in establishing priorities and means for healthcare and social services delivery.” - Environmental, Social, and Cultural Determinants of Healthcare
”The health of individuals and populations are determined by the environment in which they work, study, socialize, recreate and receive treatment. These health determinants must be taken into account in order to protect and promote health and equity.” - Medical Training for Optimal Healthcare
”Training curricula for physicians and other healthcare professionals as well as their extra curricular activities, should prepare them to fully assume their role as citizens and actors of change in order to promote a more stable, fair and just world.”
The M8 Alliance Declaration is available online:
http://bit.ly/M8-Declaration-Montreal-2017
The preeminent international conference for Global Health was held in North America for the first time and put the overarching motto of “Health and Healthcare Delivery in Pluralistic Societies” center stage.
Central speakers included:
- Gaétan Barrette (Minister of Health and Social Services – Quebec, Canada)
- Geoffrey Kelley(Minister responsible for Native Affairs – Quebec, Canada)
- Jane Philpott (Minister of Health, Canada)
- Timothy Caulfield (Trudeau Fellow and Professor, Faculty of Law and School of Public Health, Canada)
- Noel Hayman (Clinical Director, Inala Indigenous Health Service, Australia)
- Brian Hodges (Executive Vice-President Education, University Health Network, Canada)
- Joanne Liu (International President, Doctors without Borders, Switzerland)
- Janet Rossant (President and Scientific Director, Gairdner Foundation, Canada)
The World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Montreal was an important rendez-vous of the M8 Alliance, a collaborative network of 25 academic institutions from 18 countries including all 130 National Academies of Medicine and Sciences.
The spirit of this meeting will be carried forward to the next World Health Summit, to be held October 15–17, 2017, in Berlin, Germany.
