The Geneva Health Forum (GHF) has in the past ten years become one of the most visited and influential international conferences in Global Health, attracting in 2016 more than 1'300 visitors. The GHF is not only an academic conference. Together with a brilliant community of researchers in the field of global and public health it succeeded to attract a much broader audience. Its main sponsors, Geneva University Hospitals and the University of Geneva, together with their partners, including the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, are highly committed to engage and bridge actors across International Geneva. These bridges are not only needed between the academic world and United Nations organisations, but also with foundations, public-private partnerships, health industries, and NGOs. Zika, one of the most recent health crises we are still facing today, was presented as a good example of such needs: we cannot implement solutions against this infectious disease in Latin America, without the help of all involved stakeholders. This crisis highlights, as many others did before, how universities and clinical research can help decision-making based on the best available evidence. When Ebola occurred, anthropologists were probably as needed and useful as virologists or even clinicians. This is why the Geneva Health Forum gathered experts from various sectors, various disciplines, and various ‘worlds’.
La francophonie was à l’honneur at the Geneva Health Forum this year! With simultaneous translations in English and French for all plenary sessions and at least for two parallel sessions during the whole conference, language was less of a barrier for many people attending this event – also contributing to building bridges among people and communities.
The Geneva Health Forum was not just an exchange of ideas. It offered an opportunity to learn more about innovations in health care in a fabulous location, the International Conference Centre Geneva. More than 60 concrete innovations in health care were demonstrated for the first time this year within its “Tomorrow’s Affordable Hospital”. These innovations were selected on the basis of three criteria: innovation, affordability, and sustainability (i.e. they are respectful of their environment). A common comment from attendees of the GHF was: « I want these innovations in my country! » – Not only those from developing countries would make such a comment, but even the CEO of the Geneva University Hospitals found some useful devices there! Most of these innovations came from start-ups based in academic campuses, mostly in the Lake Geneva region.
We need implementation research. We need solutions. We have accumulated a lot of knowledge regarding the determinants of health, and it is certainly useful and important to better understand why things are going wrong. Therefore, we need to know the root causes of diseases. However, it is now equally important to search for solutions or options to help saving lives. This approach was well-aligned with the newly-adopted SDGs. The World We Want will provide health innovation for all!
The Geneva Health Forum was able to contribute to this – and will do so in the future. The next Geneva Health Forum will take place in April 2018. Block your calendars!
Written by Antoine Flahault, Director of the Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva