21st February 2018, Edinburgh, UK.

There has been significant progress in global health in the past three decades. Infant and child mortality has reduced and life expectancy has increased across developing countries. All this can be attributed to the introduction of new vaccines, improved access to care and general social economic development.

However, new challenges have emerged. For example, health budgets are limited and policymakers need to make evidence-based decisions to introduce new vaccines. Post introduction, healthcare professionals and policymakers have to deal with an increasing reluctance to vaccination in some population groups.

Developing countries also have to deal with the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. In certain settings, these disease states interact adversely and influence disease trajectories; this, in turn, is aggravated by social inequities (syndemics). Large parts of the world are experiencing conflict and around 65.6 million people are estimated to be forcibly displaced globally. Human activity, on a wider horizon, has an impact on the future health of our planet.

This symposium will examine some of the issues related to the introduction of vaccines into national programmes and discuss the key progress made in malaria control. In the context of the increasing recognition of the importance of considering multiple disease burdens in developing countries, the symposium will feature talks on syndemics (particularly in relation to non-communicable diseases and mental health), planetary health and the key challenges in global health over the next decade.

This symposium will have a broad appeal to those with an interest in global health – medical students, general practitioners, general physicians of all grades and stages of training, and public health professionals.

Published in GI-Mail 11/2017 (English edition). Sign up for GI-Mail here.  

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