Thank you to all who attended Global Health Conference 2026!

About the Global Health Conference
Innovation that Closes Gaps: Technology and Data-Driven Care for Women and Children’s Global Health
When: Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 8:30 am – 1:30 pm PDT
Where: In-person at the Chan Centre for Family Health Education, BC Children’s Hospital + Virtual
The Global Health Conference is an annual event bringing together students, trainees, clinicians, researchers, and faculty from across health professions and disciplines to share knowledge and connect around pressing global health issues. Hosted by the Institute for Global Health at BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, in partnership with Healthy Starts, the University of British Columbia (UBC), and Simon Fraser University (SFU), the conference creates a space for interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.
This year’s conference explored how innovation, data, and technology are transforming women’s and children’s health globally.
As digital tools and connected data systems become increasingly central to healthcare delivery, the conference examined how these approaches can support earlier detection, stronger clinical decision-making, and more equitable care—particularly in settings where health system constraints are greatest. Discussions critically considered questions of access, inclusion, partnership, and the ethical use of technology.
Through practical, real-world conversations, the conference aimed to create an inclusive forum for anyone interested in global health, focusing on how innovation can be designed to strengthen health systems, support clinicians, and advance equitable outcomes for women and children worldwide.
Keynote Speaker
Ambrose Agweyu – Pediatrician; Clinical Research Scientist, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI); Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Conference Co-Chairs
Beth Payne – Director, Research, Simon Fraser University School of Medicine
Srinivas Murthy – Chair in Pandemic Preparedness Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Presenters
Mark Ansermino – Executive Medical Director, Global Health, BC Children’s Hospital
Marie-Paul Nisingizwe – Director, Data and Analytics, Office of the Provincial Health Officer, Ministry of Health, Canada
Panelists
Panel 1: Innovations improving care — Demystifying the Methods and Tools
This panel examines what innovation makes possible when it is thoughtfully designed and embedded in real health systems. How do new approaches to evidence, data, and digital tools expand what clinicians and health systems can do for women and children?
- Aloise Gikunda – Program Manager, AMREF Health Africa, Kenya
- Marie-Paul Nisingizwe – Director, Data and Analytics, Office of the Provincial Health Officer, Ministry of Health, Canada
- Richard Lester – Associate Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of British Columbia, Canada
Panel 2: Beyond the Hype — Data, Power, and the Future of Global Health
This panel examines what it takes to make innovation work in real health systems, and what happens when those conditions are not in place. Even when digital and data-driven tools are technically strong, can they be implemented, sustained, and scaled equitably? How do governance, data integrity, and trust determine whether innovation closes gaps, or risks widening them, for women and children?
- Donrich Thalder – Professor of Law, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Jennifer Gardy – Deputy Director, Malaria Surveillance, Data, and Epidemiology, Gates Foundation, USA
- Niek Versteegde – CEO, Goal 3, Netherlands
Conference Schedule
