Dr. Ariel Pablos-Méndez, the former Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID, shared his rich experience in the field of global health with about 100 faculty members and students at Peking Union Health Science Center on May 17. His lecture, titled “The Changing World of Global Health,” presented the changing global context for health, the economic transition of health, and its implications on global health.
The new 2017 Equity Fellow began their program year with an Opening Retreat in Nha Trang, Viet Nam, March 29 - April 3, an opportunity for introductions and initial bonding among 19 individuals with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences.
The China Consortium of Elite Teaching Hospitals for Residency Education Consortium was launched in 2015 to spearhead reform of residency education in the country. Six members of the Consortium are pursuing reform through conducting self-studies of their respective programs. At a March workshop in Guangzhou, supported by CMB, 40 participants representing 6 elite hospitals shared their preliminary assessments on the strengths and weaknesses of their residency education programs, as well as future opportunities and challenges.
The inaugural year of CMB’s Equity Initiative came to a close in early February, as the 15 Fellows gathered in Bangkok for the Prince Mahidol Award Ceremony (PMAC), held February 1-3, and The Equity Initiative’s Annual Forum. PMAC 2017’s theme, “Addressing Health of Vulnerable Populations for an Inclusive Society,” resonated with the interests of the Equity Fellows, who represent a new generation of leaders for health equity.
On February 1, 2017, the new CMB Foundation office in Bangkok was inaugurated by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. With the joint support of The Atlantic Philanthropies, CMB opened an office on Sukumvit Road in Bangkok as a regional hub for its work in the region, especially the Transformative Leadership for Health Equity Initiative. The Equity Initiative (EI) aims to cultivate 500 next generation leaders and build communities for health equity in the ASEAN region plus China over the coming 20 years.
A special event was conducted at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference in Bangkok on February 2 when the three finalists campaigning to become the next WHO Director-General responded to open questions from about 900 participants at the conference dinner. The three candidates who were short-listed by the WHO Executive Board in the previous week are: Tedros Ghebreysesus of Ethiopia, David Nabarro of the United Kingdom, and Sania Nishtar of Pakistan.
During The Equity Initiative’s Project Accelerator workshop on November 11-15 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the fifteen inaugural Equity Fellows worked to finalize their fellowship project proposals, reviewed what they had learned throughout the year, and continued building leadership and management competencies through training sessions focusing on peer coaching and project and media management.
Seven members of the CMB-supported China Consortium of Elite Teaching Hospitals for Residency Education conducted an October workshop in Chengdu to initiate action for coordinated and systematic improvement of their residency training programs. In December, Consortium members began formulating a plan of action for the next two years.
