NOVA Medical School, in collaboration with the German Federal Government's Hospital Partnership Programme, will be the epicentre of global health on 4 and 5 July, during the international conference Hospital Partnerships and the Future of International Health. The meeting will be attended by Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of the World Health Organisation, as well as other international policy-makers who, over the course of two days, will debate new models of global cooperation, share good practices and outline paths towards more effective, fair and sustainable collaboration.
The conference will be split between the Lisbon (day 4) and Carcavelos (day 5) campuses, with plenary sessions, lectures, presentations and group work, culminating in concrete guidelines for the future of international cooperation in the field of health.
Representing Portugal will be the Secretary of State for Health Management, Francisco Rocha Gonçalves, the Director-General of Health, Rita Sá Machado, and leaders of organisations such as the Portuguese Association of Private Hospitalisation and the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators.
Amongst the topics in focus are:
- The changing geopolitical order and its impacts on global health
- Innovation and diplomacy in health
- Hospital partnerships in fragile and post-conflict contexts
- Multilateral cooperation to strengthen health systems
- Using telemedicine to access care in remote regions
- Tackling chronic non-communicable diseases
- Promoting mental health in international partnership
- New forms of clinical collaboration and joint research
For NOVA Medical School, the co-organisation of this event represents a strategic moment: "As a medical school deeply committed to innovation, health justice and training geared towards social impact, we consider it essential to strengthen the interconnection between science, diplomacy and clinical practice. Through these hospital partnerships, we aim to find sustainable local solutions to challenges that are now profoundly global," emphasises NOVA Medical School's Director of Transformation and Strategic Partnerships, Rute Sousa.
This will be a unique opportunity to position Portugal and NOVA Medical School as a centre of thought and action in global health, affirming the country's relevance in scientific and hospital diplomacy.