Over the coming months, Ward Health will be profiling Canadian Leaders in Global Health. These individuals have dedicated their lives to improving the health and lives of millions of men, women, and children both at home and around the world. They may not be well-known to the general public and we hope that we can help to change that. These leaders range from physicians fighting singular conditions to individuals who head large national and international organizations such as UNICEF Canada and the World Heart Foundation, and everything in between. We will showcase their diverse contributions to global health and the impact they have had on the world.
Our selected Canadian Leaders in Global Health include:
Bruce Aylward, World Health Organization (Immunization): for his work on eradication of polio around the world.
Rosemary McCarney, PLAN Canada and CAN-MNCH (Maternal and Child Health): for the Muskoka Initiative and her commitment to women and children.
Peter Singer, Grand Challenges Canada (Healthcare Innovation and Health System Capacity Building): for his work promoting innovation and creativity among Canadians in order to solve some of the most pressing global health challenges.
Salim Yusef, World Heart Federation (Epidemiology): for his large-scale epidemiological studies, which have changed the way some of the world’s most deadly health conditions are prevented, treated and managed.
Prabhat Jha, Center for Global Health Research (Epidemiology): for his research that has led to great insight into the effects of HIV/AIDS, tobacco, alcohol, malaria, maternal and child health, and infectious and non-communicable disease on mortality.
Keith Martin, Consortium of Universities for Global Health (International Collaborations and Partnerships): for his promotion of interdisciplinary collaborations and sharing of knowledge to address global health challenges.
Stanley Zlotkin, The Hospital for Sick Children (Nutrition, Maternal and Child Health): for his program, the Sprinkles Global Health Initiative, which is combating childhood micronutrient malnutrition around the world.
Dave Toycen, World Vision Canada (Maternal and Child Health): for his humanitarian and advocacy work in areas such as child and maternal health, the rights of girls, and the protection of children in armed conflict.
Tim Evans, World Bank Group (Maternal and Child Health): for his Every Woman Every Child campaign, which works to end preventable newborn, child, adolescent and maternal deaths and improve the health and quality of life of women, adolescents and children.
Zulfiqar Bhutta, The Hospital for Sick Children (Maternal and Child Health): for his extensive research work in newborn and child survival, including topics such as child survival, undernutrition, newborn survival, primary care, stillbirths, childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia.
Ophira Ginsburg, Women’s College Research Institute and University of Toronto (Cancer Control, Health Equity): for her work in global cancer control and women’s health equity.
James Orbinski, University of Toronto (Disaster and Conflict Relief): for his history of leadership in humanitarian emergencies at Médecins Sans Frontières and his current global health research.
Karlee Silver, Grand Challenges Canada (Mental Health, Maternal and Child Health): for her Saving Lives at Birth, Saving Brains and Global Mental Health Programs, which work to give mothers and their children their best chance at living a healthy and happy life.
Greg Matlashewski, McGill University (Neglected Tropical Diseases): for his research in developing a vaccine to eradicate the tropical disease, Visceral Leishmaniasis.
Audra Renyi, World Wide Hearing (Disability): for her work to provide access to affordable hearing aids to children in developing countries.
David Morley, UNICEF Canada (Rights of Children): for his work championing children’s rights both at home and abroad.
Patricia Erb, Save the Children Canada (Maternal and Child Health, Health Systems Capacity): for her commitment to improving the lives of children and her role in the initiation of the Muskoka Initiative.
Allan Ronald, University of Manitoba (Infectious Diseases): for his role as a leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS in East Africa and for the development the subspecialty of infectious diseases in Canada.
Tell us who we have missed: by e-mail or by tweeting to @WardHealth
