The University of Illinois Cancer Center co-sponsored the pre-conference satellite session at the 7th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research held at the Hilton Chicago Hotel. The session was part of the 10th Annual CUGH (Consortium of Universities for Global Health) conference.
Robert Winn, MD, UI Cancer Center director and associate vice chancellor for community-based practice, served as moderator for a panel titled “Using Technology to Improve Quality of Cancer Care in Low Resource Settings.” Winn, along with UI Cancer Center member Damiano Rondelli, MD, chief of the division of hematology/oncology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and Kathy Tossas-Milligan, director of the Office of Global Assets and Innovative Approaches, UI Cancer Center, also participated in a panel entitled “The Results of Bilateral Alliances between the United States and Cuba to Improve Health Outcomes in Underserved U.S. Communities.”
Moderated by Carmen Rita Nevarez, MD, MPH, vice president for external relations at Public Health Institute, and preventive medicine advisor and director of the Center for Health Leadership and Practice, the group discussed the development, execution, results and diplomatic implications of innovative, asset-based, health collaborations between Cuba and the United States.
The panel featured information on an historic alliance between the Cuban Ministry of Public Health and UIC to exchange best primary care practices effective in resource-limited environments. It included those successful at decreasing Cuba’s infant mortality rates to levels comparable to high-income countries. It also featured other developing health collaborations between Cuba and various U.S. partners. Collaborations were discussed within the context of current geopolitical climate and concluded with future recommendations.
Among other UIC health professionals to participate in the consortium was Maarten Bosland, DVSc, PhD, UI Cancer Center member and professor of pathology.