Advancing health

Monash University has joined with Hadassah Australia to co-host a workshop at the 63rd UN Department of Public Information NGO Conference, being held in Melbourne from 30 August to 1 September 2010.

The conference, 'Advance Global Health - Achieve the Millennium Development Goals,' aims to highlight effective ways in which society can contribute to fostering global health and not just manage disease.

This is only the third time in 63 years the conference is being held outside conference headquarters in New York. It is the premier event for the UN in 2010.

More than 2000 people from NGOs, academia, community organisations, the media, private sector, and the UN are expected to attend.

The Monash/Hadassah Australia workshop: 'Sharing best practice to advance global health,' will be held on the second day of the conference at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The workshop will focus on the impact of best practice in global health in three areas: disaster management, medical education, and HIV prevention.

The workshop’s keynote speakers are Professor Leon Piterman AM, Deputy Dean of the Monash Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (Chair); Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Professor of Psychiatry, The Alfred Hospital and Monash University; Dr Inon Schenker, Jerusalem AIDS Project; Dr Esti Galili-Weisstub, Director, The Herman Dana Division in Child Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Center; and Dr Aikant Bhatti, Human Pandemic Preparedness Project Officer, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of India.

They will contribute to understanding of the roles that NGOs and society play in helping to achieve Millennium Development Goals in health.

Dean of the Monash Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Professor Steve Wesselingh said the conference provided Monash with an opportunity to showcase its commitment to global health.

"Monash has established a flagship Bachelor of Public Health course at its South Africa campus and the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing the Health Sciences has created Chairs in Public Health in South Africa and Malaysia," Professor Steve Wesselingh said.

"We have also recently recruited the Finkel Research Chair in Global Health in Melbourne and we are delighted to have Chair Professor Ajay Mahal from Harvard University in attendance at the UN conference to share his insights.

“Professor Mahal’s position has been made possible through the exceptional philanthropy and leadership of Drs Alan and Elizabeth Finkel.

"I'm proud that we have been able to work with Hadassah Australia to successfully develop such a comprehensive workshop and have it included as part of the UN program."

Hadassah Australia Inc is a not-for-profit organisation and part of the Hadassah International network, which spans five continents.

It represents and supports Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, renowned for its excellence in healing, teaching and research. Its activities are based on the principle that advancements in medicine and science transcend political, religious, and national boundaries.

The Monash/Hadassah partnership was launched in 2008 with the launch of AUSiMED.

Already significant funding has been raised to support joint Monash/Hadassah research in stem cells and neurodegenerative diseases.