Melissa Slogan

Reflections following the Duke Global Health Innovation Center + Innovations in Healthcare Team Week Last week, team members from across the globe convened in Durham, North Carolina, for our annual Duke Global Health Innovation Center + Innovations in Healthcare Team Week.  Our highly anticipated Team Week fosters camaraderie, communication, and collaboration through engaging activities, both in and outside of the office; a welcome reprieve from the oft fast-paced environment where one could easily become consumed by their deadlines, emails, and the like.  Day 1: Setting the stage Team Week started with a simple request: “Share a picture that shows something you are proud of from the past year.”   This simple question garnered an array of inspirational stories, laughter, tears, and genuine joy for one another’s personal achievements. Each photo enabled us…

Reflections following the United Nations General Assembly. Health is an investment, not an expense. The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) focused on "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all." UNGA78 brought world leaders to New York City, USA in September 2023 to discuss pressing global health challenges. The event featured three high-level meetings on health, addressing: Pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response; Tuberculosis; and, Universal health coverage (UHC). Members of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center (Duke GHIC) and Innovations in Healthcare (IiH) were honored to attend and participate in several side events. This blog explores highlights from the various sessions our team participated in. Leading with Purpose…

A timely #IiHForum23 panel discussion Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health threat with the potential to cause a global pandemic. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs that were previously effective in treating infections. This means that infections that were once easily treatable can become difficult, if not impossible, to treat.  On April 25, 2023, key stakeholders from around the globe came together to discuss the critical challenges and necessary efforts to combat AMR at the IiH Annual Forum, at the same time that the European Commission adopted a proposal to intensify efforts to address AMR, and the United States Congress reintroduced the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act to encourage novel drug development to treat resistant infections. Panelists included AMR…

Inspiring. To summarize the Innovations in Healthcare Annual Forum in one word: inspiring.   Despite a full agenda over the two-day conference, the energy in the room never dwindled. For the first time since 2019, stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem came together to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and explore solutions to some of the most pressing global health issues including:  Equitable access to quality care;  Infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness;  Antimicrobial resistance;  Integrated, innovative private sector approaches for addressing non-communicable diseases;  Trust in public health;  Innovation lessons from global pandemics;  Strengthening primary care as a foundation for resilient health systems and global health security;   The use of artificial intelligence to improve health and healthcare; and  Coordinated approaches to funding of health ventures in emerging markets.   The Innovations in Healthcare Annual Forum enables all voices to be heard. The event…