Pacific Global Health Conference to be held at the East West Center
June 19 - 21, 2007

The Pacific Global Health Conference is a biennial conference that brings together academics, educators, policymakers, and practitioners from across the Pacific region to share research, discuss current issues, develop strategies for the future, and increase avenues of communication across this widespread geographic and cultural area.

The conference is sponsored by the Hawai‘i Public Health Association (HPHA) in association with several national and regional partners, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Office of Minority Health, the University of Hawai‘i’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, the Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i, the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service, Hawai‘i State Department of Health, the Hawai‘i Primary Care Association and the Pacific Islands Primary Care Association, the Asian Pacific Islanders American Health Forum, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, and the Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems.

The goal of the 2007 conference is to bring together a diverse array of individuals with an interest in improving public health infrastructure and practice by sharing effective strategies and models of application. Of particular interest are exemplars of programs that meet workforce needs through the use of effective strategies that may assist others in developing responses to their own local requirements.

The 2007 conference has been organized around three major themes identified as critical by the conference steering committee and regional health organizations. These include: workforce training and development; promoting evidence-based practice; and emerging health issues for the Pacific. This focus emphasizes the shared purposes of health professionals, researchers and educators. The specific inclusion of educators in this conference signals the awareness that all three of the thematic elements of the conference are unlikely to be successfully addressed without the participation of those representing the education and research networks and institutions active in the region as well as those focused specifically on health. Many of the issues and problems faced by those in public health and health care services delivery are shared by educators. A particular focus of this conference is to develop effective networks between educators, public health and other healthcare professionals that can yield mutual insights and provide shared experiences.

The PGHC Steering Committee is accepting abstracts for oral presentations and posters up until February 9th, 5:00 p.m. Hawai‘i time.