Canada has engaged internationally on health issues for a number of years. Its ‘health diplomacy’ functions are currently managed by an Office of International Health Affairs, which is a space shared by Health Canada (the federal ministry) and the Public Health Agency of Canada. There have been two attempts to develop a global health strategy for Canada:
- The 2011 report by the Canadian Academy for Health Sciences: Canadians Making a Difference: The Expert Panel on Canada’s Strategic Role in Global Health, and
- the 2022 Discussion Paper by Centre for Global Health at the University of Toronto: Towards a Global Health Strategy for Canada.
Professor Labonté was an expert advisor to both papers, and has led two comparative research studies on global health diplomacy (focusing on Canada, Mexico, Chile, and Brazil), as well as separate studies on health and foreign policy for the WHO (focusing on Canada, UK, Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland). His Canadian studies have focused on health and development, primarily the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, health and trade policy, vaccine equity, and Canada’s positions in negotiations over the TRIPS waiver and in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body. In this informal seminar, Professor Labonté will discuss some of his observations on how health has, or has not, informed Canadian foreign policies, and how health’s positioning in policy decision-making could be strengthened.
Please note that the seminar will be held in English and will not be streamed online. A light breakfast will be served.
About Ronald Labontè
Professor Ronald Labontè is former Canada Research Chair in Globalization and Health Equity and Professor Emeritus in the School of Public Health and Epidemiology at the University of Ottawa. He has enjoyed a 45 year long career in public health, spanning government positions, international consultancies, and universities. For the past 25 years, his research has focused on the health equity impacts of diverse globalization processes, which is also the focus of his 2019 book “Health Equity in a Globalizing Era” published by Oxford University Press.
Professor Labontè is Editor-in-Chief of the BMC journal “Globalization and Health”, active with the People’s Health Movement, a frequent contributor to its flagship publication Global Health Watch, and a co-editor of its recently published 6th edition.
About this seminar series
“Global Health Unpacked” is a seminar series that aims to bring together the global health community on a regular basis to critically discuss key debates in Global Health in informal and interactive seminars. Guest speakers (both from the University of Oslo and from other universities) will bring an original perspective to the topic and engage in a conversation with the audience.
With this seminar, we also hope to facilitate exchanges and collaborations between global health researchers and students present in Oslo and foster interdisciplinary research. “Global Health Unpacked” is jointly organized by the research group Global Health Politics, Centre for Development and the Environment and the UiO Centre for Global Health.