IDRC’s Dominique Charron participated in the Global Development Symposium, held at the University of Guelph, May 6-9, 2012. Underscoring the "Critical Links between Human and Animal Health," the symposium explored interdisciplinary approaches to improving public health and food security, while empowering communities for lasting change. Social, environmental, medical, and veterinary scientists discussed a wide range of issues with policy-makers, students, and community members, including students from a local high school.
In his keynote address, Stephen Lewis, former United Nations' special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, urged action on climate change. He spoke about how human and animal health and the environment are intertwined and need to be addressed simultaneously during renewal of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.
In her plenary presentation, Dominique Charron described IDRC’s experiences with funding ecohealth research projects in developing regions. IDRC partner John McDermott of the International Food Policy Institute (IFPRI) argued that smallholder livestock farming is key to alleviating poverty in a rapidly changing global agriculture. See full program at the Symposium’s website.
Representatives of IDRC grantee Veterinarians without Borders Canada presented a new project on using mobile technology for poultry research. The Ontario section of the Canadian Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health also organized a networking event around ecosystem approaches to health.
An IDRC-sponsored breakfast saw the Canadian launch of the book Ecohealth Research in Practice: Innovative Applications of an Ecosystem Approach to Health, published by IDRC and Springer. It was followed by a lively conversation with John McDermott (IFPRI) and David Waltner-Toews (Veterinarians without Borders Canada) on the importance of the ecohealth field for global development and IDRC’s contributions.
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Photo from left to right: John McDermott, David Waltner-Toews and Dominique Charon enjoy a discussion at the University of Guelph's "Global Development Symposium" which took place from May 6 to May 9, 2012.