Global Health and Innovation Conference: Cutting Edge Solutions to the World’s Most Pressing Health Problems

By Sahiti Marella, junior in the Honors College

The Global Health and Innovation Conference held annually at Yale University is the world’s largest global health conference, hosting more than 2,000 attendees from more than 55 countries. This conference is made possible by Unite for Sight, a leading nonprofit organization that promotes equal access to health care globally.

This past April, I had the opportunity to attend and be part of a movement focused on positive health related change across the world. The Global Health and Innovation Conference not only brought together leading experts from all branches in the field, but it also was a gathering ground for international global health leaders, healthcare professionals, graduate representatives, and students. There were a number of attention-grabbing topics addressed through various sessions, panels, and discussions. I was able to sit in on presentations given by founders of major health focused nonprofits, listen to pitches for cutting-edge global health innovations, and network with individuals who shared a common passion for improving our current global health status.

Attending this conferences was one of the best decisions I’ve made since coming to college. For longer than I can remember, I’ve wanted to become a physician, but recently I began questioning if there was something more. I was asking myself “could I take it one step further?” Being a native of India, my family members were only a few among hundreds of thousands of individuals who succumbed to the difficulty of a less than ideal healthcare system. There are a number of people working towards making sure marginalized populations are able to receive adequate medical assistance, yet the problem is incredibly persistent. How do we begin to address and tackle huge problems such as lack of access to healthcare or high incidences of communicable disease?

By attending the Global Health and Innovation conference, I was able to dip my toes into a world that fell at the intersection of providing healthcare and developing and implementing cutting-edge solutions to the largest health problems. I met individuals who were doctors or surgeons but they were also able to take their knowledge on one specific issue and pioneer a solution that addresses the problem in a more effective manner.

Whether you were a student, an admissions director for a top-notch graduate program, a physician, or a CEO of a major nonprofit organization, the Global Health and Innovation Conference was a hub for idea sharing and development on any scale or platform. Everyone in attendance came together to celebrate passion, drive, and vision to take a step forward in global health change. I was able to network with some of the most unique individuals with amazing stories and passions and I left Yale feeling truly inspired.

This conference taught me the importance of not just doing research but taking the knowledge and putting it forward in a way that benefits society. There is always more to learn and more ways to improve and expand on what is already out there, you just need the right tools. I learned that whether its through an unexpected connection, an inspiring idea, or thought provoking conversation, the beauty of research and innovation is that you never know what can help you to grow and expand your work into something that really impacts a population. I encourage everyone, regardless of where your passions lie, to take advantage of every opportunity and every open door because you never know where either of those can lead you.