Global Health Catalyst Summit

Catalyzing win-win collaborations for global health and development

With funding support from the USA National Institutes of Health

WELCOME

The Global Health Catalyst (GHC) summits are a world leading platform for catalyzing high impact global health collaborations with main focus on cancer and other diseases where collaboration are needed to have a major impact. The success of the GHC summits, which started at Harvard in 2015, has resulted in more support to grow organization of the summits at different top USA institutions and partners across the world to catalyze win-win collaborations. Given the global participation and collaborations involved with the GHC summits, the content expressed on this website does not reflect the views of any institution or those providing support or funding.

Join us for the HOPE+ Summit
@ Harvard/MIT & Online
September 19–21, 2025

Global Health at the very best level with world leaders, faculty, students, leaders from industry, health care institutions, faith/community-based organizations, professional societies, government leaders, cancer advocates, athletes, survivors, artists, across disciplines all coming together to learn, network and collaborate for global health and development.

Co-organized/Hosted By:

Harvard Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention
Center for Global Health Equity at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
The Religion and Global Health Forum at Garrett
University of Massachusetts Lowell Medical Physics Program.
Johns Hopkins CaREER program

What to Expect at the summit

Education and high impact win-win collaborations at the best levels; the summits are unique in that way, that everyone can learn, feel they belong and collaborate; it does not matter your background
Powerful transformative highly educational TED-style talks and keynotes by global health leaders, industry leaders, ministers, and innovators.
Implementation of the worlds first AI-powered Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Cloud (C4), which can be accessed from anywhere in the world
C4-powered collaborations panels on cancer prevention, imaging/diagnosis, radiotherapy, medical/surgical oncology, palliative and whole person healthcare
C4 Whole Person Healthcare Kiosks for community/faith-based organizations
Innovative financing approaches and support for the Global Cancer Fund
Interactive youth-led sessions showcasing innovation and grassroots action
Special outreach evenings featuring diaspora and faith-based engagement
Collaborative exhibit space for partnerships, demos,
Preview of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on NCDs
Networking with the very best in global oncology/health
And more collaborations including with the Global Oncology University partnerships with other universities and medical centers around the world

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Discounted hotel rooms are available on the logistics page

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Review the Program/agenda

Powerful speakers, educational sessions, networking and collaboration, collaboration collaboration.

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Join the HOPE+ Competition

🎤 Sing. 💃 Dance. 🎙️ Speak. 🎨 Create. 📢 Share.

Mobilizing Hope and Action against cancer

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GHC's Collaboration Impact at a Glance

10,000+

Trainees via the the GHC's Global Oncology University collaborative education platform

New Cancer Centers support being established in low and middle income countries.

$180M

catalyzed for collaborative research funding on cancer starting in 2025

33,000+

Empowered for collaboration including Young Global Health Catalysts

$1.4B+

catalyzed in cancer funding announcements involving collaborations between the USA and other Countries

100+

Diaspora organizations for global health collaborations

1000+

Travel and professional development awards to catalyze collaborations

The world's premier comprehensive cancer center in the cloud powered by AI to increase access to CARE (Care, Advocacy, Research, Education) for millions across the world

25+

Major Policy recommendations supported for adoption by governments across the world including a World Health Organization resolution

20+

Young Global Health Catalysts and Debate Clubs empowering Youth for Global/Mental Health, to shape their future

100+

Publications and books towards addressing global health disparities including the Textbook: Approaching Global Oncology: The win-win model

30+

Faith-based Organizations for Whole Person Health powered by the Religion and Global Health Forum at Drew and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Collaboration

The GHC Summits help catalyze collaborations in 4 CORE (Care, Outreach/Advocacy, Research, Education) areas, where any or everyone can collaborate. The CORE areas include the following

Care

In Care, the GHC Summits catalyze collaborations to increase access to Care with focus on Cancer, Mental Health and other non-communicable diseases leveraging advanced information and communication technologies including AI. Transformative collaborative initiatives here include the establishment of the World's Premier Comprehensive Cancer/Care Center in the Cloud (C4) powered by AI, integrating Whole Person Health, and the International Phytomedicine Institute.. The C4 has local hubs across the world including ongoing support building 7 new Cancer Centers serving as local C4 hubs of excellence

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Outreach

In Outreach the GHC Summits catalyze major collaborations with governments, industry, policy makers, healthcare institutions, students, foundations, community/faith-based organizations, diaspora, healthcare advocates, athletes, and other stakeholders. Key Outreach initiatives include the yearly GHC summits, Sing for Global Health and GHC Debates and collaboration with Breast Care International for community outreach and awareness campaigns reaching hundreds of thousands a year.

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Research

In Research the GHC Summits catalyze win-win collaborations via the C4, including growing ongoing multi-country clinical trials, implementation research, and citizen science projects, supported with collaborative grant funding and other support from government agencies, Industry, foundations, Diaspora, Faith-based/community organizations and other stakeholders.

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Education

In Education, the GHC summits catalyze collaborative education activities via the Global Oncology University (GO-U), with an award-winning collaborative education model.. GO-U provides opportunity for access to the same world-class education and training provided by faculty from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Oxford and other world leading institutions helping turn brain drain to brain circulation and global health gain.

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Some Recent GHC highlights

May 24, 2025: Passage of the World Health Organization Resolution on Medical Imaging

One of the major outcomes of the 2024 GHC summit at Johns Hopkins has been the passage of the World Health Organization Resolution on STRENGTHENING MEDICAL IMAGING CAPACITY.
Collaboration to have Cameroon to be the lead country sponsor of this resolution started at the summit and has involved the extraordinary leadership of Prof Hedi Hricak who chaired the Lancet Oncology Commission on Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine. The GHC was also a critical catalyst for the Lancet Oncology Commission for Sub-Saharan Africa which was one of the commissions supporting this resolution. Thanks to all the amazing collaborators and co-sponsors and supporters of the resolution. We look forward to celebrating at the upcoming GHC summits, and then continuing to work with different countries towards implementation.

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May 16, 2025: GHC and Uzima University collaborate to organize conference on Cancer

Over 3000 people registered for the 2025 GHC-Uzima University Conference on IMPROVING CANCER CONTROL THROUGH EARLY DETECTION AND DIAGNOSIS. Uzima University is one of the key GHC stakeholders in Kenya building on the initial groundwork on collaborations began at the GHC summits at Harvard in 2017 and 2019 with His Excellency Governor Peter Anyang' Nyong'o.

Many participants and students from Uzima University and across the world are now registering to participate in the upcoming GHC summits and the courses offered on the Global Oncology University.

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July 2024: White House Africa Cancer Care Forum announcing over $100M in new actions

Catalyzing USA-Africa collaborations: Prof Wil Ngwa moderated the live panel discussion at the White House during the premier White House Africa Cancer Forum. The event convened over 12 African nations to assess national priorities in cancer care as part of their comprehensive national strategy for improving health care systems and population health outcomes. During the event, the Biden Cancer Moonshot announced over $100 million in new actions – from the Federal Government and private sector – to address the growing cancer crises in Africa.

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December 2024: GHC Summit Bangladesh with Bangladesh Head of Government and Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus

Catalyzing SAARC country collaborations: His Excellency Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser (interim head of government) of Bangladesh and Nobel Laureate inaugurated the Lancet Oncology Series on Cancer Care in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries led by Prof Saiful Huq. The event was organized with the Oncology Club of Bangladesh, a GHC collaborating champion of cancer control in the SAARC region. Thie Lancet Oncology series provides a foundation for growing GHC-SAARC collaborations

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October 2024: Sod-Cutting Ceremony establishing the Otumfour Osei Tutu II Comprehensive Cancer Center of Excellence

Catalyzing the establishment of world-class Cancer Center in Ghana that will revolutionize cancer care, research and education in Africa. GHC working with Breast Care International launched the $100 million oncology center of excellence project.. Led by Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, the 52-acre facility will be known as Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Comprehensive Cancer Center of Excellence (CCCoE), a tribute to the 16th King of Asante Kingdom.The CCCoE will also serve as a medical tourism hub for Africa powered by AI and other advanced information and communication technologies linking the center with partners at the world's leading institutions, to ensure access to world-class care.. The event followed the GHC summit Ghana led by Prof Stephen Avery of the University of Pennsylvania.

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October 2024. The GHC leadership at the forefront in the White House for catalyzing the establishment of a Global Cancer Fund

GHC leaders have been working with the USA government to establish a Global Cancer Fund that can power win-win collaborations between the USA and other countries. .The Global Cancer Fund is envisioned to harness collective efforts from governments, the private sector, non-profits and international organizations to address the cancer crises in the USA and globally. Some organizations involved include the World Bank, AACR, ASCO, ASTRO, Pfizer, Amazon Web Services, etc

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GHC Summit at Johns Hopkins leads to new funding from NIH for the Cancer Research Education Excellence in Radiotherapy (CaREER) program

The CaREER program at Johns Hopkins is an example of an outcome from the 2022 Global Health Catalyst summit at Johns Hopkins funded by the USA National Institutes of Health. The overall goal of the CaREER program is to train the next generation of scientists, technologists and physicians who will be empowered to pursue careers involving research in emerging and transformative areas of radiotherapy. These transformative areas of research have major potential to address radiotherapy limitations in substantial ways, extend radiotherapy to curative treatment of both local and metastatic disease, and reduce disparities with innovations to reduce treatment time and cost, enhance patient convenience, and significantly increase survival and quality of life for cancer patients.

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First Ladies Cancer Moonshot Event highlighting the power of collaborations

USA First Lady Dr Jill Biden hosted African First ladies to collaborate on Reducing the Cancer Burden in Africa. The event highlighted the power of collaborations with bold deliverables and new announcements from U.S. departments and agencies and the private sector of over $300 million to drastically improve cancer outcomes in Africa. The event followed outreach by the GHC in launching of the Lancet Oncology Commission for sub-Saharan Africa with African First ladies including the First Lady of Rwanda Her Excellency Jeannette Kagame, and the First Lady of Ghana Her Excellency Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

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NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson and Rob Sims champion collaboration for education on global phytomedicine and medical cannabis

During the Global Health Catalyst summit at the University of Pennsylvania in 2023, Calvin Johnson and Rob Sims met with global health leaders and Ambassadors to launch a premier education program on phytomediciine and medical cannabis with The International Phytomedicine and Medical Cannabis Institute (IPI). The IPI is a high impact collaborative initiative launched during the Global Health Catalyst summit at Harvard Medical School in 2019. This was powered by a touch-down donation from NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, major collaborations with industry and government leaders including the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries of Jamaica the Honorable Audley Shaw

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The Director of the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) Dr Helene M. Langevin speaks at the GHC summit on Whole Person Health

At the GHC summit at Johns Hopkins, Dr Helen Langevin spoke during the Religion and Global Health Forum session on the importance of Whole Person Health. Whole person health focuses on integrating the physical, mental and spiritual healing. Instead of treating diseases one at a time, once they occur. it combines psychological, nutritional, and physical interventions and self-care to address the whole person proactively. The GHC is now catalyzing collaborations with faith-based/community leaders via the C4 powered by technology/AI to dramatically increase access to Whole Person Health, especially at a time when the world is grappling with a surge in chronic conditions including mental health

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High impact global health catalyst summits

May 2022: First Lady of Ghana joins the GHC in launch of the Lancet Oncology Commission for sub-Saharan Africa

The GHC is at the forefront of catalyzing high impact collaborations to address the growing cancer crises in sub-Saharan Africa. The First Lady of Ghana joined the GHC summit to launch the Lancet Oncology commision report for sub-Saharan Africa which calls for urgent action needed to curb a growing crisis in cancer incidence and mortality. Without rapid interventions, data estimates show a major increase in cancer mortality from 520 348 in 2020 to about 1 million deaths per year by 2030.

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September 2022: European launch of The Lancet Oncology Commission on Cancer in sub-Saharan Africa

Her Excellency Jeannette Kagame was guest of honor in Sweden where the Global Health Catalyst launched the Lancet Oncology Commission for sub-Saharan Africa in Europe. The First Lady especially called for political will and commitment in the fight to end cervical cancer. “Bridging the gap between political will to see positive change occur, and our health system’s ability to effect this change, falls under the advocacy umbrella that many First Ladies carry, yes. But in that, we should never be alone,” she added.

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February 2024: President Hussein Ali Mwinyi of Zanzibar leads Tanzania - US Investors’ forum collaborating on the Future of Cancer Care in Africa

The Government of Tanzania signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the GHC to catalyze the establishment of the Tanzania - USA Regional Advanced Cancer Centre of Excellence (TRACCE), a state-of-the-art facility for Cancer care, Education, Innovation, and Research catering for Sub-Saharan Africa and serving as a Medical Tourism Hub in East Africa. The event followed the launch of the Lancet Oncology Commission for sub-Saharan Africa in September 2022 with the Honorable Minister of Health

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May 2023: Ambassadors and NFL Players including NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson join the Global Health Catalyst summit at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

The Global Health Catalyst Summit at the University of Pennsylvania led by Prof Stephen Avery was a resounding success, to grow the international phytomedicine Institute and with major new collaborations involving different countries and institutions. Some outcomes include new collaborations with the University of Jordan, Romania and North Macedonia to establish new centers of excellence and be part of the Global Oncology University.

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Bipartisan/Diverse Voices and speakers at the GHC summits all united against Cancer

Include: Government leaders (presidents, Members of Congress, Ministers, Ambassadors), First Ladies, Global Health Leaders, Nobel Prize winners, Cancer Center Directors, world leading healthcare professionals, Celebrity health advocates, students, residents, cancer patients, artists, diaspora, religious leaders, industry leaders etc all focused on win-win collaborations