The Canadian Society for International Health

(CSIH) brings the Canadian global health

community together to better achieve a

shared goal of improving health worldwide.

CSIH accomplishes its mission by providing

spaces for its members and the broader

Canadian global health community to

share knowledge and build partnerships,

by improving health systems through

international projects, and by preparing

future global health leaders.

Table of Contents Co-Chairs’ Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Executive Director’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Networking Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Global HCV Network in Canada . . . . . . . . . . 4

World Hepatitis Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Canadian Conference on Global Health 2015 . . 5

Leadership Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

MentorNet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

International Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Kazakhstan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Mongolia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Study Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Financial Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Membership and Lifetime Achievement . . . . . . . 8

Board and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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Message from the Co-Chairs

The year 2015 witnessed the end of the Millennium Development Goals and the beginning of a new era driven by the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Development Goal # 3 is to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” Targets address issues including maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, substance abuse, road accidents, mental health and communicable diseases.

To tackle the multiple health, social and environmental components of the SDGs, the global health community must develop new ways of working together. We must join forces with people and organizations engaged in global health policy and programming, prevention and awareness-raising, research and analysis, monitoring and evaluation. We must develop and support best practices in the delivery of health care.

Working together makes it possible to join resources, knowledge and experience to better understand and solve complex issues whose solutions lie outside the capacity and responsibility of a single player.

Just as networks are essential to tackle the SDGs, networks are important to the work we do at CSIH. 2015 marked a year of growth and change for CSIH, and a renewed appreciation for our colleagues, our members, and all the people and organizations with whom we share the vision of a healthy tomorrow for all.

Collaboration is increasingly essential because our fates on this planet are inextricably connected. If we are to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages,” we must join forces and do it together.

Catherine Dickson

Jacques Girard CSIH Co-Chairs

Message from the Executive Director

In 2015, CSIH continued to build on its strength: bringing people together to improve global health.

To do so, we increased our capacity as an organization. Our community of members and partners grew, as did our staff with the addition of three positions. At the end of 2015, I officially became Executive Director after more than 15 years with the organization in various roles.

Our programs provide opportunities for collaboration at many levels with a wide variety of stakeholders. The technical cooperation projects in Kazakhstan and Mongolia have allowed us to learn and face new challenges together with our global partners.

The success of the MentorNet program is another indication of the need to share ideas and experiences in this field of global health. In 2015, a record number of mentor-mentee pairs journeyed together for eight months of mutual learning.

Another example is the World Hepatitis Day campaign in Canada, which saw organizations across Canada joining in the national movement to raise awareness and encourage behaviour change and testing.

Add to that our ever-growing number of participants at the Canadian Conference on Global Health. Alongside the plenaries, workshops and poster presentations, some of the best moments were in the hub, where small groups gathered in informal conversation with the presenters.

CSIH is dedicated to creating spaces for staff and interns and partners and students and mentors and consultants and researchers and healthcare professionals and public health organizations and NGOs and all of this huge and diverse community to share, to learn and to work together towards our common goal of improving health worldwide.

Eva Slawecki Executive Director, CSIH

Working Together Towards the Sustainable Development Goals

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Networking ProgramsGlobal HCV Network in Canada

CSIH works on facilitating Hepatitis C (HCV) knowledge exchange and bridging the gap between Canadian and global initiatives.

•CSIH representatives attended the World Hepatitis Summit and pre-summit event in Glasgow, Scotland along with 600 delegates from some 100 countries. CSIH made a presentation at the Summit workshop on the WHD Campaign in Canada with a focus on media outreach.

•CSIH organized a one-day workshop for global health researchers working on HIV and HCV on as a satellite event of the Canadian Conference on Global Health. The workshop was organized in partnership with the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) and targeted 19 emerging HIV and HCV researchers.  

•CSIH took part in the Advisory Committee for Newcomer, Migrant and Refugee Health: National Stakeholder Meeting, organized by the International Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD).

•A panel on hepatitis C challenges and future steps was organized at CCGH which included international participants who presented on the hepatitis C response.

•CSIH representatives participated at the Liver Gala (liver related disease fundraising/advocacy event) on November 5th in Ottawa.

•CSIH HCV program director attended the Second Hepatitis Cure and Eradication meeting on November 11th  – 12th in Vancouver.

•CSIH’s Senior Technical Adviser became a member of the CanHepC working Group on Knowledge Translation and Implementation.

•On December 4th, CSIH presented on the WHD campaign at the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity’s (CCGSD’s) Canadian National Youth Forum & Conversation on Sexually Transmitted & Blood-Borne Infections (STBBIs).

World Hepatitis Day

Again in 2015, CSIH coordinated the activities for World Hepatitis Day in Canada. From east to west, more than 90 events were put together by more than 55 Canadian organizations. From small community centres, to city halls, to indigenous communities, to downtown streets, Canadians heard the message: “Prevent Hepatitis: it’s up to you. Get tested.” Through both traditional and social media platforms, the hepatitis awareness campaign reached about 3.5 million Canadians in both official languages.

The campaign was also marked by the illumination in red and amber of the nation’s most famous landmarks, including Niagara Falls, the CN Tower in Toronto, the Ottawa Heritage Building, Halifax City Hall and the British Columbia Place Arena.

CSIH produced a short video ensuring that Canadian voices were included in a global call-to-action video. “We want a world without viral Hepatitis” launched at the opening ceremony of the World Hepatitis Summit in Glasgow.

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Canadian Conference on Global Health 2015

More than 660 participants from 43 countries gathered in Montreal from November 5-7, 2015 to explore the theme “Capacity-building for global health: research and practice.”

The Canadian Conference on Global Health (CCGH) provided a forum for practitioners, researchers, educators, students, policy makers and community mobilizers interested in global health to share knowledge and experience and promote innovation and collaborative action.

The program included four plenary sessions hosting 12 keynote speakers, 97 oral presentations, 190 posters, 20 participants making virtual presentations by video and the screening of three documentary films. These sessions were selected from a record number of over 700 abstract submissions.

An exciting addition to the conference lineup in 2015 was the Training Hub. This was a space for participants to network with the expert presenters, allowing young researchers and students to further engage in their field and build their capacity in global health.

Another highlight was the participation of more than 100 delegates from 36 low and middle income countries (LMIC). CCGH sponsored 48 LMIC speakers to attend and present papers and posters as well as 3 LMIC keynote speakers.

Exceptionally in 2016, CSIH will be partnering with Health Systems Global to organize the Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research to be held in Vancouver, November 14-18.

Leadership DevelopmentMentorNet

CSIH MentorNet is a unique mentorship program that is aimed at connecting Students and Young Professionals (SYPs) with experts in the field of global health. Mentor-SYP pairs connect roughly once a month over a period of eight months, and use a module-based curriculum to discuss common global health interests. By connecting current and future global health leaders, the program offers a valuable platform to build global health capacity and creates a more collaborative Canadian global health workforce.

During the 2015 year, the program received a record number of 195 SYP applications, with 35 SYP-mentor pairs going on to complete the program.

Among other accomplishments, the MentorNet team presented at the Canadian Conference on Global Health in Montreal, Canada and at the Consortium of Universities in Global Health Conference in Boston, United States. The volunteer leaders also developed new educational materials for MentorNet, and the “Co-directors Message” and “SYP reflections” were launched as platforms to connect with internal participants and external audiences.

The year 2015 also marked a change in leadership as Caity Jackson, MentorNet co-director for four years, stepped aside and Shweta Dhawan and Emily Kocsis took on the co-director responsibilities.

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International ProjectsDisease Management, Kazakhstan

Health Technology Transfer and Institutional Reform

CSIH wrapped up its final project in Kazakhstan in November 2015. The project, which focused on Chronic Disease Management (CDM), took place over a year, and closed with promising results.

The program focused on three different diseases: chronic heart failure, diabetes and hypertension. Through a series of four learning sessions and various coaching visits, regional polyclinics learned to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide evidence-based care to their patients. The concept of patient self-management support was also emphasized, and polyclinics were encouraged to work with patients to set personal goals and develop individualized plans for improving their health and managing their condition. Finally, a computerized clinical patient registry was developed for use by polyclinics to track data on patient’s conditions, and verify systematically whether all tests, drugs and treatments have been delivered.

These activities should lead, over time, to measurable improvements in patient’s health and ability to manage their disease(s).

It is expected that this method will be rolled-out eventually a national level. The Kazakhstan Ministry of Health has been actively involved in the implementation of this project, and has shown great interest in incorporating CDM into their National Health Strategy.

Strengthening Health Systems: Mongolia

Blood Safety, Medical Waste Management, and Infection Prevention and Control

Significant progress was made in 2015 as CSIH entered into the second year of a 3.5 year project in Mongolia. While the first phase of the project focused on scoping missions and assessments of existing resources and capacities, this year’s work was dedicated to developing training materials, conducting educational workshops, and providing recommendations on new infrastructure and equipment needed to improve health facilities nationwide.

In the blood component of the project, the set-up of a new National Centre for Transfusion Medicine is well underway. Under Medical Waste, equipment recommendations for waste management in health facilities and at a central waste plant have been completed.

A pilot project was initiated on active surveillance of hospital-acquired infections, a first of its kind in Mongolia. The results will help to form a model for incorporating Infection Prevention Control (IPC) into other healthcare facilities across the country.

Moving into 2016, as infrastructure continues to develop in Mongolia, a strong focus will be placed on preparing stakeholders to implement new practices, use new equipment, and follow the recommended standard operating procedures within health facilities.

Study Tour: Chronic Disease Management in Canada

In the summer of 2015, the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development in Kazakhstan asked CSIH to conduct two Study Tours on the development and implementation of chronic disease management programs (DMP) in Canada. Specialists involved in DMP implementation in Kazakhstan travelled to British Columbia to learn first-hand from government agencies, NGOs, and health facilities about the practical implementation of chronic disease management.

Delegates learned about the inter actions amongst stakeholders, support services for patients with chronic conditions, physician incentives and financial arrangements, and the medical care provisions for patients with chronic diseases.

The Study Tour was a hands on learning opportunity, and allowed delegates to reflect both on how the Canadian teachings can be incorporated into practice in Kazakhstan, as well as the advantages of the existent Kazakhstan health system. One participant observed, “Everywhere … all the services are focused on the patient. No matter who the patient is or where they come from, they serve the needs of the patient.”

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STATEMENT OF OPERATIONSFOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015

2015 2014

REVENUE

Projects - Technical assistance

$ 2,311,754 $ 1,057,971

Global Health Conferences 394,352 223,254

Public Health Agency of Canada

197,914 177,136

Gain on exchange rate 43,256 8,548

Memberships 7,170 7,310

Other 17,956 17,639

2,972,402 1,491,858

EXPENSES

Technical assistance 1,690,914 863,108

Global Health Conferences 350,855 220,745

Facilitation and enablement 212,249 177,136

Program development 38,781 41,548

Administrative expenses

Salaries and benefits 67,502 68,378

Variable costs 50,439 30,501

Fixed costs 40,886 37,017

Governance 12,691 20,974

Other 1,672 284

2,465,989 1,459,691

EXCESS OF REVENUE OVER EXPENSES

$ 506,413 $ 32,167

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETSFOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015

Unrestricted Contingency Reserve Fund

2015 Total 2014 Total

BALANCE, BEGINNING OF YEAR $ 37,511 $ - $ 37,511 $ 5,344

Excess of revenue over expenses 506,413 - 506,413 32,167

Internal restriction (250,000) 250,000 - -

BALANCE, END OF YEAR $ 293,924 $ 250,000 $ 543,924 $ 37,511

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITIONDECEMBER 31, 2015

Assets 2015 2014

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash $ 781,872 $ 202,774

Accounts receivable 149,788 120,051

Work in progress 226,790 217,866

Prepaid expenses 13,844 11,689

$ 1,172,294 $ 552,380

Liabilities

CURRENT LIABILITIES

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$ 261,636 $ 346,321

Deferred revenue 366,734 168,548

628,370 514,869

NET ASSETS

Unrestricted 293,924 37,511

Internal restriction-Contingency Reserve Fund

250,000 -

543,924 37,511

$ 1,172,294 $ 552,380

Financial Report

To download a complete copy of the 2015 audited financial statements, please visit www.csih.org.

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Board of DirectorsKate Dickson, Co-Chair

Jacques Girard, Co-Chair

Shawna O’Hearn, Co-Chair Elect

L. Duncan Saunders, Past Co-Chair

Aslam Bhatti, Secretary-Treasurer

James B. Chauvin, Director

Dr. David Buckeridge, Director

Geneviève Dubois-Flynn, Director

Melissa Follen, Director

Suzanne Clarke, Student Representative

MentorNet Volunteer DirectorsShweta Dhawan, Co-director Emily Kocsis, Co-director

CSIH recognizes the important contribution of the consultants, volunteers, committee members, field staff and partners who have participated in the realization of its mission.

Staff (December 2015)Eva Slawecki, Executive Director

Bob Abma, Financial Director

Sarah Brown, Conference Manager

Marg Buchanan, Communications Manager

Catherine Burrows, Project Coordinator

Philmona Kebedom, Project Coordinator

Ecaterina Perean Damian, Program Manager

Jeannine Richard, Administration Coordinator

Grace Zhou, Accounting Coordinator

Membership and Lifetime AchievementCSIH members include healthcare professionals, epidemiologists, professors, students, researchers, political and social scientists and international development specialists, among others. Every year, CSIH presents a Lifetime Achievement Award to one of its exceptional members. The 2015 award was presented to Dr. Rachel Thibeault at the Canadian Conference on Global Health in Montreal in November.

A Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Thibeault specializes in Community-Based Rehabilitation, psychosocial care, peer support and issues of meaning and

resilience in hard-to-access settings, communities affected by HIV/AIDS and ex or current conflict areas. For the past 35 years, she has worked in the High Arctic, South East Asia, Latin America, the

Caribbean, Europe, Africa and the Middle East with war and torture survivors, AIDS orphans, child soldiers and people living with leprosy. For her work for and with vulnerable populations, she was awarded in 2013 the title of Officer of the Order of Canada and, in 2015, an Honorary Degree from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. 

Congratulations Dr. Thibeault. CSIH thanks you for your contribution to global health.

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