Global Health Institute

This year we commemorate the centennial of the global 1918 influenza pandemic, one of the most catastrophic events of the past century, that killed millions and wreaked havoc on the global economy. Although infectious diseases, such as influenza, have caused massive mortality and morbidity rates in the twentieth century, in 2018 attention has shifted from infectious diseases to chronic diseases. While we have made great strides to reduce the number of deaths due to infectious diseases since the 1918 pandemic, humanity again faces the threat of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases in a rapidly changing and increasingly connected world.

The CUGH Annual Conference brings together leaders, professionals, educators, and students to explore, discuss, and critically assess the global health landscape. This year’s theme, Healthy People, Healthy Ecosystems: Implementation, Leadership, and Sustainability in Global Health, reflects the growing realization that our physical and planetary health are inextricably linked. In this discussion, Georgetown student attendees from a diversity of university disciplines and degree programs reflect on the conference, and its associated themes.