Global Health Security Forum
Strengthening Global Health Security Through Collaboration and Innovation
November 5, 2025
UBC Robson Square, Vancouver, BC and Virtual
The Global Health Security Forum brought together public health practitioners, researchers, Indigenous leaders, and policymakers to explore emerging threats and opportunities in global health security. Hosted by the UBC Centre for Disease Control in partnership with the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Pacific Public Health Foundation, the Forum created space for dialogue, shared learning, and collective action toward a more resilient and equitable global health future.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online. Below you will find full recordings of each session, available on demand.
About the Forum
The Forum examined the evolving landscape of global health security including what we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, how we strengthen preparedness systems, and why equity, self-determination, and Indigenous rights must be central to global health security.
The event featured:
- A keynote address from a global public health leader
- Spotlight talks from international, national, provincial, and local experts across sectors
- A panel discussion exploring priorities for future action
The event took place on the traditional, ancestral and unceded homelands of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations
Presentation Recordings
Click the links below to watch the recordings:
Keynote Presentation – Rethinking Global Health Security in the Post-COVID Crisis Era — Are we better prepared
Maria D. Van Kerkhove, Director a.i., Epidemic and Pandemic Management, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Programme, World Health Organization
Presentation – Indigenous health and rights at the forefront of health security
Shannon Waters, Deputy Provincial Health Officer, British Columbia, Canada
Presentation – Public trust and health security
Heidi J Larson, Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
Presentation – Misinformation and tackling misinformation—what is needed at the global scale
Tara Kirk Sell, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Johns Hopkins University, USA
Presentation – Data, equity and intelligence: Building inclusive surveillance systems
Naveed Janjua, Director, UBC Centre for Disease Control, University of British Columbia, Canadal Medicine, UK
Presentation – Are we ready to tackle another pandemic: vaccine from development to uptake?
Natasha Crowcroft, Vice President, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada
Presentation – One Health approach to tackle emerging threats
Hung Nguyen-Viet, Regional Director Asia, International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya
Panel Discussion – Where do we go from here? Building a resilient global health future
Moderated by Jat Sandhu, Chief Strategy Officer, BC Centre for Disease Control, British Columbia, Canada
Panelists:
Maria D. Van Kerkhove, Director a.i., Epidemic and Pandemic Management, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Programme, World Health Organization
Natasha Crowcroft, Vice President, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada
Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer, British Columbia, Canada
Shannon Waters, Deputy Provincial Health Officer, British Columbia, Canada
Réka Gustafson, Vice President, Population & Public Health and Chief Medical Health Officer, Island Health, British Columbia, Canada
Erica Pan, Director and State Public Health Officer, California Department of Public Health, USA
Tara Kirk Sell, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Johns Hopkins University, USA
Stefan Raos, General Manager, Moderna Canada
Program Materials
- Global Health Security Forum Program
- Speaker Biographies
- Event Summary: A written summary of key takeaways, themes, and participant reflections will be available soon. Check back here for updates.
Sponsorship provided by:
Questions?
Please reach out to rounds@bccdc.ca for any questions and a member of our organizing team will be happy to assist you.