The boldness of wanting to take action all over the world at the same time is the healthy idea that the UC enthusiastically hosted with its intense participation in the M8 Alliance, through Coimbra Health entity (a joint partnership between the UC and the Coimbra Hospital and University Centre - CHUC), since 2015. Additional clarification is needed to fully understand the value of this choice:
- the M8 Alliance is today a coalition of 30 Academic Health Centres, Universities and National Academiesfrom around the world in 20 countries located on all continents and joined in the project to promote Global Health, which is accessed by demanding application procedure, following an exclusive invitation; it includes prestigious institutions such as Berlin's Charité, Baltimore's Johns Hopkins, Stockholm's Karolinska, London's Imperial College, Université de Montréal, University of São Paulo, Melbourne's Monash University, Rome's Sapienza… and Coimbra Health (UC ‑ CHUC);
- the M8 Alliance promotes the holding of World Health Summits (every year in October in Berlin) and Regional Health Summits (every year in April in a different country). Meetings of experts from around the world take place in common direct liaison with health authorities, represented at the highest level, including ministers and heads of state or government. This means that the wonderful dream of doctors, scientists and experts of directly influencing health policies, comes to life twice a year, with the implementation of concrete commitments assumed by States and experts, through joint written declarations, the M8 Declarations;
- the Coimbra Health partnership places Coimbra on the scene of major international decisions on health policies for the world and provides the M8 Alliance with a privileged path of active intervention in the African Portuguese-speaking countries. In fact, by right and by merit, Coimbra Health already organised the Regional Health Summit in Coimbra in 2018, it participates in the Executive Board of the M8 Alliance and in all world and regional health summits, it organised the first Summer School of the M8 Alliance and promoted the first Women Health Forum, both in Coimbra in 2019, and has already committed to the first M8 Alliance Expert Meeting on Women Health in Coimbra, in 2021. The UC and CHUC, together at Coimbra Health, disseminate Coimbra and Portugal in the field of Global Health, take the leading role in the worldwide contributions of their researchers, doctors, technicians and experts in the most diverse subjects, connect the developed world and the African Portuguese-speaking Countries, and contribute to the increase of the global value of Humankind's investment in health.
In Global Health, one takes action in the early stages of emerging infectious diseases, in the control of chronic diseases of great epidemiological expression, and in the study of new large-scale therapeutic interventions (such as, for example, the vaccination of large populations, the prevention of malaria or treatment of river blindness).
More recently, Global Health has detected, highlighted and decided to mobilize women's role in health: international organizations today devote specific and special attention to the involvement of women in health, as trainers or caregivers. Worldwide, about 75% of people working in healthcare are women and their mobilization and improvement of health skills are crucial to achieving one of the WHO Sustainable Development goals for 2030 - Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, in item 3.8: Achieve Universal Health Coverage.
In general terms, this is how the UC follows this healthy boldness of being, at Coimbra Health, on the stage of the Global Health world. With enthusiasm and success!
Adadapted from FIGUEIREDO, José Pedro* - Ousadia(s)... ou sadias IN Rua Larga : Revista da Reitoria da Universidade de Coimbra. Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Issue 54 (March 2020). ISSN 1645-765X.
*Prorector of the Universiity of Coimbra for Health and Bioethics