Change is a constant theme at CAMH these days, one that the Office of International Health (OIH) is fully embracing. As it prepares for a new, transformative phase, the OIH is focusing on the causes and consequences resulting from growing global mental health inequities.
To meet this challenge, CAMH will build new health-promoting, primary health care networks with institutions in low-resourced countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, as well as with communities in Ontario.
Inspiration for transformative focus
The decision to adopt a transformative focus follows CAMH’s catalytic conversation on global health in February 2012. CAMH is now ready to address the current set of global mental health challenges by re-positioning the OIH as the Office of Transformative Global Health (OTGH).
The newly minted OTGH will organize its work around five major themes that emerged during the catalytic conversation:
- the fundamental role of primary health care;
- wide health inequities within and between countries;
- pro-recovery approaches (including the active prevention of stigma/discrimination);
- transformative technological innovations; and, sustainable impacts on practice.
The OTGH will capitalize on the success of earlier efforts of the OIH and tap into new opportunities. It will employ a systems perspective that engages the latest social and epidemiological research at CAMH as well as promising practices developed by secondary and tertiary care partners around the world. The OTGH will also focus local action research and systemic program evaluation to encourage greater evidence based decisions and policy making.
As part of the Social and Epidemiological Research Department (SER), the OTGH will be better able to draw on research knowledge and expertise to maximize innovation and impact for the purpose of transformative change at the systems level.
Contact Information
Phone: 416-535-8501 ext. 6090