Information shapes health outcomes. But in today’s global landscape, misinformation can spread faster than evidence, eroding trust and leading to issues such as vaccine hesitancy.  At the same time, rapid advances in information technologies—including artificial intelligence—offer new tools for disease surveillance, personalised care, and public health communication.

 The 18th annual OGHI conference brings together leading and emerging researchers, practitioners, and advocates to discuss these issues and all other aspects of global health. Held in conjunction with the conference is the 2026 McAuley Oration, a free public lecture, which will focus on the conference theme.

 This year’s McAuley Orator is Chris Paton, who is Associate Professor in Health AI at the University of Auckland. He will speak on ‘AI for global health: opportunities, risks, and future developments’.

Keynote speakers are:

Professor Rovina Ruslami, Biomedical Science, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia

Associate Professor Esther Willing, Kōhatu Centre for Hauora Māori, University of Otago

Call for Papers:

Submission deadline: 14 September 2026

Submissions and further information: https://events.otago.ac.nz/2026oghi/call-for-papers

Email: oghiconference@otago.ac.nz