Webinar: Health equity research and action in Latin America

As part of Global Public Health Week 2026, this webinar will focus on opportunities for capacity development in research and action for health equity in Latin America. The webinar is co-organized by the Health Equity Network of the Americas, the UIC School of Public Health Global Health Program and the University of Costa Rica Center for Research in Nursing and Healthcare.

The webinar will examine the influence of the international political environment — particularly current U.S. federal policies — on research and actions aimed at advancing health equity across the region.

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Through a critical reading of the current context, the webinar will explore how these dynamics affect Latin American countries and their capacity to generate and apply evidence on health equity. It will also highlight concrete opportunities to strengthen national and regional capacities in ways that reduce structural dependence on external resources. In addition, the role of U.S. academia in this evolving landscape will be discussed, including its potential contributions to a more equitable and collaborative global health agenda.

This webinar aims to identify strategic pathways to foster greater regional autonomy in health research and action, while promoting dialogue among academic and professional stakeholders committed to advancing health equity in Latin America.

Speakers:

• Dr. Carlos Cáceres, Health Equity Network of the Americas Board of Directors and vice-rectorate of research at Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University
• Dr. Gerry Eijkemans, director of the Department of Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity, Pan American Health Organization
• Dr. Linda Forst, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Environmental and Occupational Health, UIC School of Public Health
• Luis Fernando Solís, technical secretariat of the Health Equity Network of the Americas Center for Research in Nursing and Healthcare, University of Costa Rica