I will be attending theGlobal Health & Innovation Conferencenext month in New Haven (Yale University), and looking through the programme brought to mind again our recently publishedBorn Too Soonsupplement which I’ve been working on forReproductive Health.

TheMaternal and Child Healthspeakers at the conference are plentiful, and focus is very much centred on infant and maternal mortality, particularly in low resource settings and poor rural environments. The supplement’s focus was on preterm birth and reducing both maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity – particularly within middle- and low-income countries, so I’m looking forward to hearing some new insights on these topics from experts in the field.

In fact, as I’ve talked to colleagues I have (perhaps unsurprisingly) seen plenty of our other research which relates to the topics being spoken about at the conference. In particular, ourMedicine for Global Healthseries inBMC Medicine, which aims to cover all aspects of global health, also draws parallels to theHealthcare Delivery Models and Impact Measurementtalks, emphasising the need to improve access to healthcare and implementation of these measures in middle- and low-income countries.

Mortality estimates are one important aspect of assessing global healthcare needs – determination of the causes of death can help to influence policies that may, in future, help to prevent these deaths. As part of the series,BMC Medicinepublished a selection ofarticlesandblogson these issues, in addition to a wide range of other articles ranging in subject from HIV, to malaria, to mother and child health. It is great to see these issues being given the prominence they deserve and being discussed with openness at conferences on this scale.

With over 300 speakers, presenting lectures and workshops, and offering their insights into global health and social entrepreneurship, this conference looks set to be a busy, bustling, educational and thought-provoking. If you are attending, I look forward to seeing you there!

Natasha Salaria
Journal Development Editor

BMC will be exhibiting at this conference and you can find us in the Shubert Theatre, 247 College St, New Haven, CT 06510, United States