IGHNx: Global Health Reimagined

IGHNx: Global Health Reimagined

Inspiring Creativity, Enhancing Innovation, Promoting Activism 

Date:  Thursday 13th February 2025

Location: The Printworks, Dublin Castle

RECORDINGS PHOTOS EVALUATION FORM PROGRAMME

Welcome to the second installment of IGHNx the event that turns global health topics on their head, and challenges the way we think about common themes.

We first held this event in 2023 and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so we came back to do it all again! IGHNx: Global Health Reimagined is co-hosted with the HSE Global Health Programme and was held at Dublin Castle on Thursday 13th February 2025.

Keep an eye out here for more photos, recordings, and more coming soon!

In the meantime, why not check out all the highlights from IGHNx 2023

We appreciate all feedback to help us plan and improve future events. 

If you attended, and have not yet done so, please take a few moments to complete the event evaluation form. Thank you!

IGHNx 2025 Recordings

IGHNx 2025 Photos

Background

As an Irish community committed and passionate about equity, humanity, and inclusivity, we bring to you our very own version of a TEDx event; IGHNx. A break from our usual style of conference, this event steps away from the mainstream and delves into a world of diverse thinking, passion, and creativity. We want to flip the narrative and illuminate the much-discussed topics of global health in a whole new light. This event gave us an opportunity to come together as a community and discuss these topics to broaden our knowledge and understanding of them, and most importantly, to ensure that the communities we are fighting for, the farthest left behind, are brought to the forefront of these talks. 

The event consists of a variety of short talks on a range of topics related to global health. The talks will be interspersed with creative performances including music, poetry, comedy, storytelling, and more. Not forgetting our Global Health Village; set up like a village, with individual stalls representing NGO’s, higher education institutions, and various other organisations, it is a vibrant place for knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas. Additionally, the event provides wonderful opportunities for networking. 

The Talks 

The talks follow a TED talk format, where the topics discussed challenge your thinking and deliver thought-provoking questions on topics surrounding the broad theme of Global Health. Fundamental to each of these talks is their ability to inspire creativity, enhance innovation, and promote activism on each of the topic areas.  Although these talks are short, at just 13 minutes long, the knowledge possessed by the speakers on their topics and the passion they have for them will leave you with a whole new way of thinking about and approaching these topics. 

The Arts

We believe that the arts hold transformative power in shaping the conversation around global health, and in engaging new and broader audiences into the conversation. By combining creative performances—music, poetry, comedy, and storytelling—with expert talks, we aim to bridge the gap between science and emotion, data, and empathy. These artistic expressions serve as a powerful tool to humanise complex global health issues, making them more accessible, relatable, and impactful. Through this fusion of arts and global health, we hope to inspire fresh perspectives, provoke deeper reflection, and encourage innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

A Focus on Wellness

At IGHNx 2025, we believe that fostering wellness is essential for creating a holistic and engaging event experience. Throughout the day, attendees have the opportunity to participate in guided meditations, designed to provide moments of calm and reflection amid the stimulating discussions and performances. Additionally, we were pleased to offer chair massages provided by Mindwell, ensuring a touch of relaxation and rejuvenation. These wellness activities are curated to enhance the overall experience, promoting a balanced and mindful approach to the day’s events. 

Global Health Village

Continual Professional Development

IGHNx 2025: Global Health Reimagined is a CPD Accredited event. Full day attendance at this year’s event will entitle you to 9 CPD Points. 

Please contact us at [email protected] to claim your points.

Moderator

Fionnuala Moran, Irish Broadcaster, Sustainability Influencer & DJ, RTE2fm

Fionnuala Moran is an Irish broadcaster, sustainability influencer, and DJ who leads by example in the sustainable living space. Born in London and raised in Bray, Co Wicklow, from the age of two, she was inspired by the Garden of Ireland’s stunning landscapes to nurture a love for nature. A double graduate of DCU, with a BA in Communications and an MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media & Society, Fionnuala’s approach to climate communication emphasizes “support over shame” and “progress over perfection,” aiming to empower action. She shares accessible tips on sustainable living, with a focus on fashion and interiors, as she renovates her 1950s Dublin home with her fiancé Rebel Phoenix and their two rescue salukis, Farrah and Alfie. Fionnuala presents climate news on Virgin Media’s The Six O’Clock Show, celebrates new Irish music on RTÉ 2FM, and works as an event MC, DJ, and voiceover artist. She also serves as a charity ambassador for My Lovely Horse Rescue.

Opening Words

Caoimhe de Barra, CEO, Trócaire

Caoimhe de Barra is CEO of Trócaire, an Irish NGO that works in up to 20 of the world’s most fragile countries. Trócaire works with local partners in the world’s most at risk communities and with people in Ireland to tackle the underlying causes of poverty and injustice and respond to the crises they create.

Caoimhe has been Trócaire’s CEO since 2018. She has worked in a range of senior positions in Trócaire and in Concern Worldwide since 1997. She has spent 6 years living and working in Mozambique and Malawi in Southern Africa.  

Caoimhe has a track record of achieving impact at national and international levels in the fields of development, humanitarianism and human rights. She has led on both humanitarian and human rights programming and policy work at national and regional levels.

Caoimhe is President of CIDSE, an international family of Catholic social justice organisations. She is on the board of the Irish Emergency Alliance and is a former chair of the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence.

Speakers

Aoibhinn Walsh, Consultant Paediatrician with Special Interest in Inclusion Health

Talk Title: A Day in the Life – Global Health in Inner City Dublin

Aoibhinn is a Consultant Paediatrician with a special interest in Inclusion Health. She is the principal investigator and lead clinical researcher of the Lynn Clinic which looks at inclusive healthcare delivery to Paediatric populations experiencing social adversity e.g., children who are homeless, refugees and international protection applicants, and ethnic minorities who experience difficulty with engaging with healthcare services. 

Aoibhinn has always had an interest in healthcare delivery to marginalised children which was strengthened when she went overseas with Médecins Sans Frontières to work as an expatriate Paediatrician. Her current clinical focus is on the establishment and future planning of a Paediatric Inclusion Health service within Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) and the HSE to formalise care pathways for children at risk of social exclusion with a strong focus on a robust system of care between hospital and community health and social care practitioners. She has recently completed Ireland’s first Clinical Fellowship in Paediatric Inclusion Health and is a member of the Children’s Health Ireland Global Health steering group.

Dorly O’Sullivan, Global Health Volunteer, Atlantic Humanitarian Relief

Talk Title: The Third Age – Closing the Circle

Originally from Switzerland, Dorly O’Sullivan has been a GH volunteer in her adolescence, has lived in Ireland for over 50 years, where she has worked as a music teacher, as a senior teacher in a Steiner School, and as a mother in a very busy farming household in Co Kildare. In her third age, she finds herself working with Syrian children and adults as a GH volunteer with Atlantic Humanitarian Relief in Northern Jordan. 

Easkey Britton, Marine Social Scientist, Surfer, Writer, and Activist

Talk Title: Blue Attunement: Enhancing Health and Ocean Conservation through Deep Connection 

Easkey Britton is a pioneering marine social scientist, surfer, writer, and activist with a PhD in Environment and Society. Her research explores the intricate relationships between humans and nature, focusing on the health and wellbeing benefits of engaging with water environments. Britton combines science, art, and activism to address social and environmental challenges. Through her books, such as “Ebb and Flow” and “Saltwater in the Blood”, she uses storytelling to make scientific concepts more accessible. Her work empowers women, fosters cross-cultural connections, and advocates for environmental and social change, drawing on her deep connection to the ocean. 

James Swarray, Area Coordinator, Sierra Leone, GOAL Global

Talk Title: Shifting Entrenched Norms and Behaviours is Essential for Achieving Universal Health Coverage

A Sierra Leonean, from a family of 10 siblings and being the eldest son, I have over a decade of work experience in reproductive maternal new-born child and adolescent health (RMNCAH), Social and Behaviour Change (SBC), emergency preparedness and response and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) management. I hold a B.Sc. Honours, Community Health Systems and Clinical studies from Njala University in Sierra Leone and I am currently pursuing M.Sc. International Healthcare here in Ireland, I believed this course will prepare me better to be able to offer solutions towards emerging and re-emerging global health challenges in my country and the entire Global South.

My skills and desire to strengthen health system were built over the years in working with GOAL Sierra Leone, providing strategic project insight to our health team and the Ministry of Health on regularly basis, technical guidance on Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health issues, and leading the implementation and operationalisation of the health component of the Country Strategic Plan.

The Irish Embassy sharing a scholarship opportunity with my office, was a stepping stone for me to achieve my desired goal of becoming a global health development expert. This prestigious programme in Sligo offers me the opportunity to engage in interventions to tackle the key governance, human resources for health and leadership accountability issues impacting on our healthcare system in Sierra Leone.

Elizabeth Bannon, Midwife and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Queen’s University Belfast

Talk Title: Skills Save Lives

Dr Eliz Bannon is an honorary senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast with extensive experience as a midwife in the NHS until retirement. The link with education has been a theme throughout her career, she completed her doctorate in leadership development for midwives and she worked as a volunteer on several projects with midwives in Uganda, Bangladesh, and South Sudan to support their development with a focus on building leadership. She was conferred the honour of OBE for services to Midwifery within N. Ireland and holds membership with several organisations including; Trustee of the charity ELSSA (Essential Life Savings Skills for Africa), Chair of the Iolanthe Trust and Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives.

Isabelle Blum, Autism and Neurodiversity Advocate

Talk Title: My Experience With the Mental Health System as an Autistic Person

Isabelle is in her final year of secondary school and hopes to study psychology in university. She was diagnosed as autistic at age 11. She has been advocating for fellow autistic teenagers since she was 14, and it is genuinely something that she could not be more passionate about. She has made incredible friends and met truly amazing people through AsIAm, Ireland’s National Autism Charity, and she owes all of her success in her advocacy work to them. Like the majority of us, she has had firsthand experience with numerous health professionals in this country. As an autistic person, however, her experiences have been quite different compared to others, which is why she is passionate about advocating to make every aspect of Irish society more accessible for autistic and neurodivergent individuals alike. When she is not advocating (or studying for the Leaving Cert!), she enjoys running by the sea and reading psychological thrillers. 

Talha AlAli, Founder of Decolonised Minds, Palestinian Psychotherapist, Activist, Hip-Hop Artist, and Human Rights Defender

Talk Title: Healing Through Humanity: Trauma-Informed Care and Mental Health Advocacy in War Zones

Talha AlAli AKA Talha Wise Wolf, the founder of Decolonised Minds, is a Palestinian psychotherapist who’s also an activist, hip-hop artist and a human rights defender. Talha was born a few months before the start of the first Intifada, lived his teenage years in the West Bank during the second Intifada and started fighting for political change and social justice in the early 2000s through music and theatre. Then he became involved in work with civil society NGOs. Through his career, Talha worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders. Worked with ActionAid, and Amnesty International Ireland. Talha is currently working as a psychotherapist, and continuing to produce music, gig and visit schools to hold workshops on self expression through music and art.

Olivia Teahan, Sex Educator and Founder of Sx Sláinte

Talk Title: Let’s Talk About Sex: Why Pleasure Promotion is Key to Good Healthcare

Olivia Teahan is a sex educator based in Cork. Olivia founded the Sx Sláinte project to bring informative and engaging workshops and resources to adults of all demographics in Ireland. She holds a Bachelors in Law and Masters in Public Health from University College Cork, and is a trainee Psychosexual Therapist. She is especially interested in stigmatised health topics, with a a background in policy and community work on cancer awareness, women’s empowerment, harm reduction, migrant rights and LGBT+ health.

Ralph Hurley O’Dwyer, Specialist Registrar in Public Health at the Department of Public Health Dublin and Midlands

Talk Title: It’s Time for Multilingualism in Global Health!

Dr. Ralph Hurley O’Dwyer is a Specialist Registrar in Public Health at the Department of Public Health Dublin and Midlands. With a clinical background in infectious diseases, he is deeply committed to migrant health, LGBTQ+ and inclusion health, bioethics and the linguistic determinants of health. A passionate educator and language lover, he teaches Medical French at the University of Galway and speaks Lebanese Arabic, among other languages. He graduated in medicine from Trinity College Dublin and the University of Nantes in France. He also holds a Master of Public Health in Global Health from Harvard University. 

Deirdre Ní Cheallaigh, Head of Programmes, Beyond Stigma

Talk Title: How Love, Trust, and Learning Shaped the Journey From Internal Stigma to Self-Worth

With over 18 years of experience in the development sector, I am a passionate and driven leader who strives to create positive social and environmental change. I have specialised in gender equality, HIV, and Self Stigma and have a deep personal commitment to these issues. I have worked in diverse contexts, from Zimbabwe to Myanmar, leading teams, managing large-scale development programmes and providing technical support. I am guided by values of equality, respect, and inclusion. Driven and skilled, I excel in collaborating with communities and marginalised groups to achieve shared goals and drive positive transformation.

During my career I have developed skills and knowledge in strategic thinking and strategy development, programme cycle management, programme quality and learning, donor engagement and grant management, policy analysis and influencing, and technical specialist knowledge to advance each organisation’s mission. I have mentored and managed talented teams of staff fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. I have secured and managed multiple grants from institutional donors, commissioned and applied research findings to enhance programme outcomes for participants. I have worked extensively to advance policy improvements on Gender and HIV and have represented civil society in a number of high-level committees

Robbie Lawlor, Co-founder of Access to Medicine Ireland and Member of the European AIDS Treatment Group

Talk Title: Without Intervention, Millions Will Die

Passionate about making a difference, Lawlor has spent over a decade wearing many hats – educator, communicator, community leader, researcher, trainer, facilitator, and grassroots activist – all in the pursuit of health equity, better HIV/sexual health education, and greater access to medicines. His journey has taken him from civil society initiatives to grassroots movements, always with a focus on human rights.

Co-founder of Access to Medicine Ireland and a member of the European AIDS Treatment Group and UNITAID Communities Delegation. He also loves co-hosting the PozVibe Podcast with co-star, Enda McGrattan, where they bring the voices of people living with HIV and our allies in Ireland and around the world to the forefront. Lawlor has recently completed his PhD at Dublin City University which explored HIV/HEP C treatment activism in Ukraine, and has been awarded his PhD.

Fiona Downey, GP and Member of Irish Healthcare Workers for Palestine

Talk Title: Doctors As Human Rights Activists

Dr Fiona Downey studied Medicine in Trinity College Dublin and graduated in 2007. She spent a number of years working in Internal Medicine in Dublin before taking a sabbatical to volunteer in East Timor, as the country emerged from the horrors of a genocidal assault. On her return, she completed training in General Practice and is focused on providing healthcare in areas of high deprivation with a belief that it is a Doctor’s role to advocate for health equity for all people. 

Lelo Mary Thebe, Healing Justice Facilitator, Writer 

Talk Title: Climate Change: Ecological Grief

Lelo Mary Thebe is a healing justice facilitator and writer. She is a Zimbabwean based in Co Mayo Ireland and a community worker supporting women in Direct Provision. Her work invites communities to turn pain in power and grief into change. 

Performers

Farah Elle, Singer and Songwriter

Farah Elle, a North African-Irish artist, developed a passion for music early on, inspired by her siblings and self-taught experiences. Her songs, blending poetry and piano, serve as a cathartic outlet for exploring personal and cultural identity. Born in Libya and raised in Ireland, Farah’s heritage, marked by significant political and historical ties, deeply influences her music. Her debut album, FATIMA, reflects themes of displacement and adulthood, integrating traditional Arabic melodies with contemporary sounds. A BIMM Institute Dublin graduate, Farah has performed at notable Irish venues and festivals, including a special collaboration with Liam Ó Maonlaí for the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.

Outside of performing concerts, Farah dedicates time to sharing her knowledge as a full-time Artist by facilitating music & wellness workshops. She works with people of all ages and backgrounds about the empowering qualities of creative expression and our capacity to heal through music & movement. She gives one-on-one sessions as well as group classes.

Colm Keegan, Writer and Poet

Colm Keegan is an award winning writer and poet from Dublin. He judges the Waterford Poetry Prize and was guest editor of Poetry Ireland Review in 2022. His debut collection “Don’t Go There” was released to critical acclaim and his latest collection “Randomer” is available from Salmon poetry. In 2023 he developed Ireland Is, a spoken word roadshow with Poetry Ireland and Sofft Productions, which toured the island of Ireland. His first full-length play “For Saoirse” was staged in Axis Theatre and shortlisted for the Fishamble New Writing award and his short play “Something Worth Saying,” commissioned for the Abbey Theatre and starring Owen O’ Roe, was called ‘exquisite and devastating’ by reviewer Emer O’ Kelly. 

Colm has developed numerous creative writing projects for schools & organisations across the country including Writing Home, an initiative he developed in partnership with Kilkenny County Council, to support homeless service users through the pandemic, which won a LAMA award for best education initiative.  He was a co-founder of Lingo, Ireland’s first Spoken Word festival and has been awarded several residencies including the LexIcon, Ireland’s largest public library. He also coordinates Deadly Poets Society, an exchange project between poets and academics in Ireland and Australia. 

Tolü Makay, Singer and Songwriter

Tolü Makay is an independent alternative pop-soul singer-songwriter and theatrical performer from Ireland. Since her debut single ‘Goodbye’ in 2018 and EP ‘Being’ in 2020, Tolü’s music has amassed over one million streams. Her rendition of The Saw Doctors’ ‘N17’ with the RTÉ National Orchestra topped Irish charts and received praise from Graham Norton and Samantha Power. In 2021, Tolü embarked on her sold-out nationwide tour, The Tolü Makay Experience. She has performed at major festivals including Electric Picnic (2022), Kaleidoscope, All Together Now, and The Great Escape, where her set was praised as a festival highlight. Her TV and radio appearances include The Late Late Show and RTÉ broadcasts.

In 2023, she performed at Tallinn Music Week after being selected for the Keychange program. She headlined Dublin’s Whelan’s in 2024 and was invited by Dermot O’Leary to perform at the London Irish Centre. Tolü is a regular collaborator with Guinness, performing with artists like Disclosure and Jordan Adetunji. Her music has been praised by HotPress, Nialler9, and VIP Magazine. With upcoming releases, including an EP in 2025, Tolü continues to captivate audiences worldwide, with notable performances at Ireland’s Centenary with the National Symphony Orchestra, President Michael D. Higgins’ 80th birthday, various charity events with Ireland funds and venues such as Google HQ, John F Kennedy Centre and NYC’s Hit Factory.

It’s just the beginning for Tolü Makay as she grows from strength to strength, capturing new audiences as she performs from city to city. She is one to watch!

Sean Collins, Singer and Songwriter

Seán Collins is from Donabate in North County Dublin. Growing up surrounded by Irish traditional music, Seán blends traditional Irish elements with modern acoustic folk to fuse his own unique style, inspired by artists of the past and of the present. Currently studying in BIMM Dublin, Seán is furthering his understanding of the music industry and crafting his image and musical identity.  

Anna D, Spoken Word Poet

Anna D is a spoken word poet from Dublin. Throughout her short poetry career, she has won multiple slams and poetry competitions including the All-Ireland Poetry Slam. Anna has an interest in the interplay between emotions and patterns of behaviour, family and collective trauma and the impact of oppressive systems on how we relate to each other and the world today. Her poems are raw, honest and relatable portrayals of her experience of the human condition in all its grime and glory.

Aidan Jolliffe-Byrne, Dancer

I’m Aidan, a 21-year-old professional dancer originally from South Africa. I started dancing around age 6, inspired by playing Just Dance on the Xbox 360, and began aspiring to dance professionally at 11. I later trained at Ballet West for a year, then moved to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, where I earned a BA in Modern Ballet. My training specialized in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and commercial dance.

During college, I had the opportunity to perform at the WHO 75th Anniversary Healing Arts Concert at Victoria Hall in Geneva, a world-premiere stage performance. I also worked with the Scottish Ballet Youth Exchange Group under choreographer Sarah Kemal and performed in Moving Minds: Tether, choreographed by Maddy Squire. Additionally, I collaborated with Move [NYC] in Collab, choreographed by Maleek Washington, and performed in The Bow Dance, choreographed by Chanel DaSilva.

After graduating, I took a year to clarify my goals and began exploring the commercial dance world. Recently, I performed at the UEFA Europa League Final Opening Ceremony at the Aviva Stadium, working with Mass Movement Agency and Storm Creatives. I also appeared in Synthetic Pleasure, directed by Stuart Langfield and choreographed by Konstantin.

Now still spreading my artistry as dancer.

Felix O’Connor, Comedian

Felix is one of Dublin’s funniest, hottest and cleverest trans masculine comics on the comedy scene there are only a few of them but he still counts it as a win). Felix takes the absurdity of the trans experience and expertly melds it with silliness, cheeky sex stories and biting social commentary. Felix’s off the wall comedic stylings are sure to have you laughing and maybe, just maybe, thinking a little too. Felix is a regular host, performer and co-founder of Hysteria Comedy Club and he is host of the monthly queer comedy Token Straight. He has also performed at Cherry Comedy, won twice at Dublin Comedy Roast Battle, opened for David O’Doherty and Joel Kim Booster in The Sugar Club, and played Paddy Power Comedy Festival and The Foolhardy Festival in Waterford. His first solo show “Bad Girl: A One Man Show” debuted in Dublin Fringe Festival 2024 after development in Scene and Heard the same year, and was nominated for the Fringe Little Gem Award. He is due to tour the show further in 2025.

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