Hosted annually by McGill Global Health Programs (GHP), Global Health Night brings together members of our university community to celebrate student achievement and engagement in global health. The evening begins with an in-person student poster fair, followed by a hybrid formal program showcasing McGill's leadership, partnerships and impact in global health.
For the 18th annual Global Health Night, we are honoured to welcome Drs. Lalitha Regi and Regi George as our keynote speakers. As the 2025 co-recipients of the Paul Farmer Award for Global Health Equity, they will deliver the Paul Farmer Lecture for Global Health Equity.
About our Keynote Speakers
Based in Sittilingi Valley, Tamil Nadu, Drs. Lalitha and Regi founded the Tribal Health Initiative (THI) in 1993 to improve health, livelihoods, and self-reliance among local tribal (Indigenous) communities. What began as a small thatched clinic has grown into a 35-bed hospital and network of trained community health workers providing comprehensive and equitable care to a once-underserved region.
Over three decades, their work has transformed the health of the Sittilingi Valley, reducing infant mortality from 147 to 8 per 1,000 live births and eliminating maternal deaths for 15 years. Recognizing that health depends on food security and livelihoods, they also established programs supporting organic agriculture, women’s cooperatives, and traditional artisanship. These efforts have improved nutrition, economic stability, and cultural pride while strengthening local governance and community leadership.
The couple’s approach has become a model of integrated rural development rooted in social justice, sustainability, and community participation, reflecting the spirit and legacy of Dr. Paul Farmer.
About the Paul Farmer Award and Lectureship in Global Health Equity
Launched in 2024, the Paul Farmer Award and Lectureship in Global Health Equity recognizes individuals whose work embodies Dr. Farmer’s lifelong commitment to health as a human right. Each year, the award honours a visionary leader advancing health equity in underserved communities and invites them to deliver the annual Paul Farmer Lecture at McGill Global Health Night. The award was established through a crowdsourcing campaign that raised over $180,000 from more than 650 individuals. Dr. Farmer received an honorary doctorate from McGill University in 2019 and was a longtime friend of the university. He also delivered the inaugural Dr. Victor Dzau and Ruth Cooper-Dzau Distinguished Lecture in 2018.
Keynote Lecture Abstract
'People’s Health in People’s Hands'
Drs. Regi George and Lalitha Regi will share the story of the Tribal Health Initiative and its community-led work in Sittilingi Valley, Tamil Nadu, India. The lecture will explore how local leadership, health education, and community participation have helped strengthen health care and advance self-reliance, while also addressing the wider determinants.
