How can we bridge the gap of inequality between donor and recipient, the developing and the developed, the researchers and the researched, to serve the health systems of tomorrow? The four speakers, despite coming from a diversity of backgrounds, made an important contribution to this forum by emphasizing the need for a mutual, supportive partnership between those at either extreme of the inequality gap. Ways of achieving this partnership are closely linked to research on health-related issues and training of a global health workforce, but there is no doubt that further research is crucial to arrive at effective outcomes on both the national and the international level.

The global incidence of cancer is on a rise with over 10 million new cancer cases diagnosed per year. More than 6 million annual deaths are attributable to cancer with over 20 million people considered to be living cases of the disease. It is predicted that over the next 20 years, there will be an approximate 200% increase in death rates due to cancer in low-middle income countries. Although the global incidence in high income countries is also rising, the mortality rate is at a slight decline. It is the first time that cancer is on the agenda of this forum, and as the speeches illustrate, the global community has an important role to act upon cancer control.

This session focused on the importance of education and training in providing health care for all. The speakers reflected on their experiences of providing training in different contexts, pointing out the importance of integrating rather than marginalizing a focus on the needs of communities, and the enthusiasm that such an approach can stir in students, the 'professionals of the future'.

One cannot deny the immense impact technology has on humankind. It enables individuals to watch over others' health from a great distance.

Wikipedia - a website that indiscriminately allows users to contribute, edit and publish information - is only one of the most widely known champions of the Web 2.0 generation. The unprecedented social networking possibilities of Web 2.0 are opening the doors of the Information Development Industry to anyone connected to the internet. Will online collaboration in the development and dissemination of health knowledge flood the internet with false and potentially dangerous information, or can we harness the Web 2.0 spirit to improve universal access? Can we harness Web 2.0 for health knowledge and, if so, how? Are we heading towards Medicine 2.0?

The world is moving at a faster pace than ever before. Technology is advancing considerably and people from varied backgrounds and geographic situations are now able to communicate and interact instantly. The development of health systems in the world has been particularly slow to this transition and organizations all over the world continue to strive to meet these changes by searching for ways to create better access to health care.

"In order for an information system to be valuable, we have to look at who will use it", states David Lubinsky, Senior Technical Advisor of the Health Metrics Network at the World Health Organization. He asserts that the Health Metrics Network (HMN) provides an essential service where, in his own words, HMN has "taken the initiative to fill a void".

On behalf of the Geneva University Hospitals, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva, and the Forum Organizing Committee, we are delighted to welcome you to the Geneva Forum: Towards Global Access to Health. This second edition of the Geneva Health Forum comes as the result of the success of the first Forum, which took place end of August 2006.