C-Polar hosts Vancouver Summit to focus on strengthening infection control and resilience

C-POLAR Innovations hosted the highly anticipated Vancouver Summit, where the focus was on strengthening infection control and resilience through public and private partnerships.  

Held at the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, the summit brought together an esteemed group of over 90 senior-level professionals, including professors, policymakers, doctors, and business leaders from more than ten countries. Collectively, they explored innovative approaches to driving transformative change in health systems. 

Throughout the event, panelists highlighted the growing global challenges in infection control and prevention, including the rise of drug-resistant pathogens and the impact of the climate crisis. We discussed how these challenges disproportionately affect our societies and economies and shared novel approaches and technologies – including C-POLAR – to tackle these challenges.  

The panel discussed ways to implement solutions to adapt and reduce antimicrobial resistance. Potential solutions include greater investment in new technologies and innovations; developing integrated disease surveillance systems across human, plant, and animal populations; and shifting the onus from individual responsibility and behaviors to systemic ownership.  

The panel highlighted that tackling antimicrobial resistance requires people to only articulate the business case, but also personalize and humanize why it is important. Humanizing antimicrobial resistance is contingent on educating the public, developing community-specific and contextual messaging, and amplifying the stories and voices of families who lost loved ones to infection. 

According to the panel, creating infection-resilient environments is essential, especially given the politicization of masks and other NPIs. The panel discussed that it is important for the government to play a catalyzing role in fostering innovation. Successful governments commit a percentage of their GDP and integrate innovation into their industrial planning and national strategy. They also establish designated infrastructure to support innovative projects and partnerships. Members of the panel say this will serve as a foundation for strengthening infection control and resilience.  

One of the key discussions during the summit focused on existing technologies to combat pathogens, such as disinfection, antibiotics, and HEPA filters have many shortcomings that limit their effectiveness and safety. This highlights the need for new technologies like C-POLAR, which third-party testing and commercial installations have demonstrated can effectively and safely capture, inactivate, and eradicate pathogens, creating infection-resilient environments.  

The final outcome of the panel’s discussion is that innovation requires people to embrace connection, relationality and funness. When people take the time to find the spirit in each other, to see common ground and interests, it is much easier to inquire, understand, and work with one another.