‘DO WE CARE?’ – Be-cause health international conference 2026

20 October 2026, 10am-5pm, Egmont Palace Brussels (Place du Petit Sablon 8, 1000 Brussels) and online 

Attention: Due to the availability of the Egmont Palace, the originally scheduled date has been changed. The conference will take place on October 20, 2026.

While health is high on some political agendas, the reality for billions of people  tells a different story.

Medical errors, healthcare-associated infections and surgical complications are a persistent challenge globally, contributing significantly to  avoidable  morbidity and mortality.  Market-driven care models are prioritizing profit over care, volume over quality with insufficient attention to social care, prevention, and long-term support (“care continuum”).  The climate crisis is causing a major health crisis.  Structural inequalities  are still inherent in the healthcare system. Patients and  people with lived  experiences  are  often unheard or not listened to.

By building on conclusions from previous Be-cause health conferences, we will further explore the  fundamental question that lies at the heart of “Do we care?”. 

Who and what truly defines care, and does it matter?

Across 3 tracks, the conference moves from macro-level system incentives (commercialization), and  structural (in)justice (equity and access to high-quality care for all), to micro-level care ethics (patient-centered care).

• Track 1 Commercialization of care
• Track 2 Quality without borders: equity and justice in global care
• Track 3 How do we care? Placing the patient at the centre

👉 Want to know more? The concept note is now accessible. To be added

👉 Interested in contributing to the conference in any way? Please inform Magalie.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

We invite interested stakeholders to submit (scientific) abstracts on recent (research) findings, policy proposals, case studies, stories, poems, imagery or songs that dive into one of the 3 suggested tracks, focusing on past or/and way forward.   

Individual abstracts can be uploaded using this submission form for each separate submission.  We specifically urge our friends and colleagues of LMICs, young professionals, women, representatives of indigenous population groups and people living with disabilities to submit their work. 

👉 Submit your abstract before 26th of April, 2026 – midnight, Brussels time