Making a global difference: One family physician’s story

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Sellors_John.jpg” caption=”Dr. John Sellors returns to tell his story at the 10th annual Carl Moore Lecture on Tuesday, April 8. Photo courtesy of FHS.”]A developed country like Canada faces many of the same diseases as developing countries, but the contrasts in the magnitude are sometimes startling.

Cervical cancer is preventable in the majority of Canadian women by early detection with Pap screening followed by effective treatment. In poor countries however, cervical cancer is the most common cause of death and years of life are lost due to cancer in women.

The story of how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an international non-profit organization like PATH, and the private sector chose this disease as a high priority and the role that a family physician played is fascinating.

After eight years as the director of successful projects on cervical cancer prevention in developing countries, Dr. John Sellors returns to tell his story at the 10th annual Carl Moore Lecture on Tuesday, April 8.

Sellors, a graduate of the first medical class at McMaster, was a family physician in Stoney Creek for 22 years. He obtained a master's degree from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics.

In 1996, Sellors became a professor and research director in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster, moving to Seattle in 2000 to become the senior medical advisor in the reproductive health global program at PATH.

This annual lecture series is held to honour Dr. Carl Moore, who was chair of McMaster's Department of Family Medicine from 1975 to 1985 and a leader in innovation in primary care throughout his career.

The lecture takes place at 5 p.m. in HSC-1A6. Admission is free.