On February 21, 2024, our very own IPPNWC President, Dr. John Guilfoyle, hosted our monthly speaker series. He shared his perspective on nuclear weapons, as they relate to sustainable development goals and peace. Dr. Guilfoyle has had a tremendous career as both a physician and policy advisor. As a result, he has gained expertise at the intersections of health and social policy.

John lives in Squamish, British Columbia. He has had a diverse and varied career in medicine. This has included a full service family practice in rural Newfoundland and Manitoba, and a stint as the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province of Manitoba. Following this was a short period as the Chief Medical Officer of a small Caribbean country. On return, he directed the residency program in family medicine at the University of Manitoba while working for the J Hildes Northern Medical Unit.

This led to an interest in Indigenous health and work with an Indigenous organization in Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario with a focus on obstetrics. Recipient of a fellowship in Women’s Health from the College of Family Physicians of Canada, John, in mid-career learned the skills to do caesarean sections to support the re-opening of birthing services for families in the Sioux Lookout zone. Most recently he has been involved with the development and the delivery of an ALARM International Program for health care administrators in Uganda and Ethiopia.