The Fundación Universitaria María Cano, Cali campus, participated in the IX University Meeting organized by the Secretaría de Salud del Valle, an academic event designed to promote collaboration and the exchange of knowledge between educational institutions and the Secretaría de Salud in Valle del Cauca. Topics discussed included public health education, the needs of the health sector through innovation and technology, and joint strategies to strengthen educational quality and health services in the region.

The IX University Meeting, organized by the Secretaría de Salud del Valle, was held as part of a week focused on public health, which also included other events such as the XI National Symposium on Public Health Surveillance and the X International Public Health Meeting.

This gathering brought together universities, health authorities, professionals, and students to discuss advances, challenges, and projects in health, with conferences and workshops on priority health issues. Presentations of research from universities included those by Professor Jorge Eliecer Manrique Julio, who presented on improving the health conditions of women in the rural sector of Sevilla, Valle del Cauca, through participatory action research, and Professor Nelson Andrés Andrade Bonilla, with his presentation on the estimation and analysis of cardiovascular risk prevalence using a predictive model based on sociodemographic and clinical variables.

Students from the speech therapy program also participated in the poster session, as did Professor Carmen Lorena Murillo Panameño, showcasing their research processes conducted within the community component. These contributions sparked discussions on public policy, its connection to academia, and collaborative networks to address regional issues.

This event is part of a broad agenda promoted by the Secretaría de Salud del Valle to integrate academic knowledge with the practical needs of the health sector in the region,