Topic A – Cross-Border Medical Tourism

Our movement is influenced by needs, and if a place fails to satisfy them, we move. Cross-border travel has always had its purpose and intents, but now, access to healthcare is becoming one of them. People cross international borders to find healthcare of better quality, lower costs, faster wait times, or access to treatment that is unavailable in their host nation. Delegates will be put to the test against the complex domain of international healthcare, shaped by continuous globalization, inequalities, and inconsistent regulations. As delegates, you have just been presented with a massive healthcare jigsaw—it is up to you to piece together the fragmented policies and services between each nation. 

Topic B – Genetic Engineering 

If engineering built humanity, why not build humans too? Genetic engineering allows for deliberate modifications to the DNA of organisms, including humans, and has gained increased traction in scientific research and international discussion. Such technology is already used in agriculture and medical fields, with new developments like CRISPR that may one day revolutionize healthcare. Delegates are presented with complex dilemmas: do the benefits of genetic engineering outweigh the harms? How should we develop these technologies, and who should benefit? Should we even invest in genetic engineering in the first place? Amidst the existing global inequality in healthcare and growing concern about the safety of new technologies, every part of science, politics, and ethics is at play.