Plenary 2: Global health: bridging research and policy for real-world impact 

Wednesday 13 November, 18:00 – 19:00 Lisbon time (UTC)

Organised by European Public Health Association (EUPHA), Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER)

 

Background

Global health emphasizes the importance of addressing health challenges that transcend national borders and require strong international collaboration and governance. This concept is grounded in collaborative transnational actions aimed at promoting health for all, reducing disparities, and protecting against threats. Strengthening health systems, public health infrastructure, improving health service delivery, and ensuring equal access to healthcare for all are key focus areas in global health.

This plenary will address several major health challenges and critical issues, such as the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, re-emerging pandemics, environmental threats, and the suboptimal responses of national healthcare systems to manage these challenges. The need to focus on vulnerable and marginalized populations, particularly those affected by migration and ethnicity, will be highlighted. The discussion will also showcase the importance of including ethnic minority and Indigenous people’s perspectives in health policy and decision-making processes, as well as addressing the social determinants of health that disproportionately affect these communities.

Central to the discussion on global health is the role of global health policy and diplomacy, focusing on how countries can collaborate to address health threats and challenges, shaping international strategies and frameworks. Innovation, including reverse innovation and the development of evidence-informed policies and effective public health strategies that can be implemented globally and is relevant also in resource-constrained contexts, is another critical aspect in addressing the intersection of health and development. Finally, strong public health leadership is needed to shape practices and policies, as well as fostering the next generation of global health leaders.

The multifaceted nature of global health calls for a comprehensive approach to health—one that integrates policy, leadership, and equity into the core of public health strategies. The integration of health into all policies at the global level is vital for creating supportive environments, policies, services, and communications that promote better health for all.

Moderators:

  • Iveta Nagyova, President EUPHA
  • Henrique Barros, President ASPHER and Professor of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal

Facilitator:

Speakers/Panellists:

  • Emma Rawson-Te Patu, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, Director of ManuKahu Associates, New Zealand
  • Charles Agyemang, Professor of Global Migration, Ethnicity & Health, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, Professor of Global Migration, Ethnicity & Health, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Agnès Buzyn, Professor of Haematology, Paris-Sorbonne University, and Former Minister of Solidarity and Health, France
  • Moredreck Chibi, Public Health Innovation Lead, WHO Regional Office for Europe
  • Charlotte Marchandise, Executive Director EUPHA