19-20 June World Health Organization, Geneva: during the two-day annual Health20 (H20) Summit hosted at the WHO HQ, G20 and G7 policy-makers, politicians, International Organisations, the global health community, economists and investors came together to discuss and elevate the ongoing and future health challenges and the need for greater cohesiveness between the G20 and G7 Presidencies and International Organisations.
The H20 summit, themed “The Future of Global Health Diplomacy in a Changing World,” brought together over 200 distinguished guests from across private and public sectors, including G20 and G7 representatives. Key topics included sustainable financing for global health, the need to bridge the disconnect between investment and health communities, and introducing new global health initiatives, calling for an ‘health in all policies approach’.
Global health diplomacy plays a critical role in addressing the triple emerging threat of pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, and non-communicable diseases. Initiatives by G7 and G20, in collaboration with international organizations, are essential to foster cohesive strategies and ensure robust global health systems. Through foras such as the H20 Summit, it helps align diverse stakeholders towards common health goals, enhance funding mechanisms, and drives the implementation of comprehensive health policies worldwide.
On the first day of the summit, we launched the AMR Global legislative report, outlining the challenges, and steps needed to tackle Antimicrobial Resistance. Working with 140 English and French speaking parliaments, the report contains a set of precise and concrete recommendations and a model resolution for parliamentarians to present to their national governments to urgently implement measures such as National actions plans, research financing, & product development for new diagnostics and antibiotics that will address the rising death toll.
Three leading legislators compiled the recommendations in the AMR Legislators Report after a series of comprehensive hearings with experts over a period of six months: Dame Angela Eagle, DBE; former French Health Minister Professor Agnès Buzyn; and the Chair of the Zambian National Assembly Health Committee Hon. Dr Christopher Kalila. They believe that governments must be held to account on this critical health issue by national legislators. The Legislators report was endorsed by the Hon. Laurent Wehrli, Chair of the Parliamentary Network to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria of the L’Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), Chair of the Education, Culture and Education Commission of the APF and Member of the National Council of Switzerland.
During the H20 we also announced the launch of our newest Legislators initiative in collaboration with the UN Inter-Agency Task Force and Health4Life Fund to catalyze domestic and international multisectoral partnerships and scale up financing to support countries reduce the socioeconomic impact of NCDs and mental health conditions. We will be sharing more about this initiative in the near future, but if you want to know more, read: New legislators’ initiative announced at the H20 between UN NCD Task Force and G20&G7 Health and Development Partnership
As well as that, Participants collaborated live to draft a Call to Action, which will be published soon, for the G20 and G7 Presidencies that contains key recommendations to advance global health an further convergence on the health challenges facing the world, as it requires the collaborative efforts from all sectors to truly succeed in tackling these pressing issues. This approach is required to bridge the gap between the policymakers, scientist, stakeholders, and more to ensure that everyone is on the same track, and promoting information based on evidence and knowledge.