Newsletter 02/2024: WHS Regional Meeting Program, Rethinking Global Health Governance

Dear friends,

We are less than two months away from the WHS Regional Meeting in Melbourne, hosted by Monash University from April 22-24. Under the theme “Shape the future of health across Asia and the Pacific”, distinguished experts from the region and the whole world will discuss a broad range of pressing health topics, including climate change and health, first nation’s health, the geopolitical impact on health and many more.

A particularly relevant aspect is to learn from the different regional perspectives on health issues of global concern. We are honored that the newly appointed World Health Organization Regional Director for the Western Pacific Region, Dr. Saia Ma'u Piukala, will be joining us to share his experience and vision for the future.

In the meantime, find the most important information for the WHS Regional Meeting 2024 below and make sure to sign up now!

Join the upcoming Regional Meeting 2024 in Melbourne, Australia from April 22-24. You can expect three days packed with insightful global health discussions on shaping the future of health in the Asia Pacific and beyond. 

Program News

Here is what you can expect from the diverse program of the WHS Regional Meeting 2024: 

➡️plenary session: World leading changemakers share their unique perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities of our time.

➡️big issues: Panels of industry experts drawn from across the region discuss the latest research and advances on current key issues.

➡️perspectives & insights: Flexible, interactive sessions with thought leaders across academia, policy and civil society that encourage audience participation.

➡️focused solutions: Collaborate with facilitators and delegates to exchange knowledge and identify pathways and solutions to key issues.

➡️special satellite events: The meeting will host a number of special events. Register for updates to ensure you don’t miss out.

➡️closing ceremony: To close out the WHS Regional Meeting's program, hear from high profile keynote speakers and witness the launch of the #WHSMelbourne2024 Declaration.

Get a first view at the program schedule and download the preliminary schedule now!
 

Speaker Confirmations 

Check out the latest speaker confirmations and learn more about each of them on the WHS Regional Meeting 2024 website.

The Changing Nature of PPPs Requires New Accountability

In the last quarter of a century, we have witnessed the continuous expansion of the global health universe. But rather than discuss how to best navigate its intricacies, we need to seriously review its logic, composition, and financing. Yes, this has been said before – but recently a new dimension to the debate has been put forward. It is not just that there are more organizations out there – it is that they have changed their very nature. Organizations that were created by donors as PPPs (public private partnerships) to solve very clearly defined problems in global health have – under the radar as everyone focuses on intricacies of WHO governance - morphed to become agents of global governance, with their own political agendas, expansion of their mandates and significant financial autonomy. In 2024/2025 we will see them all embarking on major replenishment campaigns for a grand total of 100 billion USD, now also including the World Health Organization with its investment round as well as a range of new entities created in the wake of the pandemic. Donors must address this new dynamic as must the advocacy groups that work to get them funded. The Global South must analyze what this power grab means for them. Together they should urgently create a review mechanism to close the accountability gap. 

With an average temperature of 13.14°C (55.6°F), January 2024 was the warmest January ever. According to new data, this is the eighth consecutive month with the highest temperature recorded. The global average temperature for the last twelve months is the highest on record: 1.52°C (34.7°F) above pre-industrial times. 
(Source: https://climate.copernicus.eu) 

Call for Applications: The Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research

Together with World Health Summit partner the BIH QUEST Center for Responsible Research, the Einstein Foundation Berlin will award €500.000 Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research to efforts and ideas to make research as reliable as possible. Nominations of individual researchers and small teams as well as applications of institutions who have done pioneering work in this domain are welcome. Additionally, innovative ideas from early career researchers, aiming to promote research quality, are encouraged. Deadline is April 30, 2024. 

Check out the latest info, recent projects, and upcoming events on the Charité Center for Global Health website.