United Nations University - IIGH

As global health leaders convene for #WHA78 and preparations begin for #COP30, the time is now to accelerate elevation of health as a core pillar of climate policy. In their newly published commentary in 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩, Arthur Wyns, Dr Sindra Sharma, and UNU-IIGH's Director Dr Revati Phalkey call for the establishment of a UN Dialogue on Climate and Health under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as a critical step to ensure health systems, outcomes, and equity considerations are embedded across UN climate negotiations and national climate strategies. The authors highlight that the proposed dialogue would need to move past rhetoric to focus on practical, actionable solutions integrated with existing UNFCCC processes, while carefully avoiding politicization and institutional stagnation. Additionally, it should serve to amplify the voices of communities and groups most affected by the health impacts of climate change. The Approval of the World Health Organizations Climate Change and Health Action plan 2025-28 (EB156(40)) at the World Health Assembly on 27 May 2025 marks a major milestone in global health and climate policy. As momentum builds, COP30 in Brazil (November 2025) presents a pivotal opportunity to integrate this multilateral health-climate dialogue within the UNFCCC framework, firmly embedding health at the heart of global climate action and fostering ongoing learning, knowledge exchange, and measurable outcomes. 📄 Read the full commentary: https://go.unu.edu/a6j8F #UNU #GlobalHealth #Collaboration #ClimateChange United Nations University | Council on Foreign Relations

🚀 Join us at UN 2.0 Week 2025 🚀    We’re thrilled to host a UN 2.0 Week side event, “𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘅𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁”   📅 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Jun 12, 2025 | 10 - 11 AM ET | 10  -11 PM MYT  📍 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Virtual Event  🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://go.unu.edu/pdjqE    A decolonial feminist approach to strategic foresight challenges, rather than perpetuates, what we consider the parameters of possible futures. By asking “futures by and for whom, based on what, and to what end?”, we can articulate futures that truly leave no one behind and identify actions that bridge the gap between present and preferred futures.     This panel discussion highlights experiences from government, civil society, and funders to provide a concrete starting point for those interested in transforming their foresight practices.    Further explore the 𝗨𝗡 𝟮.𝟬 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 programme via: https://go.unu.edu/CFC3n     #UN2Point0 #UN2Point0Week #InnovationForImpact #UNUIIGH #UNU #GlobalHealth #DecolonialFeminism #GenderEquality #Decoloniality    United Nations | UN Innovation Network | United Nations Global Pulse | Emma Rhule, PhD | Tiffany Nassiri-Ansari

“Parliamentarians have a really important role, at the national level, to hold their governments to account, but also to push their governments to ensure that there is better governance, accountability, and transparency within these multilateral partnerships.”    In this third episode of the 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 interview series, Anna Marriott, Senior Policy Advisor at Oxfam and Health Policy Manager for Oxfam International, traces the effects of increasing public-private partnerships in development finance, emphasizing the distortion and reframing of health systems around commercial rather than public interests.    Reporting patients' rights abuses, inflated medical bills, and individuals being pushed into poverty, she examines the adverse effects of PPPs in global health, spotlighting gender-specific disparities as well as the medical impoverishment of households or the denial of care to patients who can’t afford private fees. ▶️ Watch the full interview on the UNU-IIGH YouTube channel and learn more about the symposium: https://go.unu.edu/S7fxQ More insights coming soon in our next video! #DigitalHealth #DigitalHealthJustice #UNU #UNUIIGH #Accountability #DigitalCommons #GlobalHealthGovernance #IIGHSymposium

📄“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲” by Claudia Abreu Lopes, Teresa Farinha, Johanna Riha 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦? UNU-IIGH's Claudia Abreu Lopes and Johanna Riha, with Teresa Farinha, recently published in ISPI’s report “𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙙: 𝙋𝙡𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙧 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙚? 𝙂𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙮𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠” a policy research article assessing how opportunities introduced by emerging digital technologies need to be balanced with mitigation of important risks. As automation of routine tasks and AI-augmented decision-making may enhance efficiency and reduce administrative burden, such positive outcomes cannot be understood separately from the risks of potential job displacement, as well as the intensification of care extractivism that reproduces structures of gendered, racialised, and class-based hierarchisation and exploitation. The authors explore how the integration of AI technologies in the health sector, requires understanding the uniqueness of human labour and their capacity for adaptation. To ensure that digital technologies complement, rather than replace, human expertise, several conditions need to be met, such as inclusive upskilling, equity-focused governance, and localised implementation strategies. Download the full report and read “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲” here: https://go.unu.edu/kzTUF #DigitalHealth #UNU #UNUIIGH #HealthWorkforce #AIforHealth #HealthEquity #CareExtractivism #Digitalisation United Nations University | ISPI - Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale | Claudia Abreu Lopes | Johanna Riha | Teresa Farinha | Tobia Zevi

📅 𝟭𝟭 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 | 𝟭𝟬:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 𝗘𝗧 | 𝟭𝟬:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠 𝗠𝗬𝗧 🔍 𝗨𝗻𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗜: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 How does gender bias in #AI shape systems and societies? What steps can we take to tackle it? Join UN Women, UNU IIGH, UNU Macau, YABONG Philippines and IBM Research, in a technically grounded, forward-looking session that interrogates the real-world impacts of gender bias in AI. This interactive webinar integrates expert insights with a hands-on foresight exercise to envision inclusive, equitable AI futures. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in shaping AI systems that work for everyone. Register here: https://go.unu.edu/n2eIO #UNU #GlobalHealth #UN2Point0 #DigitalHealth #DigitalSafety #Data, #Digital #Innovation #GenderEquality #Innovation #DigitalTransformation United Nations University | UN Women | United Nations University Institute in Macau | IBM | Yabong | Claudia Abreu Lopes | Navin Haram | Ginette Azcona | Jaimee Stuart | Nathalie Baracaldo | Patricia Nicole Lucena | Kush Varshney | Hannah-Sophie Wahle | Revati Phalkey

UNU-IIGH extends heartfelt congratulations to Professor 𝗔𝘄𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗸 on being conferred the WHO Director-General’s Award for Global Health 2025 at the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, May 2025. The distinction not only honours Professor Coll Seck’s invaluable contributions to global health, but also the clarity of purpose and integrity with which she has carried them out over decades.   From spearheading transformative national health sector campaigns and reforms as Senegal’s Minister of Health to galvanising global political commitment for accelerating the scale-up of malaria interventions as Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, Professor Coll Seck’s commitments have left an indelible mark on global health policy and practice.  Her landmark achievements in infectious disease prevention and immunisation, health systems strengthening, and the advancement of equitable, integrated care delivery models across the African continent, have both significantly enriched the global health literature and informed the development of international strategies and national health architectures.  We are thus honoured to celebrate Professor Coll Seck’s lifelong achievements and remain deeply grateful for her enduring contributions to our shared mission of advancing equitable and sustainable health systems globally.  𝘜𝘕𝘜-𝘐𝘐𝘎𝘏 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘋𝘳. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘺, 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘜𝘕𝘜 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘋𝘳. 𝘛𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘻𝘪 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘢, 𝘜𝘕𝘜-𝘐𝘐𝘎𝘏'𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 (𝘐𝘈𝘉), 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘋𝘳 𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘰. Learn more here: https://go.unu.edu/aVN59 World Health Organization | United Nations University | Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus | Revati Phalkey | Tshilidzi Marwala チリツィ マルワラ [丸笑] | Flavia Bustreo

🌐 𝗨𝗡𝗨-𝗜𝗜𝗚𝗛 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗛𝗔 𝟳𝟴 At the 78th World Health Assembly, UNU-IIGH participated in two official side events that interrogated the deepening financialisation of health systems and how this is shifting the political economy of health systems - reconfiguring power dynamics, eroding public accountability and subordinating taxpayers, patients and health professionals to the demands of private investors. 𝗨𝗡𝗨-𝗜𝗜𝗚𝗛 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟳𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗛𝗔: 🗓 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙂𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝: 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 📍 20 May 2025 | WHA, Geneva 🗓 𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙐𝙃𝘾: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙩 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣  📍 22 May 2025 | WHA, Geneva Amid deepening power asymmetries and the epistemic dominance of neoliberal ideas and narratives, participants - including the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, national delegates, civil society leaders, and global health professionals - foregrounded the urgent need to recalibrate the public-private equilibrium by enhancing public health leadership, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and institutionalising robust accountability mechanisms. Key concerns included:  • The creation of new asset classes in the healthcare sector, with hospitals, primary care networks, and health data becoming conduits for profit accumulation  • The use of public-private partnerships and blended finance instruments to convert the state into a facilitator of private finance at the expense of the public interest  • The non-transparency of the contractual arrangements between publicly-funded development finance institutions and private investors  • The extractive nature of private investors and their use of tax havens to avoid paying tax Across both events, participants called for more effective regulation of private investment and provision in the healthcare sector as well as increased public financing. The audience also heard from efforts in South Africa, Chile, Thailand and Indonesia to introduce health care reforms that are anchored in domestic public financing and aimed at safeguarding healthcare as a public good with public interest. #WHA #UNU #UNUIIGH #UHC #EquityInHealth #PublicHealth #WHA78 #GovernanceForHealth #CommodificationOfCare #GlobalHealthGovernance Oxfam | South African Government | World Health Organization | United Nations University | David McCoy

📅 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲! Join us for a panel discussion on 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨, co-organised with the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia and featuring UNU-IIGH’s, Professor Dr. David McCoy. 📅 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Saturday, 31 May 2025  🕒 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM  📍𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲: Flexi Hall 3, Level 1, Medical Academies of Malaysia, Presint 8, Putrajaya Secure your spot by registering here: https://go.unu.edu/T3Baa #UNU #GlobalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #HealthReform #PowerAndAccountability

“We cannot treat health care, public goods, as a standard purchasable commercial transaction.” In this second episode of the 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙂𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 interview series, Professor Celine Tan (University of Warwick) provides a critical comment on the growing influence of powerful private actors (PPAs) in global health governance through the lens of international economic law. Underscoring the gaps in domestic and international law in the regulation and the governance of PPAs, she spotlights the essential role of academia and civil society in providing the knowledge base to undertake rigorous assessments of governance architectures and financing instruments in global health. ▶ Watch the full interview on the UNU-IIGH YouTube channel and learn more about the symposium: https://go.unu.edu/INzaZ More insights coming soon in our next video! #DigitalHealth #DigitalHealthJustice #UNU #UNUIIGH #Accountability #DigitalCommons #GlobalHealthGovernance #IIGHSymposium

📢 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 | 𝗧𝗮𝘅𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘛𝘢𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. As negotiations for a landmark UN tax convention gain momentum, the new UNU-IIGH briefing paper 𝙏𝙖𝙭 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮: 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 reframes taxation as a structural determinant of health, social justice, and democratic governance. Despite evidence linking taxation to improved health and societal well-being, the paper spotlights how current global tax systems are increasingly failing to deliver on their fundamental functions. Many LMICs face regressive tax structures, chronic under-collection, and reliance on narrow tax bases, resulting in insufficient public revenue, extreme wealth concentration, and eroded public trust. At the core of this fiscal dysfunction lies a dominant ‘tax consensus’, regressive structures, under-collection, base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), and colonial patterns of resource extraction, which decades of rhetorical commitments by the G20 and OECD have failed to effectively address. Against this backdrop, the briefing calls for systemic tax reform as a global health imperative, positioning the ongoing UN-led negotiations as an opportunity to address the failings and deficiencies of current tax systems and urging the global health community to engage actively in fiscal debates and advocacy for tax justice. 📰 For more information, access the press release here: https://go.unu.edu/KgRZQ 📄 To read the full briefing paper: https://go.unu.edu/RycKw #UNU #UNUIIGH #UHC #HealthFinancing #EquityInHealth #GovernanceForHealth #PublicHealth #TaxJustice #Taxsystems #UNtaxconvention UNRISD | Tax Justice Network | United Nations University | David McCoy | Katja Hujo | Dr Bernadette O'Hare | Alex Cobham | Lizzie Nelson