Global Health Talk 2024

• Next, the panel ‘Health in the Age of Climate Change’ addressed the significant impact of climate change on global health, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised populations. Experts highlighted growing health risks, such as the spread of diseases like dengue fever and the global food security crisis, emphasizing the urgent need for adaptation strategies. They also stressed the importance of cross-border collaboration to mitigate these emerging threats.
• We were then excited for the next panel, Aligning Forces: Bridging Instruments and Actors to Maximise Europe’s Global Health Engagement, with Rosana Lescrauwaet, a valued partner of the Dutch Global Health Hub. With her expertise and experience at Cordaid, as Chair of the Global Health Alliance, and as co-founder of the Multi-Party Initiative (MPI) on Global Health and Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR), she emphasised: “Ultimately, the success of European global health strategies depends on our ability to collaborate across sectors, countries, and even political lines. Civil society is at the cornerstones of this effort.
• The day concluded with a modified panel on Global Health in the Spotlight: Addressing Global Health Priorities in Germany’s Early Election, as some members of parliament were engaged in a pressing debate. Nevertheless, Prof. Dr. Andrew Ullmann, Chair of the Subcommittee on Global Health, was luckily still able to participate and emphasized the need for sustainable financing mechanisms and addressing fragmented global health governance. Furthermore, he reaffirmed the need for a holistic approach to health issues and highlighted the challenges posed by shifts in global health architecture, particularly with key players like the US. He stressed the importance of strategic investments and support for emerging economies to promote financial independence, emphasizing that Germany alone cannot strengthen the WHO and collaboration with emerging countries is crucial.
• The second day focused on the forward-looking panel, From Reflections to Projections: Shaping Global Health for 2025. The health challenges that lie ahead in 2025 and beyond were examined. Björn Kümmel, Acting Head of the Unit Global Health at the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), discussed the revision of the International Health Regulations (IHR) and the importance of improving global coordination in health crises. He highlighted the need for robust pathogen-sharing mechanisms and how a new global pandemic agreement could facilitate coordination without imposing unnecessary national restrictions. This forward-thinking panel underscored the importance of preparing for future health emergencies through strengthened global governance structures.

Global Health Hub Germany

In addition to the content of Global Health Talk 2024, the event provided valuable insights into the structure and operations of Global Health Hub Germany (GHHG). It offered a comparison to the Dutch Global Health Hub (GHH), shedding light on how both organisations are striving to address similar global health challenges and how we can support each other to strengthen our collaborative efforts. Some of the main similarities and differences include:

• The GHHG was established in 2019 as an affiliate, but external to, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health (BMG). It is funded by the BMG together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Wellcome Trust, which acts as a co-financier.
• A defining characteristic of the GHHG is its significant reliance on academic and knowledge institutions, with approximately 80% of its partners from these sectors.
• The GHHG is organised around twelve thematic communities, which are comparable to the Dutch GHH’s Communities of Practice (CoPs). These thematic communities are key to fostering collaborative partnerships and developing policy recommendations. More on the GHHG thematic communities can be found here.
• In addition to the thematic communities, the GHHG organises Catalyst Dialogues. These dialogues bring together a wide range of experts and stakeholders from various sectors and backgrounds to engage in discussions on pressing global health issues. The insights from these dialogues have resulted in actionable Policy Briefs with specific recommendations for improving global health systems and governance. The key policy briefs produced can be found here.

Moving Forward Together

Global Health Talk 2024 demonstrated how diverse perspectives and expertise are crucial to shaping a unified global health agenda. The discussions emphasised that, in times of crisis, effective communication and collaboration are more important than ever. The event was a powerful reminder that no single actor or sector can solve global health challenges alone — it requires collective action, innovative thinking, and strong partnerships across borders and disciplines.