The Health Diplomacy Initiative
Now, more than ever, we need effective health diplomacy.
The goal of the Health Diplomacy Initiative is to equip emerging generations of health leaders with health diplomacy skills, build a network of organisations and individuals committed to the improvement of health, and generate insights about the evolving nature of health diplomacy.
The Health Diplomacy Initiative is a non-profit program run by the Stockholm School of Economics and Karolinska Institutet.
Our Work - The Health Diplomacy Initiative includes three main components.
Executive Program
A cohort of 28 mid-career fellows from 21 countries were selected for the first program for capacity building, “International Politics and Diplomacy for Health”, which started in April 2024. The program is led by experienced faculty and advisory persons with extensive, practical experience in regional and global health politics and diplomacy.
Health Diplomacy Community
A Health Diplomacy Institutional Network has been established and includes currently 32 leading academic institutions from around the world. The network serves a dual purpose: to foster a robust academic and practical framework for health diplomacy and to establish a global platform for collaborative innovation in this field. This network seeks to enhance the efforts of leading academic institutions worldwide, facilitating the exchange of knowledge, research, and best practices in health diplomacy.
Dialogue and Research
A high-level conference on "International Politics, Leadership, and Diplomacy for Health" was held in November 2023, with 60 senior representatives and emerging leaders from various sectors, such as academia, public and private sectors, and civil society. A Comment was published in the BMJ covering the outcome of the November conference.
A number of international events and seminars are attended and where the understanding of health diplomacy and practical implications are discussed.
The work on a Lancet Series on Diplomacy for Health has been initiated.
Health Diplomacy
Health diplomacy has been the cornerstone of some of the most remarkable global health achievements in the past four decades. From the eradication of Smallpox to the mobilization of funds for developing treatments for HIV, TB, and Malaria, and the significant reduction in child and maternal mortality, this has only been possible through the collective efforts of actors successfully navigating the political landscape for health.
However, the landscape is changing. The present geo-political environment presents us with new and potentially more difficult challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that health can only be delivered when health professionals, businesses, citizens, diplomats, and politicians alike are engaged.
These changes have sparked a growing recognition: improving health outcomes requires more than just evidence and technical expertise - it demands a deeper understanding of the political economy of health and how to navigate in political processes.
Health diplomacy
Health diplomacy is the art and science by which governments, the private sector, civil society, and individuals navigate political processes to improve health outcomes. It operates in both domestic and international contexts, encompassing bilateral and multilateral agreements, the use of health as a foreign policy tool, and the finding of solutions to cross-border health challenges.
A key subset of health diplomacy is Global Health Diplomacy, which operates at the intersection of health and international relations on the global stage. It encompasses global health governance, the coordination of efforts, and the negotiation of priorities among international organizations, states, and non-state actors. While its primary focus is global, it also intersects with domestic policies on complex issues such as climate change, crisis preparedness and response, and health financing.
Health Diplomats
Health diplomacy involves a wide range of professionals, reflecting the reality that health outcomes cannot be achieved by the health sector alone. Health diplomats include individuals working in Ministries of Foreign Affairs, government agencies, public institutions, the private sector (both corporate and not-for-profit), and humanitarian organizations. These professionals use the tools of health diplomacy to advocate for and advance health objectives across sectors.
Coming Events
12 October
WHS 2025 will once again bring together high-level global health experts in over 70 sessions. Across three…
13 October
4 November
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