Special Session: Health Diplomacy in a Changing World
On the sidelines of the UHC High-Level Forum 2025, the Institute for Global Health Policy Research (iGHP), Japan, hosted a Special Session titled “Health Diplomacy in a Changing World”. The session aimed to discuss the role, challenges, and direction of global health diplomacy amid the rapidly changing global health landscape.
It brought together four speakers: Dr. Anders Nordström (Karolinska Institute), Dr. Magda Robalo (The Institute for Global Health Development in Guinea-Bissau, Co-Chair of UHC2030), Prof. Minghui Ren (Peking University), and Prof. Kayo Takuma (Keio University), and was moderated by Dr. Tamami Umeda (iGHP).
The session began with a presentation by Prof. Takuma on the historical evolution and characteristics of Japan's engagement in global health. Prof. Ren then discussed the roles of Global and Regional Platforms in promoting effective health diplomacy. Dr. Robalo shared perspectives on the challenges of health diplomacy from Global South lenses, and Dr. Nordström addressed the future of global health and health diplomacy.
The session drew approximately 50 participants from government agencies, research institutions, universities, and other organizations, including the UHC Forum delegates. It concluded with lively exchanges and was met with highly positive feedback from attendees.