From polycrisis to metacrisis: harnessing windows of opportunity for renewed political leadership in global health diplomacy

• Published in: BMJ global health 2024-04, Vol.9 (4), p.e015340
• Main Authors: Wong, Brian Li Han, Nordström, Anders, Piot, Peter, Clark, Helen, Alfvén, Tobias, Mandhari, Ahmed Al, Abdalla, Salma, Aslanyan, Garry, Baines, Lyndsay, Bekele, Adebe, Carlsson, Gunilla, El-Jardali, Fadi, Hei Fong, Rooney Long, Guevara, Maria, Holmer, Hampus, Inaoka, Emi, Jindal, Rahul M, Kalmus-Eliasz, Mike, Kang, Minah, Katz, Rebecca, Kazatchkine, Michel, Khosla, Rajat, Kickbusch, Ilona, Kim, Jerome, Kolker, Jimmy, Kümmel, Björn, Larson, Heidi, Liu, Joanne, Manzi, Lwazi, Minghui, Ren, Mochache, Susan, Moon, Suerie, Nyegaard, Morten, Panichkriangkrai, Warisa, Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn, Pattanshetty, Sanjay M, Rehn, Carita, Rosskam, Ellen, Rosenbaum, Paul, Røttingen, John-Arne, Salford, Gustaf, Takian, Amirhossein, Wanyenze, Rhoda, Wartel, Ahn, Wennberg, Karl, Wiklund, Josefin, Han Wong, Brian Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accountability; Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Climate change; Collaboration; Commentary; Decision Making; Economics; Global Health; Health policy; Health risks; Infectious diseases; International cooperation; Malaria; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Pandemics; Political leadership; Politics; Poverty; Public concern; Public Health; Public policy; Schools; Social sciences; Vector-borne diseases
• ISSN: 2059-7908; 2059-7908
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015340

The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, global health threats (such as the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance and the escalating threat of climate change), widespread geopolitical turmoil, rising populism, diminished global political leadership, persistent poverty and extreme deprivation, widening economic inequality and instability and mass displacement converge in a ‘polycrisis’.1 This confluence not only strains international cooperation but also diverts attention away from critical health priorities, undermining public confidence and eroding trust in public health systems and global health governance.2 Against this backdrop, the strategic importance of investment in health to secure economic and political stability as well as in safeguarding human health and well-being, cannot be overstated. Coauthored by members of this network, this commentary emphasises crucial insights gained from the event and underscore the importance of identifying windows of opportunity as well as the urgency of reshaping global health and the leadership which underpins it. [...]it calls for a reinvigorated approach to health diplomacy infused with strong political leadership and innovative strategies to navigate the intricate, ever-evolving landscape of global health. Governmental convening and support were pivotal in the eradication of smallpox, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework and the Political Declaration of the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, illustrating how concerted global action can significantly reduce major public health threats.3 The global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, catalysed by the establishment of global health entities such as UNAIDS; the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; PEPFAR; and Unitaid, transformed a once dire prognosis into significantly improved conditions for millions. [...]learning opportunities could be offered by a range of institutions, from schools of public health or medicine to those focusing on public policy, business, law, governance or the social sciences, from tailor-made training programmes to informal sessions at conferences. [...]to advance global public health in this complex scenario, we propose the following strategies: