The UN think tank on global health. Convening global health research for informed health policy.

Joined May 2013
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UNU Global Health at #GHS2026 | ๐Ÿ—’๏ธ Recap Last week, @UNUGlobalHealth organized a panel during the Global Health Security Conference 2026 in Kuala Lumpur titled โ€œ๐—” ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ข๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ข๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—–๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฅ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ธ๐˜€.โ€ The discussion explored how current One Health approaches can include action on the upstream social, ecological and structural drivers of pandemic and climate risks. Speakers examined how holistic and rights-based approaches can strengthen health security while tackling the underlying determinants of health across human, animal and environmental systems. Dr. Remco van de Pas (@Rvandepas), Policy Research Lead at UNU Global Health, emphasized that the majority of One Health approaches are dominated by a biomedical scientific discourse with only limited representation of environmental and earth-system disciplines, not to mention social and political science expertise. As a continuation of this dialogue, a dedicated seminar further extended the conversation on โ€œStructural One Healthโ€ beyond the GHS2026 panel, interrogating the political economy, legal, biodiversity, and local knowledge aspects within One Health implementation. The events brought together representatives and experts from international organizations, civil society and academia, including Dr. Cushla Coffey, Australian Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Unnikrishnan Payyappallimana (@payyappallimana), The University of Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (@TDUPGConnect), Bengaluru, India; Prof. Dr. Hidayatulfathi Othman, Centre for Toxicology & Health Risk Studies, Faculty of Health Science, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (@ukm_my); and Prof Gorik Ooms, Health Policy Unit at Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp (@ITMantwerp).
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๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ: ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ธ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ด๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ด๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ฎ ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ต & ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—”๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ How can countries in South and Southeast Asia shape global health outcomes through improved regional health cooperation? Our new working paper, produced with the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (@CSEP) and UNU Global Health (formerly @UNU_IIGH) under The Asian Collective for Health Systems (@asianhealthcol), presents information about the state of global and regional health governance, examining the role of @WHO, development banks, public-private partnerships, as well as as ASEAN, G20, G7, BRICS and G77 China. The information presents a fragmented landscape of institutions, programmes and policies with strengths and weaknesses. But what is clear is that in the current geopolitical context, including attacks on the UN-based system of multilateralism, and the collapse of foreign aid budgets for global health, there is a need for countries in South and Southeast Asia to improve international health cooperation at the regional levels and collectively exert greater influence at the global level. The working paper presents information that can be used by multiple stakeholders in the region to identify and explore pathways toward more equitable and effective regional health governance and a global health system that better reflects the perspectives of Global South constituencies. Read the full working paper here: go.unu.edu/v8AxU
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Advancing Climate and Health Action Ahead of COP31 and COP32 ๐ŸŒ Our Director, Dr. Revati Phalkey (@RPhalkey), participated yesterday in the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) and World Health Organization (@WHO) Session on Climate and Health, held in Bonn. The session brought together key stakeholders to develop a common position and finalize Africaโ€™s Roadmap on Climate and Health ahead of #COP31 and #COP32. During her opening remarks, Dr. Phalkey reaffirmed the commitment from the United Nations University system to support countries in advancing climate and health action specifically through: ๐Ÿ”น UNUโ€™s role as a partner for technical support and capability strengthening initiatives under the UNFCCC PCCB program and the Santiago Network. ๐Ÿ”น Supporting the piloting, development, and operationalization of the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) indicators in partnership with the National Public Health Institutions. ๐Ÿ”น Providing leadership through ATACH in integrating gender and equity considerations into climate change and health policies and practice as the newly appointed co-chair of the ATACH task team on gender and health together with @UNFPA. ๐Ÿ”น Developing and certifying capability-strengthening programs on climate and health. The session brought together a distinguished panel of experts, including Dr. Ama Essel, Chair of the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN); Dr. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of the Climate Change, Energy and Air Quality Unit at @WHO Headquarters; Dr. Jeremiah Mushosho, @WHOAFRO Regional Team Lead for Climate Change; Ms. Lynn M. Wagner (@LynnMWagner), Senior Director of the International Environmental Governance Program at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (@IISD_news); and Dr. Friday Phiri, Climate Change Health Advocacy Lead at Amref Health Africa (@Amref_Worldwide).
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HAPPENING TODAYโ— Our Director, Dr. Revati Phalkey (@RPhalkey), will be moderating the side eventย โ€œ๐—”๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต, ๐—˜๐—พ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—š๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—–๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ: ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—–๐—ข๐—ฃ๐˜€โ€ย at the UNFCCC SB64 Climate Conference in Bonn. The event is co-organized by @WHO, the @UNUniversity, @Save_Children, and the ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—•๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜‡๐—ถ๐—น. This session will reflect on progress made in integrating health into the global climate policy agenda across recent @UNFCCC COP processes, while exploring priorities for advancing health, equity and resilience through future climate negotiations and implementation efforts. ๐Ÿ—“ 15 June 2026 | ๐Ÿ•‘ 16:30โ€“17:45 (CEST) | ๐Ÿ“ World Conference Center Bonn, Kaminzimmer Room ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ Speakers: ๐Ÿ”น Prof. Ethel Maciel (@EthelMaciel), COP30 Special Envoy for Health, Brazil ๐Ÿ”น Mr. Benoรฎt Faraco, Ambassador for Climate Negotiations, France ๐Ÿ”น Dr. Youssef Nassef (@YNassef), Director of Adaptation Division, UNFCCC ๐Ÿ”น Dr. Christian Schweizer (@Schweizerch), Scientist, Climate Change and Health, WHO ๐Ÿ”น Representative of Save the Children ๐Ÿ”น Mr. Pedro Hartung, CEO, Instituto Alana ๐Ÿ”น Dr. Gรผl MersinlioฤŸlu Serin, Health Expert, Ministry of Health, Tรผrkiye
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๐Ÿ“ŒFinal Day of #GHS2026 On the final day of the Global Health Security Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala (@tmarwala), Rector of the United Nations University and United Nations Under-Secretary-General, participated in the session โ€œFuture of Multilateralism in Global Health Securityโ€, moderated by Dr. Revati Phalkey (@RPhalkey), Director of @UNU_IIGH. In his keynote remarks, Prof. Marwala reflected on the future of multilateral cooperation in a period marked by geopolitical fragmentation, fiscal constraints, and intersecting global crises. While acknowledging that multilateralism is increasingly contested, he stressed that it remains essential for addressing global health threats, noting that global health security represents one of the clearest tests of whether multilateralism can be renewed for the twenty-first century. He emphasized that national capacity and international cooperation are mutually reinforcing, and highlighted that translating commitments into preparedness, trust, and effective response will be critical. Looking ahead, he argued that the future of multilateralism in global health security must be โ€œfairer, faster, and more distributed,โ€ ensuring equitable access, more timely and coordinated responses, and stronger linkages across national, regional, and global systems. The discussion also brought together diverse perspectives on the future of global health security. Prof. Datoโ€™ Dr. Sufian Jusoh, Vice-Chancellor, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (@ukm_my), contributed the academic perspective, Duncan Selbie, President, International Association of National Public Health Institutes (@IANPHIhealth), shared insights from national public health institutes, Dr. Baba Soumare, Deputy Director General, @WOAH, highlighted the importance of One Health and animal health approaches, and Chee Yoke Ling, Executive Director, Third World Network (@3rdworldnetwork), provided the civil society perspective. Together, the panel explored how multilateral cooperation can adapt and remain effective in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
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๐ŸŒŸ A new visual identity for a new phase! As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, the @UNU_IIGH officially unveiled its new logo during a high-level event held in Kuala Lumpur, in a ceremony featuring His Royal Highness Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, and Her Royal Highness Tunku Aishah Rohani Binti Almarhum Tengku Besar Mahmud. As the institute enters its third decade, UNU-IIGH is moving towards a new visual identity: ๐—จ๐—ก๐—จ ๐—š๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต The new logo reflects the instituteโ€™s broader strategic direction and offers a clearer and more immediately recognizable presence while retaining the breadth of its mandate across research, policy, convening, and capacity-building. A new visual identity for a new phase โ€” and a renewed call for collaboration. Many thanks to all who joined us to mark this important milestone for the institute!
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๐ŸŒ Happened today! As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, the @UNU_IIGH hosted a high-level event in Kuala Lumpur. The evening brought together representatives from ministries, diplomatic missions, the @UN Country Team, local partners, and members of UNU-IIGHโ€™s International Advisory Board. A key highlight was the lightning panel, โ€œAdvancing Data Sovereignty for Equitable Digital Transformation in Health Systems,โ€ moderated by Dr. Revati Phalkey (@RPhalkey), Director of UNU-IIGH, and featuring Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala (@tmarwala), Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations; Dr. Mahesh Appannan (@maheshappannan), Director of the Digital Health Department, Ministry Of Health, Malaysia (@KKMPutrajaya); Prof. Datoโ€™ Dr. Sufian Jusoh, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (@ukm_my); and Mr. Alhafidz Yahya, Acting Head and Director of Innovation at the National AI Office Malaysia (NAIO). The session opened and concluded with remarks by Datoโ€™ Dr. Feisul Mustapha (@feisul), Director of the Perak State Health Department. The discussion explored the evolving landscape of health data sovereignty, with the aim of fostering strategic dialogue between global and national leaders on digital health governance, and positioning Malaysia as a regional thought leader in responsible digital health transformation. UNU-IIGH warmly thanks all who joined and contributed to making this celebration a success! ๐ŸŽ‰
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๐Ÿ“ŒUNUโ€‘IIGH at hashtag#GHS2026 Today at the Global Health Security Conference 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Dr. Revati Phalkey (@RPhalkey), Director of the @UNU_IIGH, moderated the session โ€œ๐— ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜†๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎโ€™๐˜€ ๐—Ÿ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—”๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—š๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜†โ€, highlighting Malaysiaโ€™s leadership and commitment to advancing global health security. The session featured YBhg. Datuk Dr. Mahathar Abd Wahab, Director General of Health Malaysia, Ministry Of Health, Malaysia (@KKMPutrajaya), and Professor Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, Dean, Faculty of Liberal Studies, National University of Malaysia (@ukm_my), as speakers. Reflecting on lessons from COVIDโ€‘19, Dr. Mahathar emphasized the need to completely dismantle silos for effective health governance. Health extends beyond the health sector and is closely linked to national resilience, economic stability, and international cooperation. In particular, he shared Malaysiaโ€™s experience in strengthening preparedness through regional collaboration and multilateral partnerships. Dr. Mahathar further stressed the need to bring together medicine and public health disciplines, technology and data, community engagement, governance and diplomacy, with a focus on equity and ensuring that policies are translated into action. From the academic perspective, Prof. Puteh highlighted the role of universities in research, capacity building, and collaboration to support the prevention, detection, and response to infectious disease threats. Prof. Puteh emphasized that decisions must be guided by science and grounded in research, which requires well-funded, cross-country, multi-center collaboration, making it essential to work together, break silos, and move beyond competition. A key message resonated throughout the panel discussion: no country can address future health threats alone and global health security is "not defined by what we say during a crisis, but by what we build before the next one". This underscores the importance of working across sectors, strengthening partnerships, and building resilient systems for future health threats.
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HAPPENING TOMORROWโ— Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala (@tmarwala), @UN Under Secretary-General and Rector of the @UNUniversity, will deliver a public lecture in Kuala Lumpur titled โ€œ๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—”๐—น๐—ด๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต๐—บ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—˜๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ: ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐—œ-๐——๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ.โ€ ๐Ÿ—“ 11 June 2026 | ๐Ÿ•‘ 2:30โ€“4:30 PM | ๐Ÿ“ Auditorium, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), UKM | ๐Ÿ”— Registration link: go.unu.edu/DEj69
The @UNU_IIGH, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Malaysia (@ukm_my), will host a public lecture โ€œ๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—”๐—น๐—ด๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต๐—บ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—˜๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ: ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐—œ-๐——๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ.โ€ by Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala (@tmarwala), Under-Secretary-General @UN and Rector of the @UNUniversity. In this talk, he will explore the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, innovation, research, and the development of future talent. USG Prof. Marwala brings extensive experience in higher education, research, innovation, and the application of artificial intelligence to global challenges. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg, as well as visiting scholar and Professor at universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and South Africa. ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ 11 June 2026, 2:30โ€“4:30 PM ๐Ÿ“ Auditorium, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), UKM ๐Ÿ”— Register here: go.unu.edu/DEj69
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๐Ÿ“„ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜: Ronald Tundang (@RonaldTundang), Policy Research Fellow at @UNU_IIGH, co-authors a Comment on how @CEPIvaccines can enhance global vaccine equity and transparency. The authors recognize CEPIโ€™s important role in epidemic and pandemic vaccine preparedness while arguing that its next phase should further strengthen transparency, access provisions, technology transfer, and regional manufacturing capacity. The Comment highlights why publicly and philanthropically funded R&D should deliver public goods through transparent rules, shared know-how, diversified production, and equitable access during health emergencies. Read the full article here: go.unu.edu/iHuEY
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Today at the Global Health Security Conference 2026 #GHS2026 in Kuala Lumpur, our Director, Dr. Revati Phalkey (@RPhalkey), moderated the plenary session โ€œ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—š๐—น๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—š๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป.โ€ The discussion examined how the governance structures and mechanisms that underpin global health securityโ€”from multilateral institutions and international agreements to regional frameworks and national authoritiesโ€”must evolve to meet the demands of an increasingly complex and multipolar world. The session brought together a distinguished panel of experts, including Ms. Laura Rissanen (@LauraRissanen), Political State Secretary to the Minister of Social Security at Finlandโ€™s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health; Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove), Acting Director of the Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention at the @WHO; Prof. ๐—ญ๐—ผ๐—ฒ ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ, Director-General of the Australian Centre for Disease Control; and Associate Prof. ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ธ ๐—ช๐—ฒ๐—ฒ ๐—ฌ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Communicable Diseases Agency of Singapore.
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The Global Health Security Conference 2026 #GHS2026 has officially started in Kuala Lumpur, with the @UNU_IIGH and the National University of Malaysia (@ukm_my) as proud local partners. At the opening ceremony, Dr. Revati Phalkey (@RPhalkey), Director of UNU-IIGH, emphasized the need to translate policy into meaningful investments, and investments into sustainable operational capability at all levels. She underscored the importance of strengthening links between science and decision-making, highlighting the critical role of science diplomacy and the need to equip diplomats to effectively engage with scientific evidence in global negotiations. Dr. Phalkey further stressed that greater interoperability between national and regional systems is essential and called for a shift from problem characterization to solution specification, identifying practical pathways to strengthen preparedness, accelerate collaboration, and build systems capable of managing future uncertainties. The official conference welcome also featured Dr. Saskia Popescu (@SaskiaPopescu), PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Health Security Network Ltd (@GHS_Network); Dr. Andrew Nerlinger (@AndrewNerlinger), Executive Director of the Global Health Security Fund (@ghsfund) and Chair of the Board of the Global Health Security Network; and Dr. Saia Ma'u Piukala (@RD_WPRO), Regional Director of the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (@WHOWPRO).
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The @UNU_IIGH, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Malaysia (@ukm_my), will host a public lecture โ€œ๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—”๐—น๐—ด๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต๐—บ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—˜๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฒ: ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐—œ-๐——๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ.โ€ by Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala (@tmarwala), Under-Secretary-General @UN and Rector of the @UNUniversity. In this talk, he will explore the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, innovation, research, and the development of future talent. USG Prof. Marwala brings extensive experience in higher education, research, innovation, and the application of artificial intelligence to global challenges. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg, as well as visiting scholar and Professor at universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and South Africa. ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ 11 June 2026, 2:30โ€“4:30 PM ๐Ÿ“ Auditorium, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), UKM ๐Ÿ”— Register here: go.unu.edu/DEj69
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.@UNU_IIGH present at the Global Health Security Conference 2026 #GHS2026 in Kuala Lumpur! ๐ŸŒ Next week, UNU-IIGH will participate as a Local Organizing Partner in one of the leading global gatherings focused on health security, resilience, and international cooperation. Bringing together leaders, policymakers, researchers, practitioners, international organizations, civil society, and private sector representatives from around the world, discussions at #GHS2026 will explore solutions to emerging health threats, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and advance efforts to build more resilient and equitable health systems. We look forward to engaging with partners and stakeholders, contributing regional perspectives, sharing insights, and supporting collective action towards a safer, healthier, and more secure future for all. Learn more here ๐Ÿ‘‰ go.unu.edu/A79pH
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.@UNU_IIGH congratulates Nikolas Myint on his appointment as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Malaysia๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ! We look forward to continuing our collaborations with the Resident Coordinator's Office and the @UNinMalaysia Team to advance health, equity, and sustainable development inย #Malaysiaย and across the region. We wish you every success in this important role. Welcome!
We are happy to announce that @UN ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ณ chief @antonioguterres has appointed Nikolas Myint to lead @UNinMalaysia ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ, Singapore ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ & Brunei Darussalam ๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ณ. We look forward to working with him and his team to advance the #GlobalGoals ๐ŸŒ & #LeaveNoOneBehind. โฉ bit.ly/NikolasMyint
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๐Ÿฉบ ๐—˜๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜„๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ก๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฆ๐˜†๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ๐˜€: ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ก๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€โ€™ ๐——๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฒ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ต UNU-IIGHโ€™s Policy Research Fellow ๐——๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ผ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ธ๐—ต๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐˜‡๐—ฒ recently participated in the Nursesโ€™ Day Celebration 2026 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, organised by the ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ต ๐— ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป (๐—ฆ๐— ๐—ฆ๐—จ). The event brought together over 200 nurses and healthcare professionals to discuss the evolving role of nurses in modern healthcare. Dr Chikhladze delivered a keynote address titled โ€œ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐˜ƒ๐—ผ๐—น๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ก๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ,โ€ linking the 2026 International Nurses Day theme โ€œOur Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Livesโ€ to the realities in Sabah and across global health systems. In his remarks, he highlighted the critical role of nurses as trusted links between patients, families, communities and the health system. A central message of the keynote was that empowering nurses requires concrete action, including safe staffing, fair pay, protection from violence, mental health support, continuous professional development, and greater involvement in decision-making. Dr Chikhladze emphasised that sustained investment in nurses, alongside primary healthcare and prevention, is essential to building safer, more resilient and equitable health systems. As nursing remains a highly gendered workforce, investing in nurses also means investing in women, families and communities. #UNU #IND2026 #nurses #OurNursesOurFutur #healthcare #HealthcareWorkforce #HealthEquity #HealthJustice #genderequality #GenderInHealth #nursing #NursingWorkforce
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๐—จ๐—ก๐—จ-๐—œ๐—œ๐—š๐—› ๐—ฎ๐˜ #๐—ช๐—›๐—”๐Ÿณ๐Ÿต | ๐Ÿ—’๏ธ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ @UNU_IIGH, in collaboration with the ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฉ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜‚, Medicus Mundi International (@mmi_updates), and Geneva Global Health Hub (@G2H2_Geneva), convened a side event during the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva to strengthen global engagement on the @CIJ_ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. On 20 May, the ๐—จ๐—ก ๐—š๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—”๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ฏ๐—น๐˜†, backed by 141 Member States, adopted the Vanuatu-initiated resolution endorsing the ICJ Advisory Opinion. It marks a historic moment as Member States have chosen to stand behind the ICJ legal blueprint and reaffirm that the rule of law must guide the global response to climate change. Dr. ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ธ๐—ฎ๐—ถ ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ฒ๐—น, Director of Corporate Services of the Ministry of Health of Vanuatu๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡บ, stated in his intervention that for countries like Vanuatu, this is not about politics โ€” it is about survival. The right to health cannot exist where communities are submerged, where families lose access to food and clean water, and where repeated climate disasters overwhelm fragile systems. Health must be at the center of climate financing mechanisms and global climate action. Dr. Revati Phalkey (@RPhalkey), Director of UNU-IIGH, emphasized that this moment reflects years of sustained advocacy, legal effort, and multilateral collaboration to position climate change as a critical health and human rights issue. Dr. Phalkey also highlighted the central role of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and youth movements in advancing this agenda. Dr. Remco van de Pas (@Rvandepas), Research Lead of UNU-IIGH, moderated the side event and, in his closing remarks, stressed that the health movement has successfully addressed major international crises in the past, including nuclear disarmament, HIV treatment and prevention, sexual and reproductive rights, and access to essential medicines. We can learn from these past struggles and tactics. The discussion explored: ๐Ÿ”น The origins and global momentum behind the ICJ Advisory Opinion, and what the ruling means for the health sector ๐Ÿ”น Practical and governance pathways for implementation ๐Ÿ”น Vanuatuโ€™s and other Pacific SIDS leadership and support for the ICJ Advisory Opinion, alongside broader multilateral efforts ๐Ÿ”น Perspectives from delegates from the Philippines, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, and Colombia ๐Ÿ”น The role of equity and youth advocacy in advancing climate and health action ๐Ÿ”น Platforms for awareness-raising, advocacy, policy dialogue, and strengthened collaboration The event brought together representatives from international organizations, governments, diplomatic missions, civil society, youth movements, and academia, including the @UN, the @WHO, the ๐— ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฉ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐˜๐˜‚, ๐—š๐Ÿฎ๐—›๐Ÿฎ, and several country delegations and research institutions from across the Global South.
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๐—›๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐˜† ๐—˜๐—ถ๐—ฑ ๐—ฎ๐—น-๐—”๐—ฑ๐—ต๐—ฎ! May this Eid inspire compassion, generosity, and solidarity, while strengthening the values of peace, unity, and mutual care across communities around the world. From all of us at @UNU_IIGH, we extend our warmest wishes for a peaceful and meaningful celebration.
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๐—”๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฐ๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—น๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿค @UNU_IIGH co-hosted the โ€œ๐—ฆ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฆ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜†๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—–๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜๐—ต ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐˜‚๐—น๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ดโ€ together with the @WorldBankGroup, @KfW_int and @Heidelberg_HIGH during a two-day consultation meeting convened on 11โ€“12 May. The meeting brought together representatives from international organizations, development banks, academia, research institutions, civil society, and policy experts from across regions to exchange perspectives on climate adaptation and mitigation interventions with health benefits. Discussions focused on identifying highly promising interventions for climate adaptation and mitigation within the health sector, examining how investments can sustainably strengthen climate resilience within health systems, and contributing to an expanded set of high-value investments for climate adaptation and mitigation, building on the Smart Buys report presented at #COP30: go.unu.edu/wqCwI Key messages from the discussions included: โœ… Health adaptation remains politically recognized but significantly underfunded, highlighting the need for stronger evidence and communication to make health investments more visible and bankable. โœ… Moving beyond traditional โ€œBest Buysโ€ approaches towards context-sensitive โ€œSmart Buysโ€ is essential to address the complexity of climate and health challenges. โœ… Equity must remain central to climate and health interventions, ensuring vulnerable communities are not excluded from adaptation and mitigation efforts. โœ…ย Cross-sector collaboration across food systems, biodiversity, urban planning, energy, and WASH is critical to advancing climate action with health co-benefits. โœ… Health adaptation planning requires a foresight approach that accounts for climate uncertainty, emerging technologies, and diverse knowledge systems, including indigenous perspectives.
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