Why health diplomacy is central to easing many of today’s health crises

Across much of the world, levels of trust in governments, corporations and other institutions are low and need to be rebuilt. Indeed, the theme of this Davos 2024, the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, is "rebuilding trust".

Re-establishing trust will help those concerned unite and work collaboratively to navigate the changing and challenging world in which we live – to achieve the best outcomes for all, in all areas of society, including health.

Health is influenced by complex social, economic and political factors. Health systems globally face numerous challenges, such as the rise of non-communicable diseases and climate change.

Against this backdrop, economic and political instability, conflict and existing and emerging infectious disease outbreaks, including Disease X, can ratchet up pressure on already stretched health systems, pushing them towards breaking point.

Ensuring equitable healthcare delivery and meeting health needs should always be a priority – regardless of the magnitude of the challenges faced. The capacity of a health system to meet these needs is largely determined by the quality of its governance.

Health systems governance is complex, involving policy-making and coordination at multiple levels and between various sectors. High levels of transparency, accountability and inclusivity are needed, as well as effective leadership that is both visionary and responsive to change.

But complex crises require more than competent governance, and call for skilful health diplomacy – coordinated collaboration and action at all levels of governance, and policy coherence and coordination between countries and among other key stakeholders including civil society, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

Building and nurturing public-private partnerships can also mobilize resources, expertise, and innovation to address complex health system challenges.

The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) seeks to facilitate cross-border and cross-sectoral collaboration to strengthen health systems – making them more sustainable and resilient in the face of these challenges. It commissions research that informs evidence-based policy recommendations in order to guide action.

The PHSSR’s global research findings, published in its 2023 Summary Report, identified widespread deficits in transparency, public engagement, and accountability, leading to an erosion in trust which can weaken health systems and their ability to respond to crises.

Examples of this include:

So how do we reverse this and build back trust? The PHSSR 2023 Summary Report provides several recommendations:

Promoting accountability, transparency and inclusivity has proven valuable in several countries. For example:

A policy-making approach that engages a diverse group of stakeholders – including patients, healthcare providers, policy-makers and the private sector – in structured dialogue to develop policies that reflect their values and preferences can help to build trust.

And once policies are made and implemented, ongoing transparency is needed to enable accountability and maintain this trust. The diverse challenges faced by health systems around the world will require equally diverse policy solutions – but trust will form the foundation of success, regardless of the challenge.

Policy reforms can help to rebuild this trust to create health systems that deliver equitable care for all, and that are better placed to withstand the wider challenges.

On 17 January 2024, representatives from PHSSR member organizations AstraZeneca and Philips will take part in a Stakeholder Dialogue session during Davos 2024, the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, focused on how health systems can prepare for Disease X. Follow the PHSSR on LinkedIn to receive regular updates on its activities.

The WHO Foundation is an independent Swiss foundation affiliated with, and independent of, the World Health Organization. It marshals resources, brokers partnerships and drives new initiatives to help achieve the goal of health for all. Emanuele Capobianco, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer of the WHO Foundation and PHSSR Steering Committee Member will also be in attendance at Davos 2024.