ACHEST Executive Director participates in the first ever meeting of Global Health policy Think Tanks in Geneva.
The SDGs and the Game Change in Global Health
Panel discussion: 12 – 13 November, 2015. Graduate Institute Geneva.
Left to Right Sakiko Fukuda-Parr Margaret Chan Francis Omaswa and Pascal Strupler
The Global Health Program at the Graduate Institute hosted for the first time ever leaders from think tanks and academic institutions from around the world to discuss how the transformational approach to global development aimed for by the SDGs can be put into practice for global health and greater health equity.
The Global Health Program at the Graduate Institute hosted for the first time ever leaders from think tanks and academic institutions from around the world to discuss how the transformational approach to global development aimed for by the SDGs can be put into practice for global health and greater health equity.
This timely meeting, following the recent adoption of the SDGs, will explore the special contribution global health policy-focused think tanks and academic institutions can make in proposing policies that could affect change and in being critical partners who question approaches and address issues of transparency and accountability. Special focus will be put on health and trade, global health security, and global health governance. In this way, the meeting will contextualize the SDGs and begin translating them into action by framing the debate with a global health focus.
This timely meeting, following the recent adoption of the SDGs, will explore the special contribution global health policy-focused think tanks and academic institutions can make in proposing policies that could affect change and in being critical partners who question approaches and address issues of transparency and accountability. Special focus will be put on health and trade, global health security, and global health governance. In this way, the meeting will contextualize the SDGs and begin translating them into action by framing the debate with a global health focus.
Margaret Chan 
Ilona Kickbush
The program of the opening includes the following speakers:
• Ilona Kickbusch, Director, Global Health Program, the Graduate Institute
• Philippe Burrin, Director, the Graduate Institute
• Pascal Strupler, Director, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health; State Secretary for Health
• Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization
• Xiaozhun Yi, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization
Keynote address: “The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, a course correction?”
• Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, The New School, USA
Panel discussion with all speakers and Prof Francis Omaswa, Executive Director, African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST), Uganda, responding to the keynote address and engaging with the audience.
The meeting was supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, and the Charities Aid Foundation.
The second day of the meeting 13th November 2015 was addressed on a debate between think tank leaders and representatives of Geneva-based agencies. Luiz Loures, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.