INSTITUTE for PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
INSTITUT DE DIPLOMATIE PUBLIQUE | INSTITUTO DE DIPLOMACIA PUBLICA | सार्वजनिक कूटनीति संस्थान | 公共外交研究所 | معهد الدبلوماسية العامة
Strengthening the diplomatic power of civil society actors and academia.
Breaking News:
According to the World Health Organization, global health diplomacy is an emerging field that bridges the disciplines of public health, international affairs, management, law, and economics, with a focus on negotiations that impact the global policy environment for health.
Health diplomacy can take various forms, including medical diplomacy, pharmaceutical diplomacy, and sanitary diplomacy, among others.
Currently, there are no established or widely accepted definitions specific to these forms of health diplomacy. Accordingly, the Institute conceptualizes them as modes of interaction among diverse public health stakeholders aimed at promoting representation, fostering cooperation, advancing the right to health, and strengthening health systems for vulnerable populations at the global level.
The Institute is actively engaged in a transformation process aimed at promoting health through health diplomacy. As part of this process, the Institute recognizes the need to understand the many non-medical factors affecting health for the success of health policies.
Applying a multidisciplinary approach requires the adoption of methods, practical tools and techniques drawn from environmental, agricultural and social sciences, among others. This scientific evidence can contribute to and complement other public health efforts that focus on the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. At the Institute we also believe, that global health requires more inclusive multilateral negotiations and needs to involve a wide range of civil society actors.
The Institute invites experts and researchers from diverse disciplines and regions to join this initiative and contribute to strengthening global health diplomacy through research and collaboration.
Advancing Health Diplomacy Through WHO Civil Society Commission, WBG and IMF.
Multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Bank provide institutional frameworks for diplomatic engagement among states and non-state actors.
The Institute as an approved by WHO Civil Society Commission participant actively participates at the WHO Civil Society Commission’s regular General and supports the WHO CSC, its purpose, goals, objectives, guiding principles, work and activities. We look forward to representing the voices of civil society actors, in particular, under-represented communities , ensuring their inclusion and participation in advancing the WHO's work on public health, while providing innovative ways through which the WHO can engage better with these actors.
Advancing the Lusaka Agenda: The Role of Health Diplomats
Bringing together perspectives from civil society, academia and African public health institutions to advance dialogue on health equity, sustainable health financing and the role of community voices in shaping global health governance.
When the voices of civil society and academia are placed at the centre of health planning and service delivery, health systems become more responsive to local realities, community needs and specific contexts, rather than being shaped exclusively by top-down decision-making.
Even well-intentioned initiatives risk being captured by elites, sometimes affected by corruption, and driven primarily by technocratic priorities. Without meaningful participation and independent oversight, such initiatives may fail to achieve their intended long-term impact on the communities they are meant to serve.
ACCORDING TO THE INSTITUTE: As global health systems face mounting debt pressures and growing financial constraints, future health initiatives must ensure the meaningful participation of civil society, academia and communities in shaping priorities, allocating resources and delivering healthcare.
Photo: Dr Ngozi Franca Okoye, PhD, Member of the Institute’s PhD Council, together with Dr Uju Mabel Onyes, Principal Technical Officer for Public Financial Management and the Lusaka Agenda (East Africa) at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Health Diplomacy in action
The Institute participats in Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund. The World Bank Group helps countries achieve universal health coverage by strengthening primary care systems, ensuring affordable, quality health services for all. Investing in health boosts human capital, drives economic growth, and creates jobs.
International Global Health Events
Health is an important connector between the different SDGs and a starting point for diplomatic solutions.
By participating in international processes and meetings, Institut de diplomatie publique raises awareness of the health dimensions of all the SDG targets. Together with partners, the Institute sheds new light on how health-related solutions make it possible to successfully address several problems at the same time. This new public diplomacy approach can pave the way to the future we want.
Health Diplomacy in Action: Explore Our Work- Photography
