Newsletter 09/2022: WHS 2022, Polio Pledging Moment, Virchow Prize Laureate

Dear friends,

Making the Choice for Health – in about two weeks’ time this will be central on the global health agenda: It is the overarching theme of the World Health Summit 2022, the first one co-hosted with the World Health Organization (WHO). We are expecting more than 300 speakers from all around the world and several thousand participants, who will debate new approaches to achieve the SDG 3: Healthy lives and well-being for all.

You can very much look forward to a program packed with crucial issues and inspiring speakers. The WHS 2022 agenda tackles pressing questions and challenges: central topics include climate change and health, pandemic preparedness, digital transformation, and sustainable health systems.

WHS and WHO are both dedicated to the well-being of all people. To give everyone everywhere the chance to live a healthy life requires a global effort. The key to achieve better health for all lies in collaboration and open dialogue, on a scientific and humanitarian basis. This is what WHS 2022 stands for.

At the opening ceremony on Sunday, October 16, the WHS 2022 patrons, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, and French President Emmanuel Macron (video) will be speaking along with many other important voices in global health.

Join us for the global health event of the year – to plan your participation, visit the online program and follow #WHS2022 on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest updates.

See you at the World Health Summit 2022 – in Berlin or online!

The World Health Summit and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly invite you to the world’s leading global health conference.
 

WHS 2022 Speakers

We expect the most prominent names in global health from all sectors in all regions of the world. More than 40 government officials will be joining, numerous renowned scientists, and high-level representatives from the private sector as well as civil society.

More speakers

This year’s World Health Summit will focus on "Making the Choice for Health" by reflecting on the most pressing topics, including:

- Investment for Health and Well-Being
- Climate Change and Planetary Health 
- Architecture for Pandemic Preparedness
- Digital Transformation for Health
- Food Systems for Health
- Health Systems Resilience and Equity
- Global Health for Peace 

The online program provides always up-to-date und comprehensive information on each of the 60 sessions: Hosts, chairs, speakers, topic descriptions, and shortly before WHS 2022 also the links for digital participation.

How to Participate in WHS 2022

Digital participation: Free and possible without prior registration. Zoom links will be available in the online program and during WHS 2022 directly on the top of our landing page.

On-site participation: Last chance to register here.

Oct. 16, 2022, CEST: 18:00 - 19:30

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz will speak at the World Health Summit 2022 Opening Ceremony on behalf of the G7 presidency held by Germany this year. He will be joined by high-level speakers from six different countries, e.g., WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF-Director Catherine Russell.

If you can't make it to Berlin, make sure to join us online on www.worldhealthsummit.org

Press and Media

The World Health Summit 2022 is fully open to the press. Journalists who intend to report on WHS 2022 can request accreditation for on-site participation until Wednesday, Oct. 12. Digital participation is possible without prior accreditation.

Please visit our Press Kit and find all press releases on WHS 2022 here.

Special Events at WHS 2022

During and around the World Health Summit 2022 there are numerous partner events, special events, and launches. Get all info on our Side Events page.

A major special event is the polio pledging moment in the main WHS 2022 program. An event recently highlighted in front of a worldwide audience by the President of Rotary International Jennifer Jones at the Global Citizen Festival in New York. 

Tuesday, Oct. 18 CEST: 12:30 PM - 02:00 PM
Investing in a Polio-free Future for More Resilient Health Systems
This event will recognize partners and major donors who have made new financial and political commitments to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative's (GPEI) strategy and explore the broader health benefits of supporting polio eradication, including a discussion of GPEI's key role in pandemic preparedness and response and in tackling health emergencies. Speakers include WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze, UNICEF's Executive Director Catherine Russell, and Polio Survivor and Advocate Minda Dentler. 

All info on the polio eradication pledging moment

Virchow Prize for Global Health: Meet the First Laureate 

Congratulations to the first Virchow Prize for Global Health laureate Dr. John Nkengasong. The US Coordinator of the Global AIDS Response and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy at the US Department of State is honored for his unparalleled commitment to addressing complex global health challenges and making healthcare accessible to the world’s most vulnerable.

The Virchow Foundation for Global Health invites you to attend the inaugural award ceremony on Saturday, October 15, the evening preceding the World Health Summit 2022 (included in your registration).

Read more

UNGA 2022: "A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges."

The war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, climate action, ending the COVID-19 pandemic - these were some of the key topics at the 77th UN General Assembly Sept. 20-26 with the world leaders, including German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, to be speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Health Summit 2022 in Berlin.
Ahead of the COP27 Summit in November in Egypt, the SDGs were once again in the spotlight, especially climate change. The implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals seven years ago is considered one of the most important achievements of the UN General Assembly in recent years.

Read more

Thank you to the World Health Summit 2022 partners:

YouTube Health is dedicated to making high-quality health information accessible to everyone. People all over the world use YouTube to find answers to their health questions, and YouTube Health is committed to ensuring that everyone can learn from leading medical experts in ways that are easy to understand and engaging. YouTube Health helps people identify information from highly authoritative sources when they search for health topics, using principles developed by organizations like WHO and the National Academy of Medicine. The aim is to reimagine how public health information is shared at scale.

Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience.
In "Elevating health & wellbeing at a time of global uncertainty", David Humphreys, global practice lead for health policy at Economist Impact and speaker at WHS 2022, along his team of policy experts, offer evidence-based perspectives on what the future holds in health across six core areas.

Media Partners

Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, provides balanced journalism for a global audience, reflecting different regional perspectives. DW actively supports those who stand up for democracy, human rights and civil society. By staying one step ahead of censors worldwide, we enable free access to objective information about global health care and scientific developments. With a proxy server developed in-house, DW’s content is available as an additional source of information despite censorship efforts: www.inspiredminds.de

Foreign Policy is devoted to insightful and impartial global affairs coverage, evident in its 50 years of award-winning journalism and analysis. FP reaches an international audience of tens of millions of people and serves as a trusted source of reporting and commentary for leaders across government, business, and education.

Der Tagesspiegel is Berlin’s number-one journalistic voice. Its award-winning journalists identify the causes of things and emphasize the paper’s independent, liberal position. 364,000 noticeably young and well-educated readers appreciate this professional ethic day after day. Daily exclusive background information for decision-makers from the health sector can be found in Tagesspiegel Background Gesundheit & E-Health. For a 4-week trial subscription, click here.

ZEIT Publishing Group is one of Europe's most renowned media houses with a broad digital offer and education program. The centerpiece is DIE ZEIT: With a circulation of around 550,000 copies sold and more than two million readers, the weekly newspaper is Germany's leading quality newspaper. It is a medium of orientation and a platform for democratic discourse in our society.