{"id":2844,"date":"2019-09-11T18:53:53","date_gmt":"2019-09-11T16:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thinkglobalhealth.de\/?p=2844"},"modified":"2020-01-04T18:58:50","modified_gmt":"2020-01-04T16:58:50","slug":"is-germany-really-a-new-leader-in-global-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkglobalhealth.de\/?p=2844","title":{"rendered":"Is Germany really a new leader in Global Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_wp_text]<\/p>\n

Is Germany Really a New Leader in Global Health?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Although Germany only published its first global health strategy in 2013, it has rapidly accelerated its pace in the field\u2014like a new Porsche on the Autobahn.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chancellor Angela Merkel has become Germany\u00b4s global health ambassador. She began with a well-received speech at the World Health Assembly in 2015 and has backed that up by increasing Germany\u00b4s financial contributions to WHO. She has placed global health high on the G7 and G20 agendas. She successfully secured strong support for the Global Fund, GAVI, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the new Global AMR Hub (based in Berlin) as well as for many other multilateral, global health programs and initiatives. In addition, she has offered more than 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers a safe shelter in Germany, at a time when many other countries have closed their borders.<\/span><\/p>\n

In April 2018, Merkel led efforts with Norway and Ghana to improve cooperation among the major global health organizations. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented the first draft of the \u201cGlobal Action Plan for healthy lives and well-being for all<\/span><\/a>\u201d during the 10th anniversary of the World Health Summit<\/span><\/a> in Berlin last October.<\/em>Some NGOs have criticized<\/span><\/a>\u00a0the lack of transparency and involvement of civil society in the plan\u2019s development\u2014a criticism often made of Germany\u00b4s global health policy development.\u00a0However, in February, the German government launched its very own\u00a0Global Health Hub<\/span><\/a>, a multistakeholder platform to discuss current and emerging issues like digital health, AMR or NCDs. In addition, all of the Hub\u2019s more than 400 members have been invited to suggest further topics for working groups. Although the German Ministry of Health pays for the Hub, most of the other government\u00a0ministries have shown little interest in participating so far, perhaps sadly remaining in their \u201csiloed\u201d thinking. It also remains unclear how the results of the Hub\u00b4s multistakeholder work will be taken up by policymakers, especially in the context of the update of Germany\u00b4s Global Health Strategy, which is expected within the next few months.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taken together, Germany\u2019s recent moves in global health are considerable. But some argue it\u2019s still not enough. A Berlin Institute of Global Health<\/span><\/a> position paper<\/span><\/a>, which I coordinated, concluded that Germany still lags \u201cbehind the opportunities of a country that is so economically strong and so important in terms of foreign policy.\u201d The group argued that \u201cas an important and reliable player in international politics,\u201d Germany should champion the Sustainable Development Goals agenda in the UN Security Council and WHO\u2019s Executive Board\u2014Germany is a member of both. It should also advance global health during its upcoming EU Presidency in 2020. The authors also call for closer cooperation with the European Commission and other European countries as an essential basis for Germany\u00b4s upcoming global health strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n

In many ways, Germany has both the ability and responsibility to build diplomatic and scientific bridges to strengthen transnational and multidisciplinary efforts in the field of global health. It\u2019s especially important given rising nationalism in the US, UK, Brazil, India, and other countries. The negative impacts of President Trump\u00b4s expansion of the global gag rule can already be seen. The UK\u2019s troubled \u201cBrexit\u201d may also significantly impact its development aid programs and scientific research.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Germany truly a new leader in global health? Many would say so, but I am convinced that Germany could still do much more for global health. It needs to:<\/span><\/p>\n