Global health took centre stage in Brussels on 30 June and the timing couldn’t’ be more significant.
The EU Global Health Policy Forum is an annual event that aims to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to global health and foster dialogue among key stakeholders. It is co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA).
At the Global Health Policy Forum 2026, discussions focused on challenges that are reshaping global health: more frequent and complex disease outbreaks, the spread of health misinformation and growing geopolitical pressures affecting international cooperation.
The core topic of the 2026 edition of the Forum was to present the newly released Global Health Resilience Initiative (GHRI) and its priorities.
The key objectives of the Forum were to reaffirm the EU’s commitment and leading role in global health, foster constructive dialogue and engagement with key global health stakeholders, and discuss the priorities of the Global Health Resilience Initiative.
In the context of a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, panels discussed the following topics:
- supporting resilient country-led health systems, including support for local manufacturing
- reinforcing prevention, preparedness, and response to global health threats and crises
- fostering trust in science and countering disinformation and misinformation.
Opening the Forum, Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi highlighted that stronger health systems and international cooperation are essential to protecting people’s health. Through the Global Health Resilience Initiative, the EU supports country-led approaches, partnering with countries under Global Gateway to strengthen preparedness, resilience and national capacities to advance health sovereignty.
The conversations also turned to how global health efforts can become more effective. Rather than creating new structures, the focus was on how existing global health institutions can work better together, making use of their respective strengths and addressing gaps where they exist. That naturally led to another key topic: trust. Trust in science, trust in public institutions and trust between partners, that are all essential for effective global health cooperation.
As DG SANTE’s acting Director Moya Díaz Marta said in the closing remarks, strong health systems do more than protect lives. They also protect societies, economies and democratic institutions.
More about the forum HERE
