Public Health Diplomacy

In September 2024, the University of Memphis School of Public Health hosted a three-day, interactive summit on public health diplomacy. GNAPH and ASPPH were proud to collaborate on the event, which had close to 30 contributors, including GNAPH President Laura Magaña of ASPPH, treasurer Dr. Rajendra Surenthirakumaran of SEAPHEIN, and GNAPH members Drs. Wah Yun Low and So Yoon Kim (APACPH). The agenda included reflections from around the globe and an engaging Q&A panel on next steps to collaborate effective public health diplomacy as well as numerous workshop sessions with discussion topics including the intersection of health and diplomacy, the competencies required to train public health professionals as diplomats, resources for public health students to navigate the complexities of diplomacy amidst a rapidly changing world, and building effective regional collaborations for health diplomacy education. 

The School of Public Health at the University of Memphis is launching a Public Health Diplomacy Lab – the first of its kind in the country. By convening numerous vested partners, including governmental organizations and NGOs, international organizations, members of the civic society, and academic and research institutions, the Public Health Diplomacy Lab will aim to improve collaboration, advance health equity, and enhance population health and well-being from local to global.