About GHLS

Since 2015, Global Health Council has been convening members of its network in Washington, DC for an annual symposium to discuss current trends and calls to action in global health. Over the years, we have acknowledged a “new normal” in global health policy and our responsibility as a community to pursue communication, collaboration, or campaign practices that facilitate meaningful change and shared progress. Those events have led to calls for new narratives and partnerships for USG programs as well as commitments to integrated, country-based investments or plans, in pursuit of UHC and a broader 2030 agenda. Nothing has made these conversations more relevant than the game-changing events of 2020.

GHLS21

This year, GHC’s Global Health Landscape Symposium will be held on December 9-10, 2021. The symposium will focus on understanding global health security from a holistic perspective given there is a lack of clarity over how “global health security” is defined. For example, it is not always clear whose health and security are at risk, who needs protecting, and which issues fall under the global health security umbrella. When “protection” is the main narrative or justification for global health investment, people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) become seen as vectors of disease that threaten the U.S., adding fuel to the fire of the misguided notion that those coming from disease-prone areas are dangerous. Defining security as a primary narrative risks elevating the issue of health at the expense of a central focus on human rights, equity, dignity, and thriving development, which can undercut the voices of civil society and key populations in the design, governance, and implementation of health programming. This symposium will leverage our virtual format to bring in voices from far and wide to share their own experiences and recommendations while exploring the numerous ways in which linking human security and global health and development can be constructive.