This September, Foreign Policy and Roche will host an event on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York. This year marks the halfway point to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — a milestone that encourages reflection on the progress achieved and an evaluation of what comes next.

The event will focus on diagnostics in healthcare, an issue that saw increased attention during the height of the COVID-19 crisis when widespread need for testing led to accelerated development of diagnostic tests. The importance of diagnostics was further underscored this May by the adoption of a resolution by Member States at the 76th World Health Assembly, which encouraged governments and the private sector to invest in strengthening laboratory infrastructure, supply chain management, workforce and capacity building, and diagnostic quality-assurance programs.

This event will bring together policymakers, global health experts and industry leaders to assess the connections between strategic investments in diagnostics and the successful realization of the SDGs. Discussions will explore the intersections among diagnostics and universal health coverage, global health security, and pandemic preparedness, as well as the impact of access to quality diagnostics on global health systems beyond the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals. Join us for this series of conversations, which will be followed by a networking reception.