Bridging Research and Policy at the Global Health Security Conference 2024
The Global Health Security Conference 2024 (GHS2024) in Sydney gathered over 1,200 delegates from 89 countries. Members of the Georgetown University community played a key role, with 20 faculty members and students leading discussions on pivotal issues ranging from governance and health security to misinformation and women’s leadership in global health.
Rebecca Katz, director of the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security (CGHSS) and co-founder of the conference along with Adam Kamradt-Scott, was one of the main driving forces leading the 2024 conference.
“When Adam and I conceived of this conference years ago, we could have only dreamed it would become what it has today—an opportunity to bring together the GHS community of practice.”
Addressing Global Health Threats
Since its inception in 2019, GHS has provided a forum where leaders, researchers, policymakers, and representatives from government, international organizations, civil society, and private industry from around the world can engage with each other, review the latest research and policy innovations, and agree on solutions for making the world safer and healthier. The institutional support and involvement of CGHSS, the Global Health Institute, and other Georgetown University units at the conference underscores the university’s commitment to addressing global health threats.
The 2024 Georgetown delegation brought together young scholars, faculty members, and alumni from units such as the Department of Global Health and the O’Neill Center for National and Global Health Law to present their research and contribute to policy dialogues. Ciara Weets, CGHSS senior research associate and project manager, presented her work on the Analysis and Mapping of Policies for Emerging Infectious Diseases in Practice: Childhood Vaccination Enforcement Mechanisms. Sam Halabi, professor in the School of Health and director of the Center for Transformational Health Law at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, presented his work on Access and Benefit-Sharing in Global Health: The Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework.
The plenary session on Women in Global Health Security Leadership was the first time that the conference brought together women health leaders from countries most affected by insecurity and conflict. South Sudan’s Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng shared her insights on the challenges faced by fragile health systems.
Young Scholars at the Forefront
Leo Shih (H'26), an undergraduate student in the School of Health majoring in global health and minoring in religion, ethics, and world affairs, presented his research with the Center for Global Health Science and Security on the impact of temperature and precipitation on shigellosis. Emerging scholars like him had the chance to engage directly with policymakers and other academic peers.
“The best thing about GHS was getting to talk to global health scientists and practitioners about their careers. I'm thinking about pursuing a career in infectious disease epidemiology, and being able to ‘talk shop’ with people actually doing field epi was an awesome experience."
Bridging Policy and Research
As a university in the capital of the United States committed to academic excellence in service to the common good, Georgetown University supports the real-world application of academic research—a priority shared by Global Health Security Conference participants. At GHS2024 a growing global community of practice enabled academic researchers and policymakers to collaborate and learn from one another. One notable example was a roundtable discussion hosted by the Australian COVID-19 inquiry team, which brought together policymakers and scholars to discuss ways to better align research with policy decisions in health.
Conference participants also wrestled with the challenge of disinformation in global health, a significant barrier to achieving health security. Georgetown delegates stressed the importance of developing strategies to mitigate the impact of misinformation, especially during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Preparing for the Future
The conference highlighted the relevance of Georgetown’s new Graduate Certificate In Global Health Diplomacy, developed by the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy in conjunction with the Science, Technology, and International Affairs Program in the School of Foreign Service. This certificate is designed to prepare students to work in a variety of environments engaging in efforts to advance health and foreign policy and provide the training necessary to operate effectively in the health diplomacy space.
As the world continues to face health challenges, Georgetown’s efforts to bridge research and policy through projects like the Global Health Security Conference remain important for addressing these complex issues.
Photos courtesy of the Global Health Security Conference.