LUNCH TALK
Public Interest or Private Power? Global Health at a Crossroads
Global health is facing a deepening crisis. Shrinking public financing, increasing geopolitical fragmentation, and growing dependence on private funding are reshaping how health priorities are set and implemented. Against this backdrop, the privately organized World Health Summit (WHS) 2026, taking place in Berlin from 11–13 October 2026, calls for innovation in technology, governance, financing, and partnerships.
However, "innovation" is often equated with greater involvement of private actors and private finance in global health. Private philanthropic foundations, corporations, public-private partnerships (PPPs) and multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) already exert significant influence over global health agendas, contributing to the fragmentation and privatization of the global health landscape. At the same time, perspectives from civil society, affected communities, and low- and middle-income countries—as well as the understanding of health as a global public good and a human right—risk being marginalized in favor of commercial and geopolitical interests and disease- or intervention-specific initiatives that attract donor funding.
The Lunch Talk aims to bring together experts from academia, civil society, politics, and global health practice to discuss the growing influence of private actors in global health governance and financing. The event aims to critically examine these developments and explore what kind of innovation is needed to build a more democratic, accountable, and equitable global health system.
As places are limited, we kindly ask you to register in advance here.
Speakers include:
- Unni Karunakara, Global Health expert, Interim Director of United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, former International President of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
- Kalipso Chalkidou, Director of the Performance, Financing and Delivery Department at the World Health Organization (WHO)
- Katerini Storen, Professor of Medical Anthropology and Global Health at University of Oslo
- Stella Merendino, Member of the German Parliament (Die Linke)
- Dan Owalla, People’s Health Movement Kenya
Facilitation: Victoria Saint, Research Associate and Doctoral Candidate at Bielefeld University
Date and Venue
Date: Monday, 12 October 2026
Time: 13:00–15:00
Venue: Hotel Pestana Berlin Tiergarten, Stülerstraße 6, 10787 Berlin
Organizers: German Platform Global Health, Global Policy Forum Europe, medico international, Brot für die Welt, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York Office
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