Dear readers,

Over the past week, we have been following the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79) in Geneva very closely – and the picture that emerges is striking: this Assembly was less about health, and more about power. In the midst of a global polycrisis of climate, conflict, economic instability and fragile governance, WHA79 can been described as one of the most political gatherings in WHO’s recent history. While the agenda spoke of health emergencies, antimicrobial resistance and “health for all”, debates were dominated by geopolitical tensions, country resolutions and foreign‑policy disputes, often pushing the concrete health needs of people to the margins. Ongoing negotiations on the pandemic agreement and the International Health Regulations were shaped by deep North–South mistrust around equity, data‑sharing and intellectual property, turning technical questions into proxies for larger struggles over influence and resources.

At the same time, member states formalized a process to “reform the global health architecture” – a term that, I would argue, obscures that this is fundamentally a political contest over the purpose, power and accountability of global health institutions. Civil society groups and some governments are calling for a more democratic debate about functions and fairness, warning that in the current polycrisis global health governance risks becoming even more fragmented and donor‑driven, while primary health care, social protection and community‑led responses remain underfunded. Adding to this charged atmosphere, the campaign season for the next WHO Director‑General has quietly begun, with informal “hallway politics” around potential candidates already visible. The coming years will likely see future Assemblies become arenas where competing visions for WHO’s role in a world of permanent crisis are fought out – not only through resolutions, but through leadership choices.

Against this backdrop, I am pleased that the Institute of Global Health Berlin is helping to broaden and deepen the conversation. We are preparing the issue “Global Health in Crisis” in the series Crises and Societies (more here: Crises and Societies). We invite contributions that examine how political, ecological, economic and social crises reshape health systems and inequalities, and how communities, health services and social movements respond. How do crises affect access to care and deepen North–South divides? What roles do prevention and global governance play in times of permanent disruption? We welcome theoretical, empirical and practice‑oriented work from different disciplines, and I warmly invite you to submit an abstract (max. 400 characters) by 15 June 2026.

Looking to the future, I am also happy to share that this fall the MSc in Global Health at Akkon University of Applied Sciences in Berlin will be relaunched in English, with an updated curriculum co‑developed with the Institute of Global Health Berlin. The programme combines a solid grounding in scientific methods, epidemiology and health systems with a strong focus on emerging areas such as Planetary Health, One Health and Digital Health. Attention is paid to health data and artificial intelligence, as well as to questions of equity, human rights and global governance. Our aim is to equip graduates to help build more sustainable and just health systems worldwide – especially for the most vulnerable populations.

In a moment when global forums risk drifting away from everyday health realities, I hope that these IGGB‑supported initiatives – a critical publication and a future‑oriented master’s programme – can offer spaces where we collectively refocus on people, justice and concrete change. I would be delighted if you joined us in this effort: by submitting a contribution, sharing the call, encouraging future students, and staying engaged in shaping what global health should become.

Best wishes,

Mathias Bonk

Co-founder & Chairman of the IGGB board