Are we ready for the next pandemic threat?
At a time when multilateralism is under pressure and pandemic threats remain ever present, this Geneva Health Week 2026 side event brings senior policymakers and global health leaders together to ask whether the world is ready for the next pandemic threat.
The discussion will address:
- Economic instability
- Conflicts and climate emergencies
- Evolving health security threats
- Geopolitical shifts and donor disruption
- Persistent gaps in financing, accountability, and regional manufacturing capacity
The event will also examine reasons for cautious optimism, including:
- The amended International Health Regulations
- Momentum for regional self-reliance
- The Pandemic Agreement adopted in May 2025 alongside ongoing negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing Annex
Speakers include:
- Vinh-Kim Nguyen, Co-Director, Global Health Centre and Professor, Geneva Graduate Institute
- The Right Hon. Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Co-Chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
- Dr. Mariangela Simao, Secretary of Health and Environmental Surveillance, Ministry of Health, Brazil
- Hanan Al Kuwari, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Public Health Affairs, State of Qatar
- Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
- Els Torreele, Senior Expert in Health Equity
- Maria Guevara, International Medical Secretary, Medecins Sans Frontieres
- Edem Adzogenu, Global Emissary, Accra Reset
Moderators:
- Ebere Okereke, Associate Fellow of Chatham House
- Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet