Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Peace and health are intrinsically connected and interdependent. Violent conflicts across all regions have severe consequences for human health, with health systems increasingly becoming targets. The destruction of healthcare infrastructure, restricted access to medical services, and the spread of disease undermine lives and livelihoods, creating long-term instability. Conversely, healthy populations foster peace by promoting social stability, economic productivity, and resilient communities.
At the World Health Summit 2025, this session – co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) – featured Inger Ashing (CEO, Save the Children International), Helen Clark (Chair of the Board, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research), Austin Demby (Minister of Health, Sierra Leone), Ilona Kickbusch (Founding Director, Global Health Center, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies), and Edem Adamanov (Deputy Minister of Health, Ukraine). They emphasized the need for integrated approaches recognizing that health and peace cannot be addressed in isolation. It explored the World Health Organization’s Global Health and Peace Initiative (GHPI), which promotes policies bridging health and security, strengthening resilience, and advancing equity. By reinforcing health systems and promoting justice, the discussion highlighted how societies can build lasting peace, well-being, and global stability.
The World Health Summit is the leading global platform bringing together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector to catalyze collaborative and innovative solutions for key health priorities. Learn more at www.worldhealthsummit.org.
Peace and health are intrinsically connected and interdependent. Violent conflicts across all regions have severe consequences for human health, with health systems increasingly becoming targets. The destruction of healthcare infrastructure, restricted access to medical services, and the spread of disease undermine lives and livelihoods, creating long-term instability. Conversely, healthy populations foster peace by promoting social stability, economic productivity, and resilient communities.
At the World Health Summit 2025, this session – co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) – featured Inger Ashing (CEO, Save the Children International), Helen Clark (Chair of the Board, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research), Austin Demby (Minister of Health, Sierra Leone), Ilona Kickbusch (Founding Director, Global Health Center, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies), and Edem Adamanov (Deputy Minister of Health, Ukraine). They emphasized the need for integrated approaches recognizing that health and peace cannot be addressed in isolation. It explored the World Health Organization’s Global Health and Peace Initiative (GHPI), which promotes policies bridging health and security, strengthening resilience, and advancing equity. By reinforcing health systems and promoting justice, the discussion highlighted how societies can build lasting peace, well-being, and global stability.
The World Health Summit is the leading global platform bringing together science, politics, civil society, and the private sector to catalyze collaborative and innovative solutions for key health priorities. Learn more at www.worldhealthsummit.org.
