Seye Abimbola and co-authors argue for a transformation in global health research and practice in the post-COVID-19 world.

Universal health coverage in ‘One ASEAN’: are migrants included?

Global health security and universal health coverage have been frequently considered as “two sides of the same coin”. Yet, greater analysis is required as to whether and where these two ideals converge, and what important differences exist. A consequence of ignoring their individual characteristics is to distort global and local health priorities in an effort to streamline policymaking and funding activities. This paper examines the areas of convergence and divergence between global health security and universal health coverage, both conceptually and empirically. We consider analytical concepts of risk and human rights as fundamental to both goals, but also identify differences in priorities between the two ideals. We support the argument that the process of health system strengthening provides the most promising mechanism of benefiting both goals.

The climate and ecological crisis will constitute the defining public health challenge of the twenty-first century, posing an unprecedented global threat to all determinants of health, and to healthcare delivery systems. We believe that mental health professionals have a crucial role to play in responding to this crisis. Whilst responding to the mental health consequences of the climate crisis will remain a key role for us as mental health professionals, we argue that our remit goes beyond this, and should include advancing public understanding of the climate crisis, highlighting its impact on physical and mental wellbeing, and advocating for systemic changes to limit its impending harms. This paper is an urgent call to action for all mental health professionals to take up a role in the context of the climate and ecological crisis. This paper will describe the relationship between mental health and climate change, and frame it within wider systemic and conceptual frameworks. It will demonstrate that as mental health professionals we are well placed to act as leaders of change—arguing that we have a duty to do so—and suggest actions that can be implemented depending on interests, skill sets and opportunities.

A global initiative to develop low-carbon, resilient health systems-the COP26 Health Programme-launched at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in 2021. As of May, 2024, 83 nations have committed to participate in this initiative. This analysis evaluates the effectiveness of existing and proposed indicators towards public monitoring and accountability to these commitments. Our findings reveal substantial gaps in data availability and indicator relevance, with many countries reporting process indicators that do not reflect actual progress towards achieving sustainable health-care systems. We found a dearth of suitable indicators and an urgent need to develop robust ones that are adaptable to different health-care system contexts. These indicators should be designed to capture tangible outcomes, support policy making, and prevent greenwashing. Integration of more robust indicators into independent scientific monitoring can support systematic inclusion of health care in global climate strategies, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the COP26 Health Programme.