UNITE, AHF rally lawmakers on health financing at Manila summit
UNITE and AHF host panels on Aug. 3, 2026, in Manila to drive legislative action on health security and financing. Key figures from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas will discuss regional cooperation and innovative funding amidst sovereign debt challenges.
*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
The UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health and the AHF Global Public Health Institute will convene two urgent panel sessions on regional health security and global health financing at the UNITE Global Summit 2026 in Manila, Philippines, on Aug. 3, 2026. The event, themed "Bridging the Health Divide: Political Courage to Invest," seeks to rally parliamentarians to translate political will into concrete legislation, financing, and oversight for resilient health systems.
With an evolving global health architecture, the sessions focus on strengthening regional approaches to health emergencies while advancing sustainable health financing through legislative action. The discussions aim to address how countries prepare for future health emergencies and finance systems amidst rising sovereign debt and shrinking donor budgets.
Panel 1: Regional Approaches to Health Emergencies
The first panel, titled "The Role of Parliamentarians in Advancing Regional Approaches to Health Emergencies – Regions as co-creators of the evolving global health architecture," examines how parliamentarians can translate regional commitments into lasting policy. It highlights the growing role of regional institutions such as Africa CDC, ACPHEED, CARPHA, the Gulf CDC, and the European CDC in health emergency preparedness and response.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Time | Monday, August 3, 2026 |
| Venue | Ceremonial Hall, Manila Marriott Hotel at Newport World Resorts |
| Moderator | Ariel Terrón (Mexico), Director, AHF Global Public Health Institute for Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Panelists | Amb. Olawale Maiyegun (Nigeria); Prof. Elil Renganathan (Malaysia); Hon. Dr. Mariam Jashi (Georgia); Hon. Manal El-Sayed (Egypt) |
Panel 2: Global Health Equity and Financing
The second panel, "Global Health Equity and Financing," brings parliamentarians together with technical and financing experts to explore how legislative oversight, tax policy, and innovative financing can safeguard health systems. An interactive "Policy Dilemmas" exercise will allow participants to apply these ideas to real-world financing trade-offs between debt service, health investment, and pandemic preparedness.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Time | Monday, August 3, 2026 |
| Venue | Ceremonial Hall, Manila Marriott Hotel at Newport World Resorts |
| Opening Remarks | Dr. Chhim Sarath (Cambodia), Bureau Chief, AHF Asia |
| Moderator | Hannah Vaughan Jones, Emmy-nominated British journalist |
| Panelists | Hon. Fortune Daniel Molokele (Zimbabwe); Hon. Pia Cayetano (Philippines); Hon. Amar Patnaik (India); Priya Basu (India), Executive Head, The Pandemic Fund; K. M. Gopakumar (India), Senior Researcher and Legal Advisor, Third World Network |
A coffee break with refreshments will be held between the sessions from 4:00–4:30 p.m. in the Ceremonial Hall Foyer. Panelists will be available for interviews following their respective sessions.
What specific legislative frameworks are expected to emerge from the Manila Summit to strengthen the mandate of regional bodies like Africa CDC and CARPHA in future health emergencies?
How might the proposed innovative financing mechanisms address the tension between rising sovereign debt obligations and the need for sustained public health investment in developing nations?
In what ways could the 'Policy Dilemmas' exercise outcomes influence international donor priorities and budget allocations for global health security post-2026?
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