Leading experts will give recommendations on how to strengthen Denmark’s position as an international frontrunner in global health.
Denmark should be at the forefront when it comes to efforts to strengthen global health. That is the ambition of the newly established Alliance for Global Health.
To fulfill that ambition, the Alliance has commissioned a group of leading Danish and international experts who will draw up a series of concrete recommendations on how Denmark can strengthen its position in the field.
Climate change, armed conflicts, economic and political instability and enduring consequences from the covid-19 pandemic are already putting tremendous pressure on health systems across the world, especially in the Global South. At the same time, there is a significant funding gap for global health efforts.
In this intersection, Denmark has an opportunity to play a prominent role in promoting global health, taking the point of departure in the work Denmark has carried out for decades, in particular within sexual and reproductive health and rights, universal health coverage and vaccines.
New times call for new solutions
By bringing together expertise from several different sectors and including the latest research and evidence, the expert group will identify opportunities and areas where Denmark can make a significant difference on the global stage and position itself as a nation that can lead the way towards a stronger global health commitment.
Majbrit Berlau, Secretary General of Danish Family Planning Association and part of the Alliance for Global Health, states:
"The world is changing rapidly, and we constantly need more knowledge and evidence to address global health challenges. This applies regardless of whether we are talking about sexual and reproductive health, equal access to health services or prevention and treatment. I am very much looking forward to following the work of the expert group, which will create a solid foundation for Danish efforts in global health going forward, ensuring we maximize our positive impact for the people who need it the most.”
Lars Christian Østergreen, CEO of the AIDS Foundation and part of the Alliance for Global Health, agrees:
"We are setting up an expert group to contribute to a thorough, evidence-based and innovative dialogue. Many of us working in global health share the desire for Denmark to become a leading nation in the field once again, both when it comes to tackling ongoing epidemics like HIV and tuberculosis, as well as addressing the numerous other global health challenges we face. The need for a sharper focus on global health is greater than ever.”
The expert group consists of nine leading experts with expertise in both global health, development aid and finance:
Angela Chang, Associate Professor, University of Southern Denmark & member of the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health
Anna Frellsen, CEO Maternity Foundation
Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen, corporate board work, former Secretary General DanChurchAid
Haifaa Awad, Medical Doctor and Chairwoman, Action Aid
Justice Nonvignon, Technical Director at Management Sciences for Health, and Professor at University of Ghana
Steven L. B. Jensen, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute of Human Rights
Tobias Alfvén, Professor, Karolinska Institutet
Ulla Elisabeth Müller, Director, UNFPA Nordic
Vibeke Brix Christensen, Medical Doctor & Advisor, Doctors Without Borders
The group will present their final report with recommendations on December 5th during a launch event at the Royal Library in Copenhagen.
Questions can be directed to Mette Lybye, Head of the Secretariat, Alliance for Global Health. Phone: +45 23 93 53 11 / Email: mette@globalsundhed.org
About the Danish Alliance for Global Health:
The Danish Alliance for Global Health brings together civil society, the private sector, foundations and research institutions with a common mission: bolstering support for global health and maintaining Denmark’s frontrunner position.
Our goal is to create a movement that informs development priorities in Denmark and beyond. We need a strong voice in the fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights, universal health coverage, vaccines, joint efforts against major epidemics such as tuberculosis, HIV and malaria and other major challenges of our time.
Read more about the Alliance.
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