Fogarty contributes to UNGA Science Summit 2024
November/December 2024 | Volume 23 Number 6
Photo courtesy of Peter Kilmarx
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) room, where the UNGA Science Summit meets annually.
by Mariah Felipe-Velasquez
Every fall, members of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the UN’s main policy-making body, convene in New York City to discuss pivotal issues affecting the globe. Two weeks before this meeting, global leaders, scientists, researchers, and policymakers also gather in New York for the annual UNGA Science Summit to discuss how science and innovation accelerate the achievement of sustainable development goals. Science Summit 2024 was no different, with a focus on solutions that address global challenges, including sustainability, climate action, and health innovation.
Fogarty’s Deputy Director Dr. Peter Kilmarx joined a cadre of global health leaders for a plenary session on One Health. One Health is an approach that integrates the efforts of multiple disciplines to improve health for people, animals, and the environment. The session covered a range of topics, including ethical principles of biobanking and secondary use of human biospecimens and data; tackling the youth mental health crisis; financing for development; and enabling policies and regulations for successful implementation of the One Health vision.
Also at the summit, Fogarty Senior Scientist Rachel Sturke, PhD, moderated a session co-hosted by the European Connected Health Alliance, an organization that facilitates knowledge exchange among digital health innovators, and the Society for Women’s Health Research, which promotes research on sex differences to optimize women’s health. This module emphasized shifting women’s health from treatment- to prevention-focused care and explored barriers to this transition.
“We know that socioeconomic factors, cultural norms, and health care infrastructure are deeply intertwined in shaping the success of preventive care,” Sturke said. “In implementation science, we recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach is not effective.”
Photo courtesy of Peter Kilmarx
Fogarty's Dr. Peter Kilmarx met with Dr. Musa Kana of Kaduna State University, Nigeria, at Science Summit 2024.
DS-I Africa Takes Center Stage
The Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa) Initiative, an NIH-funded initiative, held several sessions at this year’s Science Summit. In one, “Genomics for Africa Plenary: Implementing Genomics and Health Security in Africa: A Roadmap for Equity, Opportunities and Partnerships,” Laura Povlich, PhD, a Fogarty program officer, discussed the importance of equity in genomics and highlighted the work of the NIH Global Health Research Equity Working Group, which encourages and enables fair research collaboration.
Another DS-I Africa session featured Fogarty Program Officer Brad Newsome, PhD. In his session, speakers explored innovative solutions for tracking and adapting to the health impacts of climate change in resource-limited settings. During a discussion among global health funders, Newsome underscored the importance of partnerships. “When thinking about addressing climate change through the lens of climate and health research, remember that funders like Fogarty and NIH are partners in creating sustainable, practical solutions for tackling climate challenges in the years ahead,” he said.
Fogarty’s contributions to the UNGA Science Summit highlighted the center’s interest in helping to shape the global health agenda. Fogarty-led discussions on ethical research, preventive health care, and data-driven innovations underscored the importance of strategic partnerships and collaborative research in addressing global health needs. Alongside other organizations that participated in the summit, NIH's international center aims to continue supporting sustainable development through science.
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Updated December 5, 2024
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