Political rationale, aims, and outcomes of health-related high-level meetings and special sessions at the UN General Assembly: A policy research observational study

What is it about?

Between 2001 and 2019, 5 health-related topics reached the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in the form of special sessions or high-level meetings: human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) (2001), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (2011), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) (2016), tuberculosis (TB) (2018), and universal health coverage (UHC) (2019). Tackling these issues requires not only a response to biomedical threats, but also interventions in society, health systems, and markets, and engagement of heads of state and government in what is one of the most important political fora today: the UN General Assembly. To our knowledge, a comprehensive observational analysis of processes, political aims and motivations, policies, and financial outcomes of these meetings is missing. This observational study presents a comprehensive analysis of the political and policy background that prompted the events, as well as an assessment of aims, approaches, and ultimate outcomes.

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Why is it important?

Assessing the the political process conducive to organisation of the above-mentioned meetings as well as the political domestic and international effects of UN high level meetings can unveil effective political strategies to ensure success to future meetings, hereby conferring stronger impact to international policy and improve the economic and political sustainability of such meetings. OUr findings show that UNGASSs and HLMs have the potential to promote the political visibility of key health challenges, and mobilise funding to face them, although this ultimately also depends upon the leaders’ political will, the consensus generated, and the engagement of civil society. To achieve impact on major health challenges, besides working within the context of the World Health Assembly and ministries of health, there is a need to advocate internationally at the higher political level of heads of state and government.