Informal brainstorming session on leveraging diplomacy in support of tobacco control in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Dr Douglas Bettcher and Juliette McHardy jointly presented on global health diplomacy at this informal brainstorming session, convened virtually by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean over 20–22 January 2025. The presentation defined key dimensions of health diplomacy — governance, stakeholder alliances and crisis response — and highlighted the growing involvement of ministries of foreign affairs in health, drawing on experience from the FCTC negotiations and broader international collaborations on noncommunicable diseases. It called for integrating health into foreign policy and strengthening diplomatic cooperation to address global health challenges, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era.
The session’s outcomes are captured in the Regional Office’s summary report, available for download below.