News

The Middle East and North Africa Health Policy Forum (MENA HPF) participated in Wellcome’s High-Level Dialogue on Rethinking the Future of Global Health, held in Bangkok on 9–10 April 2026 with the support of the International Health Policy Program Foundation and Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health.

The dialogue convened senior representatives from governments, international and regional health organizations, academia, civil society, and leading experts from across the globe to discuss the future of global health governance and regional health architecture. The meeting formed part of a broader global consultation process led by Wellcome, engaging stakeholders from more than 114 countries in identifying priorities and opportunities for strengthening health systems and governance.

Representing MENA HPF, Dr. Maha Alshalkamy, Executive Director, contributed to the high-level discussions and helped ensure that perspectives from the Middle East and North Africa were reflected in conversations on the future of global health. She was also invited to provide opening reflections during a deep-dive session on enabling regional health architecture, highlighting key regional priorities, opportunities, and challenges, and contributing to discussions on practical pathways for strengthening regional health systems.

The dialogue provided an important platform for advancing collaboration, enhancing coordination, and exploring approaches to strengthening both regional and global health governance.

MENA HPF remains committed to promoting inclusive, evidence-informed, and regionally driven approaches to health policy and governance. We value the opportunity to contribute to this important global dialogue and look forward to continued collaboration with partners worldwide to support more resilient, equitable, and effective health systems.