Policy Updates

On October 10 and 11, 2024, the G7's Health Ministerial Meeting took place in Ancona, Italy. The discussion focused on three overarching priorities: Global Health Architecture and Pandemic Preparedness and Response, healthy and active aging, and the One Health Approach.

The G7 Health Ministers Communiqué, released at the end of the meeting, highlights the G7's commitment to supporting SDG #3 through universal health coverage, primary health care, and sexual and reproductive health. This also includes maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health, strengthening the global health architecture by investing in PPR, promoting regional manufacturing of health products, and equitable access to quality health services.

The communiqué emphasized the health-related impacts of conflicts with a reference to the crises in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and Sudan. Furthermore, in the communiqué, the G7 Ministries committed to continue to support Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Fund, whose replenishment processes will occur in the upcoming months.

The Civil 7 engagement group, a platform through which civil society can engage with the G7, reacted with a communiqué in which they expressed an appreciation for the re-commitment to ending HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria through robust support for the Global Fund in its replenishment next year. This support is crucial to ending the three epidemics as agreed upon in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Finally, the G7 Health Ministers also adopted a policy brief on the opportunities presented by AI for both healthcare providers and patients.

On October 4, 2024, the US concluded a series of announcements to pledge US$1.5 billion in humanitarian assistance to crisis areas which will provide food assistance, WASH, healthcare, nutrition, shelter, and psychosocial services.

The assistance includes:

• US$336 million for the people in Gaza and the West Bank;
• US$535 million for a regional response for the people of Sudan and surrounding regions and US$5 million for Sudanese refugees in Libya; and
• US$424 million for the people in Sudan and the surrounding refugee-hosting countries.
• US$157 million for populations impacted by the conflict in Lebanon

The resources will come from USAID and the US State Department.

On October 2, 2024, USAID Administrator Samantha Power announced additional humanitarian assistance to vulnerable Ukrainian populations and refugees in the surrounding region during a visit to Ukraine.

The resources will be provided by both USAID and the US State Department and will help populations prepare both for winter as well as providing food, shelter, health, WASH, and protection assistance, including GBV prevention and support. UN partners and NGOs will also receive some of the resources to help provide life-saving assistance.

With this announcement, the total US humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region has been US$3.8 billion since February of 2022.

On September 25, 2024, the First Lady Jill Biden helped launch a new initiative to create a lead-free future. In a partnership between USAID and UNICEF, Biden announced a US$150 million effort, the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future.

Lead exposure affects 1 in 3 children globally and can cause brain damage in children, which can cause a range of effects, including developmental delays, learning issues, and lower IQs. Saying that lead poisoning is a problem that can be solved, Biden stressed that everyday exposure is creating irreversible damage to children.

The partnership has mobilized US$150 million, which is ten times the current global investment, from a range of public and private sources. The resources will be used for better testing to inform new regulations against lead-based products and to push for lead-free alternatives and operations.

On September 18, 2024, the White House released the US Strategy on Global Development which outlined a whole-of-government approach to build on the 75 years of US investments in global development.

The strategy has five main objectives:

• Reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth and quality infrastructure;
• Investing in health, food security, and human capital;
• Decarbonizing economies and increasing climate resilience;
• Promoting democracy, human rights, and governance while also addressing fragility and conflict; and
• Responding to humanitarian assistance needs.

The strategy noted the need to build stronger systems to address the lost development gains from COVID-19 and to accelerate progress toward meeting the SDGs. The strategy highlighted the need to build stronger partnerships while recognizing the leadership role that the US is committed to.

On September 11, 224, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that the US will provide US$290 million to conflict-affected populations in Ukraine. US$100 million will come from USAID and US$190 million will come from the US State Department.

The US pledges to provide vulnerable groups with food, shelter, and winter preparedness. Additionally, health services, including disease prevention, psychosocial assistance, and vital assistance to women and girls who are survivors of GBV.

The US State Department will also provide emergency assistance, including safe drinking water, education, and legal support while working to reunify families where possible.

The US has provided a total of US$3.5 billion to Ukraine since February 2022, the largest provider of humanitarian assistance.

On September 5, 2024, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced during his visit to Haiti that the US will provide an additional US$45 million in humanitarian assistance. This brings the total of US assistance to Haiti in 2024 to almost US$211 million.

Haiti is facing widespread criminal gang violence, political unrest, and lack of access to basic healthcare resulting in severe malnutrition and disease.

The assistance includes cash and in-kind assistance for food. The UN and other international partners will also provide WASH support, as well as health and psychosocial services to assist survivors of GBV.

On August 20, 2024, USAID announced an additional US$35 million in emergency relief to help address the mpox response in Central and Eastern Africa.

The resources bring the total commitment for the mpox response to affected countries to US$55 million. The assistance includes:

• Surveillance;
• Diagnostics;
• Communications;
• Engagement with communities;
• Prevention;
• Case management; and
• Vaccinations.

The mpox outbreak started in 2023 in the DRC and has since spread across the region. The outbreak caused the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern, and the Africa CDC to issue a public health declaration.

The funding is subject to congressional notification.

On August 7, 2024, the US pledged to provide US$424 million in both humanitarian and health funding in response to the ongoing crises in the DRC.

The humanitarian assistance will include emergency food assistance, nutrition, health care, WASH, shelter, child protection services, and GBV prevention.

USAID pledged to provide 50,000 mpox vaccinations to address the current outbreak in the DRC with a further US$10 million in health care assistance.

From July 7 through 19, 2024, Japanese Health Minister Keizo Takemi undertook key diplomatic missions to the US and China, highlighting Japan’s proactive stance in global health policy and international development cooperation.

From July 7 to 14, 2024, Takemi visited the US to engage with pharmaceutical R&D stakeholders in San Francisco and participate in health policy dialogues with Secretary Xavier Becerra in Washington, DC. He attended a reception by the Northern California Japan Society and visited the Japan Innovation Campus in Silicon Valley, focusing on advancing Japan’s drug discovery ecosystem and fostering collaborative health initiatives.

From July 17 to 19, Takemi traveled to Beijing to meet with senior Chinese officials, including the head of the National Health Commission. Discussions centered on bilateral cooperation in addressing aging populations and preparing for the upcoming Japan-China-Korea Health Ministers' Meeting. Takemi also participated in the Boao Forum’s Global Health Forum, where he emphasized Japan’s contributions to international health through initiatives such as the UHC Knowledge Hub and the establishment of the Japan Institute for Health Security(JIHS).