Edinburgh Futures Conversations: The Future of Health

Welcome and introduction

• Professor Peter Mathieson (Principal and Vice Chancellor, The University of Edinburgh)
• Professor Lesley McAra (Director of Edinburgh Futures Institute

Global conversations How the pandemic remains a threat to health, and lessons for preventing the pandemics of tomorrow (13.05 - 13.55 GMT)

In conversation:  

• Dr Tony Fauci (Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and chief medical advisor to the Biden Administration)
• Dr Nanshan Zhong (Pulmonologist and a leading figure in China’s Covid-19 response. Former President of the Chinese Medical Association)

Chaired and reflections: Professor Sheila Tlou (Co-Chair of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition and Co-Chair of the Nursing Now Global Campaign. Previous Minister of Health in Botswana and Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa)

Health governance and pandemic determinants (13.55 - 14.20 GMT)

In conversation:  

• Chelsea Clinton (Global Health Advocate)
• Professor Devi Sridhar (Chair of Global Public Health, The University of Edinburgh)
• Professor Felicia Knaul (Director of the Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas, University of Miami)

Facilitator: Professor Liz Grant (Assistant Principal Global Health, The University of Edinburgh)

Interactive panel sessions

Chaired by: Professor Liz Grant (Assistant Principal Global Health, The University of Edinburgh)

New understandings of what constitutes risk and resilience in the health sector (14.30 - 15.00 GMT)

In conversation:

• Professor K. Srinath Reddy (President, Public Health Foundation of India)
• Marc Gordon (Head of Global Risk Analysis and Reporting, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction)
• Dr John Nkengasong (Director Africa Centres for Disease Control)
• Professor Annelies Wilder-Smith (Consultant to the WHO Immunization and Vaccination Department, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases, LSHTM, and visiting Professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore)

Facilitator: Professor Lisa Boden (Chair of Population Medicine and Veterinary Health Policy, Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The University of Edinburgh)

Challenging the new inequalities brought about by the pandemic and the underlying inequalities made explicit (and intensified) by the pandemic – health, education, income, well-being (15.05 - 15.40 GMT)

In conversation:

• Professor Kev Dhaliwal (Professor of Molecular Imaging and Healthcare Technology at the University of Edinburgh and a Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine)
• Dr Katherine Hay (Deputy Director, Gender Equality, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
• Vibhu Sharma (Disability and Inclusion Research Consultant  Theirworld)
• Dr Shams Syed (Quality Lead, Division of Universal Health Coverage and Life Course, World Health Organisation)

Facilitator: Sarah Brown (Chair of Theirworld and Executive Chair of the Global Business Coalition for Education)

The Global Commons: contribution of all sectors to protecting the future health of people and plan (15.45 - 16.20 GMT)

In conversation:

• Professor Shannon Vallor (Baillie Gifford Chair and Director of the Centre for Technomorals Futures, Edinburgh Futures Institute, The University of Edinburgh)
• Keith Martin (Executive Director of the Consortium of Universities for Global health (CUGH))
• Dr Mark Hyman (Head of Strategy and Innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, and Board President of Clinical Affairs at the Institute for Functional Medicine)
• Mandeep Dhaliwal (Director: HIV, Health & Development Group United Nations Development Programme)

Facilitator: Lord Nigel Crisp (Co-chair All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health, co-chair Nursing Now, former Chief Executive of NHS England)

Towards a declaration of principles

Facilitator: Professor Lesley McAra (Director of the Edinburgh Futures Institute)

Short guiding insights from:

• Professor Elizabeth Bradley (President of Vassar College)
• Hon Mark Dybul (Former Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria and Co-Director of the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact)        
• Dr Sarah Henry (Executive Director Global Centre for Gender Equality, Stanford University)
• Professor Sheila Tlou (Co-Chair of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition and Co-Chair of the Nursing Now Global Campaign)
• Professor Phil Cotton (Head Scholars Programme Mastercard Foundation)

Presentation of declaration of principles

Chaired by: Professor Lesley McAra (Director of Edinburgh Futures Institute)

Feedback from parallel sessions and reflections from the global audience

Reflection on what this means for future action:

• Dr Kirsty Duncan (Deputy House Leader of the Government of Canada)
• Professor Julio Frenk (President, University of Miami, formerly Secretary of Health, Mexico)
• Peter Singer (Assistant Director General and Special Advisor to Director General WHO)

University commitment to the Edinburgh Futures Conversation manifesto - next steps

• Professor Lesley McAra

Closing speech

Professor Peter Mathieson (Principal and Vice Chancellor, The University of Edinburgh)