about the summit
The UNITE Global Summit is UNITE – Parliamentarians Network for Global Health’s flagship event. It serves as a dynamic platform where parliamentarians and decisionmakers engage with leading experts and organizations to address the most pressing global health challenges and set the political agenda for the year(s) to come.
By fostering these exchanges, the summit drives the development of evidence-based, informed and meaningful legislation, that reflects the latest scientific insights and global health priorities.
With each edition, the UNITE Global Summit has grown in both scale and influence, establishing itself as a premier platform for global health policymaking and diplomacy.
the urgency to invest in health
The 2026 edition of the UNITE Global Summit will delve into “Bridging the Health Divide: Political Courage to Invest”, calling on parliamentarians to confront one of the defining challenges of these fracturing times — the widening gaps in health equity and access. As the world faces intersecting crises that test the resilience of health systems and the sustainability of public financing, political leadership becomes the most decisive investment of all.
The Summit invites parliamentarians and decision-makers to demonstrate the courage to prioritize health in political agendas, mobilize resources, and champion policies that ensure no one is left behind on the path to universal, equitable, and sustainable health for all.
Untapped partnerships from beyond the health sector will also be brought into the conversation to explore their role in advancing health progress and the broader cross-sectoral impact this can generate across society.
the impact throughout the years
amplification through strategic visibility
Partnering with UNITE provides a powerful platform for organisations to showcase their vision, strategy and impact to a distinguished audience of parliamentarians and global health partners.
With the engagement of influential political leaders from the health sector and beyond, the Summit significantly elevates the profile of partner organisations – positioning them as essential actors in advancing solutions for urgent global health challenges.
knowledge exchange with decision-makers
UNITE will convene a unique and influential cross section of stakeholders in Manila. This diversity allows partner organisations to engage directly with those shaping global policy, narratives and funding priorities, enabling high-value conversations that often translate into real-world partnerships and opportunities.
Through a variety of innovative engagement formats, partners can share expertise, surface cutting-edge solutions and influence both policy and sectoral agendas – demonstrating clear leadership and commitment to collective progress.
shared commitment to impact
UNITE is driven by action. Partnering with the Summit aligns organisations with a mission-focused community dedicated to advancing inclusive, evidence-informed and sustainable global health policies. This alignment amplifies collective impact and reinforces each partner’s role as a catalyst for long-term change for health.
cross-sectoral synergy
Global health does not exist in a vacuum. The UNITE Global Summit intentionally bridges health with economic, environmental, and social sectors. For partners, this means access to collaborative conversations that unlock new pathways to innovation and influence across intersecting policy areas.
legacy and continuity
Beyond the event itself, the Summit is a milestone within a continuum of engagement. Partnering with UNITE signals a long-term commitment to systemic impact – where outcomes are measured not just in days, but in durable shifts in how health is prioritized in politics.
The UNITE Global Summit 2026 will take place from Friday March 6th to Saturday 7th March 2026 at the Manila Marriott Hotel, The Philippines
The UNITE Global Summit connects a selected group of parliamentarians – up to 100 from all around the world, with regional leaders and experts in global health; influential academics; multilateral finance and development institutions; civil society organisations (CSOs) and affected communities; and private sector leaders.
The UNITE Global Summit aims to generate tangible, actionable outputs that strengthen the role of parliamentarians in advancing global health equity and governance. The Summit is designed not only as a high-level dialogue platform but also as a catalyst for sustained learning, collaboration, and policy impact.
UNITE strives towards increased recognition of the parliamentary role in shaping global health outcomes, reinforcing our organisation’s position as a key political platform in this space.
All debates are parliamentary-centred and structured to enable parliamentarians to engage deeply with their peers and partners. The two-days agenda will include:
The Summit will culminate with a Political Declaration, co-designed by partners and signed by our members, which summarizes key commitments, priorities, and next steps for parliamentary action agreed to in Manila.
The outcomes of the Summit will also be integrated into UNITE’s regional chapter agendas and future parliamentary dialogues, ensuring long-term impact.
For more details on our session formats, download the UNITE Global Summit Brochure below.
The UNITE Global Summit is made possible through a broad network of partnerships encompassing CSOs, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the private sector, academia, foundations and philanthropies.
To safeguard the integrity and independence of parliamentarians, UNITE does not accept any direct funding from the pharmaceutical industry. However, in addition to working with established partners firmly rooted in global health, UNITE also seeks to engage a broader range of private sector actors.
The UNITE Global Summit is not organized for profit, but rather to provide an inclusive platform that enables the participation and engagement of as many parliamentarians as possible.
For more information on how your organisation can partner with UNITE, express your interest via this link.
UNITE will make available for its members a toolkit designed to support parliamentarians in requesting financial assistance from their national parliaments to attend the Global Summit, including dedicated invitation letters. These invitation letters can also be adapted for visa application purposes.
UNITE Members interested in receiving these resources are invited to contact Bettina Bloesl, UNITE’s Head of Parliamentary Engagement, at bettina.bloesl@unitenetwork.org.
In cases where a parliamentarian is unable to self-fund or obtain financial support from their parliament, UNITE actively works and fundraises to provide travel and accommodation to support on a case-by-case basis.
Partners can actively contribute to shaping the Summit’s agenda through various sponsorship options, including tailored opportunities based on their goals and preferred engagement with parliamentarians.
For more information on how your organisation can partner with UNITE, express your interest via this link.
The theme of this year’s Summit is: Bridging the Health Divide: Political Courage to Invest. This overarching banner on sustainable financing aims to focus on how parliamentarians can mobilise domestic and international resources for crucial health needs.
Besides this, the UNITE Global Summit will encompass a wide range of global health topics from Pandemic Preparedness Prevention and Response (PPPR) to Vaccine Hesitancy, Digital Health, Climate Health and more.
Stay up to date on the agenda by registering your interest.
The UNITE Global Summit 2026 will be held exclusively in person. To foster open and transparent exchanges between participants, most sessions will take place under the Chatham House Rule.
We invite you to follow UNITE’s social media channels and to subscribe to our newsletter, to stay informed about key developments and highlights from the Summit in Manila.
As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) champions and funds research and innovation within and alongside developing regions to drive global change. IDRC invests in high-quality research in developing countries, shares knowledge with researchers and policymakers for greater uptake and use and mobilize their global alliances to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.
The UNITE Global Summit’s agenda will be divided into four main pillars which cover relevant global health topics of the hour, reflecting the main topics highlighted during WHS 2024, as well.
Despite all communities, regardless of the country, being susceptible to disease, there are severe disparities in regard to access to health services and to healthcare outcomes when it comes to vulnerable groups.
The right to health is a legally binding commitment enshrined in international human rights instruments and recognized worldwide. Governments should develop and implement policies that ensure universal access to quality health services.
The most effective – and cost effective – way to protect populations from known and unknown health threats is to stop them before they spread.
As the world’s interconnectedness continues to evolve, the effectiveness of the global health architecture and security remains paramount in safeguarding the prosperity of nations across borders.
The development of modern, agile, and qualitative health systems is key for addressing health challenges and fostering wellbeing for all. Health systems are poised to undergo a profound transformation, largely driven by advancements in digital technology.
Embracing these advancements is crucial for the sustainability and effectiveness of health systems worldwide, heralding a future where healthcare is truly patient-centered, efficient, and equitable.
Ensuring the protection of communities and the resilience of healthcare systems hinges on sustainable financing for health. Countries across the world differ significantly on how they organise and finance national health systems, with extremes going fully State-funded models to fully private-funded or even supported almost exclusively by international development aid.
Therefore, prioritizing sustainable, long-term funding mechanisms that can support equitable and affordable healthcare services for all, while mitigating financial strain is key.
The 2022 Summit took place at a particularly opportune moment. The world is recovering from the most severe public health crisis in 100 years and simultaneously marking the halfway point of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) period.
The pandemic has set back the fight against many infectious diseases by years. New partnerships, new ways of thinking, and new funding will be needed to get back on track and achieve the promise of the SDGs. The UNITE Global Summit catalyzed that renewed effort.
The main agenda of the UNITE Global Summit dedicated sessions each day to one of UNITE’s three core strategic themes:
COVID-19 has transformed global health and modern politics. The international architecture that responds to current and future pandemics needs to be updated to serve the most vulnerable. Political leadership is the key to not losing sight of other infectious diseases as well as to advancing more sustainable, fairer, and equitable policies for all, always and everywhere.
To implement more inclusive actions and solutions, the UNITE Global Summit serves as a platform for all relevant stakeholders to connect with elected members of parliament, congresses and senates who have the powers of: Amending and creating laws; Increasing specific budgets; Influencing policies; Holding national governments & international organizations accountable.
The 2021 edition of the Summit was based on three main themes:
13 Sessions
Attendees
Policymakers
+110 Countries
People reached
on social media
Rate of engagement
on social media
2 in each 10 were members of government
12
Countries with more polycimakers present
17
11
08
From December 6 to 8, over 1000 elected members of parliament, government officials, policymakers, global health experts, practitioners, representatives of civil society, and activists have gathered to discuss the current and persistent challenges infectious diseases pose to people worldwide.
For three days, 110 speakers explored how COVID-19 has transformed global health and modern politics and how the international architecture could respond to current & future pandemics while serving the most vulnerable and not losing sight of other infectious diseases. The UNITE Global Summit results from cooperation and partnerships between UNITE and 20 international organizations working on different fronts related to public health. The program focused on three central pillars.
The UNITE Global Summit: Virtual 2020 was held online on September 7-8.
The first UNITE Global Summit brought together political leaders and key stakeholders from across the world to reaffirm international co-operation towards the mission of ending the global threat of infectious diseases.
A key outcome of the Global Summit: Virtual was the pledging of support by parliamentarians and UNITE affiliate partners to the UNITE 2020 Global Summit Statement – calling on governments to take action and not lose sight of the SDGs in the midst and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This virtual event ended with the positive message that COVID-19 is a game-changer; it opens windows of opportunities to transform the global health order, while reaffirming the role of political leaders as the interface between civil society, academia, media, the private sector, national government, and international organisations. Global Summit speakers enacted the momentum needed for policymakers from parliaments, congresses, and senates to adopt life-changing policies. “Lives depend upon you”, as shared by the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom.
12 Sessions
Attendees
Policymakers
+110 Countries
People reached
on social media
Rate of engagement
on social media
