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PH DIPLO AN INITIATIVE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIPLOMACY LAB UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

FOURTH EDITION | AUGUST 2026

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Editorial Team Diyala Abdlrasul, MPP

Coordinator of Communication and Events

Kami Geron, MA

Instructional Designer and Coordinator

Niharika Jha, MPH

PhD Candidate and Graduate Assistant

Laura Granack, MS

SPH Coordinator for the Dean

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Inaugural Issue #4 | July 2026 A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION University of Memphis School of Public Health memphis.edu/publichealth

Table of Contents 1 Defining Public Health Diplomacy

A key outcome from the Inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit

2 The Public Health Diplomacy Lab

Learn about the mission, vision and objectives from the Lab

3 PHDL Papers

Learn more about four papers published from the Lab so far

7 PHDL Projects

Learn more about three ongoing projects our Lab is researching

11 PHDL Presentations

See how the Lab is sharing it’s research are conferences

13 Milestones and Activities

See how the Public Health Diplomacy Lab started and has expanded its framework abroad

17 This Year’s Progress

Reflecting on 2026 and looking ahead to the next year

23 Public Health Diplomacy Collaboration

See the network our International Public Health Diplomacu Advisory Group creates

27 The Public Health Diplomacy Summits

Explore the theme of Regional and International Cooperation to Advance Public Health Diplomacy Among the Schools and Programs of Public Health

39 A Way Forward

Learn more about the Executive Program “Public Health Diplomacy in Practice”

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Dean’s Message I am delighted to share with you some of the key milestones over the last one year that the Public Health Diplomacy lab established at the University of Memphis School of Public Health has accomplished. The nation’s 1st Public Health Diplomacy lab at the School of Public Health was established in April 2024 with the aim to bring together different disciplines and stakeholders-governments, NGOs, academics, and civic society to improve collaboration and coordination among all actors to promote health and well-being through the understanding of broad stakeholder engagement, consensus building, and negotiations. The activities began with organizing the inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit bringing 29 experts across 15 countries to define public health diplomacy and come up with a 9-point action plan, established Public Health Diplomacy Steering Group, launched the International Public Health Diplomacy Advisory Group, participated in regional World Health Summit, invited to present at the ASPHER 2025 Deans’ and Directors’ retreat in Berlin, organized public health diplomacy workshop with Young Forum Gastein and participated in a major event organized at the European Health Forum Gastein held at Bad Gastein Austria. We also conducted Public Health Diplomacy workshop at the Health care and Sustainability Conference conducted by Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazaksthan. The Public Health Diplomacy lab is also part of the Health Diplomacy Institutional Network. The lab has published and presented several key research papers around Public Health Diplomacy in high quality peer reviewed journals and presented their work at the Annual 2025 American Public Health Association conference held at Washington DC. The lab is also participating with other researchers by having a call for papers on “Public Health Diplomacy in a complex world”: as a special issue with IJPH and Public Health Reviews.

Ashish Joshi | PhD, MBBS, MPH Dean and Distinguished University Professor Lead Public Health Diplomacy Lab University of Memphis School of Public Health

The lab has established collaborations and partnerships across several regions including Middle East, Asia, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, and Central Asia. The 2nd Public Health Diplomacy Summit “Regional and International Cooperation to advance Public Health Diplomacy among the schools and programs of public health is planned from March 23-25, 2026 at the University of Memphis. I want to thank all the collaborators for their continued support to advance the field of public health diplomacy as an emerging field in an era of complexity, uncertainty and unpredictability.

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Public Health Diplomacy Defining a New Field “Multidisciplinary field that enables its practitioners to effectively communicate, facilitate, negotiate and build consensus using systems thinking, evidence based, community-informed approaches, based on equity-focused and human-centered values to improve health and well-being for all’” Joshi, et al 2025, Front Public Health. 2025 Apr 11;13:1564709.

Why Public Health Diplomacy? Urgent need to tackle numerous global health threats Countries and their representatives do not interact solely through traditional diplomatic channels Commitment to local, regional & global cooperation and governance Value of integrating health into all government policies is recognized Communicating complex and technical information in an understandable, persuasive way for different audiences Crucial for making influence given the need to work across different sectors with various actors that can influence public health outcomes

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Public Health Diplomacy Lab Mission

“The Public Health Diplomacy lab at the School of Public Health — the first of its kind in the country — aims to bring together different disciplines and stakeholders-governments, NGOs, academics, and civic society to improve collaboration and coordination among all actors to promote health and well-being through the understanding of broad stakeholder engagement, consensus building, and negotiations," says Dean Ashish Joshi.

Vision

The Public Health Diplomacy Lab at the University of Memphis School of Public Health serves as a dynamic platform uniting diverse stakeholders—from local community partners to global institutions—to address the world's most pressing public health challenges through collaboration, innovation, and diplomacy. The PHD Lab is a hub for knowledge generation, advocating for participatory, collaborative, and strategic approaches to improve health and well-being of all populations across various geographic settings.

Objectives

Foster international dialogue and cross-sectoral collaboration Promote fair and equitable access to healthcare resources Public Health Diplomacy Lab | 2

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Papers Methods & Outcome of the 1st UoM SPH Public Health Diplomacy Summit POLICY BRIEF article | Front. Public Health, 10 April 2025 | Sec. Public Health Policy | Volume 13 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1564709 Ashish Joshi1* Niharika Jha1 Jihad Makhoul9 Giada Scarpetti18 1 1 10 Xinhua Yu Michael Arthur Ofori Rodrigo Reis Erica Kastrup19 1 2 11 Marian Levy Laura Magaña So Yoon Kim Rajendra Surenthirakumaran20 1 3 12 Maryam Karimi Kun-Hsien Tsai Wah Yun Low Catherine Kane21 1 4 13 Stella Chirwa Diana Maddah Woldekidan Amde William Yotive22 1 5 14 Aeryn Longuevan Kerry Mitchell Glory Nja Matthew Brown23 1 6 15 Saloni Patel Diana Ruggiero Bridget Kelly Gretchen Peterson24 1 7 16 Kami Geron W. Bradley Hawkins Bernard Saliba Beverly Tsacoyianis25 1 8 17 Michelle Jeu Shafik Dharamsi Kalėdienė Ramunė Tim K. Mackey27 1 Steve Shular

Public health diplomacy addresses global challenges impacting societies, economies, the environment, and health by integrating foreign policy and development. The University of Memphis School of Public Health hosted a multistakeholder summit to identify strategies and competencies essential for effective public health diplomacy. A 3-day summit included 29 participants from 15 countries, representing the WHO, the World Federation of United Nations, and seven regional public health associations. An iterative human-centered design (HCD) approach and concept mapping were employed to facilitate discussions and generate actionable recommendations. Developed a working definition of Public Health Diplomacy emphasizing cross-disciplinary collaborations, communication, negotiation, and consensus building. Produced a 9-point action plan to establish a global framework, launch capacity-building initiatives, and institutionalize public health diplomacy as a public health discipline. 1. School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States; 2. Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), Washington, DC, United States; 3. Department of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 4. Public Health Department, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; 5. Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, St. George’s University, St. George, Grenada; 6. Department of World Languages and Literatures, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States; 7. Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States; 8. School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States; 9. Department of Health Promotion and Community Health, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; 10. People Health and Place Unit, Prevention Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; 11. Department of Medical Law and Ethics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 12. Asia-Europe Institute, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 13. School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa; 14. Department of Public Health, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria; 15. Early Start, School of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; 16. University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 17. Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania; 18. Department of Healthcare Management, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 19. CRIS Center for International Relations in Health of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 20. Department of Community Medicine, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka; 21. Independent Researcher, Geneva, Switzerland; 22. World Federation of United Nations Associations, Geneva, Switzerland; 23. Global Health Policy and Data Institute, San Diego, CA, United States; 24. Department of Sociology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States; 25. Department of History, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States; 26. Shelby County Health Department, Shelbyville, IN, United States; 27. Global Health Program, Department of Anthropology, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States

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An Agenda for Public Health Diplomacy in an Age of Populism POLICY BRIEF | Public Health Rev., 04 December 2025 | Volume 46 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/phrs.2025.1609089 Martin McKee2* 1. European Public Health Association (EUPHA), Utrecht, Netherlands 3 Josep Figueras 2. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom Ramune Kalediene3,4 3. Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium Ashish Joshi5,6 4. Lietuvos sveikatos mokslu universitetas, Kaunas, Lithuania 5,7 Ayman El-Mohandes 5. Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States 3 Robert Otok 6. School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States Laura Magaña5 7. The City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, Charlotte Marchandise1 New York, NY, United States 3,8 Henrique Barros 8. Universidade do Porto Instituto de Saude Publica, Porto, Portugal

Public health stands at a critical crossroads. In recent years, the global political landscape has been reshaped by the rise of populism, the spread of disinformation, and the weakening of multilateral institutions. These forces have eroded trust in science, undermined human rights, and disrupted international cooperation, core pillars upon which public health progress depends. We propose nine ways forward: create diplomacy labs for crisis simulation; empower non-state actors like cities and NGOs; strengthen ethical communication and listening; protect health workers; build alternative accountability systems; reframe health as a diplomatic priority; decentralise and diversify funding; develop a new diplomacy curriculum; reinvent and defend multilateralism.

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Health Diplomacy Training, Pedagogical Approaches & Skills Assessment Review Article | Front. Public Health, 15 December 2025 | Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion | Volume 13 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1729728

Ashish Joshi1* Laura Magana2 Niharika Jha1 Robert Otok3 Ntuli Angyelile Kapologwe4

Luís de Almeida Sampaio5 Erica Kastrup6 Woldekidan Amde7 Rajendra Surenthirakumaran8 Ayman El-Mohandes9

Rodrigo Reis10 So Yoon Kim11 Catherine Kane12 Tim Mackey13,14 William Yotive15

Henrique Barros16 Ramune Kaledine17 Josep Figueras18 Mathew Brown14

Health diplomacy is gaining increasing importance as an approach in addressing domestic and global health challenges, yet educational programs that prepare future practitioners remain underdeveloped in addressing skills core to this domain of public health practice. Training in health diplomacy is critical for building interdisciplinary competencies needed to navigate increasingly complex negotiations, cross-cultural engagements, and policy influence. Competency based education in global health, widely accepted by the health professions education community, is a framework for training health professionals that focuses on observable, measurable skills and knowledge needed to meet specific health needs and improve global health outcomes. This study mapped the literature on health diplomacy education, examining curricula, training approaches, skill development, and evaluation practices, with a focus on their implications for public health diplomacy. 1. School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States; 2. Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), Washington, DC, United States; 3. Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER), Brussels, Belgium; 4. East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), Arusha, Tanzania; 5. Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; 6. CRIS Center for International Relations in Health of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 7. School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa; 8. Department of Community Medicine, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka; 9. CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, United States; 10. People Health and Place Unit, Prevention Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; 11. Department of Medical Law and Ethics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 12. Independent Researcher, Geneva, Switzerland; 13. Global Health Program, Department of Anthropology, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States; 14. Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 15. Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania 16. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Brussels, Belgium; 17. Global Health Policy and Data Institute, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States; 18. World Federation of United Nations Associations, Geneva, Switzerland

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Public Health Diplomacy in an Era of Complexity, Uncertainty & Unpredictability Review Article | Front. Public Health, 26 July 2026 | Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion | Volume 14 - 2026 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1880539

Lucia Linares1 José Chen-Xu1 Raquel Medialdea Carrera1 Danila Pietersz1 Federica Zavattaro1

Robert Otok2 Henrique Barros2 Josep Figueras2 Ashish Joshi3

1.Young Forum Gastein, European Health Forum Gastein 2.Association of Schools of Public Health in European Region (ASPHER) 3.School of Public Health, University of Memphis

In an era marked by geopolitical instability and rapidly evolving health threats, public health diplomacy (PHD) can be an essential mechanism for fostering the coordination, collaboration, cooperation, and communication needed to protect public health. PHD helps strengthen trust-building relationships through inclusive communication and cross-sector collaboration. This article synthesizes insights generated during a Young Forum Gastein (YFG) workshop held at the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) 2025, hosted by the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). Workshop discussions explored how public health diplomacy is being conceptualized by early-career health professionals working across Europe, positioning youth as critical contributors to inclusive, equitable PHD processes. The outcomes of the workshop provide a way forward for strengthening public health diplomacy and identifying the essential skills that are critical to advancing this field.

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Projects Public Health Diplomacy in Central Asia: A Review 2026 Ashish Joshi

Nishtha Sharma

Niharika Jha

Central Asia comprising Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, confronts a complex array of health challenges shaped by the post-Soviet transition, including fragmented health systems, a dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, environmental degradation, healthcare inequality, and competing geopolitical influences from Russia, China, the European Union, and the United States. Public health diplomacy (PHD) has emerged as a critical instrument for addressing these transnational challenges through cross-border cooperation, multilateral engagement, and health governance strengthening. However, no prior review has systematically mapped the evidence on how PHD operates within and across Central Asian countries. This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature on public health diplomacy in Central Asia, examining country-specific health governance trajectories, international health cooperation mechanisms, alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC), and gaps in the evidence base. Following the Arksey and O’Malley scoping review framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted a systematic search of PubMed, and Google Scholar, supplemented by hand searches of WHO, World Bank, UNDP, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) repositories. Studies published between 2000 and 2025 addressing health diplomacy, health governance, cross-border cooperation, or health system reform in Central Asia were included. Data was extracted using a standardized charting form and synthesized through descriptive statistics and narrative thematic analysis.

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Kazakhstan

Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan

Turkmenistan

Tajikistan Public Health Diplomacy Lab | 8

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Digital Health Diplomacy in the Public Health Landscape 2025

Michael Arthur Ofori Shongkour Roy

Niharika Jha Zebunnesa Zeba

Brian McGoldrick Nidhi Mittal

Stella Dockery Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro

Michelle Taylor Ashish Joshi

A Scoping Review of Concepts, Practices, and Impact: Digital health diplomacy (DHD) has become a critical element in global health governance. It represents a diplomatic practice of science that uses digital technology within health diplomacy operations. DHD serves as an innovative framework that strengthens international partnerships for solving critical health problems while enhancing global health governance. There is the need to investigate how digital health diplomacy functions and shapes global health governance and international health collaboration. To assess digital health diplomacy and its contribution to health diplomacy and global health. A scoping review was conducted to summarize the available evidence related to digital health diplomacy. We searched key databases like PUBMED, Scopus, Google Scholar, WHO digital platform, and Google for published articles and grey literature from November 2024 to January 2025. The diplomatic use of digital tools enables global health interaction. DHD works through social media platforms and telehealth systems alongside electronic health records to exchange data in real time for diseases management. Digital initiatives create significant changes to global health governance by allowing international agreements like the pandemic treaty to improve health security. The digital health diplomacy framework faces data protection issues, yet it creates opportunities to foster capacity building and innovation. The central position of digital health diplomacy in global policy formation remains crucial because it leads to an equitable future based on community partnerships. This confirms its crucial role in ensuring universal health coverage through digital technologies.

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Types, Interventions & Applications in the Medical & Public Health Fields 2025

Niharika Jha Shongkour Roy

Michael Arthur Ofori Zebunnesa Zeba

Brian McGoldrick Nidhi Mittal

Stella Dockery Ashish Joshi

Health Diplomacy in Practice: A Scoping Review of Types, Interventions, and Applications in the Medical and Public Health Fields. Health diplomacy is increasingly recognized as a critical mechanism for advancing global health goals, fostering international collaboration, and addressing complex cross-border health challenges. Despite growing interest, the scope and practical applications of health diplomacy across medical and public health fields remain fragmented and underexplored. This scoping review aims to map the existing literature on health diplomacy, categorizing its types, interventions, and practical applications within medical and public health contexts. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across major databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Peer-reviewed articles, policy briefs, and gray literature published between 2015 and 2025 were included. Studies were screened for relevance, and data were charted to identify themes, intervention strategies, and fields of application. A total of 532 studies were screened. Final screening is still going on.

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Presentations Role of Health Diplomacy in Global Health Crises, Conflicts & Peace-making A Scoping Review | 4142.0 | November 4, 2025 | Program: Peace Caucus | Session: 40th Anniversary of the Peace Caucus: The role of public health professionals in preventing war and building peace

Niharika Jha1* Zebunnesa Zeba1 Shongkour Roy1 Brian McGoldrick2 Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro2 1 1 1 2 Ashish Joshi Michael Arthur Ofori Nidhi Mittal Stella Dockery Michelle Taylor3 Health diplomacy, the intersection of global health and international relations, plays a crucial role in addressing transnational health challenges. It facilitates cooperation among governments, international organizations, and stakeholders to strengthen health security, equity, and crisis response. In the face of growing global health crises, diplomatic efforts are essential for resource mobilization, policy coordination, and capacity building. The goal of this study is to review the extant literature to examine the role of health diplomacy in global health crises, conflicts, and peace-making, focusing on key actors, strategies, and challenges to enhance future emergency preparedness and response. This scoping review followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework to systematically map the role of health diplomacy in global health crises and conflicts. A literature search was conducted across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles and gray literature. A total of 594 studies were screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted, charted, and thematically analyzed to identify patterns and lessons for future crises. The review adhered to PRISMA-ScR guidelines to ensure methodological rigor and transparency. Findings indicate that health diplomacy facilitates cross-border collaboration, enhances outbreak response efficiency, and strengthens health systems resilience. It also contributes to conflict resolution and peace-making efforts by fostering dialogue, building trust, and promoting equitable access to healthcare. However, challenges such as political conflicts, unequal resource distribution, and limited enforcement of international agreements hinder its effectiveness. Key actors in health diplomacy include governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, healthcare professionals, and local communities, each playing a vital role in shaping policies and facilitating collaboration during health crises. Strengthening multilateral cooperation, enhancing transparency, and reinforcing global governance mechanisms are critical for improving health diplomacy’s impact on future health emergencies. Health diplomacy plays a vital role in global health crisis response by fostering international collaboration, coordinating resources, advancing healthcare capacity and promoting conflict resolution and peace building. 1. University of Memphis School of Public Health; 2. PH-IDEAS, University of Memphis; 3. Shelby County Health Department

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Health Diplomacy Advancing Public Private Partnerships in Health Equity A Scoping Review | Board 5 | November 4, 2025 | Program: Community Health Planning and Policy Development | Session: Public-Private Partnerships to Improve Community Health IV Shongkour Roy1* Zebunnesa Zeba1 Niharika Jha1 Brian McGoldrick2 Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro2 1 1 1 2 Ashish Joshi Michael Arthur Ofori Nidhi Mittal Stella Dockery Michelle Taylor3

Health diplomacy is now an important part of global health governance because it helps countries work together, shapes health policies, and builds partnerships across borders. Health diplomacy through public-private partnerships (PPPs) has become more important as globalization continues to link public health challenges. PPPs are particularly effective in enhancing disaster preparation and promoting health equity. Despite its increasing significance, there is an absence of thorough scholarly research that integrates the essential attributes of health diplomacy and its multidimensional influence on health equity. This paper aims to analyze the essential attribute of health diplomacy and investigate the role of PPPs in promoting health equity at local, global, and glocal levels. Following Arksey and O'Malley’s scoping review framework, we conducted a systematic search across PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO, yielding 494 articles. Our inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed publications that conceptualize or analyze health diplomacy, with an emphasis on its role in fostering PPPs and promoting health equity. We selected 47 articles that met the criteria and Dedoose was used for qualitative thematic analysis. Our analysis found many fundamental attributes of health diplomacy in promoting health equity via PPPs. These include fortifying collaborative governance, emergency readiness, and aligning with sustainable development goals. Our results indicate that at the local level, health diplomacy have strengthened community health systems by improving resource mobilization, cooperation, and capacity development for digital innovations using PPPs. Health diplomacy is critical at the global level for advancing equitable access to vital medications, improving pandemic preparation, and enabling coordinated responses to public health crises via multisectoral cooperation. At the glocal level, health diplomacy helps address PPPs to transnational health challenges, such as non-communicable diseases, while ensuring that global health policies are adapted to fit local contexts effectively. This scoping review illustrates the key role of health diplomacy in leveraging PPPs to address health inequities. By fostering collaborative governance, enhancing emergency preparedness, and ensuring equitable access to health resources, health diplomacy serves as a key driver in building resilient health systems. Strengthening health diplomacy efforts will be stepped up for building resilient health systems and promoting health equity worldwide. 1. University of Memphis School of Public Health; 2. PH-IDEAS, University of Memphis; 3. Shelby County Health Department

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Milestones and Activities April 2024 Launched Public Health Diplomacy Lab

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September 2024 Inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit

November 2024 Establish Public Health Diplomacy Steering Group

December 2024 Launch Public Health Diplomacy Website

April 2025 Published Findings of Public Health Diplomacy Summit

May 2025 UofM SPH Public Health Diplomacy Lab Participates in World Health Alliance Summit Held in New Delhi, India

June 2025 Public Health Diplomacy: ASPHER 2025 Deans’ & Directors’ Retreat International Public Health Diplomacy Advisory Group Established

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

August 2025 Public Health Diplomacy Lab Joins the Health Diplomacy Institutional Network

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September 2025 Quarterly Newsletter "PH Diplo" Published Participation at the UNGA 80 ECSA-HC at the Science Summit

October 2025 European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) 2025 Conference, Austria

November 2025 GAs Represent Public Health Diplomacy Lab at APHA 2025, D.C.

December 2025 2nd Quarterly Newsletter "PH Diplo" Published Published Public Health Diplomacy a Scoping Review Public Health Diplomacy Workshop at Kazakhstan, Conference

Public Health Diplomacy Lab | 16

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

This Year’s Progress February Science Diplomacy at 2026 UNGA80 Call for Action Dean Ashish Joshi attended the 76th ECSA-HC Health Ministers Conference in Eswatini and signed the initiatives MOU advancing regional cooperation on health systems, workforce development and education through partnering to enhance research, education, and crosscultural understanding

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March Second Public Health 2026 Diplomacy Summit This Public Health Diplomacy Summit will focus on Regional and International Cooperation to Advance Public Health Diplomacy Among the Schools and Programs of Pubic Health.

March 3rd Quarterly Newsletter 2026 "PH Diplo" Published In accordance to point nine from the summit’s action items, the School of Public Health created this publication to disseminate recommendations from participants to their respective institutions to move forward. The third Quarterly Newsletter "PH Diplo" Published, sharing Public Health Diplomacy in action around the world.

PH DIPLO AN INITIATIVE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIPLOMACY LAB UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

THIRD EDITION | MARCH 2026

April 4th Interdisciplinary World 2026 Health Congress From April 12-17, 2026 Dean Joshi spoke on Health Research and Education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region. This event was hosted by the Faculty of Medicine “Ibn Al-Jazzat” in Sousse, Tunisia.

4th Interdisciplinary

World Health World Health Congress Congress on Health Research and Education in the MENA Region Innovation - Collaboration - Transformation Faculty of Medicine “Ibn AlJazzar” Sousse, Tunisia

Public Health Diplomacy Lab | 18

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

June 2026

World Congress of Psychotherapy Dean Joshi participates in session on Health Diplomacy and Mental Health in the Global Era from June 4-6, 2026 at the UN Headquarters & City University of New York, NY.

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July ASPHER Deans' and 2026 Directors' Retreat Dean Joshi to attend the Deans’ and Directors’ Retreat from July 15-18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Hosted by Postgraduate School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine - University of Milan, WHO Collaborating Centre for Design & Health - Polytechnic of Milan, Postgraduate School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine - University of Pavia, Postgraduate School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine - Vita-Salute San Raffaele University.

September 18th World Congress on 2026 Public Health From September 6-9, 2026, the World Congress on Public Health (WCPH) will be held biennially by the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA). The 18th WCPH 2026, organized in collaboration with the Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA), will occur in Cape Town. Dean Joshi to join the 2,000 delegates expected to attend.

September EHFG Conference: 2026 Health for a Stronger European Union European Health Forum Gastein Conference: Health for a Stronger European Union - High Time for Action! Sept 29-Oct 2, 2026 Bad Hofgastein, Austria

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

October Dean Joshi Speaking at 2026 WGES Global™ Symposium October 6-8, 2026 | Athens, Greece Presented by: WGES Global™ (US) Hosted under the distinguished hospitality of the Holy Synod of Greece at The Cultural Center, Kolonaki.

October 2026 Athens, Greece

October 57th Conference of the 2026 APACPH in Taiwan October 20-23, 2026 | The Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) will take place in Tainan, Taiwan, at the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU).

2026 TAINAN TAIWAN

WGES Global™ Symposium Smart Solutions for a Sustainable Ecosystem Ashish Joshi, PhD, MBBS, MPH | Speaker Dean and Distinguished Professor University of Memphis School of Public Health

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APACPH 57th Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health Conference

October 20-23, 2026

November APHA Annual Meeting in 2026 San Antonio, Texas November 1-4, 2026 | Dean Joshi will participate in a speaker panel for the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting on AI in Public Health.

November 19th European Public 2026 Health Conference November 11-13, 2026 | The European Public Health (EPH) Conference will be hosted in Bilbao, Spain.

San Antonio, Texas November 1-4

Public Health Diplomacy Lab | 22

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Public Health Diplomacy Collaboration Network of Public Health Diplomacy Collaboration The International Public Health Diplomacy Advisory Group offers global and regional perspectives to inform the Lab’s work and Summit outcomes, ensuring relevance across diverse political, cultural, and health system contexts. Members bring extensive expertise in global health governance, diplomacy, policy, and practice, and contribute to shaping curricula, research agendas, and international engagement strategies.

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International Public Health Diplomacy Advisory Group The International Public Health Diplomacy Advisory Group supports brings together global health leaders, diplomats and policy experts dedicated to advancing the intersection of public health and international relations. The responsibility of the advisory group is to offer strategic guidance, promote cross-border collaboration and help shape the Lab’s efforts to train future health diplomats.

July 2025

Dr. Janilza Silveria Silva Former Public Health Specialist, Cabo Verde

Dr. Ntuli Angyelile Kapologwe Director General, Tanzania

Dr. Julietha Gosbert Tibyesiga Youth Advocate, Tanzania

Luís de Almeida Sampaio

Former Ambassador, Portugal

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

September 2025

November 2025

March 2026

Dr. Shiva Murugasampillay Medical Officer, Zimbabwe

Dr. Josephine Kibaru-Mbae

Dr. Tiruneh Baye

Dr. Josep Figueras

Former Director General, Kenya

Technical Officer, Ethiopia

Director Emeritus, Belgium

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Working Group Addition

March 2026

April 2026

July 2026

Dr. Henrique Barros

Dr. Lucia Linares

Dr. Mohamed Khalis

Dr. Elena Savoia

President of ISPUP and ASPHER, Portugal

Project Manager of YFG, Austria

Assistant Professor, Morocco

Co-director of EPREP USA Public Health Diplomacy Lab | 26

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Public Health Diplomacy Summits 2024 Inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit The Inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit, organized by the University of Memphis School of Public Health in collaboration with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health and the Global Network for Academic Public Health, resulted in a nine-point action plan to advance public health diplomacy globally. These initiatives have been established and are currently progressing through collaborative efforts among partner institutions and stakeholders.

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Outcomes and Progress 1. Establish a Public Health Diplomacy Working Group globally. Member schools and programs from ASPPH and GNAPH will be invited to participate. INITIATED 2. Create Public Health Diplomacy capacity-building group globally that will work with key public health training and academic institutions across various regions to gather insights into the skills and competencies essential for public health students. INITIATED 3. Identify global and region-specific learning outcomes to prepare public health students to succeed in an interconnected and complex world through public health diplomacy. INITIATED 4. Advance public health diplomacy initiative by engaging decision-makers and stakeholders (including foreign services, ministries of health, academic institutes, civil society members, policy makers and other international organizations like WHO and UN) in your own region to create more awareness about the field. ONGOING 5. Develop an online, interactive resource hub to disseminate Public Health Diplomacy Research, Innovation, Skills and Experiential (PHD-RISE) learning opportunities globally. COMPLETED 6. Organize events to help raise awareness about public health diplomacy in the field of public health. INITIATED 7. Analyze and share the region’s experiences, best practices and achievements in public health diplomacy across various communication outlets to further develop the field. 2ND SUMMIT AGENDA 8. Expand regional and institutional partnerships in collaboration with the University of Memphis School of Public Health, ASPPH and GNAPH to advance public health diplomacy. INITIATED 9. Disseminate recommendations from participants to their respective institutions to move forward. LAUNCHED

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Second Public Health Diplomacy Summit The University of Memphis, School of Public Health proudly hosted the 2nd Public Health Diplomacy Summit 2026, bringing together global leaders, academicians, diplomats, public health practitioners, civic society representatives, and students to strengthen collaboration in the growing field of public health diplomacy. Building upon the success of the 2024 summit, where Public Health Diplomacy emerged as a distinct and evolving field within public health, the 2026 summit focused on advancing regional and international cooperation among schools and programs of public health. Participants engaged in meaningful dialogue around global health governance, diplomacy, leadership, negotiation, communication, health security, and collaborative action in an era characterized by uncertainty, complexity, and rapid global change.

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Contributors The summit fostered interdisciplinary partnerships and explored the competencies, skills, and knowledge needed by future public health professionals to effectively address global and regional health challenges through diplomacy and collaboration. From the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)

Dr. Laura Magaña, President and CEO, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), USA Dr. Ashish Joshi, Dean and Distinguished Professor, School of Public Health at the University of Memphis, TN, USA Dr. Kun-Hsien Tsai, Associate Dean and Professor in the Department of Public Health at the College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taiwan (R.O.C.) Dr. Rodrigo Reis, Assistant Vice-Provost and Director, Office of Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA Dorothy Biberman, Senior Director of Global Engagement and Executive Initiatives at ASPPH, Arlington, VA, USA

From the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER)

Dr. Henrique Barros, President of ASPHER, President of the Board of the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto (ISPUP) Robert Otok, Director of ASPHER, Brussels, Belgium Prof. Dr. Ramune Kalediene, Head of the Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Lithuania Dr. Josep Figueras, Director Emeritus of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Ambassador for the European Health Union Fellowships program

Subject Matter Experts

Ambassador Luis de Almeida Sampaio, President of the Strategic Council of Coimbra Health, Member of the Executive Committee of the Academic Alliance of the World Health Summit Dr. Antonio Sarria-Santamera, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences; Director of the PhD in Global Health at the School of Medicine of Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan Professor Ashraf El-Metwally, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Dr. Kamiar Alaei, Chairman and Professor of Global Health Policy at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), External Evaluator at the University of Oxford Dr. Matthew Brown, Special Advisor, Global Health Policy and Data Institute, Adjunct Professor, Uniformed University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA Dr. Ntuli A. Kapologwe, Director, East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), Global Health Diplomat, Tanzania Dr. Olagoke Akintola, Director of SOPH, University of the Western Cape School of Public Health, South Africa Dr. Tiruneh Baye, Technical Officer for Public Health Workforce Development, Africa CDC, Ethiopia

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From the Association of Schools of Public Health In Africa (ASPHA)

Prof. Margaret Kaseje, President, Professor, Tropical Institute of Community Health and Development, Kenya Dr. Woldekidan Amde, Senior Researcher, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

From Latin American Alliance for Global Health/Alianza Latinoamericana de Salud Global (ALSAG)

Dr. Erica Kastrup, Cooperation Advisor, Researcher at the CRIS Center for International Relations in Health of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil

From the South East Asia Public Health Education Institutions Network (SEAPHEIN)

Prof. Rajendra Surenthirakumaran, Professor in Community Medicine and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

From the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH)

Prof. Wah Yun Low, Honorary Professor of Psychology at the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

From the Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO) Dr. Shawna Novak, Executive Director

From the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA)

Professor Paul Barach, Thomas Jefferson University, UNC and Imperial College London, Chair, Accreditation Board

From World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA)

William Yotive, Model UN Coordinator for the World Federation of United Nations Associations, USA

From the Global Network of Academic Public Health (GNAPH) Dr. John Middleton, President of GNAPH, United Kingdom

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Summit Kickoff Day 1 – (March 23, 2026 ) The summit began with an evening reception and opening remarks from distinguished leaders representing academia, public health agencies, and international organizations. The kickoff session provided an opportunity for networking, introductions, and reflections on the evolution and importance of public health diplomacy globally.

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Workshop Sessions Day 2 – (March 24, 2026)

Sessions include: A Paradigm Shift from Global Health Diplomacy to Public Health Diplomacy Panelists: Matthew Brown (USA), Rajendra Surenthirakumaran (Sri Lanka), Kun-Hsien Tsai (Taiwan) Public Health Diplomacy: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Ahead Panelists: Luis de Almeida Sampaio (Portugal), Erica Kastrup (Brazil), Shawna Novak (Canada) Health Security and Public Health Diplomacy in an African Context Panelists: Woldekidan Amde (South Africa), Olagoke Akintola (South Africa), Margaret Kaseje (Kenya), Tiruneh Baye (Ethiopia), Ntuli Kapologwe (Tanzania) Advancing Public Health Diplomacy in Europe: ASPHER Perspective Panelists: Robert Otok (Belgium), Ramune Kalediene (Lithuania), Henrique Barros (Portugal) Engaging Public Health Students and Practitioners in Applied Public Health Diplomacy Initiatives Panelists: Antonio Sarria-Santamera (Kazakhstan), Ashraf El-Metwally (Saudi Arabia), William Yotive (USA), Rodrigo Reis (USA), Woldekidan Amde (South Africa), Ramune Kaliene (Lithuania) Wrap-Up and Discussion Panelists: Laura Magaña (USA), Josep Figueras (Belgium), Erica Kastrup (Brazil), Robert Otok (Belgium), Ashish Joshi (USA)

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Outcomes and Progress Day 3 – (March 25, 2026)

Highlights: From Local AIDS Dialogue to Global Health Diplomacy Speaker: Kamiar Alaei (USA) Young Forum Gastein Panelists: Lucia Linares (Austria), Olha-Mariia Alimenko (Ukraine) and Shaun Palmer (Netherlands) Exploring Experiential Learning Opportunities for Students in Public Health Diplomacy Moderators: Ashish Joshi (USA) and Paul Barach (USA) Panelists: Matthew Brown (USA), Luis de Almeida Sampaio (Portugal), Ramune Kalediene (Lithuania), Erica Kastrup (Brazil), Olagoke Akintola (South Africa), Rajendra Surenthirakumaren (Sri Lanka) and Antonio Sarria-Santamera (Kazakhstan) Way Forward session and collaborative recommendations Moderators: Paul Barach (USA), Rodrigo Reis (USA), Shawna Novak (Canada), Erica Kastrup (Brazil) Outcomes reate Public Health Diplomacy capacity-building group C Develop an online, interactive resource hub to disseminate Public Health Diplomacy Research, Innovation, Skills, and Experiential learning Identify global and region-specific learning outcomes to prepare public health students to succeed in an interconnected and complex world through public health diplomacy Organize events to help raise awareness about public health diplomacy in the field of public health Develop a virtual community of Public Health Diplomats 37 | Public Health Diplomacy Lab

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University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Way Forward Moderators: Paul Barach (USA), Rodrigo Reis (USA), Shawna Novak (Canada), Erica Kastrup (Brazil)

Launch the Executive “Public Health Diplomacy in Practice” Program Executive Program in Public Health Diplomacy in collaboration with the following partners: University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka | University of Coimbra, Portugal | University of Western Cape, South Africa | East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community, Tanzania | The Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Portugal | Canadian International Scientific Exchange Program, Canada | Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan | King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Saudi Arabia | Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Brazil University of Malaya, Malaysia

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Contact For More Information on Public Health Diplomacy Ashish Joshi | PhD, MBBS, MPH Lead Investigator | Public Health Diplomacy Lab University of Memphis School of Public Health ashish.joshi@memphis.edu

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