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PH DIPLO

AN INITIATIVE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DIPLOMACY LAB

UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

SECOND EDITION | DECEMBER 2025

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

Follow the School of Public Health

Inaugural Issue #2 | December 2025

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION

University of Memphis School of Public Health

memphis.edu/publichealth

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.

Joshi | PhD, MBBS, MPH

Dean and Distinguished University Professor

Lead Public Health Diplomacy Lab

University of Memphis School of Public Health

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.

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.

Ashish

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

About the Public Health Diplomacy Lab

The Nation’s First

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.

1 | Public Health Diplomacy Lab

Dr. Ashish Joshi

Dean and Distinguished Professor, School of Public Health

Dr. Marian Levy

Associate

Dean, Public Health Practice and Community Engagement

Dr. Diana Ruggiero

Professor of Spanish, Department of World Languages and Literatures

Dr. Beverly Tsacoyianis

Associate Professor of History

Dr. Gretchen Peterson

Professor, Department of Sociology

Dr. Xinhua Yu

Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Program Coordinator Epidemiology

Inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit

The Public Health Diplomacy Summit, convened by the University of Memphis School of Public Health’s Health Diplomacy Lab, is a global convening designed to define, strengthen, and operationalize the emerging field of public health diplomacy. Held from September 25–27, 2024, in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, the Summit provided a collaborative forum for academic leaders, multilateral organizations, government representatives, and civil society to exchange knowledge, identify core competencies, and develop actionable strategies for education, capacity building, and policy impact in an increasingly complex global health landscape.

Public Health Diplomacy Summit participants

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit

Defining Public Health Diplomacy

Public health diplomacy is a 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.

Outcomes and Nine-Point Action Plan

The summit resulted in a definition and a nine-point action plan, including the establishment of a global Public Health Diplomacy Working Group.

1. Establish a Public Health Diplomacy Working Group globally. Member schools and programs from ASPPH and GNAPH will be invited to participate.

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.

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.

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.

5. Develop an online, interactive resource hub to disseminate Public Health Diplomacy Research, Innovation, Skills and Experiential (PHD-RISE) learning opportunities globally.

6. Organize events to help raise awareness about public health diplomacy in the field of public health

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.

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.

9. Disseminate recommendations from participants to their respective institutions to move forward.

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Public Health Diplomacy Lab Members

Public Health Diplomacy Steering Group

The Public Health Diplomacy Steering Group serves as a global platform for collaboration among academic institutions, public health professionals, policymakers, and civil society organizations. Its primary aim is to advance the field of public health diplomacy by fostering dialogue, sharing best practices, and developing competencies essential for addressing global health challenges.

Dr. Ashish Joshi

Dean and Distinguished Professor, School of Public Health

Prof. So Yoon Kim

Professor, Yonsei University, President of APACPH, Korea Region Office, South Korea

Dr. Laura Magaña

President and CEO, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), USA

Dr. Woldekidan Amde

Senior Researcher, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Dr. Rodrigo Reis

Assistant ViceProvost and Director, Office of Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., USA

Dr. Bridget Kelly

Associate Professor, University of Wollongong, Australia

Dr. Ramunė Kalėdienė

Head of Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Lithuania

Catherine Kane

Technical officer, Health

Workforce dept., World Health

Organization, Switzerland

Dr. Tim Ken Mackey

Director of the Global Health Policy and Data Institute (GHPDi) and Professor of Global Health at UC San Diego, USA

Dr. Erica Kastrup

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

Prof. Rajendra Surenthirakumaran

Professor in Community Medicine and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Dr. Matthew Brown

William Yotive

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

Special Advisor, Global Health Policy and Data Institute, Adjunct Professor, Uniformed University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md., USA

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

International Public Health Diplomacy Advisory Group

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

Janilza Silveria Silva

Former Public Health Specialist, Cabo Verde

Youth Advocate, Tanzania

Former Ambassador, Portugal

Former Director General, Kenya

Shiva Murugasampillay Medical Officer, Zimbabwe

Director General, Tanzania

Technical Officer, Ethiopia

Luís de Almeida Sampaio

Julietha Gosbert Tibyesiga

Ntuli Angyelile Kapologwe

Josephine Kibaru-Mbae

Tiruneh Baye

Milestones

April 2024 September 2024

Launched Public Health Diplomacy Lab

The School of Public Health at the University of Memphis is launching a Public Health Diplomacy Lab the first of its kind in the country as it joins an international alliance of institutions dedicated to protecting human rights, sustainability and access to education.

Inaugural Public Health Diplomacy Summit

From Sept. 25-27, 2024, the UofM hosted the first Public Health Diplomacy Summit in collaboration with the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and the Global Network for Academic Public Health (GNAPH).

November 2024

Establish Public Health

Diplomacy Steering Group

The Public Health Diplomacy Steering Group serves as a global platform for collaboration among academic institutions, public health professionals, policymakers and civil society organizations. Its primary aim is to advance the field of public health diplomacy by fostering dialogue, sharing best practices and developing competencies essential for addressing global health challenges.

Through these initiatives, the Steering Group aims to strengthen the integration of diplomacy in public health practice, ensuring that health considerations are central to international relations and policy decisions.

December 2024

Launch Public Health

Diplomacy Website

Our website houses an online, interactive resource hub to disseminate Public Health Diplomacy Research, Innovation, Skills, and Experiential (PHD-RISE) learning opportunities globally. This website organizes events to help raise awareness about public health diplomacy in the field of public health. By analyzing and sharing collaborators and partners experiences, best practices and achievements in public health diplomacy we help develop the field--expanding partnerships to advance public health diplomacy.

Published Findings of Public Health

April 2025 May 2025

Diplomacy Summit

The Public Health Diplomacy paper has been published in Frontiers, a publisher of peerreviewed articles in open-access journals, "Public health diplomacy: summary of the methods and outcome of the 1st University of Memphis School of Public Health Diplomacy Summit".

The three-day inaugural summit was organized at the University of Memphis School of Public Health, bringing together 29 participants from 15 countries including representatives from the WHO, the World Federation of United Nations Associations and seven regional public health associations to identify strategies and competencies essential for advancing public health diplomacy.

UofM SPH Public Health Diplomacy Lab Participates in World Health Alliance Summit

Held in New Delhi, India

Dean Joshi was the moderator for the session “Public Health Diplomacy: An Emerging Public Health Competency Towards Consensus Building, Negotiations, and Multilateral Partnerships” at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in New Delhi, India. The session focused on the complex and interconnected challenges facing public health today, many of which require policy-driven solutions that tackle the broader social and environmental determinants of health. Diplomacy the art and practice of negotiation enables nations to implement foreign policy, safeguard their interests and foster cooperative relationships.

International Public Health

June 2025 August 2025

Diplomacy Advisory Group

Established

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.

Public Health Diplomacy Lab Joins the Health Diplomacy

Institutional

Network

The Health Diplomacy Institutional Network is an international alliance of academic institutions dedicated to advancing the field of health diplomacy by strengthening the academic and practical foundations of global health diplomacy and providing a global platform for collaborative innovation. The network fosters collaboration among universities and research centers worldwide, spanning regions such as Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania. Key priorities include academic collaboration, interdisciplinary research and innovation, the support of professional development, health policy and advocacy at regional and global levels and the expansion of global outreach by building partnerships with governments and organizations.

September 2025 Quarterly Newsletter "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. It will be published quarterly, sharing Public Health Diplomacy in action around the world.

Participation at the UNGA 80 ECSA-HC at the Science Summit, New York, NY

The East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) proudly marked a historic milestone at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) by convening a high-level side event on Science Diplomacy, organized in collaboration with the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS).

This Science Diplomacy event convened during the UNGA80 at United Nations Headquarters will present a bold and inclusive health research agenda for the Pact for the Future as part of advancing global health. It will explore how to strengthen scientific leadership, research ecosystems, data infrastructure, and sustainable financing, particularly in Africa, while aligning with the priorities of multilateral institutions, regional communities, and post-SDG development frameworks.

October 2025

Organized

Public Health Diplomacy workshop with the Young Forum Gastein at the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG)

2025 Conference, Bad Gastein, Austria

There is an urgent need to tackle numerous global health threats through increased collaboration, coordination, cooperation and communication across multiple stakeholders. Policy makers, practitioners and scholars have increasingly recognised the importance of health in relation to other political issues such as trade, security, equity, development, and human rights. However, in the current environment, good health and well-being has been challenged due to increased geopolitical tensions and a rise in nationalism, fueling competitiveness rather than cooperativeness. Countries need to design and negotiate frameworks and agreements that can address global health challenges in a collective manner.

The Association for Schools and Programs in Public Health (ASPPH) and the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) seek meaningful and bold solutions to prepare a cadre of committed Public Health Diplomats, facilitating data driven dialogue, evidence-informed communications and implement health training programs in a complex environment.

Invited Talks

April 2025 June 2025

UofM SPH was one of the panelists of the Public Health Diplomacy round table conference at the World Health Alliance Summit held in New Delhi, India April 25-27, 2025

Dean Ashish Joshi presented at the Public Health Diplomacy: Global session at the ASPHER 2025 Deans’ and Directors’ Retreat in Berlin, Germany June 25-28, 2025

October 2025

Dean Ashish Joshi

Presented Public Health

Diplomacy in an Era of Complexity, uncertainty and unpredictability at the European Health Forum

Gastein (EHFG) 2025

Conference, Bad Gastein, Austria, September 30

October 3, 2025

December 2025

Dean Ashish Joshi Organized Public Health Diplomacy

Workshop at the Healthcare and Sustainability Conference

December 4-5, 2025, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Presentations

Abstract Presentations

Graduate Assistants from the Public Health Diplomacy Lab proudly represented the University of Memphis School of Public Health at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 2025 Annual Meeting held in Washington, D.C., from November 1–5, 2025.

Shongkour Roy – Health

Diplomacy Advancing Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Health Equity

Shongkour Roy’s presentation marked a significant milestone in his academic and professional journey. His research conducted through the Public Health Diplomacy Lab—examines how health diplomacy can strengthen public–private partnerships to advance health equity, enhance collaborative governance, and improve emergency preparedness. Presenting at APHA provided him with the opportunity to engage with public health professionals, scholars, and researchers from across the globe. The discussions and feedback he received offered valuable insights into the broader implications of his work and highlighted the growing interest in diplomacy-driven strategies for addressing both global and local health challenges. This experience reaffirmed his commitment to innovative, interdisciplinary research that drives real-world impact and promotes inclusive access to health services.

17 | Public Health Diplomacy Lab

Niharika Jha presented a scoping review exploring the critical role of health diplomacy in responding to global health crises, navigating conflict settings, and supporting peace-making efforts. Her work synthesizes evidence on how diplomatic engagement, negotiation, and cross-sector collaboration shape public health responses during emergencies and complex humanitarian situations. The review highlights emerging frameworks, identifies key gaps in the literature, and underscores the importance of diplomacy as a tool for strengthening health systems, facilitating cooperation, and advancing stability in crisisaffected regions.

Niharika Jha – The Role of Health Diplomacy in Global Health Crises, Conflicts, and Peace-Making: A Scoping Review

University of Memphis | School of Public Health

Publications

Papers

Joshi A, Magana L, Tsai KH, Maddah D, Mitchell K, Ruggiero D, Hawkins WB, Dharamsi S, Makhoul J, Reis R, Kim SY, Low WY, Amde W, Nja G, Jeu M, Kelly B, Saliba B, Jha N, Kalediene R, Scarpetti G, Kastrup E, Surenthirakumaran R, Kane C,

Yotive W, Brown M, Yu X, Peterson G, Tsacoyianis B, Ofori MA, Levy M, Chirwa S, Karimi M, Geron K, Patel S, Biberman D,

Taylor M, Longuevan A, Shular S, Mackey TK. Public health diplomacy: summary of the methods and outcome of the 1st University of Memphis School of Public Health Diplomacy Summit. Front Public Health. 2025 Apr 11; 13:1564709. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1564709.

McKee M, Figueras J, Kalediene R, Joshi A, El-Mohandes A, Otok R, Magaña L, Marchandise C and Barros H (2025) An

Agenda for Public Health Diplomacy in an Age of Populism. Public Health Rev. 46:1609089. doi:

10.3389/phrs.2025.1609089

Joshi A, Magana L, Jha N, Otok R, Kapologwe NA, Sampaio LdA, Kastrup E, Amde W, Surenthirakumaran R, El-Mohandes A, Reis R, Kim SY, Kane C, Mackey TK, Yotive W, Barros H, Kaledine R, Figueras J and Brown MD (2025) Health diplomacy training, pedagogical approaches, and skills assessment: a scoping review. Front. Public Health. 13:1729728. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1729728

19 | Public Health Diplomacy Lab

Call for Papers

SSPH+ | PUBLIC HEALTH DIPLOMACY IN A COMPLEX WORLD

This joint IJPH and PHR special Issue aims to advance the field of Public Health Diplomacy by calling for interdisciplinary and policy-relevant research from across the globe. For PHR, we invite high-quality Reviews (all types) and Policy Briefs. For IJPH, we invite Original Articles. We particularly encourage contributions in Public Health Diplomacy that:

Examine the importance of systems thinking, consensus building, and negotiation

Analyze community and policy level human-centered innovations, interventions and programs

Describe health diplomatic efforts, collaborations and partnerships to coordinate health diplomatic activities, or the impact of public health diplomacy across different regions of the world.

Examine the role of trust, communication and the infodemic, and their role in amplifying credible content

Address the intersectionality between public health, foreign affairs and international relations in global settings and their impact on public health policy making.

Identify the competencies essential to becoming a health diplomat

Present best practical, methodological, or conceptual practices in health diplomacy research

Discuss how data governance, ethical considerations and regulations can play a pivotal role in Reconstruction, Recovery, and Sustainability in Post-Crisis Settings

Issue Editors

Ashish Joshi | School of Public Health, University of Memphis Memphis, United States

Gabriel Gulis | University of Southern Denmark Odense, Denmark

Rodrigo Siqueira Reis | The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO, United States

Ramunė Kalėdienė | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas, Lithuania

Public Health Diplomacy Collaborators

Representing the World Regions

As established in the nine-point action plan, we have expanded regional and institutional partnerships in collaboration with the University of Memphis School of Public Health, ASPPH and GNAPH to advance public health diplomacy. These 29 countries we can disseminate recommendations from participants to their respective institutions to move forward. 21 | Public Health Diplomacy Lab