SERIES OF SEMINARS:
“FUTURE-FOCUSED HEALTH SYSTEMS
IN A CHANGING WORLD.”
INTRODUCTION
National and local health systems today operate amidst intersectional and persistent disruptions, ranging from armed conflict and climate change to digital transformation, pandemics, and shifting geopolitical landscapes. These disruptors operate in a deeply inequitable ecosystem, where the implications of climate change, structural violence, gender inequalities, acute socioeconomic disparities, and legacies of discrimination have eroded health systems' performance, social equity, and public trust. They demand bold, forward-thinking solutions that go beyond shock absorption to embrace adaptive leadership and system transformation. HSG’s Regional Chapter for the Americas is organizing a series of events across the region to offer spaces for discussion about these topics.
FIRST SEMINAR IN NEW YORK CITY
Date: June 9th, 2026.
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm
Venue: Pace University, 1 Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038.
AGENDA
10:00 am Welcome
Introduction to HSG’s work at the regional and global level.
10:30 am Keynote speech: “Politics and Polycrises: Governance, financing and diplomacy in the face of conflict and
changing global order.”
Speaker from the PAHO, Name TBC
11:15 am Panel: “Plurality and Partnerships: Embracing diverse actors, sectors and care modalities”.
Speakers from Government Agency, academic institution, and civil society organization. Name TBC
12:00 pm Q&A.
12:30 p.m. Closing remarks
Refreshments & Networking
ABOUT THE ORGANISER
Health Systems Global (HSG) is the international research society for health systems and services that convenes academic leaders, public policymakers, and members of civil society every two years at its Global Symposium. The Ninth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR2026), which will take place later this year, positions future-oriented transformation as the essential response for both the health system and the systems that impact health.
MOTIVATION
The main motivation for organizing this series of seminars across North America is the need to strengthen the debate on the design and implementation of policies to achieve more equitable and effective health systems and services, offering a perspective from the Americas. This will enrich the global discussion with debates, research, and experiences from the local contexts.
The purpose is twofold: on the one hand, to generate spaces for national and local exchange on transformative experiences and visions that feed a necessary debate on health systems, taking into account old and well-known challenges of health systems - such as the promotion of equity, inclusion and belonging - and more recent issues raised by the multiple crises currently being experienced at a global level, such as such as the ecological and ethical challenges facing health systems in rapidly evolving climatic, geopolitical and socioeconomic contexts. Secondly, it is an opportunity to strengthen HSG's presence and participation at national and local levels by providing spaces for academics, health researchers, and decision-makers to engage in interdisciplinary discussion panels.
CONCEPTUAL FRAME
Today's health systems are diverse, plural, and often fragmented, encompassing public and private actors, formal and informal sectors. Political structures, power dynamics, and governance mechanisms at the national and global levels shape the functioning, reform, and outcomes of health systems.
Strengthening performance, responsiveness, inclusion, and equity of health systems must be a core goal for governments and communities. However, today, many health systems operate under conditions of fragile governance, contested legitimacy, and eroding public trust—conditions that seriously jeopardize their ability to function effectively, equitably, and sustainably.
In contexts of social and political conflict, health systems face structural challenges, from the fragmentation of authority to the politicization of aid. Health personnel, facilities, and access to care are increasingly politicized, instrumentalized, or undermined by attacks on neutrality and contested governance. This directly impacts the ability of health systems to plan, coordinate, and maintain equitable health service delivery and further exacerbates limited domestic investment in health systems.
In this fragmented landscape, new forms of governance are urgently needed to address global and national threats, foster public trust, and strengthen national and regional sovereignty. Exploring how governance, financing, and political leadership at the national and global levels can evolve to address complexity, protect health and health systems in crisis situations, is part of HSG mission.
At HSG, we believe that incorporating the plurality of actors, sectors, and care modalities can strengthen the performance, responsiveness, inclusion, and equity of health systems. Plurality operates in at least two critical dimensions. First, in terms of actors and sectors, health systems extend beyond government agencies and health care facilities; they comprise frontline workers, community organizers, civil society, religious leaders, technology companies, social media influencers, educators, environmental planners, and peace promoters. Meaningful engagement with this broad spectrum of actors is vital to transforming systems that are inclusive, just, and responsive to complex challenges.
HSG, as a society, wants to encourage bold reflection on how to reimagine health leadership and solidarity for a more just and sustainable future beyond 2030. We want to achieve this by opening spaces to discuss policy innovation, governance reform, and diplomacy grounded in real-life struggles and strategies from communities, civil society organizations, practitioners, advocates, decision-makers, research institutions, and negotiating groups.