Convergence ‘A Global Health Connector Session’

On Wednesday, 2nd July, at the Alfonso XIII Hotel in Seville, the Convergence: A Global Health Connector Session will convene as part of the broader activities surrounding the Financing for Development Conference. This high-level discussion aims to address one of the most pressing needs of our time: integrating health, science, finance, and the economy into a cohesive, collaborative agenda that can effectively respond to today’s complex global challenges.

In an era marked by cascading crises—ranging from pandemics and climate stress to technological disruption and economic fragmentation—there is growing recognition that siloed approaches are no longer viable. This session represents a call to action for systemic convergence, bringing together leaders and institutions that understand the value of aligning public health goals with scientific innovation, financial strategy, and sustainable economic development.

A moderated panel will follow, drawing on the expertise of leading voices from across health, digital infrastructure, financial institutions, and global science governance. Panelists will reflect on how data and science can guide investment and policy, how health innovations can be scaled through blended and inclusive finance, and how converged models of governance and partnership can deliver tangible social and economic returns. The panel will represent diverse perspectives, including those of Symerre Grey-Johnson of AUDA-NEPAD, Mei Lin Fung of IEEE,

Following the panel, participants will engage in an interactive Q&A session, creating a space for cross-sector dialogue and collaborative ideation. The session will conclude with a forward-looking reflection—What Next?—delivered by Brian O’Connor outlining potential pathways for future partnership and initiatives under the emerging Convergence framework.

The expected outcome of this session is to initiate a sustained conversation around the institutional, financial, and scientific frameworks needed to make convergence operational. It aims to foster strategic relationships, highlight innovative practices, and lay the foundation for follow-up actions at the UN General Assembly in September 2025 and the World Bank Spring Meetings in April 2026. Ultimately, this session will serve as both a catalyst and a connector—supporting a new paradigm in which health, science, finance, and the economy are understood not as isolated pillars, but as interdependent engines of sustainable development.

Confirmed Speakers

–          Mei Lin Fung, Chair, IEEE (United States of America)

–          Dr. Raul Rosales, Senior Advisor, Imperial College London (United Kingdom)

–          Brian O’Connor, Chair, ECHAlliance The Global Health Connector (United Kingdom)

–          Declan Kirrane, Chairman and Managing Director, UN Science Summit/ISC Intelligence (United Kingdom)

Confirmed Discussants

–       Dr. Rizwana Mia, ISC Session Co-Chair, Medical Research Council, South Africa (SAMRC) (South Africa)

–          Prof. Elena Ladas, Co-Director, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (United States of America)

–          Dr. Barbara Horne, Sr. IT and Business Consultant, The Business Channels (United States of America)

–          Dr. Sylvain Ouedraogo, CILSS (Burkina Faso)

–          Brian Wong, Consultant – Economic and Commercial Determinants of Health, World Health Organization  (United Kingdom)

–          Prof. Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, Chair, Lancet Commission on US Societal Resilience in a Global Pandemic Age (United States of America)

–          Domingos Barbosa*, Chair, High Performance Computing, University of Evora (Portugal)

Registration form

Please complete this form to register for the event. Attendance is free, but registration is required.