Global health’s next frontier is research, not just aid
Parliamentarians, scientists, health leaders, and civil society representatives from around the world gathering in Manila for the UNITE Global Summit 2026 face a global health agenda that looks radically different from even just a few years ago.
The challenges facing health systems today have grown broader and increasingly interconnected. None of these challenges stop at borders. Nor can they be solved by one country acting alone. They demand a new model of cooperation, one built not simply on financing, but on research, innovation and trusted partnerships.
The UNITE Global Summit offers a unique opportunity for parliamentarians, decision-makers and leading experts to address pressing global health challenges, foster new forms of collaboration and drive the development of evidence-based legislation.
For much of the past half century, global health co-operation has often been viewed through the lens of aid: wealthier countries funded programs in poorer ones. That model delivered real gains, expanded immunization and contributed to sharp drops in maternal and child mortality. But this model has run its course. The question now is not how much money countries contribute, but rather how countries work together to generate knowledge, strengthen institutions and develop solutions that can be adapted to different contexts.
Research is foundational to this approach, and not a theoretical luxury that follows development. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a powerful reminder of this reality. Countries with stronger domestic research ecosystems spotted emerging threats sooner, adapted policies as evidence evolved and maintained stronger public confidence in public health measures. The pandemic was not an exception. Outbreaks of Ebola, mpox and dengue have similarly exposed serious gaps in public health systems and policies, contributing to substantial deaths and economic losses. Worsening climate change and growing antimicrobial resistance are among several global threats deepening these challenges. Globally, climate change is projected to cause 250,000 deaths annually between 2030 and 2050, while antimicrobial resistance is expected to lead to 39 million deaths over the next 25 years.
Strengthening global health security is an essential response to these and other threats that are straining already fragile health systems and disproportionately affecting women and marginalized populations. These are not challenges that can be solved by importing someone else’s policy playbook. They require locally generated evidence, strong scientific institutions and cross-border collaboration. Increasingly, innovation is flowing in multiple directions. Many low and middle-income countries have developed world-class research institutions and are pioneering advances in biotechnology, digital health, artificial intelligence, and healthy ageing. The future of global health requires a shift from one-way transfers to mutually beneficial partnerships.
Canada has much to contribute to this new model of cooperation. For decades, Canada's international engagement has been distinguished not only by financial support but also by its commitment to science, multilateralism, and strengthening research capacity in low- and middle-income countries. Rather than exporting ready-made solutions, Canada has worked alongside researchers, universities, and public institutions across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, supporting locally led research. This experience demonstrates a simple but powerful principle: the most durable solutions are the ones built by the people who will use them.
That applies to Canada's own national interest. Infectious diseases and drug-resistant pathogens don’t respect borders. Contributing to stronger research ecosystems abroad helps strengthen health security at home. It also deepens Canada’s ties with countries shaping the world's scientific future.
As UNITE Summit discussions begin in Manila, the opportunity before parliamentarians goes beyond mobilizing more resources for health—important as that remains. Their opportunity is to recognize the crucial role research and innovation plays. It is to strengthen the relationship between science and public policy so that evidence consistently informs legislation and public investment. And it is to support locally led research, recognizing that sustainable progress comes when countries generate and apply knowledge that responds to their own realities.
At a moment when geopolitical rivalries are making international co-operation more difficult, research remains one of the few arenas where countries can build trust around shared interests. Scientific partnerships create relationships that keep dialogue open even when governments disagree and generate solutions that benefit everyone.
Canada's most enduring contribution may be leading by example through not acting alone but instead helping to build the global partnerships that enable every country to find its own solutions. That is good development policy, good health policy, and good foreign policy.
Kapil Kapoor is regional director for Asia with Canada’s International Development Research Centre. He has a PhD in economics and three decades’ experience in international development, including senior roles at the African Development Bank and World Bank.
The Hill Times