On 25 June 2025, the inaugural Global Health Solidarity Open Forum brought together over 150 participants from 33 countries to discuss the theme “A Solidarity of the Shaken? From Despair to Collective Action.” The virtual event gathered researchers, activists, civil society organisations and practitioners to examine how solidarity can shape responses to current global health challenges.
The event focused on reimagining solidarity not as a slogan but as a transformative practice embedded in research, funding, and health system design. Moderated by Dr Caesar Atuire, the forum featured five speakers who shared insights rooted in ethics, law and community work. Discussions called for a fundamental shift in how global health partnerships operate—emphasising shared power, equitable funding and leadership from the Global South.
Speakers reflected on the strain places on solidarity by funding cuts, the need for inclusive decision-making, and the impact of donor dependency on agency and trust. Contributors stressed that solidarity should extend beyond institutional collaborations to include the voices and priorities of communities directly impacted by health crises.
Practical strategies were proposed, including embedding equity in funding lifecycles, enhancing South–South collaboration, and investing in local health systems. Panelists challenged the audience to move beyond rhetoric, advocating for solidarity as a guiding framework for reshaping global health funding, partnerships and impact.
Audience questions pushed the discussion further, highlighting real-world tensions between values and national interests, the limits of aid-based models, and the enduring power of cross-border people-to-people solidarity. The forum concluded with a call to institutionalise solidarity in global health practice, ensuring it leads to lasting, community-rooted, and just outcomes.