At the World Health Summit (WHS) 2025 in Berlin, the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research joined two sessions exploring how health can serve as a bridge to peace in fragile and conflict-affected settings – highlighting how locally led research can drive lasting change. As Alliance Board Chair, the Rt Hon. Helen Clark noted, such efforts help those most affected “get the evidence that will help build something better for the future.”
Opening the keynote session Peace and health: Building bridges for global stability and well-being, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), called for renewed global commitment to protect health workers and facilities in conflict. He reminded participants that health must never be militarized or targeted, and noted that “health is not simply a casualty of conflict – it can also be a bridge to peace. Strong, inclusive health systems can help divided communities to rebuild trust.” He emphasized that “there is no health without peace, and no peace without health.”
The keynote session, co-organized by the Alliance, WHO and the World Health Summit, examined how investment in health systems can foster stability and social cohesion during and after conflict. The panel featured senior political and health leaders from Indonesia, Sierra Leone and Ukraine, alongside experts from Lebanon, New Zealand and Save the Children International.
Professor Shadi Saleh, from the American University of Beirut, agreed with Dr Tedros, noting that the framing had shifted from conflict and health to health and peace. But he suggested broadening the discussion to include a third dimension: prosperity. “We should think about not only peace and health but also frame it as peace, prosperity and health,” he said. “Scientific evidence shows that when nations and regions invest in health, it not only supports peace but also drives their own economic empowerment.”
Speakers reflected on how maintaining access to essential services can sustain public trust and prevent renewed instability. From Indonesia, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Health, spoke about the need for adaptable, community-driven approaches to crisis response, stressing that flexibility and local engagement are essential for effective health system resilience. Dr Austin Demby, Minister of Health of Sierra Leone, reflected on how years of conflict and the Ebola outbreak devastated the country’s health system. He explained that Sierra Leone’s recovery has focused on building a more equitable, person-centred system that ensures everyone is seen and served throughout the life course.
Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Health, Edem Adamanov, explained that reforms introduced before the war – including the National Health Service of Ukraine and nationwide digital health systems – made it possible to keep services running despite repeated attacks. “Even during the war, the health care system can be an example of resilience and success,” he said. Electronic registries, diagnostic networks and real-time data allowed hospitals to manage patients and resources even when planning was impossible. He noted that this transparency also helped sustain international support for Ukraine’s health system during the crisis.
The Rt Hon. Helen Clark, Chair of the Alliance Board and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, referenced the Alliance’s ongoing work in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable (FCV) settings. She emphasized the value of research generated by those directly experiencing conflict, rather than by external experts. “One thing I love about the Alliance is that the research is done in countries which are impacted by these challenges,” she said. “People are still there and they’re determined to get the evidence that will help build something better for the future.”
The Alliance’s work in FCV settings aims to generate evidence on how health systems can deliver essential services while enhancing preparedness for future emergencies. Through research in Somalia, Yemen and Ukraine, the Alliance and its partners are examining how service delivery models can function effectively in challenging environments – from outreach services for internally displaced populations to governance and workforce resilience in health ministries. Findings are already informing policy processes, including Somalia’s governance coordination platforms and Yemen’s primary health care financing strategy, while also strengthening national capacity for evidence-informed decision-making.
During the World Health Summit panel Peace and sustainable health development: Prioritising health in times of war and conflict, Dr Kumanan Rasanathan, Executive Director of the Alliance, emphasised the importance of continuing research and learning even under the most difficult conditions. “When hospitals are being bombed, when health workers are being attacked, when people seeking health care are being killed, research can seem like a luxury,” he said. “But in the most challenging situations, the premium is on us to learn the most. If we’re not learning, how can we prioritise people in these situations? How can we serve them better? We owe it to these communities to learn, so that we can do better.”
That panel also explored how health can foster trust and solidarity even in protracted crises such as Sudan and Gaza. Moderator Dr Amirhossein Takian, Professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, noted that advancing peace through health requires moving beyond humanitarian response to strengthen national systems that can protect health workers, sustain essential services and translate evidence into lasting policy reform.
Across both WHS sessions, a shared message emerged: safeguarding health is not separate from building peace – it is central to it. Protecting health workers, maintaining essential services and investing in inclusive systems are vital for rebuilding societies fractured by violence and displacement.
By connecting research with policy and action, the Alliance continues to demonstrate how health systems research can inform better responses in fragile and conflict-affected contexts – showing that, even amid crisis, health can help bridge divides, restore trust and sustain hope.