UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health

18/06/2026

In the run up to International Day of Parliamentarism on 30th June, we're spotlighting UNITE members who have passed or are developing Laws that Save Lives 🌍

Hon. Anne-Cécile Violland, Member of Parliament from France and Deputy of the French National Assembly, is advancing regulation to protect against health, environmental, economic and social harms associated with the textile-industry, an issue that requires an interdisciplinary approach. In this clip, she calls on fellow parliamentarians to join the One Health Coalition, established at the One Health Summit in Lyon in April.

Watch her message in full 👆

17/06/2026

Already missing WHA79? Here's a recap of what happened.

For the full outcomes and what this means for parliamentarians, read our blog post on the UNITE website.

Next stop, Manila for the UNITE Global Summit
📍Marriott Manila Hotel, The Philippines
📅 August 3rd & 4th, 2026
🔗 Register here: https://www.unitenetwork.org/the-unite-global-summit/.

Thank you to all partners that co-hosted side-events with UNITE and met with our delegation in Geneva:
Australian Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus United Nations Human Rights UHC2030 - Taking action for universal health coverage WHO Youth Council Inter-Parliamentary Union United for Global Mental Health The Global Fund Women4GlobalFund (W4GF) International Liver Cancer Movement International Alliance of Patients'​ Organizations (IAPO) Rypple Devex Foreign Policy Association Incisive Health

12/06/2026

At the UN Multi-Stakeholder Hearing on PPPR on June 9 in New York, UNITE underscored the need for stronger, coordinated action across government and society.

UNITE's Parliamentarian Engagement and Policy Officer, Beatriz de Tarragon, emphasized that while commitments are essential, implementation is what will determine impact. Parliamentarians play a central role in this, translating political commitments into concrete action through legislation, oversight, and accountability.

To ensure preparedness efforts are effectively implemented and sustained, parliamentarians must have a seat at the table. We call for their meaningful integration into national delegations for the UN High-Level Meeting on PPPR in 2026.

05/06/2026

UNITE was pleased to be represented by Arshiya Singh from the UNITE Secretariat at the National Youth Forum: For Emerging Voices in Digital Health & India National Coalition Meeting, organised by Transform Health India, YO.DH, and PATH on 29 May 2026 in New Delhi, India.

Speaking on the panel “Youth Call to Action: Why Youth Voices Remain Critical to Health Transformation”, Arshiya emphasized that young people should not only be seen as end users of digital health and AI for health systems, but as co-creators of the policies, safeguards, and governance frameworks that shape the future of health systems.

She also highlighted the critical role UNITE plays in supporting parliamentarians, globally and nationally, to translate digital health and AI for health priorities into laws, budgets, oversight, and accountability mechanisms.

These conversations will continue at the hashtag , where parliamentarians and partners will come together to advance more inclusive, accountable, and future-ready health systems.

03/06/2026

UNITE was represented by Chapter Chair for Eastern Europe & Central Asia, Hon. Mariam Jashi (Georgia) and Hon. Marina Mijatovic (Serbia) at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Global Conference of Women Parliamentarians "Advancing parity: Breaking the barriers of gender stereotypes and negative social norms" in Belgrade, Serbia.

Or Hon. Jashi spoke on behalf of UNITE in the session "Gender-sensitive parliaments advancing societies free from stereotypes", exposing that 66% of worlds poorest women still face financial hardship in accessing healthcare and 20% of women with no formal education need permission to access healthcare. She stressed that "as parliamentarians, we must and can change the status quo both in our countries and globally. We need political courage to invest in better health and wellbeing of women."

Hon. Jashi called on parliamentarians to join UNITE Network and attend the UNITE Global Summit in The Philippines on August 3 and 4 to advance better health for women.

03/06/2026

Last weekend, UNITE’s Executive Director, Guilherme Gonçalves Duarte, participated as an observer at the Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), reinforcing the growing recognition that health, resilience, and security are increasingly interconnected policy domains.

We were grateful to be received by Secretary General of the NATO PA, Dr. Benedetta Berti, whose reflections highlighted the importance of resilience as an emerging strategic priority - one that extends across both health systems and security architectures. Building resilience requires stronger political leadership, preparedness, and coordination, and it is at this intersection that we see increasing opportunities to strengthen collaboration between parliamentary networks.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Hon. Marcos Perestrello, President of NATO PA, for the official invitation and for the collaboration ahead.

It was encouraging to engage with members of the UNITE network already actively involved in this space, including Hon. Javier Maroto (Spain) and Hon. Sven Clement (Luxembourg), who currently serve as speakers and rapporteurs within NATO PA working structures.

UNITE increasingly recognizes that advancing health requires engagement beyond traditional health spaces. Health intersects with resilience, economics, climate, and security. Strengthening these connections will remain central to our work moving forward.

It’s Time to UNITE!

03/06/2026

As Cape Verde enters a new legislative term, UNITE's Secretariat met in Lisbon with UNITE Member, Hon. Adelsia Almeida, Member of Parliament and participant in UNITE's Mental Health Policy Desk.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss key political priorities and explore how the work of UNITE's Mental Health Policy Desk can support parliamentarians in advancing evidence-informed mental health policies and legislation, helping to keep mental health high on the country's political agenda.

Strong parliamentary leadership and sustained engagement are essential to translating commitments into meaningful action and improving mental health outcomes for communities.

Pictured:
Hon. Adelsia Almeida, Member of Parliament, Cabo Verde
Guilherme Gonçalves Duarte, M.D., Executive Director, UNITE
Lídia Biai, Mental Health Policy Desk Lead, UNITE
Andreia Pinto Ferreira, Head of People and Resources, UNITE
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[PT]
Com o início de uma nova legislatura em Cabo Verde, o Secretariado da UNITE reuniu-se em Lisboa com a parlamentar da Rede UNITE, Hon. Adelsia Almeida, Deputada à Assembleia Nacional de Cabo Verde e participante do Mental Health Policy Desk da UNITE.

A reunião proporcionou uma oportunidade para discutir as principais prioridades políticas e explorar de que forma o trabalho do Grupo de Trabalho de Políticas de Saúde Mental da UNITE pode apoiar os parlamentares na promoção de políticas e legislação de saúde mental baseadas em evidência, contribuindo para manter a saúde mental no topo da agenda política do país.

Uma liderança parlamentar forte e um envolvimento continuado são essenciais para transformar compromissos em ações concretas e melhorar os resultados em saúde mental para as comunidades.

02/06/2026

Just days after the 79th World Health Assembly adopted its first-ever resolution on Steatotic Liver Disease, UNITE member Hon. Dr. José Ignacio Echániz, former Minister of Health of Madrid, addressed the floor at the Global Think Tank on Steatotic Liver Disease hosted by ISGLOBAL - Barcelona Institute for Global Health at the Biomecal Research Park in Barcelona.

There, he spoke on Policy readiness to confront the SLD public health threat, opportunities to promote political changes and integrate policies into practice, and some personal examples and lessons learned implementing said policies.

The WHA resolution commits Member States to integrate liver health into national NCD strategies for the first time - but resolutions only become reality when parliamentarians turn global commitments into national action.

It's time to UNITE!

01/06/2026

Watch World Health Organization (WHO) call to governments to act accordingly, with important recommendations

01/06/2026

Learn more about ***coPay Global Week of Action here: https://www.makebigtobaccopay.org/global-week-of-action

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Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM Boston / New York time
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More information about the Global Week of Action: https://www.makebigtobaccopay.org/global-week-of-action