Interviews with global health leaders on how they are working to speed up impact <br/><br/><a href="https://singerp.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">singerp.substack.com</a>
Global Health Insights
Claim This Podcastby Peter Singer
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7 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Interviews with global health leaders on how they are working to speed up impact <br/><br/><a href="https://singerp.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">singerp.substack.com</a>
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Publishing Since
6/9/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 23, 2026
Scaling health innovation is a demand problem
<p>Innovation in global health is needed more now than ever — and with development assistance for health collapsing from a COVID-era peak near $80 billion to the high $30 billions and falling fast, the pressure has only intensified. In this conversation, Dr. Karlee Silver, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada, makes the case that scarcity is forcing a long-overdue shift: from supplying innovations to building demand for them within health systems. I co-founded GCC fifteen years ago and remain a board member, so I'm not a neutral observer — but I think its hard-won lessons are a pathfinder for anyone serious about getting innovation to scale.</p><p>In this conversation:</p><p>- What Grand Challenges Canada is, and Karlee's path to CEO (01:27)</p><p>- Why scarcity drives innovation — and the "silver bullet" trap of over-focusing on AI and digital while missing social and service-delivery innovation (04:34)</p><p>- Why the aid collapse is "salutary" in the long run: real country ownership, real accountability (05:35)</p><p>- The new strategy and $200M from the Government of Canada: the four directions — adapt, accelerate, choreograph, connect — and the half-push, half-pull rebalance toward demand (08:25)</p><p>- The three "choreograph" barriers: weak demand and procurement, high cost and low investability, and lack of system coordination (14:34)</p><p>- Neopenda (Kenya) — the "mountain model" and the procurement barrier: county decision-makers choosing a newborn vital-signs monitor on its merits, funded from existing budgets (15:05)</p><p>- The Gavi Innovation Scale-Up Facility, with 500 Global — the investment barrier: impact-first and commercial capital side by side in a single window (20:11)</p><p>- M-mama (Tanzania) — the system-coordination barrier: an "Uber ambulance" at national scale, lifting ambulance-handled transports from one in ten to eight or nine (22:11)</p><p>- The target — 700 million people reached by 2035, up from ~170 million — and the 480/120/100 million breakdown of where it comes from (27:49)</p><p>- The supply/demand math: two-thirds supply (the snowball already rolling), one-third intentional demand — and why that's the "pathfinder" lesson (29:57)</p><p>- Karlee's open invitation to governments, funders, and philanthropy (31:42)</p><p>- What "reached" actually means — and why not every life reached is a life saved (33:18)</p><p>Read the full argument at Global Health Insights: singerp.substack.com</p><p>Disclosures: I am a co-founder, former CEO, and current board member of Grand Challenges Canada. I used AI (Claude from Anthropic) for research, fact-checking, and editorial feedback; the writing and judgments are my own.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://singerp.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">singerp.substack.com</a>
May 19, 2026
More results, less politics? “Who will be the next leader of the beleaguered WHO?”
<p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p>This episode explores the upcoming WHO leadership race, the challenges facing the organization, and the qualities needed in its next leader. Jocalyn Clark, international editor of the BMJ, shares insights from her recent article and interviews with global health experts.</p><p><strong>Episode description</strong></p><p>WHO is in an existential crisis, the worst in its 78 year history. It is beset by financial crisis, staff reductions, and geopolitical friction.</p><p>That’s what experts interviewed by Jocalyn Clark, International Editor of the BMJ, told her, as she recounted in an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s911">article</a> published today, entitled “Who will be the next leader of the beleaguered WHO.”</p><p>Jocalyn Clark and I have been friends and colleagues for decades. So it was a particular joy for me to discuss the WHO Director-General election with her on my podcast.</p><p>Jocalyn interviewed global experts familiar with WHO and created a composite picture at this point in the WHO Director-General race. The race has kicked off although no candidates have yet come forward — they have until September 2026 to do so. The race culminates in an election at the World Health Assembly in May 2027.</p><p>She also heard from her interviewees that the desired profile of the next DG is a ‘polymath’ — someone who has technical expertise, can raise money, and has sophisticated diplomacy skills.</p><p>Opinion was divided on whether DG candidates should spend time courting the US to try to get it to rejoin. We agreed that US return to the organization before the May 2027 election was unlikely but that it would be desirable for candidates to at least create the enabling conditions for a future return.</p><p>My mantra for this campaign: ‘more results, less politics.’ Jocalyn and I drilled into what technical expertise really means. WHO substitutes process for results. The future leader should <a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/singerp/p/successful-un-80-reform-requires?r=1ytch0&utm_medium=ios">focus relentlessly on results</a>. These are achieved in country and are the primary responsibility of countries themselves. WHO should be there to help; it should be able to measure and manage its contribution in support of countries. Jocalyn and I both agreed that the “norms and standards” brigade was just not specific enough about this, too process-oriented, and maybe a bit backward looking.</p><p>We also batted around what it meant to be less politicized. We agreed that diplomacy was key: the elevation of the DG’s relationships from health ministers a decade ago to also include foreign ministers, finance ministers, and heads of state and government today was a good thing. But on specific issues, like conflict, there was some disagreement among Jocalyn’s interviewees about whether the DG should ‘take a stand.’</p><p>I argued for the importance of neutrality and impartiality, a fundamental value of UN organizations. I spoke about a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.centerformedicalintegrity.org/publications/attacks-on-health">report</a> released by the Center for Medical Integrity on how WHO monitors and communicates on attacks against health care. I thought this report was excellent and every candidate should be pressed on whether they agree (or not) with its recommendations — including strengthening the verification methodology, increasing transparency to enable independent scrutiny, and addressing systematic bias and underreporting.</p><p>Finally, we talked about the insider / outsider issue. Normally, if an organization is in crisis, you would want an outsider. In Jocalyn’s reporting, for this reason, people were tilting towards an outsider. But I don’t subscribe to the saviour theory of WHO DGs. We agreed that insider candidates should distinguish themselves from the current path and offer their prescription for improvement.</p><p>It was a fun conversation between friends. We plan to do it again as the race unfolds and specific named candidates put themselves forward. I hope you enjoy the conversation too — check it out above or wherever you get your podcasts (under ‘Global Health Insights’). Read Jocalyn’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s911">article</a> in the BMJ. And let us know what you think!</p><p>If we are not careful, we could get more politics and less results.</p><p><strong>Resources</strong></p><p>Jocalyn’s article in the BMJ: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s911">https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s911</a></p><p>Center for Medical Integrity Report: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.centerformedicalintegrity.org/">https://www.centerformedicalintegrity.org/</a></p><p><strong>Keywords</strong></p><p>WHO leadership, global health, international health policy, WHO crisis, health leadership, global health reform</p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 The Mood in Geneva: Concerns for WHO's Future</p><p>02:49 The Process of Selecting WHO's Next Director General</p><p>05:11 Insights from Jocalyn's Research and Reporting Methods</p><p>07:55 Diverse Opinions on the Future of WHO's Leadership</p><p>10:30 The Profile of the Ideal Director General</p><p>13:13 The Role of the United States in WHO's Future</p><p>15:38 The Challenge of Balancing Politics and Results</p><p>18:10 The Need for a Results-Oriented Approach in Global Health</p><p>26:17 Building Trust and Credibility in WHO</p><p>28:26 Navigating Politics and Diplomacy in Global Health</p><p>29:55 The Fine Line of Political Neutrality</p><p>35:40 The Impact of US Withdrawal on WHO</p><p>41:05 Looking Ahead: Candidates and the Future of WHO</p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://singerp.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">singerp.substack.com</a>
April 14, 2026
Global surgery: in disruption, opportunity?
<p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p>This episode explores the critical issues in global surgery, including access disparities, innovative solutions, and future opportunities. Featuring experts Dr. Dhananjaya Sharma and Dr. Kee Park, it highlights how local solutions, data, and technology can transform global health outcomes.</p><p></p><p><strong>Keywords</strong></p><p>Global Surgery, Global Health, Healthcare Innovation, Access to Surgery, Frugal Solutions, AI in Surgery, Surgical Disparities, Global Health Policy</p><p></p><p><strong>Key Topics</strong></p><p>Global surgery and health disparities</p><p>Innovative local solutions and frugal innovations</p><p>Barriers: data, mindset, financing</p><p>Role of AI and robotics in surgery</p><p>Country leadership and local ownership</p><p></p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 Introduction to Global Surgery</p><p>02:22 What's at Stake in Global Surgery?</p><p>04:59 The Current State of Global Surgery Access</p><p>07:46 Barriers to Global Surgery</p><p>10:36 The Role of Local Solutions in Global Surgery</p><p>12:55 Financing Global Surgery</p><p>15:39 The Importance of Prevention in Global Surgery</p><p>18:16 Progress Since the Lancet Report</p><p>20:58 The Future of Global Surgery</p><p>32:54 The Evolving Landscape of Global Surgery</p><p>35:21 Local Innovations in Surgical Practices</p><p>43:24 The Role of Technology in Surgery</p><p>48:14 Future Visions for Global Surgery</p><p>53:51 Gender Equity and the Future of Surgery</p><p></p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p>Center for Global Surgical Innovations and low-cost solutions (Dr Sharma’s website including examples of affordable solutions) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.surgicalinnovations.in/">https://www.surgicalinnovations.in/</a></p><p>Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, Harvard Medical School <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pgssc.org/">https://www.pgssc.org/</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://singerp.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">singerp.substack.com</a>
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