International Advisory Board of ZIG discusses developments in global health

Representatives of RKI’s Centre for International Health Protection and of its international Scientific Advisory Board in front of the RKI main building in April 2024. Photo: RKI

How is global health protection developing after the COVID-19 pandemic? How has the Centre for International Health Protection (ZIG) at the RKI positioned itself after the pandemic and how has it been active in recent months? And what partnerships with other public health actors in Germany and around the world might be of interest to the RKI and ZIG?

The Scientific Advisory Board of ZIG met on 10 and 11 April 2024 in Berlin to discuss these questions and to consult with the heads of RKI's international department. The Scientific Advisory Board of the Centre for International Health Protection is appointed by the President of the RKI and advises the department scientifically. It meets twice a year, once in person as reported here and once virtually. The board consists of 11 international experts with different specialisations. It is chaired by the Belgian microbiologist Peter Piot, known as the co-discoverer of the Ebola virus, founding director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. In addition to the members of the Advisory Board and ZIG representatives, the Charité Center for Global Health, represented by Christian Drosten, and the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, also based in Berlin, represented by Sara Hersey, took part.

In the first part of the meeting, it was discussed how ZIG’s work fits into the changing landscape of global public health actors and how future partnerships in this area might look before ZIG’s units allowed a closer look on specific projects or work areas. The subsequent discussions in the Scientific Advisory Board and the dialogue with the ZIG will have a significant impact on the work of the Centre in the upcoming months.

The Advisory Board meetings are of great importance to the Centre for International Health Protection as the scientifically sound view of these recognised external experts provides a valuable opportunity to evaluate the ZIG’s scientific work and the department’s strategy, and to derive concrete recommendations for action.

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