We’ve just published Alliance magazine’s new issue dedicated to global health philanthropy.

The centrepiece is an exclusive interview with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation in conversation with Prof Senait Fisseha, a health expert and director of global programs at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. In the interview,  Dr Tedros issues a call on philanthropy to stand up for the values of international co-operation, and advocate for increased investment in public health.

At $46 billion each year – almost a quarter of all grantmaking – philanthropy spends more on health-related causes than anything else. As the Covid-19 pandemic has intensified, philanthropy has provided critical funding for vaccine development, medical equipment, mutual aid, social welfare, and global health infrastructure. But there is intense debate about how the largest foundations interact with governments, international bodies and pharmaceutical companies and who holds them to account. This issue of Alliance considers new directions for global health philanthropy and explores whether health funding is going where its most needed, and who gets to decide. The issue has been guest edited by Julia Greenberg, Director, Governance and Financing at the Open Society Foundations Public Health program, and Aggrey Aluso, Manager of Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa’s Health and Rights Program.

Highlights include:

Dr Charlie Weller, Head of Vaccines at the Wellcome Trust who considers philanthropy’s role in the search for a Covid vaccine drawing on lessons from Ebola

Ban Ki-moon Former UN Secretary General and vice chair of The Elders on the role of philanthropy in ensuring fair access to health care and universal health coverage

Children Investment Fund Foundation’s Linda Weisert sets out a new funding agenda for sexual and reproductive health and rights

Lawyer and advocate Steven Allen of the Validity Foundation makes the case for why human rights needs to be at the heart of mental health

The issue also includesprofiles of leading global health funders, an interview with outgoing European Foundation Centre CEO, Gerry Salole, looking back at his career in philanthropy, Regi’s answers to your dilemmas in ‘Philanthropy confidential’ and all our regular columns.

We’re particularly proud of this issue not least as we had to upend our plans to create it. We hope you find it a relevant and meaningful introduction to global health as you navigate your own philanthropic response to the times.