The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched Together for Science and Health, a new global movement uniting more than 240 organizations behind a shared commitment to strengthen trust in science and harness its power to improve health and development.
With an official launch on World Science Day for Peace and Development, the movement rallies scientists, leaders, policy-makers and institutions across sectors, with 12 events taking place across countries and regions to mark the occasion, WHO press note said.
The launch is also closely associated with the Paris Peace Forum (PPF), one of France’s flagship platforms for international diplomacy and multilateral cooperation, reflecting the country’s commitment to mobilizing global actors around shared challenges.
French President Emmanuel Macron and WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus are leading the launch, it reads.
“Science is one of humanity’s most powerful tools, and has always been the engine of better health that has enabled people to live longer, healthier lives through vaccines, medicines, disease prevention and outbreak response” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
The movement will drive collective action around three priorities: bringing science and society closer together; strengthening the use of evidence in health policy-making; and improving how science is communicated and discussed.
Participating organizations will share effective approaches, resources and lessons and build practical collaborations that strengthen trust and help ensure that scientific progress benefits everyone, it said.
Science shapes our health every day, from detecting and preventing diseases to developing new medicines, responding to outbreaks, and improving care. Many of the greatest advances in health have been possible because people, families, and communities have had confidence in scientific evidence and supported its translation into action.
Rapid technological change and artificial intelligence are fast transforming how people access, interpret and share scientific and health information. Together for Science and Health will strengthen connections between science and society, helping people engage with evidence and use it with confidence.
With today’s launch, WHO is inviting organizations and institutions worldwide to join the movement, contribute with their expertise and networks, and help build a future in which trusted science translates into better health for everyone, added more.
