HSR2026 — Future-Focused Health Systems in a Changing World
The 9th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, organised every two years by Health Systems Global (HSG), is the only international gathering that brings together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, civil society and funders working across health systems, policy and research.
Dates: Monday 7 – Wednesday 9 December 2026
Venue: The American University in Cairo (AUC), Cairo, Egypt — Eastern Mediterranean Region
Format: In-person · English
Register on the official portal
Hosted by
- Knowledge to Policy (K2P) Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon
- Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), UAE
- The American University in Cairo (AUC) — local host partner
Theme — Future-Focused Health Systems in a Changing World
Discussions are organised around four sub-themes:
- Politics and Polycrises — Governance, financing and diplomacy in the face of conflict and a changing global order.
- Plurality and Partnerships — Embracing diverse actors, sectors and care modalities.
- Platforms and Participation — Re-imagining service delivery platforms and meaningful community participation.
- Pathways and Planet — Climate, planetary health and sustainable transitions for health systems.
Read the detailed theme document (PDF)
Symposium objectives
- Share and review new state-of-the-art evidence and progress on improving health systems globally.
- Identify and develop approaches that strengthen scientific rigor in HPSR — concepts, frameworks, measures and methods.
- Collaborate and network across disciplines, sectors, initiatives and countries.
Daily Programme (overview)
- Mon 7 Dec — Day 1: Exhibition Area open all day · Plenary 1.
- Tue 8 Dec — Day 2: Exhibition Area open all day · Plenary 2.
- Wed 9 Dec — Day 3: Exhibition Area open all day · Closing Plenary in the afternoon.
The full programme will be published later in the year and inside the official HSR2026 event app.
Featured Speakers
- Helen Clark — Chair of the Board, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR); former Prime Minister of New Zealand
- Seye Abimbola — Professor of Health Systems, University of Sydney
- Kelley Lee — Professor & Canada Research Chair in Global Health Governance, Simon Fraser University
- Rosemary Mburu — Executive Director, WACI Health
- Renzo R. Guinto, MD DrPH — Associate Professor of Global & Planetary Health, Duke-NUS Medical School
- Papaarangi Reid — Tumuaki & Deputy Dean (Māori), Waipapa Taumata Rau — The University of Auckland
- Suwit Wibulpolprasert — International Health Policy Foundation (IHPF) & HITAF
- Akihiro Seita — Director of Health, UNRWA
- Chelsea Watego — Executive Director, Carumba Institute
- Kalipso Chalkidou — Director, WHO
- Susannah Mayhew — Professor of Health Policy, Systems & Reproductive Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Devaki Nambiar — Program Director, The George Institute for Global Health (India)
- Plus: Keizo Takemi, Chiho Watanabe, Shweta Narayan, Parfait Uwaliraye, Margareta (Magda) Matache, Ayako Inagaki, Ana Beatriz Amaya, Daniel Maceira, Prashanth N Srinivas, Walter Flores.
Abstract / Presentation Call — NOW CLOSED
The call covered three session types across all four sub-themes: Individual sessions, Organized sessions, Capacity strengthening sessions.
- Organized & Capacity Strengthening deadline: 13 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Individual abstract deadline: 19 Apr 2026, 00:00 GMT+1
- Each contributor may present at most: once in an organized/capacity-strengthening session and once in an individual session.
- Working language: English.
Submission portal
Registration Fees (USD, VAT inclusive)
| Income tier | HSG Member (Early bird ≤ 15 Aug 2026) | Non-member (Early bird) | HSG Member (Standard) | Non-member (Standard) |
|---|
| High-income country | $1,110 | $1,430 | $1,210 | $1,530 |
| Middle-income country | $640 | $800 | $740 | $900 |
| Low-income country | $460 | $580 | $560 | $680 |
| Student / Retired (65+) | $450 | $560 | $550 | $660 |
| One-day registration | $520 (any membership) | | | |
HSG membership must be valid through 30 October 2026 to receive the member rate. Income tier determined per the World Bank classification.
About Health Systems Global (HSG)
HSG is the international membership society dedicated to promoting Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR), connecting researchers, decision-makers, practitioners and advocates to advance more equitable, responsive and resilient health systems worldwide.
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