Geopolitics of global health: New BMJ collection

Global health is increasingly shaped by geopolitical forces rather than solely by scientific or epidemiological priorities. As power dynamics shift, traditional systems of multilateralism are under threat, creating uncertainty but possibilities for the future of global health governance. These changes demand new ways of thinking about cooperation, accountability, and equity in health, particularly as political and economic interests, ideological competition, and regional influence grow in importance.

If 2025 marked a dismantling of the global health architecture, then 2026 created an abundance of discussion about reimagination and reform. The BMJ series on the geopolitics of global health aims to contribute to these debates. We will update this series page as articles are published.

Our Call for Papers remains open and invites authors to interrogate and uncover the geopolitical determinants of global health, targeted at a general medical audience. We are seeking creative, critical, and different ways of thinking about possible futures, to complement and inform existing proposals and discussions about the future of global health. Our guest editors advising us on topic priorities include Ricardo Baptista Leite, Sophie Harman, Ilona Kickbusch, Kelley Lee, Gabriel Leung, Tang Kun, Ebere Okereke, Deisy Ventura, and Gavin Yamey, along with members of The BMJ’s regional advisory boards.

Editorial

Geopolitics of global health: a call for papers
External factors are forcing change to the global health architecture, demanding creative reform amid an uncertain future, say Jocalyn Clark and Gabriel Leung

 Women, in all their diversities, are not passive to political tides but powerful agents of change. Their leadership will strengthen women’s health,   innovation, rights, and the entire global health ecosystem.”

 Dr Jocalyn Clark
 International editor, The BMJ