Setting Priorities in Global Health in Uncertain Times – How and What

We are excited to share a first look at a special Sunday Welcome Plenary for the 2026 SMDM Annual Meeting in Oslo, held just before the opening poster session. This year’s theme, Medical Decision Making in Uncertain Times, is reflected powerfully in our opening session, “Setting Priorities in Global Health in Uncertain Times – How and What” — an onstage conversation with four global leaders shaping the future of health policy and priority setting.

In this plenary, John-Arne Røttingen (CEO, Wellcome Trust), Kalipso Chalkidou (Director of Health Financing and Economics, WHO), and Krishna Aryal (Senior Researcher, BCEPS, University of Bergen) will discuss how countries and global institutions navigate priority setting when evidence, resources, and political landscapes are rapidly changing.

The conversation will be moderated by Unni Gopinathan (Senior scientist, Norwegian Institute of Public Health), who will guide the panel through key questions on balancing national needs with global responsibilities, the future of development assistance for health, and how decision scientists can contribute to more resilient, equitable health systems.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 28th and help kick off the 2026 meeting.