The Lancet is the world’s leading medical journal, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) based at the University of Washington is collaborating on a Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health. The Commission brings together key leaders in global health to identify the factors and themes that have the greatest potential impact on population health during this century.  The Commission is co-chaired by Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA’s Executive Director, and Dr. Christopher Murray, Director of IHME, and comprises approximately 30 Commissioners representing a diversity of perspectives and expertise.

Currently, the Commission is considering a list of emerging threats that include themes such as artificial intelligence, mental health, conflict, climate change, pandemics, antimicrobial resistance and increased political polarization. Once threats are confirmed, the Commission will conduct a rigorous evaluation of the threat’s risk/harm and the potential impact of various types of interventions and policies that can be applied regionally. The Commission will hold an in-person meeting in Addis Ababa from 30 October 30 to 1 November 2023.

This will be a pivotal moment in the group’s work, where deliverables from task forces and working groups will present findings and pave the way for the Commission’s second year - culminating in final recommendations to be published in the Lancet at the end of 2024. By convening at the ECA offices, the Commission seeks to elevate the discussions on threats to global health and emphasize the urgent need for targeted interventions in Africa.