In a world of multi-interlinked crises, from climate change to rising social and health inequities, fuelled by the current consumptogenic system, it seems reasonable to ask where do we go from here? A paradigm shift is necessary, and planetary health equity (PHE), defined as ‘the equitable enjoyment of good health in a stable Earth system’, provides the shared goal among all actors, from public to private, to guide transformative actions at system level.

While government and market actors are often discussed as major players in this much needed change, philanthropy remains peripheral. However, philanthropy has benefitted greatly from the current system of capital accumulation, gaining a powerful position in global governance. In global health, philanthropic organizations have been found to be particular influential in setting global health priorities, often guided by the neoliberal economic ideology that prioritize technological and market-driven solutions over systemic changes addressing the social determinants of health.

Moreover, especially in the last thirty years, health philanthropy has increasingly become a prominent supporter of evidence and knowledge generation. Considering that ‘evidence-based policymaking’ is heavily promoted by governments and international organizations, which research is prioritized by philanthropic organizations can have important consequences for all society.

For these reasons, this research project will investigate the research priorities of health philanthropic organizations and their implications for the achievement of PHE. The aim is to provide insights into what type of values and interests guide those philanthropic organizations’ operations and what conditions may favour the elevation of PHE through health philanthropy’s research priorities.

This seminar is Giorgia's Confirmation of Candidature milestone presentation. As such, the presentation is a closed event for RegNet staff, visitors and students only.

About the speaker

Giorgia Dalla Libera Marchiori holds a master’s degree in Biomedicine from Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) and a second master in Sustainable Management from Uppsala University (Sweden). She previously worked in infection diseases research and with NGOs on global health neglected issues and the transformation of our food system. She has experience with the European Union policy environment, and she has been engaging for a number of years with two international alliances working to improve people and planet's health: the Planetary Health Alliance and the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.

In July 2023, she joined Professor Sharon Friel's Planetary Health Equity Hothouse as one of the Laureate (Hothouse) PhD candidates. Her PhD project focuses on investigating the role of philanthropy in achieving planetary health equity-guided health research.

COVID protocols

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This seminar presentation is in-person only. Registration is not required for in-person attendance as neither the ANU nor ACT Health conduct contact tracing any longer.

If you require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan please email regnet.communications@anu.edu.au.

Image credit: Image of hands of medical professional in a protective gesture over woodblocks with healthcare icons by Deemerwha Studio from Adobe Stock used under Education License