In a recent Altinget op-ed, 20 global health experts, including SweDev’s chairperson Jesper Sundewall, urge Sweden to reverse health aid cuts, warning they jeopardize progress and leadership amid rising global health challenges.
Sweden's Riksdag. Photo: Oscar Nord / Unsplash.
This post is a summary of an article published on 3 December 2024 in Altinget and signed by 20 global health experts (including SweDev’s chairperson, Jesper Sundewall). In the article, the experts are urging the Swedish government to reconsider reductions in health aid. The article reports findings from a newly released anthology by the Expert Group for Aid Studies (EBA), where 34 contributors analyzed global health challenges and Sweden’s potential role in addressing them.
The government’s prioritization of global health in its revised aid strategy was welcomed by the experts, but they warn that reductions in development assistance for health seen in recent years directly undermine this commitment. Reducing health aid jeopardizes Sweden’s role as a leader in global health and threatens to reverse progress in areas such as vaccination programs, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and child health.
The world is facing escalating health challenges. Climate change, antimicrobial resistance, increasing conflicts, and the rise of chronic diseases are creating unprecedented global health threats. The experts emphasize that Sweden’s contributions—historically significant in health aid, research, and innovation—must not only be preserved but also strengthened to effectively address these complex and growing crises.
The EBA anthology highlights the importance of integrating health initiatives with broader policy areas such as climate, migration, and trade. The experts underscore the role of Swedish companies, research institutions, and organizations like Swecare in fostering innovative solutions that combine commercial interests with social responsibility.
The article concludes with a strong call to action, urging the government to align health aid with Sweden’s broader international commitments. The experts stress that cutting health aid during a period of escalating global needs is a short-sighted decision that risks Sweden’s reputation and global influence. Instead, they advocate for strategic investments in global health as a pathway to a more sustainable and equitable future.
Signatories:
- Jesper Sundewall, Lund University & Chairperson of SweDev
- Anders Nordström, former Ambassador for Global Health
- Fawziya Abikar Nur, former Health Minister of Somaliland
- Seye Abimbola, University of Sydney
- Tobias Alfvén, Karolinska Institutet
- Louise Bengtsson, Swedish Institute of International Affairs
- Johan Carlsson, former Director-General, Public Health Agency of Sweden
- Muna Elmi, SPIDER/Stockholm University
- Johnblack Kabukye, SPIDER/Stockholm University
- Maria Nilsson, Umeå University
- Soorej Jose Puthoopparambil, Uppsala University
- Anna Riby, Swecare
- Edna Soomre, SPIDER/Stockholm University
- Stefan Swartling Peterson, Karolinska Institutet
- Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Sweden
- Anders Tegnell, Public Health Agency of Sweden
- Nina Viberg, Karolinska Institutet
- Hannah von Reding, Karolinska Institutet
- Johan von Schreeb, Karolinska Institutet
- Sara Österlund, Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU)