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Health Diplomacy for Advancing Health and Well-Being: A Scoping Review

Zebunnesa Zeba^1,2, Brian B McGoldrick², Michael Arthur Ofori^1,2, Niharika Jha^1,2, Shongkour Roy^1,2, Nidhi Mittal², Stella Chirwa², Nichole Saulsberry-Scarboro¹, Michelle Taylor⁴, Ashish Joshi^1,2

Affiliation

1. University of Memphis, School of Public Health, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
2. PH-IDEAS, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
3. Shelby County Health Department, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Health Diplomacy (HD) integrates health expertise into diplomatic efforts to address global health concerns.  HD expands involvement by including public health institutions, academic organizations, and non-governmental entities to ensure evidence-based decision-making. Strengthening governance and fostering cross-sector collaboration is vital for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Despite extensive discussions on health diplomacy, research explicitly defining and assessing HD remains limited, requiring further exploration.

Objective: This study explores how health diplomacy contributes to health and well-being.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O’Malley framework. Searches were performed in CINAHL, PubMed, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases. In addition, reports from the World Health Organization and institutional sources were reviewed to assess their role in global health governance. Search terms included “Global Health Diplomacy,” “Health Diplomacy,” “Public Health diplomacy” “Sustainable Development Goals,” “SDG3,” “Health Priorities,” and “Health and Well-being.” Studies published between 2000 and 2025 in English were included from 578 articles, with 26 meeting the criteria. Excluded studies focused solely on clinical medicine or laboratory-based research without governance or policy discussions.

Results: The findings highlight that while both governmental and non-governmental efforts have contributed to advancing health and well-being, the long-term sustainability of these efforts relies on the effective integration of international health diplomacy goals into national health systems.  For instance, during health crises, agreements have secured vaccine access, yet equitable distribution and localized adaptation remain challenges. Moreover, reports highlight the growing role of artificial intelligence, real-time data sharing, and digital technologies in shaping health diplomacy. Ethical concerns related to transparency, accountability, and equitable resource distribution persist.

Discussion: Global health efforts require not only policy agreements but also effective execution. While GHD establishes international commitments, HD helps translate them into action through collaboration, capacity-building, and evidence-based approaches. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the need for public health expertise in diplomacy to ensure fair resource distribution and adaptation to local contexts. Despite its growing relevance, research on HD’s long-term role in strengthening health initiatives remains limited.

Conclusion: Bridging diplomatic commitments with real-world health initiatives is essential for global health resilience. Strengthening institutional partnerships, integrating evidence-based approaches, and expanding research will be necessary to ensure sustainable health governance in an evolving international landscape.

Keywords: Health Diplomacy, Public health diplomacy, Health and Well-being, Sustainable Development Goal