Dear colleagues,

I am a Jordanian health economics researcher currently developing a concept on expanding and rebuilding effective primary care capacity in conflict-affected and recovering Syrian settings under conditions of severe workforce scarcity. As a non-Syrian regional researcher, I do not intend to speak on behalf of Syrian communities or institutions. My aim is to open a careful academic discussion and connect with Syrian and German colleagues who may be able to challenge, refine, or co-develop the idea.

The concept draws inspiration from the historical design logic of the “barefoot doctor” model, but does not seek to replicate it. Instead, it explores a modern redesign based on structured task allocation, locally recruited community health extenders, telemedicine-enabled clinical supervision, referral safety, and continuous quality assurance.

A key element I am interested in discussing is a diaspora-linked tele-supervision layer, through which Syrian medical expertise based in Germany — potentially in collaboration with German health institutions — could support protocol development, remote mentoring, selected case review, continuing education, and knowledge transfer.

The aim is not to replace physicians or create a lower standard of care, but to extend safe and governed primary care capacity where conventional physician-centered recovery is too slow or difficult to scale.


I would be grateful for critical feedback, especially on this question: Under what governance, clinical, ethical, and institutional conditions could a diaspora-linked tele-supervision model contribute safely and meaningfully to strengthening primary care capacity in Syrian recovery contexts?
Best regards,
Dr. Mohannad M. Alarqan
Health Economics Researcher | Jordan

Dear Think Tank Stakeholder Goup Members,

I’m sharing this job opportunity here as it might be of interest to some in this network!

The Think Tank Lab—a joint initiative by DGAP and MERICS—is looking for a Project Lead (m/f/d, 80%) to drive innovation and professionalization in the German think tank sector.

📅 Start: June 1, 2025
📍 Location: Berlin (hybrid possible)
💼 Contract: Until Dec 31, 2026
💰 Salary: TVöD E13

Key Responsibilities
✔ Lead and develop the Think Tank Lab
✔ Organize workshops & training for think tanks
✔ Build a Community of Practice
✔ Manage partnerships & funding
✔ Oversee project strategy & impact


💡 Interested? Apply now! 🔗 https://dgap.org/de/dgap/jobs/projektleitung-think-tank-lab-m-w-d

🌍 Internship Opportunity: Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP) Secretariat | GIZ | Application deadline: 21 June 2026

📍 Location: Berlin, Germany
🕒 Duration: Full-time internship, 1 September 2026 – 28 February 2027
💰 Compensation: €2,349 per month (brutto)

🏥 About the Role

The internship is with the Secretariat of the Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP), a German Federal Ministry of Health initiative that strengthens international preparedness for health threats, disease outbreaks, and epidemics. The programme currently supports more than 30 projects, mainly in Africa.

📋 Key Tasks
Support preparation of the next GHPP funding phase
Assist with programme planning, funding regulations, and selection processes
Summarise and analyse project reports
Contribute to communications and public outreach, including website content
Support day-to-day secretariat operations, presentations, research, mailbox management, and database maintenance

👤 Profile Sought
Advanced Master's-level studies (M.A./M.Sc.) in Health Sciences, Global Health, or Public Health
Strong analytical, strategic, and interdisciplinary thinking skills
Excellent organisational skills and initiative
High attention to detail and strong written communication abilities
Proficiency in Microsoft Office
Fluent German and English
Experience in global health, international cooperation, funding programmes, communications, Global South contexts, or WordPress/CMS systems is an advantage

✅ Important Requirements
Applicants must be currently enrolled in a study programme, undertaking a training programme that includes an internship, or have graduated no more than six months before the internship starts.
GIZ encourages applications from people with disabilities and is committed to diversity and equal opportunities.

📅 Application deadline: 21 June 2026
🚀 Start date: 1 September 2026
📍 Location: Berlin
⏳ Contract period: 6 months (until 28 February 2027)

Policy Engagement of Global Health Researchers

We would like to invite you to participate in Nora Anton’s doctoral research on the policy engagement of global health researchers at German universities and non-university research institutes.

About the Study

This survey examines how academic global health researchers engage in policy advice work, exploring what motivates them, what enables or constrains their engagement, and how their involvement translates into perceived outcomes. By understanding researchers' experiences and perspectives on research–policy collaboration, we aim to identify opportunities and barriers that could strengthen these critical relationships.

Your Participation

As a researcher affiliated with a German public research institution who identifies as working in global health, your insights are invaluable to this study.

Participation involves completing an online survey that will take approximately 25 minutes. The survey includes questions about:

* Your policy engagement activities
* The motivations, capabilities, and opportunities related to your policy engagement
* Your perspectives on the science–policy interface

Your Privacy

Your participation is entirely voluntary, and all responses will be collected anonymously. The data will be analyzed in aggregated form, ensuring that no individual participant can be identified in any reports or publications resulting from this research.

How to Participate

To take part in this study, please click on the following link or copy it into your browser:

[ https://survey.charite.de/policy-advice-global-health/]( https://survey.charite.de/policy-advice-global-health/)

The survey will be available until May 24th.

Additional Information

This research has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (EA2/308/25).

If you have any questions or concerns about the study, please contact:

Nora Anton
[nora.anton@charite.de](mailto:nora.anton@charite.de)
+49 30 450 572 116

We greatly value your expertise and time, and your contribution will help advance our understanding of how research can more effectively inform global health policy.

Thank you for considering participation in this research.

🌍 Deine Stimme für globale Gesundheit – jetzt bewerben!

Du interessierst dich für globale Gesundheit und möchtest internationale Gesundheitspolitik aktiv mitgestalten? Dann ist das deine Chance: Das Bundesministerium für Gesundheit sucht eine*n Jugenddelegierte*n für die deutsche Delegation zur 80. Weltgesundheitsversammlung (WHA) im Mai 2027.

Als Teil der Delegation hast du die Möglichkeit:
✨ an der 80. WHA in Genf teilzunehmen – dem zentralen Entscheidungsgremium der WHO
✨ die Perspektiven junger Menschen in Prozesse globaler Gesundheitspolitik einzubringen
✨ dich mit nationalen und internationalen Akteur*innen zu vernetzen

🗓️ Bewerbungsschluss: 05. Juni 2026, 23:59 Uhr

👉 Alle Infos zur Bewerbung:  https://www.globalhealthhub.de/de/news/detail/ausschreibung-jugenddelegierte-r-m-w-d-im-rahmen-der-deutschen-delegation-zur-wha-2027

💡 Global Health in Focus – An Interview with Stella Merendino

Our #GlobalHealthMattersseries continues with insights from Stella Merendino, MdB, and rapporteur for global health for Fraktion DIE LINKE. im Bundestag.
In this series, we speak with political decision-makers about how global health can be sustainably embedded into political work — even in the absence of a dedicated subcommittee.

Stella Merendino highlights key challenges currently shaping the global health landscape:
🔹the erosion of multilateralism
🔹funding gaps for key actors like WHO
🔹growing inequalities in access to healthcare

She also outlines what needs to happen next — from strengthening public health systems and pandemic preparedness to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights and addressing the links between climate and health.

A central message of the interview: global health must be treated as a cross-cutting issue across all policy areas! 🤝

👉 Read the full interview here:  https://www.globalhealthhub.de/en/news/detail/global-health-in-focus-an-interview-with-stella-merendino-die-linke

World Immunization Week starts today! 💉

Vaccines save millions of lives every year. Still, in 2024, an estimated 14.3 million children still had never received a single vaccine dose.

We know how to identify so called "zero-dose" children. But how do we ensure that children can complete their vaccine schedules, especially when barriers differ by context and shift over time?

In our latest article, Alexio Mangwiro from the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. explores why integrated and sustainable approaches are key, and what this can look like in practice: from adapting clinic hours in Cambodia to strengthening community outreach in Ethiopia and improving vaccination data systems in Indonesia. 🌍

His message is clear: “Progress depends on moving beyond identification toward strengthening the systems that deliver vaccines every day.”

👉 Read the full article here:  https://www.globalhealthhub.de/en/news/detail/millions-of-children-have-never-had-a-single-vaccine-finding-them-isnt-enough