Meet Dr. Shyam Bishen: Leading the Fight for Global Health Equity

In 2022 Dr Bishen, an experienced leader in global health, started as Head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum (WEF), whose mission is to “improve the state of the world. As Head, Dr Bishen – PhD graduate of the University of Newcastle - engages with world leaders to shape global health and healthcare agendas and during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Bishen worked tirelessly to ensure the accessibility of life-saving vaccines and treatments in developing nations.

“My job is to engage with the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global health and healthcare agendas such as access to healthcare, impact of climate change on human health and pandemic preparedness. (I) work with diverse stakeholders in new models of public private collaboration to identify and scale up solutions for more resilient, efficient, and equitable healthcare systems to keep populations healthy and deliver the best care.”

Vaccine manufacturers were able to develop and release a vaccine for COVID-19 within ten months, something which was unheard of prior to 2021. Dr Bishen is already working towards preparing the world for the next global pandemic. After a series of meetings with health experts and world leaders at the World Economic Forum, Dr Bishen hopes vaccine development will be streamlined even further to 100 days – an idea now being coined “100 days to outpace the next pandemic”. He also hopes that a transformation of the healthcare industry will allow pandemics to be responded to without diverting attention away from other life-threatening conditions.

“I believe, with climate change, deforestation etc., COVID-19 may just be a forerunner of more, and possibly worse, pandemics to come.We cannot avoid outbreaks altogether but we can possibly reduce the risk that they will blow up into pandemics. The world has the scientific and technological capabilities and the financial resources to do so. However, to mobilise these resources, we need a new way of thinking about international cooperation.”

“We need a massively scaled-up network of pathogen genomic surveillance, integrating national, regional, and global capabilities. Such a network is critical to detecting and instantly sharing information on pathogens that could cause infectious disease outbreaks, identifying their genome sequences, and accelerating the development of medical countermeasures. In addition, we need to ensure equitable access to these medical countermeasures through well distributed manufacturing in low and middle income countries.

Prior to joining the World Economic Forum, Dr Bishen was the Regional Director of Global Health: Life Science Partnerships at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Here he led the pharma and biotech partnership team, helping to save lives in developing countries by delivering vaccines, biologics, and drugs. Throughout his career, Dr Bishen has been working tirelessly to increase the accessibility of healthcare in developing nations, a problem which became all too apparent in recent years.

“Health is a product of social determinants, including where one lives and works, and health and healthcare inequity continues to be a pressing issue. There are still geographic and demographic disparities in access to not only healthcare but high-quality healthcare. The WHO (World Health Organisation) has reported that over half of the world’s population lacks access to the basic health services they need.  We also know the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on certain populations, highlighting inequities.”

In addition to providing access to life saving medical care around the world, Dr Bishen has been working to ensure that the next generation of students receive the education they need to succeed. His NGO, the Global Ambitions School brings international standard education to young people in underdeveloped areas of India and has taught over 1000 students. Dr Bishen also has a specific interest in improving the educational opportunities of young women and girls in developing countries. He is the Chairman of Global Girls Scholarship Foundation, an organisation dedicated to providing scholarships and academic resources to underprivileged girls.

“My Ph.D. training at the University of Newcastle prepared me well to generate research-based evidence, think in a logical and methodical way, and use the insights to solve for complex problems.”

So, whether he is convening meetings of world leaders or bringing education to those in need, Dr Bishen is a powerhouse when it comes to fighting for equality in healthcare around the globe.