AHF Webinar Panel Discussion—Freedom from Debt: A Global Dialogue on Fiscal Space, Health, and Development

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), in collaboration with the University of Miami Public Health Policy Lab, will co-host a webinar, “Freedom from Debt: A Global Dialogue on Fiscal Space, Health, and Development,” on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 10:00 AM EDT, virtually via Zoom. Register here.

Sovereign debt has emerged as a defining challenge at the intersection of global finance, sustainable development, and public health. Across many low- and middle-income countries, rising debt-service obligations and constrained fiscal space are limiting governments’ ability to invest in health systems, education, climate resilience, and other essential public goods. This moderated panel will bring together leaders from regional organizations, civil society, and global health to examine how debt pressures shape national priorities and what reforms could expand fiscal space for health and development.

Drawing on recent developments, including the African Union’s Common African Position on Debt and the Borrowers’ Platform, the discussion will assess emerging approaches to sovereign-debt reform—including debt restructuring, borrower coordination, crisis-contingent financing, and innovative financing mechanisms. Panelists will consider the feasibility, equity, and implementation of these reforms, as well as the political and institutional changes needed to strengthen affected countries’ voice in the international financial architecture. The session will feature opening reflections, a moderated discussion, audience questions, and a closing round focused on priorities for future action.

PANEL OBJECTIVES:

This session will provide a platform for high-level, policy-relevant exchange on the relationship between sovereign debt, fiscal space, public health, and sustainable development. Participants will:

• Analyze how sovereign debt and debt-service obligations affect fiscal space, health system financing, and countries’ capacity to invest in public health and sustainable development
• Evaluate emerging approaches to debt reform, including debt restructuring, borrower coordination, crisis-contingent financing, and innovative financing mechanisms, with attention to feasibility, equity, and implementation
• Examine the political, economic, and institutional barriers to meaningful reform and their implications for global health and sustainable development
• Assess how governments, regional organizations, multilateral institutions, development banks, civil society, and academia can help shape a more resilient and equitable global financial architecture

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 3 million individuals across 50 countries, including the U.S. and in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. In January 2025, AHF received the MLK, Jr. Social Justice Award, The King Center’s highest recognition for an organization leading work in the social justice arena. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

The AHF Global Public Health Institute is an initiative of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation created to engage in global public health policy analysis and research to generate objective evidence that can inform improvements in public health policy at the global, regional, national, and local levels, particularly for infectious diseases. To learn more about the AHF Global Public Health Institute, visit https://ahfinstitute.org/.

The University of Miami Public Health Policy Lab is dedicated to advancing research, policy analysis, and collaborative initiatives that strengthen public health systems globally, with a particular focus on the Global South. Through interdisciplinary research, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-driven policy recommendations, the lab addresses critical challenges in global health governance, regional health cooperation, and infectious disease response. Our work informs strategies to enhance health equity, pandemic preparedness, and integrated health systems, fostering regional and international collaboration. To learn more about the UM Public Health Policy Lab, visit https://www.publichealth.med.miami.edu/research/research-labs/umphpl/index.html, or to view previous webinar and event recordings, visit https://www.youtube.com/@MiamiPolicyLab.