On 12 August 2026, UNU will host “Different Contexts, Common Health: Youth and the Future of Global Health”, a conversation with Dr. Luis D’Souza, policy specialist at the World Health Organization (WHO), and Ms. Shion Seino, co-founder of LIAISON, a global health organization dedicated to advancing universal access to healthcare. This event will start at 18:30 in the 2F Reception Hall at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
This year’s International Youth Day theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations”, highlights that although youth face different realities, their aspirations are remarkably similar — including for good health and well-being. Global health is a clear example of this tension, where the local health realities are unequal around the world, yet many of the drivers shaping these realities are widely shared. These pressures are only intensifying, from cuts in development aid, to climate change, to the rise of AI and social media, making global health increasingly complex and interconnected.
How can we keep world leaders engaged in global health despite shifting political priorities? What is required to reshape the future of global health in the context of recent funding challenges? And what role can youth play in global health as the next generation of leaders?
For this special International Youth Day event, Dr. Luis D’Souza and Shion Seino will join UNU Consultant Nanami Yamaguchi for a conversation on reimagining the future of global health. Together, they will explore how young people can actively shape global health, the role of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and engagement in addressing health issues.
The UNU Conversation Series aims to foster audience participation; you are encouraged to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception that will follow, where all event attendees are invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks while exchanging ideas and making new contacts. Young people will be especially encouraged to actively contribute throughout this session.
Please note that this event will be in English. Advance registration (by 11 August at 15:00) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page. Please be prepared to present identification at check-in.
Please note that food and photography are prohibited during events at UNU Headquarters, unless prior permission is granted by UNU.
About the speakers
Dr. Luis D’Souza is a global health policy specialist who has worked across more than 25 countries, advising governments on noncommunicable diseases, health system reform and behavioural science. With the WHO Tajikistan Country Office, Luis supports a Joint SDG Fund programme on healthier food systems. As an Associate Expert with UNU Global Health in Malaysia, he works on youth mental health and well-being, leading the institute’s contribution to the inaugural Well-being Alliance for Research and Policy workshop in Bhutan. In Tokyo, Luis supports research on universal health coverage and climate-health policy with the Health and Global Policy Institute. He previously worked with UNDP in New York, Médecins Sans Frontières in South Africa and the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Eswatini. Luis holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford.
Shion Seino is the co-founder of LIAISON, a global health organization dedicated to advancing universal access to healthcare. After graduating from International Christian University, she worked at the Japan Institute for Global Health, a global health policy think tank in Tokyo, where she advocated for polio eradication while promoting Japan's involvement in global health. As part of the Global Policy and Government Affairs team at Global Citizen, she supported health advocacy and created partnerships to implement Global Citizen’s movement into Asia. She also worked at the Gates Foundation as a Project Coordinator to promote the next generation of global health leaders, and currently serves as a partner to increase commitments for global health and polio eradication from Japan.
