Seasons Greetings! Welcome to your December 2025 newsletter
Scroll down for IAPO's latest news, upcoming activities and events
Our 11th Global Patient Congress takes place in Manila
IAPO’s 11th Global Patients Congress took place in Manila 16-17 November, with powerful momentum. Bringing together patient leaders, advocates, policymakers, and healthcare stakeholders from around the world united in their discussions on the theme ‘From Voices to Action: Patient Organisations Shaping Health System Transformation.’
Over 30 global health experts joined our panel, discussing the most important topics in patient advocacy in 12 inspiring sessions across two days.
The Global Charter on Social Participation
launches at GPC 2025
A highlight of GPC 2025 was our launch of The Global Patient Charter on Social Participation [https://www.iapo.org.uk/node/15739] - a landmark initiative set to champion meaningful engagement of patients and people with lived experience in health governance and health systems transformation,
A practical advocacy tool designed to help patient organisations engage with governments and promote locally rooted and context-sensitive social participation, it has been months in the making with the collective input of over 25 IAPO member organisations, and a advisory group of health experts working with the social participation agenda. You can find out more about the Charter [https://www.iapo.org.uk/node/15739], and be one of the first to endorse it here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcshtwYdci2mzHcm-IhENk9hdhm2Cn....
Download the Charter [https://www.iapo.org.uk/node/15739]
Patient Solidarity Day 2025: Wednesday 3 December
This years Patient Solidarity Day took place on 3 December, and we stood together to champion the importance of meaningful engagement of patients and people with lived experience in health governance, following the launch of IAPO’s Global Patient Charter on Social Participation [https://www.iapo.org.uk/node/15739].
Thanks so much to everyone who stood with us on Patient Solidarity Day 2025. Your support shows the power of collective voice: when patients, communities, and organisations come together, health systems become stronger, fairer, and more inclusive.
Together, by endorsing and putting into practice the Global Patient Charter on Social Participation, we move from solidarity to action.
IAPO's new board members
Following IAPO’s annual board election, members re-elected Paul Mendoza and Flavia Kyomukama to their second terms, and elected Wael Ali to his first term.
The governing board appointed Lara Bloom as chair, Paul as vice chair, Fernanda de Carvalho as secretary, and Flavia as treasurer.
Ellos Lodzeni has retired from the board. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Ellos for his dedication and valuable contributions to IAPO during his time on the board and more recently as chair. We are grateful for his commitment and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
Thank you for being part of our community this year! We wish you a peaceful end to the year, and a bright beginning to 2026.
Please note: Our IAPO office will be closed from the end of the working day on Friday 19th December, and will reopen on Monday 5th January 2026 - we look forward to continuing our work together then.
�� Upcoming events – Save the date!
28 – 30 January
43rd meeting of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board
��WHO Headquarters, Geneva
2 - no later than 7 February 2026
158th session of the Executive Board
��WHO Headquarters, Geneva
18 May 2026 - no later than Saturday 23 May 2026
79th World Health Assembly
��WHO Headquarters, Geneva
13 – 15 May 2026
44th meeting of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board
��WHO Headquarters, Geneva
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The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations is registered in England and Wales as charity number 1155577 and company limited by guarantee number 08495711.
Registered office: Canopi, 82 Tanner Street, London, SE1 3GN, UK.