Bringing Evidence to Public Health Policy (EPHP2026)
About Bringing Evidence to Public Health Policy 2026 (EPHP)
From June 08 to 10, 2026, The George Institute for Global Health, in partnership with Health Systems Global (Asia Pacific Region), the T.T. Narasimhan School of Advanced Studies at IPH Bengaluru, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, and the Indian Council of Medical Research, will host the fifth edition of Evidence to Public Health Policy (EPHP). The conference will facilitate dialogue on the theme “Future-Focused Health Systems in a Changing Context.” While derived from the Health Systems Research Symposium 2026 (HSR2026), the EPHP theme will bring a sharp focus to regional and national experiences, fostering exchange and generating insights to inform health system reform and research in India and the Asia Pacific region.
EPHP has become a unique platform for advancing dialogue across researchers, decision-makers and policymakers on important themes within public health in India and the region. The sustained engagement with these diverse stakeholders has resulted in several policy impacts in the areas of chronic conditions, health financing, health services, and equity. In 2026, the EPHP features 15 speakers from the George Institute, who partake in discussions across the conference sub-themes.
Conference sub-themes:
- Politics and Polycrisis
- Plurality and Partnerships
- Platforms and Participation
- Pathways and Planet
The Program:
- Inauguration: A high-level 30-minute inaugural session featuring senior representatives from the Government of India, Government of Karnataka, partner organisations, and other dignitaries.
- Oration: A keynote address by Dr Mirai Chatterjee, delivered as part of the IPH Annual Oration Series after the inauguration
- Plenaries based on each theme: Thematic plenaries will be organised around each core theme, with panels designed to bring together diverse perspectives, including regional insights, India-focused viewpoints, and practice-oriented reflections.
- Policy Roundtable: A dedicated policy roundtable will bring together policymakers, researchers, and implementers, with a chair and discussant facilitating reflection and synthesis of ideas.
- Organised session: A space for organising 60 min session in a participatory format
- Abstract-Based Session: A space for researchers to present their research findings on various aspects of governance through oral presentations/ posters /lightning talks.
At EPHP 2026, The George Institute for Global Health is hosting an organised session on the theme, “Platforms and Participation: Harnessing Digital Technologies and Honouring Social Contracts.” This session will be conducted in two segments. In the first segment, it aims to critically examine how digital platforms can be leveraged to strengthen participation and accountability within health and development ecosystems. In the second segment, the session will explore how social contracts framing relationships among citizens, the state, and community institution relationships are protected, renewed, and respected.
The George Institute is also hosting a satellite session on “Sex and Gender Intentional Research”. The satellite session will serve as a shared space where expertise, lived experience, and institutional power come together to create pathways for equitable public health research and policy. The session will have firstly, a facilitated listening circle which centres the lived experiences of people whose health needs and identities are often unaddressed, overlooked, or misrepresented in public health and research, secondly, a research showcase on sex and gender intentional research, and finally showcasing initiatives on sex and gender sensitive funding mechanisms, policy practices, and synergies that can be leveraged to outline actionable next steps.
For more information on EPHP 2026, please visit: 5th Edition Evidence into Public Health Policy Conference 2026 - TTN SoAS At IPH Bengaluru