In 2017, a large group of authors set ou to assess Germany’s contribution and potential leadership role in global health. They considered the ambitions and manifold efforts of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration to become a trusted leader in global health governance and a reliable supporter of multilateral institutions, especially WHO. Based on the recommendations of a 2017 paper, in this Review the authors determine whether the country has indeed lived up to its vision and ambitions expressed in the Global Health Strategy adopted by the cabinet in 2020. Also, they outline what challenges Germany is now facing in a more complex global health environment and geopolitical situation, where leadership in the field is being redefined following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid broader shifts in the international order.

The paper Christian Franz, Anna Holzscheiter, Ilona Kickbusch. Germany’s role in global health at a critical juncture. Lancet 2024; 404: 82–94. can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014067362400936X