The 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opened on 15^th September at the UN Headquarters in New York, in a primarily virtual format. Heads of states and governments from UN Member States will exchange statements through pre-recorded messages.

Virtual UNGA side-events have been taking place throughout the week, covering topics from the pandemic to global hunger, the great green reset, clean water and sanitation, restoring the oceans, inequality and the humanitarian crisis, and more.

Here’s a quick snapshot of some notable upcoming events within the global health sphere, focusing on the private sector’s role in health, responding to COVID-19, fighting the three infectious diseases, and achieving the SDGs, among other topics.

On 23^rd September, a special UN virtual side-event will discuss how we can collectively implement the recommendations outlined in the 2020 progress report of the UN Secretary-General on reaching global TB targets and advancing multisectoral action to end TB, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 30^th September, the UN Secretary-General, the UK, South Africa and WHO are hosting a virtual high-level side event to mark the progress that has been made in global collaboration to develop and ensure equitable access to new COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines through the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and particularly its COVAX Global Vaccines Facility.

Devex’s UHC pavilion, taking place from 22-24 September, features a variety of discussions reflecting on the outcomes emerging from last year’s High-level Meeting on UHC, in addition to assessing the pace of progress amid a global pandemic. Discussion panels include:

• From the Frontlines: How to move from COVID-19 to health for all
• Partnering for health: Advancing resilient health systems
• Harnessing the power of data and digital technology for health transformation in the COVID-19 recovery

Goals House @ UNGA (20-25 September), will feature discussion on subjects such as:

• Investing in Africa’s Female Future
• Sustainable Innovation for the SDGs
• Harnessing the power of Science, Technology and Innovation to achieve the SDGs
• Will the Global Pandemic Fast-Track the HealthTech Revolution?

Business Fights Poverty Online 2020 (21-25 September) includes a week of events, with one dedicated theme per day, with a general focus on rebuilding better. Daily topics include including Imagining the Future We Want, Helping People Survive and Thrive, and Shaping System-Level Partnerships.

Shorter events include:

COVID-19 lessons learned and the role of business in Building Back Responsibly	21 Sept.
The Data Pandemic: Making decisions with too much, not enough, and politicized data	21 Sept.
Mitigating the Economic and Health Impact of COVID-19 across Africa	21 Sept.
AMR in the Light of COVID-19: The global movement of microorganisms	24 Sept.
BCtA 10th Annual Forum: Reimagining Resilience through Inclusive Business Innovation	24 Sept.
The Health System after the COVID Pandemic: Policies and Investments Needed to Support Frontline Health Workers	24 Sept.
The Private Sector’s Evolving Role in Health Emergencies	24 Sept.
Regional Conversation Series on Building Back Better: Resilient Supply Chains and Connectivity	25 Sept.
Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data’s Fifth Anniversary Town Hall	25 Sept.
Corporate Council on Africa Special Sessions: Partnering for Economic Recovery	22-25 Sept.
Making the Invisible Visible: Driving Corporate Action on Gender Equality & Women’s Health for the Decade of Action	29 Sept.
Accountability Breakfast 2020: Advancing Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health During COVID-19	29 Sept.
Will a Vaccine Save Us? A Fireside Chat with Dr. Heidi Larson and Dr. Peter Piot	30 Sept.

For even more events, here are links to UNGA event calendars from:

• UNGA Guide
• Global Goals Week
• Devex
• Every Woman Every Child
• UN Foundation

For more on UNGA, follow the conference hashtags #UNGA and #UNGA75.

For further reference, see GBCHealth’s initial UNGA preview highlighting other high-profile SDG- and sustainable development-focused events and initiatives, including Global Goals Week, Global Week to Act for SDGs, the SDG Action Zone, the SDG Business Forum, the International Conference on Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Impact Summit and more.

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