Call for nominations: Sustainable Health Equity Movement

As the global fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues, it is clear that the virus is affecting different sectors of society in different ways. Very often it is the poor, disenfranchised and minority populations that are affected by a disproportional amount of suffering. While universal healthcare, along with other policy responses such as temporary financial support, have sought to address these issues, the underlying social determinants of health often remain.

The Sustainable Health Equity Movement (SHEM) advocates for the ethical principle of the universal right to health based on health equity. It reaches out to, collaborating with and lobbying national governments and the international (UN) governance system.

The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) has engaged in the interim SHEM steering committee. Now there is a move to establish a formal SHEM Steering Committee that will represent the movement and guide the strategy towards its mission. The IAP is now calling for nominations of experts to serve on the SHEM Steering Committee.
Please find attached the Terms of reference.

To express an interest in being nominated by the Royal Irish Academy, please submit the following to policy@ria.ie by midday on Friday 15th January 2021:

• A two-page CV
• A statement of motivation (max 250 words)
• A document outlining
  - age
  - sex
  - country
  - activity
  - affiliation
  - organisation

This opportunity is publicly advertised by the Royal Irish Academy and while the Academy is happy to nominate suitable candidates for this role and will fully endorse successful nominations and assist in communicating the delegate’s activities to national academics and policymakers, any financial costs involved in this project must be self-funded by the nominee, or if applicable, funded by the nominee’s home institution

All expressions of interest received will be considered by the Academy’s Policy Oversight Group - the unit tasked with advising upon the initiation and implementation of all of the Academy’s policy and international activities and responsible for overseeing a standardised quality process for all outputs. Chaired by the Academy’s Secretary of Policy and International Relations, the six members of this group are all elected Members of the Royal Irish Academy and come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds in several institutions across the island of Ireland- both north and south of the border. On occasions, the Policy Oversight Group may also consult additional experts to inform their assessments and evaluations.

The Royal Irish Academy values diversity and strives for a culture of equality and inclusion in all of its activities. As outlined in its Strategic Plan 2019-2023, the Academy is committed to ensuring greater gender, disciplinary, institutional and overall diversity in every area of the Academy and its work throughout the island of Ireland. It particularly welcomes nominations from under-represented groups and communities.