Prof. Khondaker A. Mamun Joins Chatham House Roundtable on Health Inclusivity and Economic Growth
On May 15, 2025, Prof. Khondaker Abdullah Al Mamun, Founder of CMED Health and Director of IRIIC at United International University, participated as a discussant at the prestigious Chatham House Roundtable: “Health as Economic Catalyst – Leveraging Inclusive Healthcare for Growth and Competitiveness.” The event, hosted by Chatham House—a world-renowned policy institute based in London—convened leading global health experts, policymakers, and innovators to explore how inclusive healthcare systems can fuel economic resilience and growth.
The roundtable was organized in collaboration with Economist Impact, drawing on the findings of the third phase of the Health Inclusivity Index, supported by Haleon. The discussion centered on the critical role of health inclusivity in shaping economic performance, especially in an era of tightening government budgets, shifting demographics, and growing pressure on national health systems.
In this high-level forum, Prof. Mamun contributed insights from his work in digital health innovation in Bangladesh, emphasizing how scalable, community-centric health technologies can help bridge access gaps, reduce disease burdens, and drive productivity. He shared examples from CMED Health’s work in preventive care and early detection, which have shown measurable impacts on reducing morbidity and improving quality of life—especially in underserved populations.
The dialogue addressed pressing questions, including how data-driven decision-making can improve healthcare investment outcomes, how to integrate lived experiences of service users into policy frameworks, and how to maintain international momentum toward inclusive health even as global consensus is challenged by rising nationalism. Discussions also touched on “easy-win” strategies like tackling air pollution, improving oral health, and boosting health literacy—each offering cost-effective pathways to long-term economic benefits.
By engaging policymakers, economists, public health professionals, and private sector leaders, the roundtable aimed to identify policy mechanisms and collaborative models that align diverse stakeholder interests toward a shared goal: building equitable health systems that are also economically competitive.
Prof. Mamun’s participation in this global conversation reinforces his ongoing commitment to health equity, digital innovation, and cross-sector collaboration. His contributions reflected IRIIC’s broader mission to champion inclusive innovation in Bangladesh and beyond, linking health system reform with national and global development goals.
