Description

This interactive 3-hour simulation places healthcare professionals inside a United Nations-style international commission responding to a major global health crisis. Participants represent assigned countries and must negotiate practical responses to complex scenarios involving pandemics, disrupted pharmaceutical or medical supply chains, emerging and tropical diseases, humanitarian emergencies, armed conflict, or other threats to international health systems. Before the session, each participant receives an assigned country different from their country of residence and prepares by reviewing its health system, resources, priorities, vulnerabilities, and international position. During the simulation, participants negotiate resolutions, respond to evolving crisis information, defend national interests, build coalitions, and work toward coordinated international action. The exercise is designed specifically for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Decisions are expected to be grounded in clinical knowledge, public health evidence, health-system realities, resource constraints, humanitarian considerations, and professional expertise. microscopIA moderates the commission and may introduce additional actors, such as pharmaceutical manufacturers, humanitarian organizations, or other stakeholders, to create realistic negotiation challenges. The objective is not to reproduce an official United Nations meeting, but to develop practical skills in healthcare diplomacy, negotiation, leadership, crisis communication, evidence-based decision-making, and international cooperation.