Sharing data and biospecimens is both a scientific imperative and an ethical duty in research and public health, yet global asymmetries in capacity and power risk perpetuating inequality rather than alleviating it. To genuinely advance global health equity, data sharing efficiency should be measured not by the volume or speed of data transfer, but by the deliberate flow of benefits, capacity and decision-making authority to structurally disadvantaged regions. This requires a complementary shift. First, advanced partners must move from directing to enabling, focusing on building local technical, analytical and governance capacities to ensure solutions are rooted where they are needed most. Second, less-resourced actors must reframe data sharing not as a risky obligation, but as an opportunity for leadership—actively shaping research agendas and harnessing the power of open science. Consequently, sharing mandates must be explicitly tied to tangible interventions and demonstrated successes in improving health outcomes, supported by sovereign, federated data systems and reformed academic incentives that valorise capacity building and equitable collaboration as core research outputs. We, therefore, urge health researchers, funders, publishers and agencies to collectively transform sharing of data and biological materials into an equity-centred process that actively rectifies historical power imbalances. By shifting emphasis from the data themselves to the people, systems and processes that translate data into action, we can ensure sharing serves as a true bridge to equity—one that actively advances global health for all.
Mayor et al. (Sun,) studied this question.