Jayasree K. Iyer returns to annual World Health Summit to discuss urgent global health issues

The World Health Summit (WHS) takes place in Berlin, bringing together policymakers, scientists, healthcare professionals, civil society groups and private-sector leaders from around the world.

Held under the theme ‘From Crisis to Resilience: Innovating for Health,’ this year’s programme centres around evidence-based, collaborative approaches to strengthening health systems and improving access to care.

Jayasree K. Iyer, CEO of the Access to Medicine Foundation, will take part in multiple events at the Summit, sharing her insights on addressing urgent global health topics. These include the effect of changing economic dynamics on drug pricing on access to medicine, the pharmaceutical industry’s response to the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and tackling persistent access barriers associated with women and children’s health.

On 12 October, she will participate in the Office of Health Economics’ panel, ‘Global Equity in the Shadow of US Pricing Reform,’ held on the sidelines of WHS, which will centre around the global impact of how pharmaceutical innovation and drug pricing are changing. During the discussion, Jaysree will provide insights on how pricing reform in high-income markets may affect equity of access to medicines in lower- and middle income countries. 

On the final day of the Summit, she will participate in a high-level panel discussion titled ‘Equitable Access for Better Health: Mobilising Industry Innovation, Investment and Partnerships to Improve Access to NCD Care.’ The discussion will examine the effort to expand access to treatment for NCDs, such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, which are on the rise in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

During this discussion, Jayasree will explain how emerging markets in LMICs represent promising opportunities for pharmaceutical growth, and draw on insights from the Foundation’s upcoming September report on how generic medicine manufacturers are scaling up efforts to improve access to essential medicines, including those for NCDs, in Africa.

The same day, Jayasree will also deliver a keynote address for the session, ‘Advancing Health Equity for Women, Children, and Youth: Ensuring Rights, Inclusion, and Participation,’ focusing on how women and children are still facing disproportionate barriers to timely, affordable and quality healthcare services in LMICs, and how the pharmaceutical industry can help address these persistent disparities.