18 May 2018

Foundation to co-host events at WHO World Health Assembly

Jayasree K. Iyer, Executive Director, will speak at two events being co-hosted by the Foundation at the 71st WHO World Health Assembly (WHA). On Tuesday 22 May, speakers will explore game changers in global health; on Wednesday 23 May, the focus is on the big questions surrounding access to quality medicines.

22 May: ministerial panel on game-changing health innovations
On Tuesday 22 May, 2018, the Access to Medicine Foundation and the World Economic Forum (WEF) are co-hosting an invite-only event in Geneva themed The Future of Global Health and Healthcare: Game Changers for Impact. The central question is “what game changers will bring about affordable, accessible and effective health and healthcare for all citizens in the world?” The event is being organised for a diverse audience, including government officials and experts from NGOs intergovernmental organisations and the pharmaceutical industry.

Jayasree K. Iyer will chair a ministerial panel of women leaders working on different aspects of the global health agenda. The event will be opened by Arnaud Bernaert, Head of Partner Development (Europe & North America) and Head of Healthcare Industry for the WEF. A second panel will be chaired by Vanessa Candeias, Head of Global Health and Healthcare System Initiative at the WEF.

23 May: high-level discussion on achieving access to safe, quality medicines
On Wednesday 23 May, 2018, Jayasree K. Iyer will speak at a high-level discussion on why poor-quality medicines matter. Her focus will be on how pharmaceutical companies can be expected to improve access to quality medicines, drawing on findings from the Foundation’s Access to Medicine Index. Together, the speakers will discuss the widespread consequences of substandard and falsified medicines for people and communities. They will also explore connections between poor-quality medicines and antimicrobial resistance, global health security, non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases, universal health coverage and access to medicine.

Speakers include:
• Fiona Adshead, Deputy CEO and Director of Strategy and Partnerships, NCD Alliance
• Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, England & Chief Medical Advisor, UK
• Michael Deats, Group Lead, Substandard and Falsified Medical Products, WHO
• Tom Frieden, President & CEO, Resolve to Save Lives
• Githinji Gitahi, CEO, Amref Health Africa
• Jayasree Iyer, Executive Director, Access to Medicine Foundation
• Ashish Jha, Director, Harvard Global Health Institute
• Sicily Kariuki, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health, Kenya
• Ron Piervincenzi, CEO, USP
• Julio Sánchez y Tépoz, Federal Commissioner, COFEPRIS Mexico
• Brenda Waning, Chief of the Global Drug Facility, Stop TB Partnership

The event is being organised by the United States Pharmacopeia Convention (USP) in cooperation with with the Access to Medicine Foundation, the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance, the Brazzaville Foundation, the Concept Foundation, the Mexican Federal Commission for Protection from Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), the Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network, the Harvard Global Health Institute, the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, PATH and ReAct. It will explore how the global health community can play a role in improving access to quality medicines.