From the World Health Summit: Economics should be debated as if people mattered

“I want economics debated as if people matter,” stated Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the University College London Institute of Health Equity, as one of Monday’s keynote speakers of the World Health Summit 2013. Addressing issues of global inequality, Marmot also attacked promoters of austerity, labeling them as a cause of the global financial crisis.

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Adrian Thomas, CEO Vice President Global Market Access & Global Public Health, Janssen, observed that major players in the global pharmacy industry were exiting the generic drug space due to lack of margins and profitability. This was interpreted as potentially reducing the ability of industry players to improve health in developing nations.

‘Global Health for Development’ is the focus of day two of the World Health Summit 2013 with sessions to include “Healthy Food, Healthy Environment, Healthy People” and “Health Gains from Sustainable Development”. Prominent speakers in Monday’s programme will be Sherry Hanny Ayitey, Minister of Health, Ghana, Hans Rudolf Herren, Right Livelihood Award Laureate 2013, and Carlos Dora, Coordinator, Public Health and the Environment Department, World Health Organization.

This theme expands upon concepts raised by José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, during his plenary address in front of more than 500 delegates from all over the world during Sunday’s WHS Opening Ceremony in the Weltsaal of the Federal Foreign Ministry.

A sense of expectation permeates the Summit in the lead-up to day three, especially in anticipation of the release of the joint M8 Alliance Statement, providing direction in future advances in improving health worldwide.

The World Health Summit is a gathering of the world’s leading statkeholders in diverse health related sectors. This year’s Summit, the fifth in the series is taking place at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.

In their welcome message, the Summit Presidents, Prof. John Eu Li Wong, Vice Provost, Academic Medicine, National University of Singapore and Prof. Detlev Ganten, Chairman of the Board, Charite Foundation, Charite University Medicine, Berlin, stressed that the World Health Summit provides a platform for delegates from different pillars of society to healp shape tomorrow’s health care agenda.