Berlin, Germany | October 21^st - 24^th, 2012

Program 2011

Topics

Today’s Science

We are living in an extraordinary period of history. Never before has the world experienced such progress in research and technology development, not only to fight diseases but also to prevent them, improving the quality of life worldwide. At the same time, our world is experiencing tough challenges: the rapid increase of non-communicable diseases and mental illness in addition to the still raging epidemics of HIV, TB and malaria strongly influence today’s health care and research agendas. Nearly 8 million children and pregnant women die every year as a consequence of preventable causes. The health effects of climate change are already being felt as the warming of the planet directly influences the distribution of food and water, but also of vector-borne diseases. What are effective strategies to adapt our research agendas to these increasing challenges? How can different stakeholder groups improve collaboration on an international scale to speed up and develop joint solutions?

Sessions
· Response to Global Emerging Infectious Outbreaks
· No Health without Mental Health
· Adolescent Health - Its promise and potential

Research and Innovation

Medical advances arise from collaboration and mutual understanding between academia and health care providers, politicians and the private sector. The academic community is aware of its responsibility to deliver results based on a strong collaborative approach to improve global health. This comprises basic and preclinical research and the development of new therapies, but also increasingly the delivery of health services. The burning medical questions and health issues of our time need scientific answers without delay. How can we reorganize the academic system to increase translational efficiency between academic medicine, industry and others who are responsible for health care delivery? Effective incentives are needed for the development of “vulnerable” drug classes, e.g. antibiotics and of medical innovations for diseases of global health importance. What mechanisms do we need and how can the innovation process be accelerated? How can we realize adequate adaption of therapeutics to fit local conditions? What mechanisms and collaboration models do we need to tackle the health threat caused by counterfeit drugs?

Sessions
· Bridging Health Gaps with Vaccines
· Innovation for Diseases of Global Health Importance
· Product Development for Neglected Patients

Strengthening Health Systems

Strong health systems are the basis of all development. Governments around the world are struggling with the challenges of providing good-quality healthcare under conditions of increasing financial constraints. Evidence on which to base sound rational decisions is in short supply. Critical shortages, an inadequate skill-mix and an uneven geographical distribution of the health workforce pose major barriers to achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The essential prerequisites of good health systems are a solid basis of public health education and adequate training of the health work-force. Information and communication technologies offer exciting innovative tools for many healthcare sectors. In addition, society and the media have to take much greater responsibility for the promotion of health and the prevention of diseases.

Sessions
· Global Health Workforce Crisis
· The Future of Medical Education in a Globalized World
· Promoting Health, Preventing NCD

Tomorrow’s Agenda

Good health governance has always been of the utmost importance. However, evidence in this field is still weak. No country has yet discovered an ideal health-service model. Therefore the links between evidence and policy on all levels (national and international) need to be strengthened. How must innovative models of effective health collaboration and surveillance systems be shaped to tackle global challenges such as the increase of chronic diseases or the health consequences of global warming and degraded environment and urbanization? How can we control the various structural, socio-cultural and economic determinants of health? These are some of the important topics on tomorrow´s agenda.

Sessions
· Evidence to Policy Linkages
· Strengthening National Governance of Research for Health
· Ensuring Public Health in Times of Climate Change