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

Welcome Messages 2011

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

In medicine time can make all the difference between life and death. Obviously in emergen-cies every second counts. In research, however, developing new and effective approaches to combating disease is bound to take some time. But even here it is clear that the faster new scientific findings translate into practical applications, the sooner suffering can be relieved and lives saved. So in research, too, every day counts.

Cooperation is a crucial way of saving valuable time. In Germany we are establishing new research centres for six common diseases that will allow us to pool expertise and speed up the process of translating research results into standard treatments. In the treatment of neglected diseases and the diseases of poverty, too, cooperation is key to achieving rapid progress. Only if researchers, policy-makers, business and civil society work together at international level can we expect solutions that really work.

Cooperation needs mutual trust and understanding. I am therefore delighted that the World Health Summit in Berlin has proved to be an ideal venue for international dialogue in this field. The motto of this year’s conference, “today’s evidence science – tomorrow’s agenda”, high¬lights the seminal role of research in achieving medical advances. It reminds us, too, that shared insights and responsibility must be followed by prompt action.

I wish the World Health Summit 2011 participants and organizers a very productive confer-ence and a host of stimulating discussions and encounters.

Angela Merkel
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic

Health is the major topic of the 21st century. The increase of chronic diseases in every part of the world, together with changing demographics, imposes tough challenges on our health systems. The shift to a more personalized medicine brings along great opportunities but also sincere questions of feasibility which we need to solve. This requires true collaboration and close links between governments, researchers and industry, between public and private sectors. Financial constraints force us to increase efficiency and reduce costs but not the quality of health care. This requires less bureaucracy for more action.

Eleven years ago, the world committed itself to the Millennium Developmental Goals: reduce extreme poverty, increase education, decrease child mortality, improve maternal health, and reduce infectious diseases. We still have a considerable way ahead of us. The financial crisis has left its severe marks in rich countries while it costs lives in the poorest ones. We need innovative financing models and new governance structures to sustain the financial engagements of the rich countries for the poor. Our structures have to adapt to the health challenges of the 21st century.

The World Health Summit being held at the Charité in Berlin has become the foremost global meeting of its kind to convene leaders from academia, economy, industry, governments, international organizations and civil society around the pressing health issues of our time. It also contributes to promote the work fulfilled by the M8 Alliance which brings together eight major faculties of medicine throughout the world.

I wish all the best for the 3rd edition of the World Health Summit.

Nicolas Sarkozy
President of the French Republic

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS, Geneva Switzerland

In the past few years, the world has made massive strides in preventing and treating HIV and other communicable diseases. However, bringing medicines, commodities and health services to the underserved is still far too complex and expensive. The access gap is widening and status quo cannot be sustained.

It is critical to scale up the global movement against infectious diseases to save millions of lives. The global health scenario is changing - non-communicable diseases are now the leading cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Today we now have to think of comprehensive and sustained access to health - the challenge to provide medicines and care, often over a lifetime, to billions of people cannot be left to future generations to decide.

Without delay, we must transform the way we address the challenges of ill health and disease —holistically, globally and without pitting one against another in the pursuit of resources. The AIDS response is increasingly being hailed as the engine for addressing the diseases that affect the poor and people without a voice, because its strengths, reach and resources are being leveraged to achieve larger health and development goals.

To capitalize on this opportunity, I am calling for a “new deal” in which all partners—countries, civil society, the private sector, communities, health systems and international organizations—share responsibility for delivering a truly global health response that is smart, efficient and integrated.

Shared responsibility is not just about everyone putting money in the common pot. Countries must go further, taking on differentiated responsibilities according to their capacities. It is a new paradigm of partnership—a shift away from external dependence and toward country-owned and country-led responses to HIV and health. This approach will rely heavily on the involvement of civil society and communities to come to full fruition.

This new deal must also expand the meaning of health to embrace human rights—of women and girls, young people, sexual minorities, people with disabilities, mothers and children and people made vulnerable by poverty and stigma. It must be deeply rooted in strengthening social welfare systems and addressing the social determinants of health.

This World Health Summit brings a singular opportunity to construct the frame of this historic new deal.

Michel Sidibé