Dear Friends,
Dear Colleagues,
The World Health Summit has achieved the stature of the pre-eminent annual gathering for thought leaders, innovators and change agents in public health policy and life sciences. The Co-Presidency of the World Health Summit has moved outside Europe, reflecting the criticality of health as a truly global issue. That the M8 Alliance grouping in support of the Summit comprises members from seven Asia-Pacific nations provides further evidence of the potential of the Summit to facilitate positive change on a genuinely worldwide scale. Pursuing the basic human right of health and wellbeing is no minor undertaking, and does not lend itself to rapid and short-term solutions. Scientific advancement, maturity of new technologies, development of innovative policy and the evolution of health care systems require time, investment, expertise and a willingness to endure the often lengthy path of research in the life sciences. The World Health Summit provides the meeting point for those committed to this pursuit, acting as a forum for the presentation of new ideas and as a catalyst for new directions for a better future. In 2011, the World Health Summit under the motto “Today’s Science – Tomorrow’s Agenda” will focus on non-communicable diseases and the role of mass media in health promotion, new approaches in research and innovation, ensuring public health in times of climate change and innovative models in global health governance. We invite you to Berlin to explore with us prospective solutions offering the potential to accelerate practical outcomes for the prevention and treatment of disease and for improved health care delivery models. The 2011 World Health Summit sets a global agenda ensuring that the challenges impacting upon health – the most fundamental basic human right – are met by those with the power to influence policy, industry and science.
Steve Wesselingh, BMBS, PhD
Monash University, Australia
Summit President
Detlev Ganten, MD, PhD
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Summit President
