Washington, DC, September 15, 2016 — AIHA President & CEO David Greeley moderated a high-level panel on disease prevention and management in emerging economies yesterday at the Toronto Global Forum in Toronto, Canada.
Forum Panelists Patrik Silborn, David Greeley, Rebecca Martin, Alain Beaudet, Robert Mallett, and Jean-Alain Zinsou.
Sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur, the panel featured Dr. Rebecca Martin, Director of the Center for Global Health at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta; Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Patrik Silborn, Director of Private Sector Engagement and Innovative Financing at The Global Fund; Robert Mallett, President & CEO of Africare; and Dr. Jean-Antoine Zinsou, Senior Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy for Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengue vaccine initiative.
“These speakers brought to the forum a wide range of expertise and perspectives on the issue of disease prevention and management in developing countries and emerging markets,” Greeley explains. “From the role of governments and multilateral aid agencies, to that of research institutions and both the private for-profit and nonprofit sectors, they were able to discuss critical challenges facing these countries along with best practices in overcoming them,” he says.
Dr. Jean-Antoine Zinsou (far right) discusses Sanofi Pasteur’s efforts to develop the world’s first Dengue vaccine and the innovative model they are using to get it to people in developing countries. According to Zinsou, this model has the potential to motivate big pharma investments in research and development, particularly on medicines that address diseases presenting a high public health burden in sub-tropical areas where most emerging economies are found.
One common thread that emerged from the presentations and ensuing discussion was the need for solutions that employ multi-pronged and multi-sectoral approaches.
“AIHA’s partnership model represents a proven paradigm for utilizing a comprehensive, holistic approach to effectively strengthen health system capacity in developing and emerging economies,” Greeley says, stressing, “For solutions to these complex public health challenges to be both viable and sustainable, it is imperative that we look to best practices and resources drawn from all sectors.”