On April 21, 2010, the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) will host its first annual Congressional expo to highlight the need for and role of new health products for diseases affecting people around the world. GHTC advocates for research and development for new products—including vaccines, diagnostics, drugs, microbicides and other tools—so the most effective health solutions are available when we need them. In order to meet the needs of tomorrow and ensure a long-term, sustained approach to global health, it is critical to invest in research today.
The event—titled “Innovation in action: advancing new tools to combat global health diseases"—will include a high-level panel to examine key policy issues most critical in meeting the future needs of the developing world.
Featured speakers include:
Maria Freire, PhD
President, Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation
Member, Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health
Member, Committee on the US Commitment to Global Health, Institute of Medicine, and Member, International Advisory Panel to Ministerial Working Group on Scaling up of Primary Health Systems
Nils Daulaire, MD, MPH
Director, Office of Global Health Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services
Panelists include:
Dr. Michael Johnson
Deputy Director, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health
Former HHS liaison to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) at the Office of Global Health Affairs
Dr. Sylvie Kwedi
Founder and President, CLEAR, Inc. (Capacity for Leadership Excellence and Research)
Former Deputy Director for Site Development and Epidemiology, Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation
In addition, the event will showcase critical new tools under development to prevent, diagnose, and treat global health diseases. Several GHTC member organizations working in global health research and development will display their work.
The GHTC also will launch its first annual report on global health R&D at the expo. The report focuses on the GHTC's three priority areas -- US policies related to public financing, regulatory pathways, and incentives and innovating financing. It highlights the role US agencies and policymakers play in advancing innovation for global health products, as well as makes policy recommendations to help accelerate the development of new global health technologies.