Uniting For A Healthier World

There are hundreds of efforts underway to address the spread of infectious diseases that ravage the most resource poor parts of the world. These many programs and approaches, representing billions of dollars each year, are a compassionate response to this ongoing human tragedy. But they do not yet represent a winning strategy.

In response to this, Accordia Global Health Foundation will host an Infectious Diseases Summit March 13-14, 2008 in Washington DC, focused on the practical and operational aspects of Capacity Building—this includes the activities which strengthen the knowledge, abilities, skills and behavior of individuals and improve institutional processes and management structures. This summit is a unique opportunity to bring together the most influential leaders in infectious disease from the worlds of science, academia, policy-makers, NGO's, and industry to identify new and collaborative paths toward real progress against this health care crisis of immense human suffering.

In partnership with sponsors from AstraZeneca, BD, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc, Schering-Plough Corporation, Novartis, Almirall, Bayer H/C, Eisai, Organan BioSciences and Sigma- Tau, Accordia is assembling a distinguished group of leaders to engage in a dynamic set of workshops, panel discussions and breakout sessions.

Summit Objectives

  • Strengthen collaborative partnerships between industry, science & academia, development and government through a more horizontal approach to the prevention and control of infectious diseases
  • Map current and planned infectious diseases capacity building initiatives against Summit topics to identify functional gaps and redundancies and share best practices
  • Better coordinate and evaluate projects and define how successful models can be replicated
  • Determine opportunities to partner on initiatives across a set of capacity building topics that leverage the complimentary capabilities of participants

Capacity Building Topics (for Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases):

  • Skills Enablement & Academic Medicial Centers
  • Research & Product Development
  • Global Health Supply Chain Management
  • Prevention Modalities

The Premise of the Summit

Humankind has been battling infectious diseases since the dawn of the species. Though there have been many victories over the centuries, this is a war not yet won. HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria continue to exact a severe toll on the lives and livelihoods of families in highly endemic countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with annual death tolls reaching over two million people for HIV/AIDS, one million people for malaria and over half a million people for tuberculosis.

The health systems in sub-Saharan Africa face severe challenges in addressing these infectious diseases and other healthcare needs.  In addition to the lack of physical infrastructure and financial resources to provide adequate healthcare, countries are beset with a crippling shortage of trained healthcare workers.  While sub-Saharan Africa has 24% of the global disease burden, it has only 3% of the worldwide healthcare workforce and accounts for less than 1% of global healthcare spending.  Due to the significant “brain drain” of health workers, one-quarter of African physicians and one in 20 African nurses are currently working outside of the continent.  At every level of the health system – doctors, nurses, community health workers, pharmacists and researchers – there is an urgent need for a dramatic increase in trained healthcare professionals.

 

For more information, please contact:

Alissa Oram

Ph: 703-294-6551

Email: [email protected]

 

View the official website for the:

Infectious Diseases Summit >