Each year, the World Health Summit in Berlin is complimented by a Regional Meeting in a different part of the world, where local and regional topics come to the forefront. Each meeting is hosted by the M8 Alliance member holding the World Health Summit International Presidency, which rotates every year.
Online workshop
Collaborative biomedical innovation in Africa to eliminate infectious diseases
Date: Monday, 28 June 2021
Time: 9:30-11:00
Biomedical research in Africa is rapidly growing in innovation such as producing affordable and accessible medicines that meet African priority health needs. It also includes a focus on basic science, diagnostics, and vaccines. This panel brings together leading actors from the continent developing, delivering, and funding current and future biomedical research that is led by African researchers, working hand in hand with affected communities, in Africa, for Africa and beyond.
Their efforts target some of the most neglected diseases on the planet, for which treatments, when available, are ineffective, unsafe, or unaffordable and the people hit hardest by these diseases are poor, vulnerable, and stigmatized. Diverse research partnerships have, in African tradition, pooled and harnessed scarce resources to impressive ends, tackling malaria, worms, bacterial and fungal diseases that cause disfigurement and stigma.
The panelists will share lessons learnt from powerful partnerships in Africa as well as African-led innovation initiatives and how this approach contributes to building research collaborations and Africa’s pandemic preparedness as witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, they will propose how to ensure continued success and progress in reaching the target of eliminating NTDs as a public health problem in in Africa by 2030.
Chair: Dr John Amuasi, ARNTD and The Lancet Commission
Keynote speech: Dr Alfred Mubangizi, Assistant Commissioner Health Services -Vector Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases (VB &NTD) Division, Ministry of Health, Uganda
| From drug development to implementation Dr Khadija Yahya-Malima, Commission on Science and Technology, Tanzania – TBC |
| Leading integrated drug discovery in Africa Dr Mathew Njoroge, Senior Investigator, DMPK at Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), University of Cape Town, South Africa |
| Innovative platforms to tackle NTDs in Africa Dr Monique Wasunna, Director DNDi Africa |
| Funding end-to-end approaches to beat NTDs/ Funding medical innovations for neglected populations Dr Hayato Urabe, Senior Director of Investment Strategy and Management, Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund |
| Innovative regulatory approaches Dr Janet Byaruhanga, Senior Programme Officer, Public Health, AUDA-NEPAD |
