Global Health 2011

• Prof. Recep Akdağ, Minister of Health, Turkey
• Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, Director, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), India
• Dr Ferdinando Regalia, Social Protection and Health Division Chief, Inter-American Development Bank, USA
• Madam Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, Minister of Health, Vietnam
• Mr David Brennan, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca & President, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufactures & Associations (IFPMA)
• Dr Suwit Wibulpolprasert, Senior Advisor on Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Thailand
  

• Dr Amanda Glassman, Director, Global Health Policy Program, Center for Global Development, USA
• Prof. Sir Andy Haines, Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
• Dr David Heymann, Chairman, Health Protection Agency:  the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
  
• Dr Dezhi Yu, Director General, Centre for Project Supervision and Management, Ministry of Health, China
• Dr Francoise Cluzeau, Senior Adviser, NICE International, UK
  
• Dr Gerry Bloom, Research Fellow, Institute for Development Studies, UK
  
• Mr Ian Wylie, Chief Executive, Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists
• Dr Ignez Tristao, Social Protection Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank, USA
  
• Prof. Jeremy Farrar, Director, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (Vietnam), UK
  
• Prof. Klim McPherson, Fellow, New College, University of Oxford, UK
• Prof. Kun Zhao, Researcher, China National Health Development Research Center, Ministry of Health, China
  
• Dr Laura Sampietro-Colom, Outgoing President, Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi)
• Prof. Lloyd Sansom, Chair, Pharmaceuticals Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), Australia
• Mrs Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, Ministry of Health, Ghana
• Dr Michael Borowitz, Senior Health Economist, Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), France
  
• Lord Nigel Crisp, Member of the House of Lords, UK
• Sir Andrew Dillon, Chief Executive, NICE, UK
• Dr Kalipso Chalkidou, Director, NICE International, UK
• Dr Neil Squires, Head of Profession, Health, DFID, UK

• Prof. Parveen Kumar, President, Royal Society of Medicine, UK
• Dr Patricio Marquez, Lead Health Specialist, Europe and Central Asia, World Bank
• Prof. Ian Roberts, Director, Clinical Trials Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
  
• Dr Rabia Kahveci, President of Turkish Evidence Based Medicine Association, Turkey
• Dr Richard Barker, Independent Consultant and Former Director General, The Association of the British Pharmaceutical  Industry (ABPI), UK
  
• Dr Richard Smith, Director, United Health Chronic Disease Initiative, UK
  
• Dr Robert Hecht, Managing Director, Results for Development, USA 
• Prof. Shah Ebrahim, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK;  Director, South Asia Centre for Chronic Disease, New Delhi, India 
  
• Dr Suwit Wibulpolprasert, Senior Advisor on Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Thailand
  
• Mr. Sylvester A. Mensah, Chief Executive, National Health Insurance Scheme, Ghana
  
• Dr T Sundararaman, Executive Director of National Health System Resource Centre, New Delhi, India
• Prof. Tim Kendall, Director, National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, UK
• Prof. Tom Treasure, Professor, Clinical Operational Research Unit, University College London, UK
• Prof. Tony Culyer, Professor,  University of York, UK , University of Toronto, Canada
• Dr Tsung Mei Cheng, Executive Editor, International Forum, Princeton University, USA
• Ursula Giedion, IDB Consultant; Co-Director, Regional Project on Health Benefits Plan, Inter-American Development Bank, Colombia
• Dr Yot Teerawattananon, Leader of Health Intervention & Technology Assessment Program (HITAP). Senior Researcher of International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health , Thailand
• Dr Asrul Akmal Shafie, Senior Lecturer, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
• Dr Sripen Tantivess, Senior Researcher, Health Intervention & Technology Assessment Program (HITAP), Thailand
  
• Axel Nemetz, Head of mHealth, Vodafone
• Dr SM Lee, Executive Director, Centre for New Health Technology Assessment, National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency
• Dr Ataru Igarashi, Assistant Professor, The University of Tokyo, Japan
• Jon Pender, GSK, UK
  
• Raymond J. Baxter, PhD, Senior Vice President, Community Benefit, Research, and Health Policy President,  Kaiser Permanente International
• Eva Turk, Senior Researcher, Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia

"Global Health 2011 is an exciting new initiative for the BMJ Group, working in partnership with NICE. Together our aim is to make this the world’s leading event for promoting cost-effective, evidence-informed healthcare policy making as a means of improving global health. Countries around the world face many common challenges, especially in times of economic constraint and ever growing demand for healthcare. More than ever we need to develop systems and skills that support rational decision making.

The theme for this first year will be sustainability and effectiveness, specifically exploring how we can support the role of local institutions in turning evidence into policy and practice, while recognising our finite environmental and financial resources. An impressive line up of speakers and the prospect of equally impressive delegates promises to create an effective channel for advancing the debate. We think this will be an opportunity for two-way learning experience between policy makers, and those who support them, in rich and poorer countries around the world.

We aim to explore other key global health priorities in the years to come, but always through the lens of those making key decisions: policy makers, payers, professionals and patients. We want to help turn rhetoric into reality: every year, Global Health will ask pertinent questions about global health problems with a strong local perspective. To achieve this, we need the help of policy makers, industry, NGOs, professionals and patients in rich and poorer countries to shape future agendas.

We look forward to welcoming delegates from around the world for what we think will be an inspiring and highly interactive two days. I look forward to welcoming you to the British Medical Association headquarters in September 2011."

"Improving efficiency, quality and equity of access are core objectives of healthcare systems around the world, private and public, in rich and poorer countries alike. As middle and low-income economies are investing more in healthcare and marketing pressures are building up, the question of how healthcare resources ought to be allocated to meet these core objectives is becoming a policy priority both for national governments and global funding organisations.

Global Health Policy 2011 will bring together people from different geographic areas, including rich western, emerging and poorer countries; different backgrounds, including policy makers, donors, researchers, practicing professionals, industry and service users; and different interests, including experts in infectious and chronic disease, prevention and treatment, health systems and medical technologies. It will offer them a platform to share experiences of how healthcare systems and institutions in their countries use clinical and economic evidence and values to improve healthcare outcomes for their population.

I hope you will be able to join us and take part in what promises to be an exciting and topical discussion!"