Background

Despite important advances in global health — including increased access to treatment and care — too many people still suffer from infectious diseases, and the world continues to face threats from a range of new global health challenges. The three major infectious diseases – HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria – and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) continue to claim millions of lives, while the threat of the next pandemic looms large. In addition, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing and complex threat to human health.
Advancing innovations in effective new prevention technologies is imperative – together with access to those new interventions by people that need them the most. To increase access in low-resource settings, point-of-care rapid testing technologies that can be easily administered at primary health care facilities are needed. Improved testing will in turn lead to more effective surveillance. Once an outbreak is detected, deploying an effective vaccine can save lives, as seen in the recent Ebola outbreak. Vaccines remain the most effective tool to fight existing and emerging infectious diseases, and the world must invest in accelerating innovations in vaccine research and development.
However, new technologies are meaningful only if they are available to those who need them. To that end, the building blocks of access and delivery — regulatory affairs, registration, delivery, and accessibility — have to be strengthened.
The conference, co-hosted by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting (MURC), Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT), International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), will bring together experts in preventive health technologies, such as surveillance, diagnostics, and vaccines, to discuss the latest innovations as well as ways to increase access through improvements in regulatory, registration, and delivery aspects of new medical products. The conference’s four sessions will focus on key topics in diagnostics, surveillance, vaccines, and access and delivery.

The summary of the symposium is available from here:

（日本語）グローバルヘルスの新規医療技術のイノベーションとアクセス　要旨

(English) Summary for the Accelerating Innovation and Access in Global Health Technologies

Date and Venue

Date: 25th February 2019, 9:00-17:15 (Conference) and 17:15-18:45 (Reception)
Venue：Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting (Tokyo Office), Seminar Room in 24th Floor
Access Map: https://www.murc.jp/corporate/office/#tokyo

Conference Title: Accelerating Innovation and Access in Global Health Technologies

~The latest progress in the fight against infectious diseases~

グローバルヘルスの新規医療技術のイノベーションとアクセス

～感染症対策の最前線～
Language: English

※We stopped accepting registrations on the 1st, Feb.

Program

Opening 9:00-9:25

Welcome: Representative from Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting
Opening remarks: Prof. David Heymann, Head and Senior Fellow, Center on Global Health Security, Chatham House – Confirmed

Session 1: The latest diagnostics technologies: point-of-care/rapid testing 9:25-11:05

Panelists will discuss the latest trends and challenges in diagnostics and future directions, focusing on POCT/rapid tests.

Moderator
Ranald Sutherland, Consultant for Technology and Business Development, Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics – Confirmed
Panelists
Christian Becker, Vice President Sales, HUMAN – Confirmed
Osamu Kunii, Head, Strategy, Investment and Impact Division, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – Confirmed
Javan Esfandiari, Executive Vice President and Chief Science and Technology Officer, Chembio – Confirmed
Etsuro Ito, Professor, Department of Biology, Waseda University/Advisor, TAUNS Laboratories Inc. – Confirmed
Khuất Thị Hải Oanh, MD, MSc, Executive Director, Centre for Supporting Community Development Initiatives, Vietnam – Confirmed

Session 2: The advent of new technologies and their contribution to global health surveillance　11:05-12:45

Panelists will discuss artificial intelligence, drones, and communications technologies, which have potential to contribute to the management of infectious diseases.

Moderator
Michikazu Koshiba, Head, Center on Global Health Architecture, Mitsubishi UFJ Research & Consulting – Confirmed
Panelists
Helmi Zakariah, CEO, AIME – Confirmed
Afif Bahardin, the State Health Minister, Penang State Gov, Malaysia – Confirmed
Guido Geerts, CEO, Delft Imaging Systems – Confirmed
Eri Machii, CEO, AfriMedico – Confirmed
Isabelle Buckle, Executive Vice President, Technology Transfer & Industrial Partnerships, Institut Pasteur – Confirmed

Lunch break 12:45-13:45

Session 3: The latest innovations in vaccine research and development 13:45-15:25

Panelists will discuss the latest scientific advancement, as well as new partnerships and models of collaboration.

Moderator
Anita Kawatra, Vice President, Communications, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative – Confirmed
Panelists
Frederik Kristensen, Deputy CEO, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation – Confirmed
Mark Feinberg, President & CEO, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative – Confirmed
Gaudensia Mutua, Clinical Trials Team Leader, KAVI-Institute of Clinical Research, University of Nairobi – Confirmed
Rajeev Venkayya, President, Global Vaccine Business Unit, Takeda Pharmaceutical – Confirmed

Session 4: Ensuring access and delivery in low- and middle-income countries　15:25-17:05

Panelists will discuss the factors that ensure access to new technologies in LMICs.

Moderator/Chair
Hayato Urabe, Director, Investment Strategy, Planning & Management, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund – Confirmed
Panelists
Rosanna Peeling, Professor & Chair of Diagnostics Research, Director of the International Diagnostics Centre – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine – Confirmed
Naofumi Hashimoto, Clinical technologist, National Center on Global Health and Medicine – Confirmed
Bryan Richmond, Regional Director for East & South Africa, Crown Agents Limited – Confirmed
Li Zhang, Director, Innovation Hub, Resource Mobilisation and Private Sector Partnerships, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – Confirmed
Teruo Takahashi, Manager, In Vitro Diagnostics Division, Medical Systems Business Division, FUJIFILM Corporation – Confirmed

Closing 17:05-17:15

Closing remarks: Yasuhiro Suzuki, Chief Medical & Global Health Officer/Vice-Minister for Health, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare – Confirmed

Joint Reception 17:15-18:45

Please be noted that discussion and comments during the conference will be recorded and the conference summary will be published on our website.
The program of the conference is also available from here:

Organizers

This conference is organized by the following organizations:

MURC / FIND / IAVI / GHIT / CEPI
This conference is partly supported by the Government of Japan in partnership with the World Bank.

Registration

Please register from the below button in advance.
Seating Capacity: 100 participants
As space is limited, please register by Friday, the 1st February 2019. In case of too many applications over the seating capacity, we will hold a draw for place allocation and inform you of the result by the 8th, February.
Fee: Free of charge to attend the symposium

※We stopped accepting registrations on the 1st, Feb.

お問い合わせは、本シンポジウム事務局のMURC小柴・國光まで右記のメールにてご連絡ください / for any inquiries please contact at ath-ch@murc.jp
本シンポジウム事務局 MURC/小柴・國光: ath-ch@murc.jp／Center on Global Health Architecture: https://www.digitalsociety.murc.jp/globalhealth/architecture/index.html

Accelerating Innovation and Access in Global Health Technologies（グローバルヘルスの新規医療技術のイノベーションとアクセス）~The latest progress in the fight against infectious diseases~（～感染症対策の最前線～）