Berlin – “Scientific progress is enormous, but it does not reach the people who need it most. The burden of disease is even getting greater in many regions of the world. This is not tolerable. We have to take responsibility.”
(Detlev Ganten / John Eu Li Wong, Presidents of the WHS 2013)
The M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centres, Universities and National Academies harnessed the 5th World Health Summit to release a joint statement, providing direction in future advances in improving health worldwide. The M8 Alliance calls for action in four major areas:
- Research and Innovation – the only way to ensure sustainable health and wealth for patients and society in the future
- Education and Leadership – to identify and serve the needs in the communities
- Evidence to Policy – knowledge translation into national policies, enhanced through the use of scientifically rigorous evidence, to improve government effectiveness
- Global Health for Development – the move towards universal health coverage is crucial, particularly in conflict prone regions
The whole M8 Statement is available for download at: www.bit.ly/M8_Statement
The M8 Alliance serves as academic foundation of the World Health Summit, and represents leading international universities and research centres, as well as the Inter Academy Medical Panel (IAMP).
The World Health Summit 2013 brought more than 1,000 participants from around 80 countries to Berlin. In addition, another 1,200 visitors from almost 90 countries followed the sessions digitally via live-streams on the Summit’s website. Participants from all health-relevant sectors, including academia, politics, the private sector, and civil society, agreed that only timely joint action can change existing systems and overcome obstacles. The M8 Statement will add additional weight to their joint assessment.
This spirit will be carried onward to the next World Health Summit, Regional Meeting – to be held in São Paulo from April 6 – 8, 2014.
World Health Summit 2013
Federal Foreign Office Berlin
October 20 – 22