“Rich governments are not fighting some of the world’s most deadly diseases because rich countries don’t have them. The private sector is not developing vaccines and medicines for these diseases because developing countries can’t buy them. And many developing countries are not doing nearly enough to improve the health of their own people. …In order to find new discoveries and deliver them, we need to make political and market forces work better for the world’s poorest people.”
Bill Gates’ Speech
at the 58th World Health Assembly 2005
The Prince Mahidol Award is annually conferred by His Majesty the King of Thailand to individual(s) or institution(s) for outstanding performance and/or research which has a global impact in the field of medicine and public health. The Award was first conferred for the year 1992 in January 1993 and will achieve its 15th anniversary in 2007.
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Award, there will be an international conference, based on annual basis, focusing on important global health issues that have global impact.
H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will preside over the Prince Mahidol Award Conference 2007 (PMA Conference 2007) at the Imperial Queen’ s Park Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand on 1-2 February 2007.
The conference theme is Improving Access to Essential Health Technologies: Focusing on Neglected Diseases, Reaching Neglected Populations. It is co-hosted by the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation, the World Health Organization and the Royal Thai Government.
The four specific objectives of the PMA Conference are:
1. To organize an international health conference on priority health issues that are of global significance.
2. To promote participation of leading scientists and public health leaders from around the world.
3. To organize the conference based on a systematic and participatory approach that ensures recommendations towards a global health impact.
4. To offer an opportunity for networking, capacity strengthening and leadership development, among leading scientists, public health leaders and administrators in international public health.
The parallel sessions based on the following three themes will be included in the conference: i) availability and accessibility of health technologies in developing countries: understanding the situation, causes and consequences, ii) TRIPS and accessibility to essential health technologies, and iii) resource mobilizations and mechanisms for R&D for type II and III diseases.
The event will bring together approximately 150-200 leading scientists, public health leaders and administrators in the international public health to discuss high priority global health issues and propose clarification that will have a global impact. The conference is semi-open. Interested people are also welcome.
Professor Dr. Vicharn Panich
Chairman of the International Award Committee
Prince Mahidol Award Foundation under the Royal Patronage
For more information, please visit the website www.pmaconference.org