Results of the Business Breakfast "Efficient Health Care" of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
On June 21, 2013, within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Business Breakfast "Efficient Health Care" took place. It was organized by the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy with the support of Johnson and Johnson, Ernst & Young, Novartis Group of Companies, the AIPM Association.
Panos Kanavos, Reader in International Health Policy of the Department of Social Policy of the London School of Economics (LSE) and Programme Director of the Medical Technology Research Group (MTRG) of the LSE Health acted as a moderator of the Business Breakfast.
The discussion participants included the leading experts of the health care industry, representatives of state organizations, ministries, medical and pharmaceutical communities, major field-specific foreign companies. The reports were delivered by Veronika Skvortsova, Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, David Epstein, Member of the Novartis Executive Committee, Vladimir Shipkov, AIPM Executive Director, Michael Warmuth, Executive Vice President of the Established Pharmaceuticals Division of Abbott Laboratories, Ray Yip, Director of the China Program of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mark Kurtser, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Group of Companies Mother and Child, Paul Stoffels, Worldwide Chairman of Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and Global Head of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development of Johnson & Johnson, Patrick Flochel, Global Pharmaceutical Leader of Ernst & Young, Vladimir Nazarov, Deputy Director of the Institute of Social Analysis and Forecasting of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
In the course of her report, Veronika Skvortsova stressed the importance of the dialogue between the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and expert community in the process of accelerating the pace and enhancing effectiveness of modernization of the medical treatment system. "We united ministries and authorities, public institutions and non-governmental organizations in the integrated governmental commission, which is responsible for the inter-segmental preventative measures and formation of a health life style of the population. There is a great potential in it, as health of any nation is 60% dependant on the healthy way of life and comprehensive primary preventative measures," Veronika Skvortsova said. "Health care efficiency can be achieved only through public-private partnership," she added. Veronika Skvortsova also told about the measures supporting the investment component of the health care modernization, implemented by the Ministry of Health, "We will try to introduce the investment component to the tariffs for providing first medical aid. It is very cost-efficient and advantageous from the financial and economic point of view. Our next will be to use the investment component for multiprofile hospitals and special-purpose centres."
Michael Warmuth, Executive Vice President of the Established Pharmaceuticals Division of Abbott Laboratories, spoke on the significance of preventive measures. "Taking care of your health implies not only treating the disease, but taking preventive measures and having a healthy life-style too," he stressed.
Speaking on the public support of the health care system, Paul Stoffels remarked, "It is very important that Russian and other countries should see health care not as expenses but as investments and the engine of world economy."
Within the framework of the Business Breakfast, the experts discussed the mechanisms for enhancing effectiveness of health care, developing the system of rendering medical aid, attracting investments, implementing innovative treatment and diagnostics methods. Apart from that, the following issues were examined during the discussion: public-private partnership in the health care sector and overcoming economic and clinical barriers.
The Business Breakfast continued a series of events held on the basis of the interactive discussion forum "Efficient Health Care", where the representatives of public and private institutions of the medical sector look for the optimal solutions for enhancing the domestic health care system taking into account international experience. The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration is organizer of the interactive discussion forum. The permanent partners of the forum are the Business Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, Ernst & Young, Johnson and Johnson, Novartis Group of Companies. ACIG Group of Companies is operator of the event.