Discussing Global Health at Davos

Global business and political leaders, economists and intellectuals are descending on the Swiss town of Davos for the World Economic Forum. Among the 2500 participants is a delegation representing the Wellcome Trust, including our director, Jeremy Farrar, who is taking part in discussions on global health security and the issue of global pandemics.

Joining him are Wellcome Trust deputy chair, Kay Davies, chief investment officer Danny Truell, director of strategy, Clare Matterson and head of science strategy, performance and impact, John Williams.

You can watch the sessions featuring Jeremy Farrar live, via the World Economic Forum website with the links below.

Global Health Security – 1.45pm, Wednesday, 21^st January

Renowned epidemiologists reflect on the state of global health security and the latest battle with Ebola.

Speakers:

• Peter Piot, Director and Professor of Global Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
• Thomas R. Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust (moderator)

You can watch this session live, at 1.45pm(GMT), on Wednesday 21^st January – after which time the link will take you to a recording of the session. Watch: Global Health Security

Follow the discussion around this session on Twitter using the hashtag #globalhealth and pose your questions. The panel have agreed to take some questions from social media users as well as those in the room.

Pandemics: Whose problem? – 11.30am, Thursday 22^nd January

As the Ebola outbreak has highlighted, the world’s initial ability to provide human and material resources to the affected countries has been abysmal. How can we better respond to future epidemics?

– What lessons can be learned from previous outbreaks?
– Who is responsible for taking action?

Speakers: 

• Valerie Amos – Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
• Kofi Annan, Chairman, Kofi Annan Foundation, Secretary-General, United Nations (1997-2006)
• Moustapha Ben Barka, Special Adviser, Office of the President of the Republic of Mali
• Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Henry Schein
• Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust
• Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director, UN World Food Programme (moderator)

You can watch this session live, at 11.30am(GMT), on Thursday 22^nd January – after which time the link will take you to a recording of the session. Watch: Pandemics: Whose Problem?

Other events

You can search the World Economic Forum schedule for a list of all the sessions on global health. These include sessions on genomics, antimicrobial resistance and mental illness among others.

In addition, Kay Davies will be participating in a one-to-one interview with Reuters (8.15am GMT, Thursday 21^st January) as part of their Global Markets Forum online, although this requires registration.