OBJECTIVES
1. Strengthening leadership for health, development and equity:

• Empower governments to develop structured and prioritizied policies for research for health as part of their broader research strategies
• Improve systems capacities for the implementation of these policies
• Enhance international collaboration to address global and national health research

2. Engage all relevant constituencies in research and innovation for health:

• Ensure inclusion of public and private actors, different sectors and disciplines, civil society, and local, national and international organizations in a coherent and coordinated manner
• Include stakeholders in both the content and process of research

3. Increase accountability of research systems:

• Measure outcomes and assess impact of research for health
• Monitor initiatives and partnerships involved in research for health and
• Earn public confidence by setting standards for fair and transparent research processes

The conference will be opened by HE A.T. Touré, President of Mali

Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization, Geneva
Joy Phumaphi, Vice-President, World Bank, Washington DC
Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General, United Nations Cultural, Scientific and Educational Organization, Paris
Gill Samuels, Chair of the Global Forum for Health Research, Switzerland
Marian Jacobs, Chair of Council on Health Research  for Development, Switzerland

Several hundred ministers, high level UN and government officials, NGO, business and experts will participate in the conference.

THEMES AND ISSUES: Health challenges and the need for research - Broader determinants of health - Environment and climate change - Food, security, agriculture and nutrition - research priorities to address global trends - Pandemics and infectious diseases - research through ethics, social justice and public trust - Monitoring and Evaluation -  Private sector & investments - health systems development - Social and technological innovation - Civil society engagement - partnerships and intersectoral strategies - impact on policy-making - Panel of research leaders and funders – Global Health Agenda and Action plan.

MEDIA21 Workshop

A Media21 workshop with 15-20 journalists from Africa and other continents will be held at the same place from 15 to 20 November and interact with the aforementioned participants. They will produce articles/broadcasts during and after the workshop, to be published in their home media. Confirmed sponsors so far: Wellcome Trust, Global Fund, WHO-TDR, GAVI, Cartier.