2008 Edition: Welcome Message

This initiative was built in close collaboration with the major international organizations, professional federations, non-governmental organizations and representatives of civil society as well as those of the academia and the private sector. Many of the 1000 participants at the first edition expressed the wish that such an event be organized on a regular basis in Geneva, bringing together on equal footing a vast range of participants in terms of regional representation and sectors. Capitalizing on the local, European and international dimensions of Geneva, the Geneva Health Forum aims at innovation, open debate and mobilization of forces to promote global access to health, by creating a spirit of equal opportunity, providing a fertile environment for critical reflexion and constructive debates, and fostering a multi-stakeholder approach.

While the main theme of the Geneva Health Forum remains improving access to health and care, this 2008 edition focuses specifically on 'Strengthening health systems and the global health workforce'. The year 2008, the 30th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration, offers a special occasion to revisit the primary healthcare model within the current health services context, marked by the increasing burden of chronic diseases and HIV/AIDS, the potential of new drugs and technologies, and the growing role of the private sector and global health initiatives. Health systems cannot be addressed without a critical look at the current global health workforce crisis.

The Geneva Health Forum 2008 focuses on key initiatives and best practices, addressing issues such as motivation, working environment, migration and gaps in competencies. The role that universities, hospitals and training institutions play in this domain, with respect to their responsibility and contributions to building equitable health systems that respond to populations' needs, is also addressed.

This edition places special emphasis on access to health as a global issue, where local initiatives can inform global models. This is done, among others, by accentuating the role that all actors can play in strengthening health systems. Particular attention is given to health professionals as the bridge between policy and practice.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Geneva Health Forum collaborative partners, local and international, public and private, who have actively participated in the designing and organizing of this event.

We sincerely hope that the Forum, its sessions, and its marketplace will provide a unique environment that can, albeit indirectly, contribute to improving the state of access to health and care worldwide. We wish you a very productive and fruitful Forum.

Prof. Louis Loutan Bernard Gruson, Chief Executive Officer, Geneva University Hospitals

President of the Organizing Committee, Geneva Health Forum