VENUE LOCATIONCURE, 345 Park Ave South, New York.
Pay attention to the S-O-U-T-H part, otherwise you will be very lost.
Pandemic Preparedness: Defining the UN-level strategy for the Summit of the Future 2024 with the National Research Foundation, South Africa
Agenda (at 04h28EDT, Thursday 14 September 2023)
08h25 Welcome
Declan Kirrane, Chairman, Science Summit at UNGA78
Seema Kumar, CEO, CURE
08h30 PANEL 1 -- Scene SettingPetra Jantzer, Life Sciences Global Lead, Accenture (Mod)
Marc Carrel-Billiard, Technology Innovation Global Lead, Accenture
Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, CEO, National Research Foundation, South Africa (V)
Johan Aubert, Chief Digital Officer, Research and Innovation L'Oreal
Hillel Lehmann, Vice President, Head of Transformation & Long-term Strategy, Nestlé Health Sciences
Rob Goodwin, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer
10h00 PANEL 2 Global Challenges ResponseKurt Zatloukal, Medical University Graz, Austria (Mod)
Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief, Nature, UK
Seema Kumar, CURE by Deerfield, USA
Osamu Kunii, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, Japan (V)
11h00 Keynote:
Aunkh Chabalala, National Director of the Indigenous Knowledge-Based Technology Innovation Unit Dept of Science and Innovation, South Africa
11h15 Break
11h30 PANEL 3 100 Days Mission Panel: The Science of Access to Medical Countermeasures for Pandemic PreparednessModerator:
Lidia Borrell-Damian, Secretary-General, ScienceEurope
As shown during the response to COVID-19, the faster we can develop safe, effective and affordable diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines (DTVs) for an escalating infectious disease, the more lives we can save.
The goal of the 100 Days Mission is to prepare as much as possible so that within the first 100 days that a pandemic threat is identified, the following interventions can be made available, safe, effective, and affordable:
Accurate and approved rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests
An initial regimen of therapeutics
Vaccines ready to be produced at scale for global deployment
In 2021, G7 and G20 Leaders welcomed the 100 Days Mission, building on the collaborative scientific efforts which led to the development of DTVs for COVID-19. The 1st 100 Days Mission
report was authored by scientific, governmental and industry experts drawn from within and beyond the G7. It proposed 25 recommendations to harness scientific innovation and strengthen public and private collaboration that will reduce the time from discovery to deployment of DTVs within 100 days of the next pandemic threat.
Panel Concept: This session will discuss the following:
Background to the 100 Days Mission, its connection to the wider SDG agenda, and its value proposition for a safer world through scientific innovation to condense timelines and equitable access to countermeasures.
The learnings from COVID-19 and the policy solutions that underpin the 100 Days Mission
How upcoming political processes, including UNHLM on PPR and INB/IHR processes, will support this work, and how other opportunities, including a new MCM network and G7 and G20 presidencies, can make the 100 Days Mission a reality
11h30 - 11h35 Welcome:
Dr Victor Dzau (President of the National Academy of Medicine and STEG co-chair) and
Dr Rick A Bright (Former Director of BARDA, FIND board member)
11h35 - 11h45 Opening Remarks: Introduction to the 100 Days Mission and Science and Technology Expert Group (STEG) by
Dr Victor Dzau (President of the National Academy of Medicine and STEG co-chair)
11h45 - 12h10 Panellist Remarks: 5-minute interventions from
Dr Nicole Lurie (US Director, CEPI), Shingai Machingaidze (Ag. Chief Science Officer, Africa CDC),
Dr Rick A Bright (Former Director of BARDA, FIND Board Member)
and
Dr Ruxandra Draghia-Akli (V) (Global Head, Johnson & Johnson Global Public Health R&D), on the global lessons captured from COVID-19 for pandemic preparedness R&D and the recommendations for ensuring countermeasures can deliver equity and innovation, with sustainable financial and political will.
12h10-12h45 Moderated Q&A between attendees and panellists
12h45-12h55 Closing Remarks: Global political opportunities for implementing the recommendations by Dr Mariângela Simão (Former WHO Assistant Director-General for Drug Access Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals)
12h55-13h00 Goodbyes:
Dr Victor Dzau (President of the National Academy of Medicine and STEG co-chair) and
Dr Rick A Bright (Former Director of BARDA, FIND Board Member)
13h00 Lunch (by Invitation)
14h00 Keynote: Policy Responses
Irene Norstedt, European Commission, Belgium:
14h45 PANEL 4 -- Harnessing Indigenous knowledge systems to combat diseases of povertyMagdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief, Nature, UK Moderator
Mosoka Fallah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Refuge Place International
Thomas John, Landcent
Michael Makanga, European Developing Countries Clinical Trails Programme
Aunkh Chabalala, National Director of the Indigenous Knowledge-Based Technology Innovation Unit, Dept of Science and Innovation. South Africa
Peter Atadja, Chief Scientific Advisor, Landcent
15h45 PANEL 5 -- Building Communities of Practice for Interpandemic Sciences in Africa – Science for Africa FoundationThomas Kariuki, CEO, Science for Africa Foundation, Kenya
Jinal Bhiman Global Immunology and Immune Sequencing for Epidemic Response South Africa (GIISER-SA), NICD
Christian Happi, Redeemers University, Nigeria
16h30 Recommendation for the Summit of the Future and Concluding PanelTriona McCormack, UCD, Ireland - Moderator:
Alison Derbenwick Miller, Oracle, USA
Carlos Americo Pacheco, FAPESP
Josef Glößl, BOKU, Austria
Pandemic preparedness is vital for protecting public health, maintaining economic stability, ensuring global health security, strengthening healthcare systems, fostering scientific advancements, reducing risks, and engaging communities. By investing in preparedness, we can minimise the impact of pandemics and build a more resilient world as a key pillar of SDG 3.
The world's response to the COVID-19 pandemic revealed significant shortcomings in global public health emergency preparedness. Particularly in Africa, access to vaccines was unavailable, highlighting the need for better pandemic prediction and prevention. Vaccine hesitancy underscored the importance of engaging all sectors of society. Africa's experience with HIV/AIDS and TB epidemics provided valuable expertise and infrastructure for the COVID-19 response. However, funding shortages and the far-reaching impact of COVID-19 necessitate the establishment of a multi-sectoral entity to strengthen disease control stra