Digital Partnerships Crucial to Achieve Sustainable Health

The Forum explored the role digital technologies and strategic partnerships play towards the success and well-being of economies and societies.
The Forum featured business contributions on the potential of data for better health, planning for new technologies, and connecting people and patients with healthier choices and lifestyles through digital opportunities.

 

Business at OECD (BIAC) convened senior representatives from business, the OECD, and governments on December 14 in Paris at its 3rd Annual Forum on Health. The Forum explored the role digital technologies and strategic partnerships play towards the success and well-being of economies and societies. The Forum also featured business contributions on the potential of data for better health, planning for new technologies, and connecting people and patients with healthier choices and lifestyles through digital opportunities.

“Improving health in the 21st century can only take place with patient and consumer engagement by optimizing prevention and disease management approaches” said Nicole Denjoy, chair of the Business at OECD Health Committee. “Digital and health technologies are critical to achieve this goal, but we still need policies that support this transformation.”

Experts also examined how partnerships can help achieve balanced dietary choices and active lifestyles. “Well-structured Public-Private initiatives show how even challenging issues can be tackled through joint actions when implementation is effective, positive changes bring mutual benefits and the targeted groups are supported with measures appropriate to their needs,” said Russel Mills, Business at OECD Secretary General.

“This exemplifies the extent to which digital transformation has affected all aspects of our lives,” said USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner. “Digital transformation creates some challenges, to be sure, but also offers promising health-related benefits that have the potential to improve everyone’s quality of life, provided there are appropriate enabling conditions for business investment in continued innovation.”

Commenting on the role of international cooperation, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria stated, “Greater co-operation between the private and public sectors on health issues will be critical to unlock the full power of digital innovation in this area. Partnerships, including at the international level, are essential to connect the brightest minds and to promote research on complex health issues, especially where upfront R&D expenditures are vast and payoffs uncertain.”

Staff Contact:   Brian Lowry

Senior Counsel
Tel: 202.617.3159

Brian Lowry leads USCIB’s policy work on trade, health, food, agriculture, chemicals, and intellectual property. He also coordinates USCIB’s engagement in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Lowry joined USCIB in February 2021 having previously worked as an executive in the agriculture and crop science industry. Through his role as an executive, Lowry was also a longtime USCIB corporate member leader, as well as co-chair of USCIB’s working group on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Post-2015 Development Agenda. Lowry was also the first board chair of the UN Global Compact Network USA.
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