Inaugural Global Health Track at 2012 mHealth Summit Attracts Health Leaders from 50 Countries

The mHealth Summit announced today that 4,000 representatives from 50 countries are expected to attend the fourth annual event which, for the first time, will include a dedicated global health component focused on major developments for improving health systems in low- and middle-income countries through the best use of mobile technologies.

In addition to Dr. Nafis Sadik, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General, who is opening Day 3 of the summit, keynotes will be delivered by Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health; Mark T. Bertolini, Chairman and CEO of Aetna; Gary Shapiro, CEO and President of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Ariel Pablos-Méndez, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID as well as Jeff Sachs (Director, Earth Institute at Columbia University.  The summit will also feature senior representatives from the Harvard School of Public Health, Johnson & Johnson, UNICEF and who will focus on ways mobile technologies can positively affect the health of millions worldwide, especially women, children and the underserved.

“This year’s inaugural global health track will showcase real-life examples of successes and challenges with mHealth around the world and how it is helping improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries,” said Patricia Mechael, Executive Director of the mHealth Alliance, a founding partner of the mHealth Summit.

The 2012 mHealth Summit, taking place December 3-5, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center just outside of Washington, D.C., has also attracted 35 leading organizations as strategic affiliates.  This year’s affiliates include several focused on global health issues including Ashoka, CDC Foundation, GBCHealth, GSMA, Pan American Health Organization, Rockefeller Foundation, UN Foundation and USAID.  As part of the strategic affiliate program, many are hosting dedicated sessions with content and the speaker lineup developed by each organization.   There will also be more than 300 exhibitors.

Featured speakers and panelists focused on global health include:

• Susannah Allison – Program Officer, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Christina Cianflone – Administrative Director, Duke Cancer Institute
• Haitham El-noush – Manager, Norwegian Development Agency (Norad)
• Kirsten Gagnaire – Global Director, Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA)
• Katherine Kim – Professor in Residence, San Francisco State University
• Erica Kochi – Co-Lead, UNICEF
• Esther Ogara, Head of eHealth, Government of Kenya
• Seneca Perri – Research Coordinator, Harvard School of Public Health

“There are no geographic boundaries when it comes to the reach and potential impact of mobile health,” commented Richard Scarfo, Director of the mHealth Summit and Vice President of Events at HIMSS Media.  “Through our dedicated focus, affiliate program and key partnerships, we have been able to build the mHealth Summit making the global convener for this growing ecosystem,” concluded Scarfo.

The global health track, spanning over the 3-day event, will bring together key mHealth leaders and stakeholders to exchange ideas, share innovative solutions, and discuss strategies for success. Development of the global health track was led by the mHealth Alliance, which is hosted by the United Nations Foundation.  The Alliance, a key organizing partner of the summit since 2009, worked closely with representatives from 16 organizations from the mHealth and global health ecosystem to shape the agenda and identify speakers.

For more information: 

• Visit www.mhealthsummit.org for registration and conference details.
• To apply for media credentials:  www.mhealthsummit.org/press-media-registration
• Join us on Twitter:  #mHS12  #GHtrack  @mhealthsummit www.twitter.com/mhealthsummit

About the mHealth Summit

The mHealth Summit is presented by the HIMSS Media, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, the mHealth Alliance and the Foundation for the NIH.  It is the leading conference, expo and networking event advancing cross-sector collaboration in the best use of wireless technology to improve health outcomes. The 2012 mHealth Summit, to be held December 3-5 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, will connect leaders in government, private sector/industry, academia, foundations and not-for-profit organizations to advance discussion and decision-making related to the intersection of mobile technology, health research, and policy in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.mhealthsummit.org.

For additional information on the 2012 mHealth Summit’s organizing partners, please visit:

About HIMSS:  www.himss.org

About the Foundation for the NIH:  www.fnih.org

About the mHealth Alliance:  www.mhealthalliance.org

About the National Institutes of Health:  www.nih.gov

###About the mHealth Alliance
The mHealth Alliance champions the use of mobile technologies to improve health throughout the world. Working with diverse partners to integrate mHealth into multiple sectors, the Alliance serves as a convener for the mHealth community to overcome common challenges by sharing tools, knowledge, experience, and lessons learned. The mHealth Alliance also hosts Health Unbound (HUB), a global online community for resource sharing and collaborative solution generation. Hosted by the United Nations Foundation, and founded by the Rockefeller Foundation, Vodafone Foundation, and UN Foundation, the Alliance now also includes HP, the GSM Association, and Norad among its founding partners. For more information, visit http://www.mHealthAlliance.org.