December 6, 2010
Dr. Margaret Chan
Director General
World Health Organization
Avenue Appia 20
1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
Dear Director General Chan
On behalf of the Global Medical Technology Alliance (GMTA), we are writing to provide you with our promised response to the "Medical Device: Managing the Mismatch" report which was issued at the First Global Forum
on Medical Devices.
We are also very pleased to send to your our first correspondence using our new, official GMTA logo. This symbolizes the continuing effort of the medical technology industry to strengthen coordination among its diverse
associations to better work with the World Health Organization. This new logo will take the place of individual association logos and signatures.
Given the feedback, and interest, we received from other stakeholders at the Forum, we are in the process of developing a website to better encourage participation by other associations. We also plan to have an official secretariat in place by January 2011.
As a variety of stakeholders, including industry, search to find solutions to the "4 As" highlighted in the report: Availability, Accessibility, Appropriateness and Affordability, it would be very useful to find ways to combine our resources and work together. There are improvements that the medical device industry can make, and we strive to do so, but in order to achieve real success in addressing healthcare needs, the industry must work collaboratively with stakeholders. Medical technology plays a complementary role in improving and saving lives and contributing to societal and broad economic goals – the national governments and non-governmental organizations also have their roles and must seek to fulfill them.
A suggestion we have put forward in our response is the establishment of an expert advisory group that would include industry to work with WHO on the identified public health needs and develop solutions to address specific situations, on the ground, in a country. The medical technology industry has a long history of working to develop sustainable solutions to improve healthcare infrastructures around the world – and these efforts are increasing. We look forward to identifying ways with WHO to find solutions to these critical health issues.
Sincerely,
The Global Medical Technology Alliance
Enclosure
Cc:
Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Assistant Director-General Health Systems and Services
Dr. Steffen Groth, Director of Essential Health Technologies
Ms. Adriana Velazquez-Berumen, Coordinator, Diagnostic Imaging and Medical Devices