Triple I hosted a side event at the 77th World Health Assembly

Impact Investing for Global Health: Cross Sectoral Learnings ~ What does it take to be an "Impact Investor"/"Impact Investee" for global health? ~

On May 28th, 2024, Impact Investment Initiative (Triple I) for Global Health hosted a hybrid side event "Impact Investing for Global Health: Cross Sectoral Learnings; What does it take to be an 'impact investor'/ 'impact investee' for global health?" in Geneva, Switzerland, alongside the 77th World Health Assembly. The event brought together over 150 participants from key stakeholders from the world and bridged the gap in mutual knowledge and understanding across different sectoral stakeholders, particularly the health and financing sectors. 

During the event, Dr. Masami Sakoi, Vice Minister for Health, Chief Medical & Global Health Officer, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, took the lead in opening remarks by emphasizing the importance of the participation of all actors from private, public, and financial investors to strengthen the health system, and stating the continuous contribution of Japanese government to Triple I. It was followed by Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products of WHO, who addressed the need for better coordinated efforts between the government to improve healthcare on a worldwide basis, and Dr. Hatem Amer, Associate Minister of Health and Population for International Relations of Egypt, who highlighted the importance to harness the power of investment to drive sustainable, transformative change in healthcare. Then, Mr. Steve Davis, Triple I Co-Chair, clarified the Triple I into three pillars as showcasing, advancing the field using the G7 platform, and governmental support for initiative.

The culminating point of the event was the roundtable dialogue moderated by Dr. Ayoade Alakija, Triple I Co-Chair. Eight representatives from different stakeholders* shared their views and perspectives of what it takes to become an impact investor/investee for global health. Some of the key points discussed include the role of innovation as a key driver for improving global health value chains, the need for measuring impact through numbers and the importance of fostering collaboration across sectors to fill the funding gap in global health.

Mr. Ken Shibusawa, Triple I Co-Chair, concluded the session by re-emphasizing the aims and approaches of Triple I and encouraged the future participation of like-minded individuals as well. The event also included networking to encourage the generation of community between stakeholders and to create social impact of investment. As the global environment evolves, now is a critical time to bring stakeholders together for greater understanding on the wider financing and health ecosystem. 

*The speakers participated in the round table (in alphabetical order)

•    Mr. Labeeb Abboud, Chairman and CEO of the Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC)
•    Dr. Zina Affas Besse, Partner - Deputy Head of Healthcare Private Equity, Impact Management of AXA Investment Managers
•    Mr. John Fairhurst, Head, Private Sector Engagement of the Global Fund
•    Mr. Farid Fezoua, Director for Global Health, Education and Services of the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
•    Dr. Megumi Muto, Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
•    Dr. John-Arne Røttingen, CEO of the Wellcome Trust
•    Ms. Joelle Tanguy, External Affairs Director of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
•    Mr. Antony Taubman, Director of the Intellectual Property, Government Procurement and Competition Division of the World Trade Organization (WTO)