Globelics International Conference

From 29 - 31 October 2014, the African Union Centre in Addis Ababa was the venue for the 12th Globelics International Conference. The conference theme was Partnerships for Innovation-based Development, and on 29 October Innogen/IKD hosted a special session on Innovating for Local Health: Addressing Local Needs in a Globalised Context. Organised by Julius Mugwagwa, the panel explored the scope for sharing local perspectives on local health systems, within the current globalised policy and funding context. The logic of the session was premised on new research being developed within Innogen and IKD.

This research acknowledges that the local health needs of developing and developed countries are multifaceted and dynamic, and recognises the complexities for local actors in defining and addressing local needs within the highly structured context of 'global health'. The panel argued that global health policies and practices tend to be top-down and aggregate initiatives, which can obscure the varying patterns of local health needs and local health sector environments. Global health initiatives were identified as focusing on diseases of global significance. Local actors, however, bring to health policies their own perspectives on needs, and the scope for addressing local priorities. These can both be supported by, and in conflict with, the local impact of global programmes.

The panel was chaired by Professor Maureen Mackintosh, and four papers were presented to a participative audience:

• Enhancing industrial productivity, health sector performance and policy synergies for local health in Kenya and Tanzania: Professor Samuel Wangwe (REPOA, Tanzania).
• Refracting global health innovations into local contexts: who decides and how?: Dr Julius Mugwagwa (OU).
• Local pharmaceutical production for stronger local health systems: fact or myth?: Dr Geoffrey Banda (Edinburgh University).
• How can local medical device industries play a bigger role in local public health?: Dr Dinar Kale (OU).