Global Cooperation on Assistive Health Technology

a new Global Initiative of EMP/PHI

Assistive Health Technology (AHT)Knowledge & Science on Assistive Health Products (AHP)

Eyeglasses to supportive robots

Why AHT should be a priority areas for action?

Why a global initiative?

Changing public health scenario

Road Traffic Injuries (RTI)

Ageing

Communicable disease (CD)

Non-communicable disease (NCD)

20 Century 21 Century

EMP

Changing public health scenario

20 CenturyPreventing or treating a disease

21 CenturyIt is also about

healthy lives and well-being

Assistive Health

Products

Ageing, illness, death as realities of life – Buddha

More age – more chronic conditions/functional decline More Medical and Assistive Products

100

1000 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Age

Func

tion

Role of AHT

Active ageing

20 times growth opportunities

At least 2 billion products by 2050

2014

Only 1 in 10 can access assistive health products

Perceived as a small market

A handfulManufacturers

A handful professionals

Higher cost Higher status

Fragmented sector

10%access

Challenges related to AHT provision

What WHO is doing?Creating a global imitative to improve access to high-quality

affordable Assistive Health Technology (AHT) – opening the GATE

Relevance: Rights to Assistive Technology, as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights

of Persons with Disabilities – Article 32 in particular, which asked for International cooperation to improve access

WHO Disability Action Plan 2014–2021 – Objective2. Improve access to assistive technologies that are safe, of good quality and affordable

WHO World Report on Ageing and Health - WHO Ageing Action Plan 2017–2022

1 of the 6 WHO's leadership priorities – improving access to medical/health Products

Proposed Sustainable Development Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

1st GATE meeting, Geneva, 3 & 4 July 2014

What WHO is doing?

66 external and 18 internal participants

Academia6

1. Work towards establishing GATE as WHO flagship programme

2. Create an advisory group and a forum of champions3. Discussion on AHT in the World Health Assembly /

World Economic Forum in 2016 4. 1st World Summit of AHT in 20165. Initiate a global survey to map the current scenario6. Identify 25 most essential assistive health products7. Develop a model of single-window comprehensive

service provision of Most Essential Assistive Health Products (MAP) at all levels of Health care system

Some concrete actions

A comprehensive 1 stop MAP package

Global Survey/ Consensus

• 25 Most essentialAssistiveHealthProducts(MAP)

MAP model

• Product profiles

•Procurement•Training

• Providers• Nurses• PHC

personnel• Caregivers• Users

Four working groups

WHAWEF

ASEMG20

ModelsTraining

Procure-mentStandards

Products-profileNewer-

productsService

Research agenda

Research work

Knowledge and technology are available

But only for 10% We want to improve this