May 7, 2009 — What will the future of private health care in emerging markets look like? Experts from around the world are attending this week’s IFC Health Care Conference to find out.
The theme of the conference, which is taking place in Washington, is Private Health Care in Emerging Markets—Managing in Good Times and Bad. One hundred twenty-five participants from 20 countries are attending. On the agenda: sustainable growth even in a global economic crisis.
“The IFC conference is taking place at a time when the private health sector in emerging markets is experiencing unprecedented expansion,” said EVP and CEO Lars Thunell, who welcomed attendees. “Faced with rising demand for more and better services, many governments are embracing private participation as a means of increasing access and expanding health service delivery.”
The conference is bringing together experts from private health care, government, academia, insurance, and financing to explore the future of private health care in developing countries and the changes taking place in the sector in the wake of the global financial crisis.
Participants are looking at the different approaches that health care organizations are employing to:
- raise standards
- improve efficiency
- drive growth through partnerships, international accreditation, and entering new markets
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Panel discussions and presentations by leading analysts and practitioners will provide information for decision-makers on competing in the global marketplace.
“IFC's health conference has become a landmark event for the industry," said Health and Education Director Guy Ellena, who is chairing the conference. "It is also a unique opportunity for senior health executives from the emerging markets to share experiences and best practice."
Conference speakers include Juan Enriquez, chairman and CEO, Biotechonomy; Sebastian Mallaby, Senior Fellow for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations; and chief executives of leading health care companies from emerging and developed markets.
IFC is the world’s largest multilateral investor in the private health sector in emerging markets. Over the past ten years, IFC’s health portfolio was $846 million of investments and $2.6 billion of project value in 77 projects across 31 countries with an additional $86 million mobilized from participating banks.
Twenty-one IFC health projects (30 percent) were in IDA countries. IFC-supported health care facilities employ about 33,000 people in developing countries and treat 5.5 million patients yearly.
Contact:
Ludi Joseph
Communications Officer
Health and Education Department, IFC
E-mail: ljoseph@ifc.org
Phone: 202-473-7700
Website: www.ifc.org/che
