Global Medical Technology Alliance gains WHO recognition
Posted on 09.02.2015
Brussels, 9th February 2015 – World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the Global Medical Technology Alliance (GMTA) as a non-governmental organization (NGO). This recognition reflects the growing value of medical technology in the deployment of essential health policies and programmes around the world.
WHO policies influence a broad range of health care policies and activities around the world. Health challenges such as controlling deadly disease outbreaks, managing the burden of long term chronic conditions such as diabetes or cardio-vascular disease; reducing the impact of infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria or hepatitis; combating the emergence of antibiotic resistant diseases or reducing infant mortality; all depend on the availability to patients of the right medical technologies.
Effective deployment of such policies require a coordination of disease preparedness campaigns, adequate resourcing of health systems, reimbursement and regulatory practices; development of innovative solutions to health problems and related activities which the WHO influences and coordinates.
Recognizing the NGO status of the GMTA by the WHO is an important milestone in enhancing the ability of GMTA to collaborate with the WHO. The GMTA, an alliance of 24 medical technology associations from around the world, was created by Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), European Medical Technology Association (Eucomed), Canada’s Medical Technology Companies (Medec), Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA), Medical Technology Association of New Zealand (MTANZ) and Japan Federation of Medical Devices Association (JFMDA) to help ensure patient access to safe, effective and innovative medical technologies.
“As the voice of Medical Technology in Europe- MedTech Europe embraces this opportunity for GMTA to collaborate with the WHO on key health policies which will profoundly impact how to address the healthcare challenges of today,” said Serge Bernasconi, Chief Executive Officer, MedTech Europe.
About Medtech Europe
MedTech Europe is the European trade association representing the medical technology industries, from diagnosis to cure. We represent Diagnostics and Medical Devices manufacturers operating in Europe.
MedTech Europe’s mission is to make innovative medical technology available to more people, while helping healthcare systems move towards a sustainable path. MedTech Europe encourages policies that help the medical technology industry meet Europe’s growing healthcare needs and expectations. It also promotes medical technology’s value for Europe focusing on innovation and stakeholder relations, using economic research and data, communications, industry events and training sessions.
MedTech Europe started as an alliance in October 2012 formed by two organisations – EDMA, representing the European in vitro diagnostic industry; and Eucomed, representing the European medical devices industry.