The Covid-19 pandemic has brought issues of ethics and business integrity in the healthcare sector into the public spotlight. Citizens everywhere are demanding well-governed, transparent healthcare systems and industries – not only to address the health consequences of the pandemic but as a backbone of resilient and sustainable economic growth.

Health outcomes are better when government, industry, and civil society work together well. The fast development and roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and emergency care, are in large part thanks to collaboration. This collaboration has been broad and intense, taking place between life sciences, medical technology and healthcare provider companies both among themselves and with regulatory authorities and governments towards a clear common goal.

So is now the right moment to strengthen Collective Action for integrity in health?

This is a question that Gemma Aiolfi, the Basel Institute’s Head of Compliance and Collective Action, will explore at the upcoming Americas Health Ethics Virtual Forum.

About the Forum

The Americas Health Ethics Virtual Forum on 17–18 August will bring together hundreds of government, industry and civil society stakeholders from across the Americas.

Over two days of major announcements, presentations and panels, the Forum will showcase advances in ethics and business integrity, transparency and good governance in health since the 8th Summit of the Americas hosted by Peru in 2018. It aims to catalyse progress in preparation for the upcoming 9th Summit of the Americas to be hosted by the United States.

Broadcast live in English, Spanish and Portuguese, the Forum will feature speeches by government ministers, industry leaders and experts. It is free and open to public registration via the event website.

The Basel Institute on Governance is pleased to support the event as Forum Partner alongside the Inter-American Development Bank, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), and more than a dozen other leading organisations concerned with fostering integrity in health.

Spotlight on Consensus Frameworks for Ethical Collaboration

Speaking at 8:45 EDT (14:45 CET) on Wednesday 18 August, Gemma Aiolfi will share insights on the role of Collective Action in bringing together all stakeholders of the healthcare “ecosystem” to foster common goals of integrity and transparency.

A special focus of her presentation is Consensus Frameworks for Ethical Collaboration. First launched in 2014, these are mechanisms for national health stakeholders to discuss and align on ethical practices and to build mutual capacity.

Tailored to the specific needs and contexts of the implementing country, Consensus Frameworks may be championed by government agencies, the private sector, health professionals and/or patient and consumer organisations. 

The Brazilian Consensus Framework for Ethical Collaboration will be launched at the Forum the previous day, in a session led by Brazil's Minister of Health. It is the ninth country in the world to formalise a Consensus Framework. Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Peru, the Philippines and Vietnam all have formal Frameworks at various stages of maturity. One lesson from countries’ experiences so far is the importance of clear governance structures, a prerequisite for all successful Collective Action initiatives.

Speaking alongside Gemma Aiolfi, Héctor Valle Mesto, Executive President of the Mexican Foundation for Health (Funsalud) will share observations on the importance of Collective Action initiatives and the opportunity to launch a Mexican Consensus Framework for Ethical Collaboration.

More

• Find out more about the Forum in English, Spanish and Portuguese and register for free: Americas Health Ethics Virtual Forum. 
• See a quick overview of Collective Action initiatives in the healthcare sector in: Pandemic highlights the potential of Collective Action for integrity in healthcare, a guest blog by Andrew Blasi and Katherine Nunner of Crowell & Moring International.
• Learn about a Collective Action initiative in 2020 led by Norges Bank Investment Management to co-develop a set of indicators for healthcare companies to consider using to report on the effectiveness of their anti-corruption efforts to external stakeholders.
• Find out more about anti-corruption Collective Action on the B20 Collective Action Hub, a resource and guidance centre hosted by the Basel Institute since 2013.